Lightning Dust stared across the desk in complete shock.
Chroma, Bringer of Endless Storms, Commander of the 5th Legion and the mare that had attacked Ponyville not more than a month ago glared right back at her. Though she was smaller and less alicorn-y than Lightning Dust remembered. For what felt like an indeterminate amount of time the pair did nothing but stare at each other, neither pony willing to make the first move.
“...So…,” Chroma eventually said. “...This is kinda awkward…”
Lightning’s shocked mind ground back into action. Vaulting over the the desk, she aimed a kick right for Chroma’s snout. Chroma’s hooves were a blur as she blocked the strike, spun about and swatted a wing across Lightning’s face. With her vision temporarily blocked by feathers Lightning stumbled, just enough to give Chroma a moment to act. She snaked in, grabbing Lightning under the forelegs and locking her yanking her close to her body.
“Calm down! I’m not here to cause trouble!”
“Cause trouble? The whole reason the lodge is in this mess right now is because you!” Lightning snarled. She pulled against Chroma’s grip, but with the wound on her side, Chroma’s lock was nearly impossible to slip out of. “Did you come here to finish me off? Couldn’t do it in Ponyville, so you came here?”
“I’m not the assassin!”
“Liar!”
Ligntning snapped her head back, smiling at the yelp of pain from Chroma. Her body lock slipped just enough to let Lightning squirm free and lash out with a sweeping kick. But Chroma was fast, leaping over the strike and landing hard on Lightning again, pushing her to the floor.
“Listen to me! I’m not here to wreck your chances! I’m here to make amends!”
Lightning wasn’t interested in listening though. All she wanted to do in this moment was hurt the mare that had destroyed her comfortable world. She wanted to break the pony that had sent her comrades to prison, while she walked around free.
“Amends? That’s a poor offer to make when all of this is your fault! You destroyed the best home I’ve ever had! Why did you have to pick us in the first place? Weren’t the Horn Breakers more your style?”
“Actually the Black Rooks had more disgruntled ponies-” Chroma began only to pause and shake her head. “I am not having that conversation right now! Not until you calm down and listen to reason!”
Lightning snarled and twisted against Chroma’s pin. Chroma responded by leaning more of her bodyweight against Lightning.
“I will stay here all night if I have to,” Chroma growled. “And no offense, but you’re in no condition to deal with a pony who can actually fight back.”
“I shout loud enough and Iron Will is in here. Think you can take him without your alicorn magic?”
Chroma winced, but didn’t move. “Yeah, and I owe him just as much of an apology as anypony else. But I don’t want to fight him anymore than I want to fight you. If anything, I owe you and your friends for knocking some sense into me.”
Some of Chroma’s words began to puncture the buzzing cloud of anger that had engulfed Lightning Dust. She stopped struggling for now, instead glaring up into Chroma’s magenta eyes.
“So, what...you’re not crazy anymore, so you think you can make up for everything you did by joining the Rangers?”
Chroma laughed in response. It was a dry, bitter laugh, so devoid of any actual mirth Lightning could almost feel Laughter wincing in the back of her mind. “Squirt, I made a legion of widows during the rebellion and talked one of my best friends into damnation. I’m well aware that joining the Rangers won’t wipe my slate clean. But it’s a start. And a better one than just letting the magic healing rainbows speak for my ‘redemption’.”
“...So you really just revealed yourself to me to talk? That’s hard to believe.”
“Maybe. But it's the truth. I couldn’t just sit back and watch somepony make all the same mistakes I did. It’s like going to the amphitheater and watching a production of all your life’s failures.”
Lightning glowered furiously at Chroma. “All the same mistakes? What in the name of Luna’s black abyss are you going on about?”
Chroma rolled her eyes. “Alienating your soldiers, the start of creeping paranoia. Give you a horn and you’d be walking right down the same road as me, squirt.”
“Stop calling me that!”
“You’re three hundred years my junior, I’ll call you whatever I want.”
“You’re not making a good case for me to listen to you.”
“You can ignore me if you want, but losing your lodge could be the price.”
“Which still wouldn’t be a problem if you hadn’t used your dark magic to convince them!”
“Dark magic? You think I used the Rainbow of Darkness to make Spitfire see things my way? I didn’t need to. All I had to do was offer her a chance for glory and a restored Equestria, strong enough to drive the Everfree away.”
