Fencer felt her blood run cold at the sight of the weeping crystal mare.
The other cars, she realized dimly. I was looking for Cozy so that I could apologize to her before we left, and Sonata said she and her new boyfriend had gone to one of the other train cars. She’d intended to go look for her at the time, but the words had barely gotten out of Sonata’s mouth when Lex had returned with a large group of survivors. That had been enough to make Fencer completely forget about Cozy, instead focusing on whether or not there was anyone she’d known before – any of her old friends or neighbors – among the ponies that Lex had retrieved. By the time she’d figured out that they were all strangers, what Sonata had told her had completely fled from her mind. Until now.
For an instant Fencer considered acting on her previous intentions and stepping forward to tell Cozy how sorry she was for what she’d done to her husband. But she found herself faltering. Cadance was here, a pony who was not only a princess of Equestria but also a worshiper of Lashtada, and that made Fencer hesitate. If she confessed to having killed Pillowcase now, how would Cadance react? Lex had already punished – and ultimately forgiven – her for what she’d done, and the princesses were renowned for being compassionate toward those who genuinely felt bad about their misdeeds, but this wasn’t some minor crisis of friendship. It was murder…
“P-Princess Cadance,” wept Cozy. For a moment she faltered, as though about to collapse where she stood, before bolting forward. Rushing past the gawking, confused crowd of ponies – both the rail crew and the sick ponies that had just been healed – she hurled herself at the pink alicorn, burying her face in her chest as she began to sob heavily. “Thank Lashtada! Oh, thank Lashtada you’re here!”
“…Cozy?” It took Cadance a second to react, staring in shock down at the disheveled pony bawling her eyes out against her, before instinct kicked in and she reached a foreleg around to hug her close, giving the crystal mare a gentle squeeze. The embrace lasted for only a few seconds before Cadance ended it, stepping back just enough so that she could look Cozy in the eye. “Cozy…what happened to you? The last time I saw you was a few weeks ago when you and Pillowcase left for Vanhoover. What are you doing here?”
“We should go.” Fencer almost jumped at the soft murmur from Granola Bar, the other mare having put down the doctor she was carrying and quietly crept up so she was alongside Fencer and Hopscotch. A quick glance at the other mare’s face made it clear to Fencer that her friend had figured out what was about to happen. “Right now,” she urged.
“I…” Fencer’s eyes darted to the rest of her friends. Hopscotch looked worried, but nodded silently. A glance in the other direction showed similar expressions on Funshine and Slip ‘n’ Slide’s faces, the brothers also having gently lowered the doctors they’d been carrying to the ground so that they’d be able to make a dash unimpeded.
The sight made Fencer’s chest tighten. You guys… Granola Bar and the stallions hadn’t even been with her when she’d attacked Pillowcase. Hopscotch had, but the younger mare hadn’t so much as thrown a punch, instead having been the one to root through the belongings they’d stolen from the crystal stallion. Fencer had been the one who’d beaten him savagely, with Turbo helping her do it…and he’d already paid for her selfishness with his life. The only pony left who was responsible for Pillowcase’s death, Fencer knew, was herself. But despite that, her friends – without saying a word – were telling her that if she wanted to make a break for it now, they’d be right there with her.
The thought kept her hooves rooted to the ground.
“P-Pillow,” hiccupped Cozy. “You-, you can bring him back, right?!” Desperation was written all over her face, her words spilling out in a rushed jumble. “I prayed to Lashtada for a miracle, but it didn’t happen, but she’ll bring him back to me if you ask her, right?! Please, I love him so much!”
“Cozy, calm down.” Alarm was starting to register on Cadance’s face, but she didn’t let it control her, instead reaching out with a wing to gently brush the tears from the smaller mare’s face. “Take a deep breath, okay? In…” Cadance modeled the action she wanted, inhaling deeply even as she lifted a foreleg and touched her own chest with her hoof, Cozy mimicking her clumsily. “And out…” Cadance exhaled slowly as she stretched her leg forward, as if pointing. Still blinking back tears, Cozy copied the gesture. “Good,” encouraged Cadance. “Now, one more time. In…and out…” It took a few more repetitions before Cozy’s breathing finally slowed down, a look of coherence returning to her face. Nodding, Cadance tried again. “Now, what happened?”
“Pillow, he-”
But she didn’t get a chance to finish as a new voice – that of a stallion – rang out. “Is everypony alright?”
