The door banged open, hard enough that Hayden was surprised it didn’t shatter into splinters. A single unicorn stood in the opening, with a cloud of servants running after him. There was no suggestion of how such an old unicorn could’ve beaten so many young ponies to her bedroom. Some ways behind him, she thought she could make out Snow Storm in the distance, struggling to keep up.
Honed Edge snapped alert as he entered, weapon already drawn. He didn’t seem to recognize the unicorn—though the royal seal on his robe was unmistakable.
“Out,” the old unicorn said, gesturing to the door. He didn’t wait for obedience, just pointed with his horn. Edge levitated right out the door, dropped unceremoniously to the floor, and it slammed shut behind him.
Hayden rose from her desk, reaching up subconsciously to brush her mane out of her face with one hoof. She lowered her head in a slight bow. “Star Swirl. A pleasure to see you again.”
“It would be more of a pleasure if I wasn’t seeing your ghost all across Equestria.” He marched across the room towards her like an executioner, though he held no weapons. The satchel slung across his shoulder opened on its own, and he removed a pair of scrolls from within. Both had a wax seal, though the icons were different.
“You think I wanted this?” She glanced out the window, at the city full of bats. “I wasn’t even here until yesterday. You know the timeline for that doesn’t make sense.”
“The truth rarely matters, Hayden. What matters is what ponies think is the truth. Princess Celestia holds your existence responsible for the chaos in Equestria, and she is ultimately correct. The result is all that matters.”
“For what it’s worth, I think Lord Storm is your pony,” she said. “His unicorns were the ones who devised the spell. He’s the one who pressured the city guard to take the spell, and changed the city’s schedule so that things were only open at night. I don’t know his motives, but…”
“His motives are irrelevant,” Star Swirl said. “He will be swept up in what’s coming as much as anypony else. I doubt any will survive long enough for specific punishments.” He broke the seal on one of the two scrolls, which Hayden managed to get a glimpse at for a few seconds before he opened it. It was Luna’s seal. “The princess has ordered me to send you home immediately. She blames herself for all that has happened. She does not wish you to endure what is to come. And I agree, much as I think it would be better if you did stay. But your death would inflict only greater harm on the princess.”
“That other scroll,” Hayden said, finding it was harder and harder to care about Star Swirl’s anger the more he went on. “That’s the one with Celestia’s orders, isn’t it? Does Luna’s only talk about me?”
“Only you. The princess has barely left her tower in a month, Hayden. You wouldn’t either if you heard what the nobility is saying. A plot to undermine Equestria—a ploy for power, to overthrow her sister.”
Star Swirl removed something else from his bag—chalk. Several different sticks, each worn to a different level. He started drawing on the floor with all of them at once, each stick levitating as though it had an invisible artist drawing with it. The runes Star Swirl drew were some of the most elegant and complex Hayden had ever seen—certainly more than the few times she’d seen unicorn spells in camp. Star Swirl seemed as practiced at magic as the Alicorns themselves, if not moreso.
“What will Celestia do?” she asked, considering whether she should try to snatch the scroll out of the air and read it for herself. She didn’t though, just got out of Star Swirl’s way and let him draw all over the floor. It didn’t seem like he would take very long to finish whatever he was creating there. “You think it might kill ponies?”
To her surprise, the scroll sped towards her, so quickly it nearly hit her in the face. She dodged, then caught it with a wing as it kept going. She opened it on the bed, unrolling the royal decree.
Celestia’s hoofwriting was neat and elegant, written on fancy paper with gold leaf hammered into the pages. There were runes set into the gold, though she didn’t know what they meant. The magical language of the unicorns was not something Hayden had made a priority.
It began with fluffy nonsense about the protection of Equestria’s ideals and the importance of cooperation in a difficult time. Hayden skimmed over that without really reading, barely noticing what she was seeing. Then she got to the meat.
“To aid in Equestria’s defense, the majority of its armed forces along the northern border will be immediately recalled and placed under the command of Lord Diamond Glow. Anypony who is unchanged by the new magic spreading across Equestria is welcome to join with the military as they make their way for Whinnypeg. A complete evacuation of the northern territories will not be possible.
“To assure that the ponies of the north have the best chance of mounting a successful defense, Lady Evening Star of Luna’s own household is to be appointed general in the north. May her defense of all those who have been changed by this unknown magic—or who choose to remain there—reflect on the role of this new tribe of Thestrals in tomorrow’s Equestria.”
It went on, naming specific ponies Celestia was appointing to higher positions in the newly formed defense army, which would be withdrawing immediately. Naturally, Lodestone was named among the first of those ponies, along with most of the officers of Defiance.