As much as Lightning dearly wished that she could believe that Chroma was lying, she knew in her heart of hearts that she wasn’t. There hadn’t been any sign of magical corruption on Spitfire or her other fellow Rangers. She had heard the grumbling about the lack of support from the capital flitting around the barracks like a flock of particularly agitated ravens. Whether it had been a question of ignorance or stupidity, Lightning had chosen to believe that things would somehow work out. But her companions had decided to take a more active hoof in seeing things change.
“So, this is it huh?” Lighting asked, her whole body slumping in complete exhaustion. “This is where the Black Rook Lodge ends? Gutted by corruption and shoved into the hooves of a pony who clearly can’t cut it?”
Chorma snorted. “Oh, drop the self pity already. It doesn’t suit you. But you know what else doesn’t suit you? Trying to be Spitfire. You are not her and you shouldn’t be trying to be her.”
“The Lodge needs a strong leader though!”
“It needs a leader. And strength isn’t just about shouting your head off. It’s about inspiring ponies to follow you into the depths of Tartarus and helping make them the best they can be!”
Chroma finally got off of Lightning, gesturing to encompass the whole of the lodge. “All of the raw potential to make this lodge into something amazing exists within these walls. And it’ll become what you decide to make it. And maybe, just maybe, it needs to be something other than what the Black Rook Lodge was. It needs to be Lightning Dust’s creation. Not Spitfire’s, reheated over half dead coals.”
Lightning found herself unable to do much but stare at Chroma as she spoke. There was an undeniable passion and energy in her words and Lightning found herself suddenly understanding how all of her fellow Rangers could have up and followed this mare. In fact, for just one moment, Lightning could almost see her at the head of one of Equestria’s old legions, red cloak flapping in the breeze.
“...You’re annoyingly good at motivational speeches.”
Chroma grinned back. “Well, yeah. I didn’t go from legionnaire to legatus legionis for nothing ya know. And in case you’ve forgot, I was Loyalty before Scorpan got to us all.” She waved a hoof at the Element of Laughter around Lightning’s neck. “I’ve sure you’ve noticed that the Elements won’t bond just anypony. And holding them only brings out their qualities in you.”
She extended a hoof to help Lightning Dust back to her hooves. “So, you tell me Lightning Dust. What do you want this lodge to be?”
But before Lightning even had a chance to answer, a bright flash filled the room, Starlight Glimmer appearing right behind it. She brandished her elemental staff as she grabbed Lightning about the shoulders.
“Lightning! I looked into Firefly’s name! She was Chroma’s second in command-”
Then she noticed Chroma.
“AH HA! Got you!”
The former alicorn dove for cover, as the beam from Starlight’s crystal capturing spell streaking overhead. Insults were hurled, explanations attempted, but Lightning wasn't really paying attention to the particulars. Maybe it was just all the sleepless nights and stress finally reaching a breaking point, but the scene playing out in her office was just too absurd to respond in other way... and so she laughed!
Not a bemused chuckle or a playful tittiering, but a full raucous laughter rising out from the depths of her belly and filling the room. It brought everything else to a stand still, both Starlight and Chroma pausing to simply gawk.
- - - -
It had taken a long while to explain the situation, mostly because of how long it took Lightning's laughter to calm down enough for her to even breathe again, let alone form coherent words. Once Starlight had finally been convinced that Chroma wasn’t here as an enemy, her own academic curiosity had come out in full force, and Chroma had found herself assaulted instead by a barrage of a thousand and one different questions.
“....A potion?” Starlight deadpanned. “That’s how Scorpan made you an alicorn?”
Chroma nodded. “Yup.”
“No. Absolutely not! I refuse!” Starlight exclaimed, throwing her hooves up.
Lightning blinked. “...I don’t get it.”
“An alicorn is the perfect mixture and balance of the magic of all three tribes, concentrated into a whole different tier of power! There is absolutely no way you can bottle all of that up into a potion! If it was that easy to make an alicorn, everypony would be doing it!”
Chroma shrugged. “Look, I’m the one that drank the cursed thing. It was a potion. ….The change really hurt, does that help?”
“No! It still shouldn’t be possible!”
“I dunno what to tell ya then. If Twilight were here, she could probably tell you how it worked. She was the real magic user out of all of us.”
“Adagio’s going to hit the roof when she gets back,” Lightning chuckled. “I bet she’s going to have a whole bunch of questions herself. Suri too, since she’s bearing Loyalty.” She paused for a second and cocked her head. “Or actually, is she? Chroma, will you be wanting your Element back?”