The question was accompanied by the march of hooves, both coming from behind Cadance, in the direction of Canterlot. All eyes turned toward it, revealing its owner: a handsome white stallion with a mane and tail of sapphire blue streaked with cerulean, a cutie mark of a shield on his flanks. His horn was lit up as he galloped toward them, lighting the way for the members of the Royal Guard following behind him, their golden armor gleaming in the reflected glow. Fencer instantly recognized the lead stallion from the same articles that had covered Cadance: her husband, Shining Armor.
“Garden!” Granola Bar’s whisper was filled with urgency, her eyes taking in the sight of the members of the Guard that had just arrived. “C’mon!”
But hearing her old name only hardened Fencer’s resolve, and she shook her head softly. Running now would mean that her friends would become fugitives for a crime they hadn’t committed, all for her sake. That was the kind of selfishness on her part that had cost Turbo his life. The thought of making that same mistake again, even if the alternative was Cadance handing down a punishment worse than what Lex had done to her, was more than Fencer could bear.
Oblivious to the quiet turmoil nearby, Shining Armor moved alongside his wife, the Royal Guard starting to spread out behind him to better contain the situation. “Sorry I’m late,” he murmured with a smile that was somehow dashing and self-deprecating at the same time. “It must be nice to be able to fly over buildings rather than go around them.”
“It has its advantages,” replied Cadance with a coy smile. But the flirtatious atmosphere between the two of them ended as abruptly as it had begun, Cadance’s smile falling away as her look of controlled anxiety resurfaced. “Several of the ponies on the train were seriously ill. I healed them with Lashtada’s grace, but I think something even worse might have happened…”
She nodded her head toward Cozy at that, causing Shining Armor to look at her. It took a second for recognition to blossom in his eyes, but when it did his jaw fell open. “Cozy? Comfy Cozy? What happened to you? And where’s Pillowcase?” He glanced around, as though expecting to see her husband in the crowd, and Fencer found herself flinching as his eyes passed over her. Even so, she didn’t take a step, not even when Hopscotch nudged her, looking like she was about to cry.
She wasn’t the only one. “Pillow was…he…” Cozy took another deep breath, copying the gesture that Cadance had shown her as she visibly prepared herself to say the words. “He was killed.”
The train crew broke out into murmurs at that, while the ponies that had been sick looked sympathetic. Cadance looked heartbroken on Cozy’s behalf, pulling her into a hug, while Shining Armor eyes widened. “How?!” he blurted. “What happened?!” Cadance shot Shining Armor a disapproving look at that, making him wince as he realized that he’d been crass. “I’m sorry. I didn’t-”
“I killed him.”
Gasps rang out from the assembled ponies, the loudest of them coming from her friends as Fencer stepped forward. “I’m the one who did it,” she repeated. It’s strange, she thought to herself as she let her eyes move from Shining Armor to Cadance to Cozy. It doesn’t feel so hard to admit now. When Lex had forced her to confess her crime, it had been a gut-wrenching experience, the words tearing themselves from her with such force and emotion that she’d felt almost sick. But now…now she felt resigned. Almost peaceful. As if this was how things were supposed to be. At least this way, my friends won’t have to sacrifice themselves for me. Now there was only one thing left to say. “Cozy, I’m so, so sorry for what I did to your husband. I know there’s no way I can ever-”
“I did it!”
The new voice caused Fencer’s eyes to widen as she looked at its owner. “Funshine!”
“I did it!” repeated the stallion, stepping forward. “She’s just trying to cover for me! I was the one who k-killed him…”
For a moment no one could speak, looking back and forth between him and Fencer, who was equally shocked. So much for her friends not sacrificing themselves for her. “You-”
“M-me!” piped up Hopscotch. She looked like she was going to throw up, but that didn’t stop her from speaking. “I’m…I’m the killer!”
“No, you’re not!” snapped Fencer, a note of anger entering her voice.
She was going to say more, but Granola Bar beat her to the punch. “She’s not,” she declared, her voice firm. Fencer let out a relieved sigh, glad that at least one of her friends hadn’t gone mad, but an instant later Granola Bar kept speaking. “Because I am. I’m guilty of causing Pillowcase’s death.”
A few feet back, Funshine nudged his brother, causing Slip ‘n’ Slide to groan. “Really? This is really how it’s going to be?” When Funshine shot him a nasty look, Slip sighed, rolling his eyes. “Fine.” He took a step forward, letting out a huff before he raised his voice. “Forget what those other guys said. I’m the one who did it. They’re just saying it was them to protect me.”
