Celestia strode through the mists of slumber. She stood tall in the dreamscape, but lacked her regalia, so her scar was plain across her breast. Ahead of her was a great canopied bed. Its inhabitant lay propped up on pillows behind the veil.
“How did the meeting with Twilight Sparkle go?” Luna coughed.
“As well as I could hope,” Celestia sighed. “It is never easy giving my students the talk about Discord and Tirek.”
“… and Sombra?” Luna added.
Celestia tensed and lowered her head so she did not have to face Luna. “I could not force that on her, not yet.”
“Sister.” Luna’s tone stung Celestia’s scar. “I know the dangers of rushing, but if Equality is as well connected as I fear she is, it is only a matter of time before Sombra seeks her out.”
“We don’t know that.” Celestia’s feeble reply clashed with her majestic body. For a second, her form warped, as if her larger form was overlaid over her true emaciated body. “What we gleaned of his immediate behavior upon freedom was not consistent with the tyrant we faced a millennium ago. I’ve already posted extra guards to the north just in case.”
Seeing Celestia in such a state, Luna sighed, “I suppose if Sombra had joined with Equality, she would have unleashed him on us, regardless of the consequences. I wouldn’t be surprised given her chaotic corruption.”
“I highly doubt she’s an agent of Discord. It’s not in his nature to play such a detailed long game, and especially not to directly kill,” Celestia countered.
“Something was wrong with her,” Luna insisted. “You only fought her briefly, but I had her magic plunged directly into me, and what I felt was akin to Discord’s miasma.”
“Hmm.” Celestia clenched her jaw. Both she and Luna were quiet for a moment. Celestia took a breath and stared up at Luna, irises flickering with aura. “All the more reason we must support Twilight and the others. The Sports Festival will be their first chance to show what lies in Equestria’s future. Until then, let’s help our students out however we can.”
The smile Celestia bore allowed Luna to sink a little into her pillows. “You always have a way with words, sister. Very well, I shall make sure our students are ready.”
~~~
“It’s amazing!” Twilight beamed.
Across the table, Shining blushed and tried to cover it up by eating another spoonful of his oatmeal. “It’s a little surprising, but it’s not unheard of. After all, look at how much you improved after getting your cutie mark.”
“I’m just happy for both of you,” said Night Light. “Though it is a little weird seeing you both mentioned in the paper so much lately.”
“It’s just a little corner piece,” said Shining. He leaned back in his chair and grinned. “It is nice to be able to stay in Canterlot though.” His smile diminished. “It kind of feels like I’m missing out on a bit. A lot of other sergeants got sent up to the north recently.”
“I’m fine with you being here, especially after that attack.” Velvet took a sip of her tea and then set her sights on Twilight. “You’re sure you’re fine?”
“For the thousandth time, mom, yes.” Twilight raised an unbandaged leg to emphasize her point. At the same time, she thanked Celestia, the School staff, and the Guard for having kept the fact that Equality targeted her from reaching the press. Still, they could not have kept her name from reaching the papers, so every now and then a pony passing by the café she and her family were enjoying Saturday brunch at would stop and stare. A glare from Velvet shooed them away. Twilight turned back to Shining. “Do you think you’ll be able to make it to the Sports Festival?”
“Not sure.” Shining paused and glanced right and left. He leaned over the table so that his voice did not carry far. “The Guard will be spread out all around the city with some pro heroes concentrated around the stadium. I’m already a little nervous about my new rank, so I don’t want to step on any hooves, even if it is to see you kick flank at the Festival.”
Twilight grinned. “Thanks, Shiny.”
“And we’ll be there,” Night Light chuckled. He leaned over and nudged Shining with is elbow. “Maybe your special somepony will be there too.”
“Dad!” Shining yelped. Sensing eyes on him, he settled into his seat. “You know what our agreement is. I’ve still got a long way to go to catch up with Cadance.”
“You’ll get there!” Twilight cheered. She then flexed her leg. “And I’m right behind you!”
