//------------------------------// // The Bonds That We Bear // Story: The Struggles of Running a Book Store // by arcanica_scripta //------------------------------// It was a quiet morning in Ponyville, not that that meant much since Twilight had moved to town. Honestly, she was waiting for the next giant monster to show up or the next social crisis to throw everypony into a panic. It had been almost a week since Pinkie had learned about her and the Necroscriptus, and something told her disaster was just around the corner. “Hey, Miss Hoofcraft?” She looked up from her sales ledger at the white pegasus. “Are you alright? You’re glaring at the ledger like it insulted you.” She sighed before closing the book. “I’m fine. Just a little upset over how our profits have been doing.” She looked around the shop, taking note of the few ponies perusing the shelves. “There was a point where I made enough sales that this shop could have become my primary source of income, but now?” Blossomforth cringed with an extremely guilty look on her face. “It’s… not because of me, is it? You know, since I have to get paid and stuff?” Realizing how it looked, Arcanica frantically waved her down. “Nonono! It’s not that!” She sighed as she reopened the sales ledger. Turning to a point a couple months prior, she pointed to where the drop in sales started. “Do you know what happened around this date?” The white pegasus looked at the book and traced the date marker with her right wing. “Um… Isn’t that around the time that the Summer Sun Celebration happened?” The unicorn nodded. “Exactly. And with it, the library was reopened.” “Ooooooh. I see your point now.” She looked at their few customers before turning to her boss. “Since the library is open again, some ponies would rather just borrow the books they need instead of buying it.” She nodded. “Exactly. The only saving grace is that some ponies don’t like dealing with Twilight’s lecture mode and how she becomes a buzzkill when you try learning about anything.” She put the ledger away and got ready to help the customer coming towards her counter. “Those ponies wind up coming here.” As she rang up the stallion for his books on jelly making, Blossomforth returned to organizing the shelves and circulating their new stock. “Have a nice day, sir!” “Hi, Arcanica!” She smiled as Bookworm came in greeting her, but was immediately cautious when she saw the Crusaders with her. “Do you think you can help us?” “That depends. What do you girls need?” She left the counter and started helping her assistant with the shelves. “Have you seen Rainbow Dash around?” asked Scootaloo. She had an extremely hopeful look on her face. The book salespony shook her head. “Sorry, but I’m afraid I haven’t.” She grabbed a box and began unloading its contents onto the shelf in front of her. “Anything else I can do to help?” “Well, do ya’ll have a book on findin’ yer Cutie Mark?” She took a breath to calm herself over Apple Bloom’s grammar before setting her box down. “Well, that’s not really something I tend to stock,” she admitted. Lighting up her horn, she plucked three books off the Health section shelf. “I’ve got Your Mark and You, which is a self-help book for ponies not confident in their Cutie Mark.” “That could help if we already had our Cutie Marks,” pointed out Sweetie Belle. “Right… Hmm… A History of the Mark could help, but I imagine Twilight already loaned you three a copy.” The three fillies nodded before looking at the last book floating in front of her. “Well I suppose that just leaves A Study of Cutie Marks, but all this one does is speculate on the origin and the reason we have Cutie Marks.” Scootaloo sighed as the three Crusaders drooped. “That’s it, huh? Thanks anyways, Miss Hoofcraft.” “Wait a minute!” Sweetie Belle’s face lit up as she smiled at Arcanica. “Arcanica, maybe you could tell us how you got your Cutie Mark! Applejack and Fluttershy told us how they got theirs, so maybe you could help us too!” The three girls’ eyes lit up as they stared imploringly at the red unicorn. “Pretty please?” Arcanica looked at the open book on her flank before raising an eyebrow. “Really? You want to know my Cutie Mark story?” They nodded enthusiastically, with Bookworm joining them. “Well I suppose it couldn’t hurt,” she muttered. “Blossomforth, can you cover the register for a bit?” “Sure thing, Miss Hoofcraft!” As the pegasus took over covering the shop, she brought the fillies upstairs to her study. “Why are we up here, Arcanica?” “Because, girls, this story needs a small prop to be told properly.” She began looking over her bookshelf as the four fillies made themselves comfortable on her couch. “Well, this all happened when I was around your age. I had just been kicked out of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and was on my way back to Seaward Shoals… “You see, while I was in school in Canterlot, my grades were never the best despite what my parents had wanted. Instead, I was always writing stories in my notebooks rather than taking notes on the subject at hoof. As a result, I was asked to leave the school and seek education elsewhere. “I was devastated. I wasn’t at the point where I resented my parents yet, so I was more afraid of how they would react when I came home and told them I had flunked out. So, I stalled on my way back, and deliberately missed my train out of Manehatten and instead went to stay with my aunt Pen Stroke. “She understood why I was avoiding going home and let me stay for a couple days before I had to go home. As I stayed in Manehatten, I kept writing stories since it was the only thing that helped calm my nerves and kept me from worrying about how my parents would react. On my third morning in Manehatten, I decided to sit in the local park near her apartment so that I could do some writing and not feel so cooped up in her home. As I made my way back, I saw something that changed my life forever.” “What?! What was it?!” demanded the four fillies. She smiled as she found the beat up notebook she had been looking for and remembered the day in question. -Flashback- Arcanica