“You idiots!” raged Fencer, pawing at the ground in rage as she whirled to face her friends. “I didn’t want this! I didn’t want anypony else to pay for my mistakes! You all just…” Her voice failed her then, her throat closing up as her vision began to blur, feeling hot tears running down her cheeks. “You all just keep doing things like this. Nopony asked for your help.” She raised a foreleg to her face, wiping her eyes viciously before turning back toward Cadance. “I did it. Alone. Pillowcase’s death was my fault.”
But her friends weren’t ready to give up just yet. “No, it was me!” insisted Hopscotch.
“Me!” countered Funshine.
“Me!” Granola Bar.
“Me…” Slip ‘n’ Slide.
“All of you, stop it!” The righteous anger in Cadance’s voice was enough to make everypony else flinch, quieting down as the alicorn glared at each of them in turn. “Can’t you see what this is doing to Cozy?” She glanced downward pointedly, at where Cozy had buried her head in Cadance’s chest again, crying softly. The sight was enough to make Fencer fold her ears back, suddenly ashamed without quite being certain why. Her friends all looked the same.
Seeing that everyone was properly chastised, Cadance glanced back at her husband. “Shining Armor,” she prompted.
He immediately understood what she meant, giving a crisp nod before turning back to the ponies he’d brought with him. “Guards!” The armored ponies saluted as one, and without any further instructions a detachment of them moved forward, splitting off into pairs that surrounded Fencer and each of her friends. Although they didn’t grab any of them, they moved in closer than was polite, flanking them on each side and slightly behind, ready to subdue them in an instant.
With that done, Cadance turned her attention back to the distraught mare holding her. “Cozy,” she called softly. “I know this is hard, but I want you to be brave for me, okay?” Cozy sniffled, and managed a small nod, but made no move to withdraw from the princess. Cadance smiled, looking proud of her as she continued. “What happened to Pillow’s body? Do you know where it is now?”
Cozy didn’t answer verbally, instead throwing a foreleg out to point at the back of the train. Cadance peered in that direction for a moment before glancing at Shining Armor. Nodding, he signaled to the Royal Guard again before he started off in that direction, a half-dozen stallions falling in behind him.
They weren’t gone for very long before the soft clopping of hooves announced their return. Shining Armor trotted back into view a moment later, a nervous-looking green-and-brown earth stallion beside him, Fencer belatedly recognizing him as Cozy’s new boyfriend, Aisle. A few seconds later the guards rounded the corner as well, each of them holding the edge of a small tarp in their mouths, pulling on it to keep it taut. In the middle of the tarp rested a pony-shaped form, wrapped in a sheet.
As the group returned, Aisle spotted Cozy and tentatively stepped forward. “Cozy?” he called worriedly. He seemed to only notice Cadance a moment later, blanching a little as he gave her an awkward bow. “Your Majesty,” he murmured. “I, uh, I’m sorry I didn’t get here until just now,” he offered, looking uncertain as to whether he was speaking to Cozy or Cadance. “I was staying with the body, and it’s hard to unload it without dropping it…” He hesitated at that, but when no chastisement came, he stepped forward until he was next to Cozy, giving her a soft hug. Sniffling, the crystal mare turned away from Cadance, transferring her embrace to Aisle.
Cadance looked at them for a long moment, then her eyes returned to Fencer and her friends. Seconds passed in silence as her purple orbs looked each of them over in turn, before she finally moved her gaze to Pillow’s body. “Put him down,” she ordered softly, and the guards were quick to obey, gently lowering the tarp and its load to the ground.
The action was enough to get Cozy’s attention, and she looked at Cadance again, making no move to separate herself from Aisle. “Your Majesty, please…” she moaned.
For a moment Cadance didn’t answer, looking at the wrapped body in silence, her face pensive. “How long has he been gone?”
Aisle saved Cozy the trouble of answering. “A few days. Almost a week, I think.”
Cadance nodded at that. “Alright.” Her horn lit up then, a cornflower blue aura flaring around it as a matching one surrounded Pillowcase’s body, the sheet unwrapping under her telekinesis until Pillow’s unmoving body was laid bare for all to see.
“Cadance,” called Shining Armor, and there was a note of concern in his voice that hadn’t been there before. It was enough to make Fencer take another look at the alicorn princess, belatedly realizing that she looked…tired.
No, not tired. Winded. Cadance looked she had just finished a workout, with sweat beading on her brow and her breaths being deeper than they had been when she’d arrived. It was that healing, Fencer realized. She didn’t look like that before she restored those ponies. The thought made a memory cross her mind then, remembering how Lex had collapsed after he’d made food for everyone. The difference was that Cadance didn’t look anywhere near that bad, seeming like she was only a little worn out.