The letter ended with a note that those who had chosen to change should retain their positions where they were currently assigned, and that the defense army was to ensure that none changed by magic could enter Equestria proper “so as to protect the ponies who live there until the nature of the magical danger they pose is assessed.”
“I require one of your personal effects,” Star Swirl interrupted. “To connect the spell with your home. You will be escaping the effects of this choice—either back to Luna’s soul, or to whatever strange realm you come from. It is a flight you don’t deserve.”
“And don’t want.” Hayden wanted to tear the scroll in half, but she resisted the urge, holding it up with one hoof. “You know what she wrote here, Star Swirl? What that bitch is ordering?” She didn’t wait for a response. “There are fifty thousand ponies in Icefalls! She’s not evacuating any of them? And what, she’s willing to sacrifice a fourth of the army? All those ponies left behind to die?”
“Not the army.” Star Swirl’s expression had changed. Despite the harshness of her language, he actually looked a little less upset. “Celestia’s spies determined that number would account for all the bats. Now that I’ve seen the city I see that is an overestimation—there will be other ponies left behind as well across the other tribes. What is it to you? I’ve already said, Princess Luna rose from her fugue long enough to instruct me I spare you from it. You won’t have to see the consequences of your actions. I will inform Celestia that the spell creating you was destroyed before I arrived. Tragic timing—but she’ll trust me. Some other pony will have to watch this city burn.”
“No,” Hayden said again. She turned back towards the diagram—which he had apparently completed while she was reading. Damn, you’re fast. Hayden smeared one of the lines with one of her hooves—the chalk rubbed out easily, without any other consequences. No flashes of fire or roars of magic. Only a slight tick on Star Swirl’s face suggesting his annoyance.
“Star Swirl, somepony has to do something about this!” She walked over the diagram, destroying it as she went, over to the open balcony. In the day she’d been here, the fires had all been put out. A few ponies worked to repair the damage out there, but not many. It appeared most were still asleep, until night came.
“These people didn’t do a damn thing wrong, except live in the wrong town. I haven’t worked out the details yet, but it seems like Snow Storm saw an opportunity to advance his house and used the military to help him do it. Whatever the reason, it’s not their fault! It’s not Nightbreeze’s fault, and it isn’t even mine. Do you know what the Stonebeaks do to their prisoners?”
Star Swirl brought his hoof down on the stone bricks of the floor. Despite his apparent age, the gesture had enough force to smash the stone with a terrible crack, sending a roar through the small room that silenced Hayden completely. “Do not speak to me that way, creation of mana and stardust. I have seen more of misery than your feeble comprehension can possibly fathom. I saw the broken world that rose in Carcosa’s fall, watched ponies starve by their thousands. I remember the terrible touch of the Outsider’s chaos on our new kingdom. I remember the screams of those he tortured. Do not lecture me.”
Hayden cowered away from him, resisting the urge to shield her face from his with a wing. It was a narrow thing—she could barely manage not to turn and flee right there. There was something in the air—like lightning with nowhere to strike. A terrible energy, centered around this pony. It was like what she’d felt around Celestia, only more focused, somehow. It was less an entire volcano and more a single plasma-cutter pointed at her head.
“I apologize,” she said, and hoped she sounded like she meant it. “I mean only that sending me back isn’t the best option here. Luna wants to give me mercy or something, she feels like this is her fault—who cares? I don’t need mercy, they do,” she flicked her tail towards the open window. “Sending me back doesn’t do them any favors.”
Star Swirl frowned at her, glancing between her and the open window. “I don’t know what you’re suggesting, Hayden. It could be that you haven’t understood what you read—possible, given the way Celestia writes. But there is no relief for anypony in Icefalls who remains here. The bats you’ve inadvertently created will be abandoned here. I have… circumvented the princess somewhat to ensure that supplies will continue to arrive before the end. But not starving will not be enough—even if the Stonebeaks had no intention of invading before, when they see three stallions in four fleeing for the south, they will take that as a sign of weakness. One does not show one’s back to a predator. They will descend in their hordes on the city and do what the Stonebeaks have always done.”
He glared down at the diagram, and one of the sticks of chalk still following him through the air snapped as though it had been held in someone’s fingers. “Celestia will have her unity restored, cut back to the race her kin created in the dawn days.”
“I have only been up here for a month—it could be the fight is as hopeless as you suggest. But it also could be that it isn’t.” She took a deep breath—this was probably much too daring. Star Swirl had come up here determined to blame her for everything. Maybe he was right to do that. But then again… “I assume you’ve already done everything you could to convince the princess to change her mind. That Luna has tried…” She trailed off. “Why is Celestia commanding the army, anyway? I thought that was Luna’s job.”