Chroma sighed. “No, I’m pretty sure Loyalty won’t take me back. I had my chance and blew it. And I’m not foolish enough to think that any of you could be that kind of friends with me, not for a very long time yet. Anyway, can we hold off on more interrogations till they get back? Some of these stories I’d prefer to only tell once.”
Lightning nodded, taking a moment to glance at the clock ticking away on her wall. “Fair enough. Looks like it’s about time for first watch at that.”
“I’ll get on it,” Chroma said. An ethereal magenta glow settled around the tips of her primary feathers and almost instantly her colors began to shift back to those of Firefly. “I just have a couple of requests from you two.”
“What’s that?” Starlight asked. “...And how did you do that?”
Chroma shrugged. “Dunno really. I guess that Harmony hasn’t completely given up on me. But, don’t call me Chroma. That’s not my name. It’s Rainbow Dash when I’m not wearing this face.”
“And the other thing?”
Rainbow Dash’s wings visibly drooped, while her voice dropped to a whisper. “...Help my friends. None of us asked for this...and Fluttershy, or Echidna as you know her...she’s directly my fault. I’m the one who convinced her to drink. Just...please don’t give up on them.”
Lightning draped a wing over Rainbow Dash’s side. “We won’t. I promise.”
Rainbow Dash nodded back and slipped out the office door. Starlight watched her go with a slight frown.
“Do you really think we can do that?”
“Is it really any crazier than Adagio setting us against possible hidden enemies in The Heartlands?”
“...Point taken.”
“That’s one crisis down for the time being. Here’s hoping that Tirek won’t be bringing another with him.”
“Tirek? He’s still around?”
Lightning passed the old centaur’s letter over. Starlight read it with a frown. “Well, that’s nice and vague.”
“Yup. But he guarded the Elements of Harmony for who knows how long. I don’t think that I can ignore it.”
“Not saying that you should. I’m just saying that you should bring some backup. Will and I should do.”
Lightning was in no mood to argue this point. Going into the Everfree Forest alone was the height of foolishness, even for a Ranger.
“All right then. I’ll see both of you tonight.”
- - - -
Tirek’s letter hadn’t exactly specified the exact part of the Everfree to meet him in. Not that naming landmarks was all that useful in a forest that liked to change its shape every now and again. Still, as she, Starlight and Iron Will approached the edge of the forest, twinkling lights began to become apparent along the edge of the treeline.
“Is that a good sign or a bad one?” Starlight asked.
“Well, it's a sign that he’s here with friends at least,” Lightning said. “Those look like torch lights to me.”
They crept into the edge of the vast wood as a group, the night making the Everfree look all the more foreboding. Will kept his grip tight on his axe as they advanced towards the flickering lights, every muscle in his body tensed for an ambush.
“Master Tirek?” Lightning called out.
A few of the bushes rustled for a moment before the centaur stepped into view. His appearance was one of contradictions. In many ways, he was an old stallion, with craggy lines on his face and a billowing white beard clinging to his chin. But there was also lean muscle lacing his form, speaking to years of being a wandering warrior type. Though the spear and longbow always helped with that impression.
He gave her a friendly smile. “A pleasure to see you again friend Lightning Dust.”
“Glad to see you again too. Though I’m surprised to see you here. I figured you would have traveled on.”
Tirek chuckled, idly stroking his beard. “It was something I considered. But the Everfree has become quite the exciting place since the battle at the Dragon Rib Mountains.”
“What do you mean?”
Tirek motioned for her to follow before turning and heading towards the flickering lights. Lightning exchanged a curious glance with Starlight and Will before following. After a few more minutes of walking, Tirek lead them into what appeared to be a small clearing.
A clearing that was full of caprataurs.
Lightning froze at first as two dozen pairs of eyes fell upon her. She could almost feel Starlight tensing up at her side. But on a second look, she realized that they weren’t exactly warriors. They were mostly women, with a few scattered children and scrawny males through the lot. Most of them looked scrawny and underfed, though a large meal of roots and tubers were spread out on a blanket between them. A meal that they returned to once it was clear that Lightning wasn’t going to attack them. Lightning turned her gaze to Tirek, raising a questioning eyebrow.
“While Rainbow Dash did not realize it at the time, many of the ruling beastlords died in her attack. Now the survivors struggle to see who will come out on top of the tribal totem pole, while others plan and plot against ponykind.”