~~~
A crystalline leg crashed down on Spike. He tossed up her arms and caught it inches from his head. Rarity and Spike dug their hooves and claws into the ground. Rarity pushed harder to strike at Spike, and Spike clenched down more. A sharp crack rang through the air. Rarity yelped, and Spike let go. They disengaged, and Spike moved to Rarity’s side to analyze the injury.
“Just a little crack,” Rarity assured him. Crystal gave way to flesh, revealing a small gash with crimson streaks spiderwebbing out of it. “Need to rethink my diet a bit.”
“Here you go.” A filly with a coat that matched Rarity’s but with a mane of two different shades of violet deposited a bandage and some antiseptic spray at Rarity’s hooves. She stood a few inches shorter than Spike and bore a blank flank.
“Thank you, Sweetie.” Rarity lifted up the antiseptic, clenched her jaw when she sprayed it over her injury, and pressed the bandage on it after giving it a second to dry.
“Anything for my big sister!” Sweetie Belle displayed a wide grin. She then swung her head around to glance at her flank, which was still white like the rest of her coat. Her grin faded. “Maybe medicine isn’t my Talent though.”
“Give it time.” A nuzzle accompanied Rarity’s words.
Spike slipped away and grabbed one of the bottles the group had brought out to Rarity’s family’s large backyard. When he brought it to his lips, a bitter sludge washed over his tongue. He hacked and spat the foul black slush with flecks of grey onto the grass.
Sweetie hid behind Rarity’s frame and groaned, “Guess smoothie making isn’t my Talent either.”
Spike knew Sweetie’s lament was sincere after having seen and tasted the “power breakfast” she had made for Rarity and him. At first, he had thought the black, viscous liquid and ashen scraps had perhaps been related to her Talent, like Rarity’s eating of gems, but her blank flank had eliminated that theory. Then, Spike had thought it might be some sisterly jealousy or fear of him like Rarity had, but Sweetie, while initially surprised at seeing Spike, had already heard about him from Rarity.
So, that only left Spike with two conclusions: Sweetie should never be allowed anywhere near a kitchen and she was obsessively seeking her cutie mark. This was a deadly combination.
~~~
Fluttershy swerved her elongated neck to the right before Applejack’s hoof could crash into her face. Her slitted pupils narrowed when the attack passed by her head but then veered and crashed down on her neck. Fluttershy gasped and went to her knees in a fit of coughing. Her neck and limbs shrank back to their regular proportions, scales gave way to fur across her back and around her hooves, and pronounced fangs receded.
Applejack helped her back up. “Sorry, sugarcube, even if you can dodge faster now, your longer neck and legs are too open. There a way you can get rid of that, but keep the other stuff?”
“M-maybe,” Fluttershy hacked as Applejack led them over to where they had set down their water bottles and gear against one of the training room’s walls. She took a drink and sighed, “I might need to consider other thermal sensing animals that can strike fast… or maybe some discharge sensing ones. Oh, but those are mostly fish, so I can’t…”
A slap on the back made Fluttershy yelp and break out of her muttering. Applejack took another swig of her water before grinning. “We can worry about that later. Let’s focus on what you’ve got now.”
Before they could get back into training, there was a knock at the door.
“Come on in,” Applejack hollered.
Twilight stepped into the room and floated her gear next to Applejack and Fluttershy’s. “Hope I didn’t miss out on too much.”
~~~
“Olé!” Pinkie reared onto her hind legs. Bulk raced through the red cape she clutched in her forelegs. Temporarily blinded, he flailed out a hoof to strike at Pinkie, but she bounced away.
Her tail stood on end and she swerved right. Aloe snorted and raced to close the distance between the two of them. At the same time, Lotus sprung at her, but Pinkie produced a large balloon that squealed when it unleashed its air, pushing her out of the way of the attack. It also forced everypony else to cover up their ears, giving Pinkie time to dash quick-drying cement onto their legs.
Nearby, Maud lay under the shade of a tree, taking in the training session. Her long stares were punctuated every now and then with a blink.
~~~
“You’re something else, Rainbow Dash,” Derpy huffed. She shuffled through the halls, sweat dripping on the floor. “Thanks again for training with me.”