“Princess Luna has not ordained to fulfill any duty beyond raising the moon in the last month,” Star Swirl said. “She retreats deeper and deeper into herself—I’m amazed you’re able to function so well, given your connection to her. Regardless, without Luna to command them, and with a potential invasion at the gate, somepony had to do something. That pony was Celestia. She has always been better at making the terrible choices. Equestria might not have lasted this long otherwise.
“And it isn’t just her. The entire court is terrified, enraged, demanding action. Some suggest worse things for your new cousins than anything the Stonebeak Clan has in mind. It is astounding how so small a change can make one completely unworthy of compassion.”
Hayden cleared her throat. “I would return to Harmony myself to persuade Luna to come out of hiding, but… I suspect that would be a bad idea.”
“Impossible now,” Star Swirl agreed, levitating Celestia’s letter again. “If we aren’t claiming you had gone from the world before I arrived, then to come back would be to defy Celestia’s orders. You would be arrested the instant you arrived, and you don’t want to know what punishment Harmony’s nobility have in store for you.”
“No.” Hayden shivered once at the thought, though she didn’t let herself dwell on it. “The real question is—how much worse could things be if I am killed during all this? How permanent will the harm to Princess Luna be? Worse than what has already happened?”
“No.” Star Swirl shook his head. “If you die, then Luna will lose the traits you represent. Her loneliness, whatever she thinks ponies fear about her. As well as whatever gains she has made thanks to your development.”
“I refuse to live the rest of my life knowing my presence here brought death to so many.” She turned away from the window, smearing the ground with her hoof again. Star Swirl’s spell was damaged beyond recognition at this point—if he wanted to cast it, he would be basically starting from nothing. “How long do you think I would have until the griffons attack? A year?”
“If they see our troops withdraw from the border in the numbers Celestia demands? No. Winter is coming, and winter in the land of the fallen empire is terrible and cold. The birds lack any way to control the weather, or temper the wrath of the season. When spring comes, they will need time to gather their army—to obtain supplies, to assemble themselves into one body. I expect their siege would come in the middle of spring, or the beginning of summer if the cold was particularly harsh. The ponies of the north have six months.”
It could be even worse. I tried to only introduce good things, and my presence still caused terrible suffering. Potentially the death of thousands. If she was to have any hope of saving these ponies, she would have to move well beyond the simple technologies that could only make the world better. She would have to revolutionize parts of pony society that were probably better off primitive.
Except that they’re being attacked by terrible enemies. They’ve been invaded before, and they might be again. Their own princesses are abandoning them.
“I don’t know if I have a chance, Star Swirl—but I know there isn’t anypony else who could do it. You said so yourself—an attack is practically inevitable once Celestia pulls most of the army away. Is there any general in Equestria who could win that war with conventional tactics?”
She didn’t have to wait for an answer—she could see it on Star Swirl’s face. “I can’t go back to my safe job and my stupid pointless life knowing saving me cost them the only chance they have.” She stood a little straighter, meeting the court unicorn’s eyes. “Follow Celestia’s orders. I’ll keep the ponies of the north safe or die trying.”
Star Swirl blinked, watching her with interest. He seemed to be searching for something, though as he stared Hayden only felt increasingly uncomfortable. “I… I thought you were her for a moment, Hayden. That is exactly what Luna would’ve said. But you don’t have her power.”
“No, I don’t. Though… it would be pretty great if we can find a way to keep Luna informed about how we’re doing… if we can snap her out of whatever depression she’s in before spring and she just marches the army right back… then we won’t have to put my ideas to the test.”
“No, we won’t,” Star Swirl agreed. “We’ll just be dealing with a civil war, that will be much better. But… not a present concern.” He strode forward, and there was a puff of chalk as he walked over the diagram, erasing it from the floor. “Are you certain of this, Hayden? I do not believe you will have another chance to return to your world until after this campaign is over. And if it should turn against you…”
Hayden could still see out the open balcony, hear the voices of the ponies of Icefalls. No idea yet that their princess had abandoned them. “Positive,” she said. “I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try, Star Swirl. And maybe I can’t, maybe I won’t end up making a damn bit of difference. But maybe I will. It’s not like the ponies of Icefalls will be worse off with my help.”
“That remains to be seen.” Starswirl tossed the scroll with Luna’s seal into the open fireplace, and took the other in his magic. “Come on then, Lady Evening Star. It is time to inform the city lord what his gamble has cost him.”