That didn’t stop her from kneeling down beside Pillowcase’s body and bowing her head, however. “I need to pray,” she announced, before her voice fell to a near-whisper, intoning words that Fencer couldn’t quite make out.
But she didn’t need to understand them to know what was being attempted, and she found herself holding her breath. She can’t be serious. Healing is one thing, but this… It was beyond belief that she’d even seriously be trying something like this. The very notion was inconceivable. She had to be praying for his memory, or whispering a goodbye, or something else. That was the only explanation. As a unicorn, Fencer was fully aware that magic could do incredible things, but there were some things that were simply not possible. Not even Lex could do that!
The seconds ticked by, and Fencer could hear awkward mutterings and whispers being exchanged, but she didn’t take her eyes off of Cadance. The passing moments seemed like an eternity, and despite herself Fencer couldn’t help but wonder… What if it was possible? If so…if so then maybe all of the ponies in Vanhoover could have a second chance. Maybe her father-
“Lashtada!” called Cadance, rising to her hooves and flaring her wings. Her back was to everypony else, but Fencer was sure that her eyes had turned pure white again. “Let your love guide this pony back to the one he shared his life with! Let the two of them be as one once more! Let him live…” She placed a hoof on Pillow’s chest, right over his heart, before pressing down in a sharp motion. “Again!”
And then Pillowcase opened his eyes.
Fencer’s jaw dropped, unable to believe what she was seeing. It’s a ghoul, she thought dizzily. It has to be.
But Pillowcase didn’t look like a ghoul. Although thin, his body wasn’t emaciated, nor did his flesh look ragged and putrefied. Instead, he looked…alive. Filthy and weary, but alive, a state that seemed more true as he started coughing, pulling air into his lungs in great mouthfuls, breathing heavily in a way that no ghoul Fencer had ever seen had. After a moment, he had his breathing under control, and looked around dazedly, his eyes stopping when they met Cadance’s. “Princess…?” he croaked. “What hap-”
“PILLOW!”
Cozy’s scream was ragged as she threw herself at her husband, tackling him heavily as she threw her legs around him, sobbing and laughing and nuzzling him in joy and relief. “C-Cozy?!” he cried, clearly taken by surprise. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?!”
“Cozy, don’t be so rough with him,” called Cadance, taking deeper breaths now. Despite the gravity of what she’d just accomplished, she looked only slightly more tired, as though she’d finished a heavy workout instead of a light one. “Coming back to life takes a toll on the body. I’ll need to use more magic on him later to erase the lingering strain.” If Cozy heard her, she didn’t give any sign, still holding Pillow with all of her might as she poured her heart out on his chest.
But hearing the phrase had a more dramatic effect on Fencer, causing her to shake as if struck by lightning. That alone was enough to make the Royal Guards flanking her tense, preparing to tackle her if she tried to move, but she barely noticed. “Y-Your Majesty!” she cried, unable to stop herself. “Please bring my dad back! And my friend Turbo! And-, and all the other ponies in Vanhoover!” Hope, a sensation that she’d almost forgotten, was suddenly surging through her. “I’ll do anything!”
“Vanhoover?” Princess Cadance turned to face her then, her expression troubled. “How many ponies-” She cut herself off, shaking her head as her expression turned somber. “Are their bodies here? Have they been deceased for a while?”
Fencer shook her head, the hope she’d been feeling falling into a pit that had suddenly opened up in her stomach. “I…no. No, they’re all back at the city. It’s been weeks for almost all of them. Does that mean…?”
Cadance shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t bring somepony back unless there’s an intact body, and even then they can’t have died more than a few days ago.”
“No…” Fencer collapsed in place, crushed under the weight of what she’d just been told. Out of her periphery, she could see that her friends were struggling to deal with it as well, grimacing at the knowledge that their loved ones couldn’t be brought back. The other ponies – the rail crew and the sick ponies Cadance had restored – on the other hoof, still looked awestruck, their gazes vacillating between the princess and the pony she’d brought back. Only Shining Armor and Aisle seemed to be in possession of their faculties, the latter looking at Cozy with a sad smile while the former looked at his wife with a concerned expression.
Finally, Shining Armor spoke up. “We should take everypony to the hospital,” he announced, “just to be safe.”
Cadance nodded, but her eyes were on Fencer. “I’d like to take these five back to the castle with me.” She nodded to the guards, who started to prod Fencer and her friends back to their hooves.
“I have some things I want to ask them.”