Dash strutted ahead of Derpy with a grin on her face. “No problem. Pegasi gotta help each other out. Plus, Fluttershy’s a great friend, but our training styles are too different to make a good match.”
“She does have a pretty unique talent for a pegasus. Can’t believe how fast this week has gone by… Oh!”
Derpy swerved to left down an intersecting hallway. By now, Dash was used to Derpy’s scatterbrained antics, which made her good at being an unpredictable training partner, but she realized that Derpy’s sharp turn was toward the mail room. To her chagrin, Dash realized she had not checked her mail the whole week since she was too pumped up about the Sports Festival. With a shudder, she followed after Derpy and prayed her parents had not flooded her with letters.
To her relief, she had only received three letters, albeit long ones, from her parents that would have turned her scarlet if anypony else read them. In the safety of her room though, she was their only recipient. Other than that, there was the standard junk mail: offers for extracurricular classes to “boost her to the top,” subscription solicitation for magazines she did not need, and supposedly stellar deals on energy drinks and other training equipment.
Then, she came to a letter she had not noticed at first when it was mixed into the junk. The envelope was made of sturdier paper than the rest of the mail, giving it an official feel. Her hooves skimmed over a seal on the back. She did not recognize the return address and both it and her address had been typed. When she flipped it over, her pupils shrank. The seal was unmistakable: a pony’s skull with a wing sprouting out the back of it.
The shock of seeing the seal gave way to anger. Dash snarled and tore open the letter, nearly ripping the contents in half. The paper crinkled in her hooves. She bore her teeth. Just as she finished reading, a bolt of electricity burst out of her hooves and incinerated the letter. She let it crumble to ash and cursed, “He’s coming.”
~~~
“Have a safe trip,” Fluttershy said with a smile.
“Seconding that,” said Twilight.
“Be sure to say hi to the Cakes for me!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Don’t feel, like, turquoise?” Tree Hugger peered at Applejack. “Yeah, it’s turquoise.”
Applejack stood a few feet ahead of the group, right by the train out of Canterlot. She took off her hat and held it to her chest. “Thanks, ya’ll. I’ll be sure to bring back some of Granny’s cooking to share. It’ll be just that extra kick we need to get through this week and win big time at the Festival!”
With that, she stepped onto the train. As it departed the station, her friends waved her off until the train was out of sight. Twilight then turned to Fluttershy and Tree Hugger. “So, you’re off to the woods then?”
“Yeah, it’s like super good to bask in all the chakras there,” Tree Hugger mused.
“And I’ll be able to interact with a lot of animals,” said Fluttershy. “What about you, Twilight?”
“I’ve got some spells I’m going to test out.” With just a little help from Princess Celestia.
“Well.” Fluttershy grinned. “Good luck.”
“Have a super fun time!” Pinkie cheered. “I can’t wait to see what spells you can pull off!”
~~~
“Oh, hey, Rainbow Dash!” Derpy waved at Dash and then galloped over to her. Dash continued to march forward, but it was still early in the morning so Derpy assumed Dash was still half-awake. “You wanna g—”
“No.” Upon closer inspection, Derpy saw that Dash’s muscles were tight and her glare was chilling. It was like some invisible villain was right in front of her and she was about to show no mercy on him. Derpy flinched and Dash left her behind. “I’m training on my own now.”
“But I thought pegasi had t—”
When Dash turned, Derpy bore the full brunt of her glare. She shivered and stepped back. Dash snorted and marched off, leaving Derpy alone in the hall.
~~~
Applejack patted her stomach and leaned back in her chair. “Ah, I’ve missed having fresh food from you, Granny.”
Granny Smith grinned as much as her aged features could allow. “Gotta make sure you’re all up and ready to win.”
“And make sure you don’t get hurt,” Apple Bloom added.
Applejack reached across the table and ruffled her little sister’s mane. “I ain’t gonna get hurt, Apple Bloom. You just wait ‘till I come back with that first-place prize.”
“I am mighty sorry we can’t make it,” Granny sighed.
Applejack waved a hoof. “No worries, Granny. I know things are getting busy now. Looks like we’re gonna have a good crop this year, so all the more reason to do well at the Festival.”