He waved idly towards the collected caprataurs. “However, it has also opened up opportunities for those who no longer wish to be part of the tribal power structure. I’ve decided to help these folk find new lives outside the Everfree. The Border Princesses, perhaps.”
“Well, I wish you and your charges luck. Be careful heading north though. You’ll have to slip past the Horn Breakers. But what does it have to do with me?”
“I consider this more of a fair warning,” Tirek said. He calmly stroked his beard, delivering possibly horrific news with an unnerving calmness. “My charges tell me that the one eyed beastlord that stalked your predecessor is eager to stretch his muscles. If he were to lead a major victory against ponykind, it would establish him as amongst the most powerful of the surviving beastlords.”
“Great. That’s all Ponyville needs right now,” Starlight grumbled. She began to pace, brow furrowed as she considered the problem before them. “A caprataur invasion right after we almost got washed away by Chroma?...Err...Rainbow Dash I mean.” She shook her head. “The point is, I’m not sure we’re prepared!”
“Well, if Rainbow Dash is once again in her right mind, then perhaps her council should be sought in how to handle a fight with caprataurs,” Tirek mused.
“Having the Black Rook Lodge ready would help a lot too,” Iron Will said.
Lightning allowed herself a wry smile. “No pressure then!”
Triek smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous air. “I am quite sure you can handle that friend Lightning Dust. But if there are no other concerns, I must get my charges under way. We have far to travel.”
With warnings provided, Lightning lead the way back to Ponyville. There were a lot of things buzzing around her mind on the way back, but most of it was dominated by the conversation with Rainbow Dash. Perhaps she had a point. Perhaps it was time to make the Black Rook Lodge her own.
- - - -
The mood was grim in the mess hall the next morning.
Nopony spoke as they chomped listlessly away at their oatmeal. Everypony slumped in their seats, the misery of the yesterday’s events hanging overhead in metaphorical stormclouds. One would be hard pressed to find a more miserable group of ponies in The Heartlands.
Lightning Dust strode into the room with her head held high. Today was the day she was going to turn everything around.
“Good morning everypony! I hope that everypony is ready to get some work done!”
A round of grumbles rippled through the crowd. But Lightning was undeterred. She walked down the lines with a bright smile on her muzzle. “Look, I owe you all an apology. I’ve not been handling your training well. I’ve been far too focused on the idea of what this lodge was. Trying too much to be Spitfire. But you know what? I’m not Spitfire. And this lodge can’t be what it was anymore.”
She stopped at Sky Stinger’s side. “Sky, what I did yesterday was out of line. You have potential as a ranger. It’s just a question of putting in the work.”
“What’s the point?” he sighed, before glaring at Vapor Trail. “If somepony will just be there to carry me!”
“I just wanted to help,” Vapor Trail muttered. “Being a questing, adventurer type has always been your dream. I couldn’t let you wash out.”
“And he’s not. If he puts in the work himself,” Lightning Dust said. “You can support him and lift him up. But he has do the heavy lifting himself.” She turned in place, spreading her forelegs wide. “You all have the potential to be Rangers. And together, we can build a better lodge. A lodge that won’t repeat the same mistakes of the past. The Heartlands are saying that we no longer belong. I say we prove them wrong!”
Icy Mist now stood. “That’s the spirit! We aren’t done yet! I say we redouble our efforts! Really show the ponies in charge what this place is capable of!”
Lightning clapped a hoof on Icy Mist’s back. “That’s the attitude I like to hear! So, what do the rest of you have to say? Are we going to make this lodge the new gem in the Everfree Rangers? Are we going to be the best ponies we can be?”
The room remained quiet at first. But then Sunflower opted to stand, nervously clearing her throat before speaking.
“I think that if you’re willing to try a different tack, than all of us can put in the effort. I know that I believe in this lodge...and I want to believe in all of us. So...does everypony think that they can make one more effort?”
Rainbow Dash, in the guise of Firefly stood now. “I know that I will. What say the rest of you?”
“I will!” Icy Mist called.
“Me too!” Angel Wings shouted.
“I’ll try again if everypony else will,” Vapor Trail said, smiling softly.
“I suppose I will too,” Sky Stinger said.
The rest of the trainees also murmured their agreement. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough for LIghtning Dust. She’d lead by example and build something great.
“Alright everypony! Get you gear! It’s time for us to do some training in the Everfree itself!”