“You’re sure about your plans afterwards?” Granny asked. “Some of the heroes nearby will gladly take you for an internship.”
“Granny, we already discussed this,” Applejack huffed. “Winning at the Festival will make the pros want to come to us. Big Mac can show me a few more ropes when we’re not busy harvesting. Coming home will get two birds with one stone that way.”
Granny took a breath and sipped her tea. “If you say so, dearie. I just want to make sure you’re getting everything you can out the School.”
“I’m fine with you coming back,” Apple Bloom chimed in. She offered a meek grin at Applejack. “Do you think you can also show me a few apple bucking moves while you’re home?”
“Sure thing,” Applejack chuckled. “Sure thing.”
~~~
“Say…” Pinkie rested a hoof on her chin while spooning pudding into her mouth with another hoof. “Where has Dashie been going during lunch and after class this week?”
Twilight glanced at the empty space at the lunch table. She noticed the Fluttershy had stopped eating her salad and was staring straight down. Taking the cue, she said, “She’s probably just being strict about her diet and training this week.”
“Makes sense.” Applejack stared out at the lunch hall and felt eyes gazing back at her, but she could not pinpoint them through the crowd. She did manage to spot the ponies not looking at her: Rarity and Sunset talking with each other at a table across the room with Maud slowly munching on a sandwich next to them. Absentmindedly, she muttered, “Wonder what their training is like…”
Spike gulped down some gem shards and looked over at her. “Hmm?”
“Nothing.” Applejack shook her head. “Just wondering aloud.”
“Well, speaking of training…” Twilight hefted an impressive stack of paper out of her saddle bags. “I’ve got some regiments I thought would be useful to try out after class today.”
“Neato!” Pinkie cheered.
~~~
“Phew.” Spike stretched his arms above his head. Heat rose off his scales and his muscles ached, but he wore a grin. “Those are some really good exercises, Twilight.”
“Thanks,” Twilight beamed. “It was hard factoring in Pinkie’s abilities into the training plan, but by accepting a certain level of flexibility, it allowed me to broaden what training was possible, enhance my on-the-hooves thinking, and come up even more hypotheticals I’ll run by the Princess if I have time.”
Twilight was huffing by the end of her babbling, so she took a drink. Spike stared at her for a second, shrugged, and then opened the door out of the dorms for her. “I’ll just take it that means good things.”
“Yeah, it…” Twilight stopped a few feet outside the dorm. She veered away from the path and over to a line of trees. Spike followed after her until the two came upon Fluttershy landing nearby. Twilight slowed her walk. Fluttershy had her eyes forward and was taking a step one leg at a time. Her face was pale. “Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy jumped off the ground for a second. She placed a hoof to her chest to calm her heart and stared down. “Oh, Twilight…”
“Everything okay, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “I’ve been a little worried about you since lunch, especially when you went off on your own to train today.”
“I… well…” Fluttershy gulped. “Please don’t tell Rainbow Dash, but I went to check on her this afternoon.”
“Trying to get a leg up on the competition?” Spike joked. A glare from Twilight shut his mouth.
“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked.
“I’m not sure. She’s pushing herself too hard, but it’s always been that way, even before…” Fluttershy stopped herself and turned away. “I’m sorry.”
Fluttershy rushed to bypass Twilight, but Twilight threw out a leg and nearly clothlined her. Taking a breath, she said, “Fluttershy, I know whatever happened to Dash is hard to talk about, but she’s my friend too. I don’t want to see her get hurt because of that.”
Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane. “You may be right, Twilight... but it’s still not my place to talk about it.”
Without another word, Fluttershy launched off the ground. Her takeoff sent dust into Twilight and Spike’s eyes. By the time they cleared them, Fluttershy was long gone. Twilight wanted to gallop off and find her, but Pinkie’s advice on friends rang in her ears. With a heavy heart, she realized pushing the issue was not the answer.
“Come on, Spike,” she sighed with a newfound weight in her voice. “We should get going.”
While Twilight and Spike walked off into the early evening, Rainbow Dash stared down at them from the dorm’s roof. With a snort, she took to the air.