sighed, her small hooves barely making a sound compared to the city around her. “I know I have to go home at some point… but when they find out…” She shook her head before levitating her green notebook in front of her. It was a simple green hardback book, standard issue for all new students at Celestia’s School. She was grateful they let her keep it when she left. She held the book to her chest with one foreleg. “At least I still have this.” It was the one thing that still brought her comfort, and she couldn’t imagine losing all the stories she had written in it. She resumed her journey down the sidewalk while holding the book to her chest. BOOM! She looked up, hearing a massive explosion in the sky. As she stared in amazement, a wave of rainbow light erupted across the sky, creating a breathtaking display of spectra that drowned out the sky as it passed overhead with a brilliant arc of a rainbow rising from the epicenter. She had never seen something so amazing and, as such, was not paying attention to where she was walking. WHAM! She fell on her backside, dropping her book as the unicorn stallion she ran into dropped a couple of books he had been carrying. “Hey! Watch where you’re going, brat!” “Oh, I’m sorry sir,” she quickly apologized. “I was just-” “You think I care?” He quickly scooped up the books that were laying all over the ground with his magic and resumed walking while muttering about ungrateful brats. Arcanica went to continue on her way, but realized her notebook was gone and that the stallion probably had it. “W-wait! Mister!” She ran after the stallion, her small legs pumping frantically. “Please! You have my book!” “What in Celestia’s name are you going on about?” he snapped. She pointed at the green book in his grip. “That… green… book,” she said through her pants. “It’s actually mine. I’d like it back.” “Is it now?” he asked sarcastically. He pulled the book out and looked it over. “No name on the cover, no identifying marks… How do I know you’re not pulling a fast one on me?” “Please! I need it back,” she begged. He rolled his eyes as she continued pleading before opening it up to look at its contents. After a moment of reading, his eyes widened. “Kid… you’re saying this is yours?!” “Uh, y-yes?” she answered nervously. He frantically flipped through the book before looking her over. “Kid, you’ve got a knack for this.” He snapped the book shut before gently returning it to her. “Listen, I work for a local literature magazine here in Manehatten. How would you like to have one of those stories featured in it?” “R-really?” she asked in shock. “Sure. Why not?” A few days later, she and her aunt were walking away from a news stand with the new issue of the magazine the stallion had taken her to. “Can I look now, Auntie Pen?” The mare rolled her eyes but gave the magazine to her niece. “Alright, Arcanica. But I still don’t think it’ll be published.” The red filly was not listening to her aunt, as she was currently flipping through the magazine until she found it. The short story she had written the morning she saw that rainbow explosion was right there, dominating the tenth page. The Mare in Black, was printed across the top of the page with “A.T. Hoofcraft” written underneath it. “Look! It’s right here!” She tried showing it to her aunt, but the mare was focused on something else. “What is it, Auntie?” “Arcanica… your flank…” Blinking, the filly looked back at her flank and gasped when she saw an open book with three stars on the right side. “I… have a Cutie Mark?” She gasped as she started bouncing in place and cheered loudly. “I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!” -End Flashback- The four fillies looked at the notebook, with a clipping from the magazine secured inside. “Wow, you were published that early?” She nodded as the fillies read her first story. “If it weren’t for that accident, I probably would have never gotten my Cutie Mark that day.” She sighed as she looked at her flank. “I know it’s probably not the most fantastical story ever, but it’s certainly mine.” “That’s not true!” argued Bookworm. “I never realized that was how you got your Cutie Mark!” “Who’d have thought somepony would get their mark that way?” asked Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo jumped off the couch. “Then let’s get going! Maybe Rainbow Dash’s story will be just as fantastic!” The other fillies cheered with her before the Crusaders went charging out. Bookworm stayed behind and returned the book to her sister. “Thanks for telling us your story, Arcanica.” The older mare smiled warmly before hugging her sister. “No problem, Book. Happy to help out, little sis.” The sisters shared a moment before Book went off to catch up with her friends. With the fillies gone, she placed the worn book on her desk so she could read from it later. She was feeling nostalgic enough to reread stories she wrote as a foal after this. The day passed normally for her from there, with her and Blossomforth continuing to run the store despite the usual slow traffic. Ultimately, as it passed noon, she realized how hungry she was starting to feel. “Hey, Blossomforth, I’m going to go grab something from Sugar Cube Corner. You want anything?” “No, I’m good. Say hi to Pinkie Pie for me, though.” Giving her affirmative, she left the shop with her wallet in hoof. Deciding against using a shadow walk, she made her way to the bakery, where she found her friends. “Oh, hey girls. How’s it going?” “Oh, hi Arcanica!” Twilight smiled as she accepted a muffin from Pinkie Pie. “Rainbow Dash bought us a round of muffins. Want one?” “Sure. I actually came here for some lunch.” She accepted one of the baked goods herself. “So, what’s everypony been up to?” “Well, the Crusaders and yer sister asked me about mah Cutie Mark.” “Oh, you too, Applejack?” The mares looked at Fluttershy. “I told them all about how I earned mine, but they seemed more interested to hear about Rainbow Dash’s.” “You girls saw them today as well?” Rarity brushed her mane aside. “I told them all about how I earned my Cutie Mark.” “I wound up telling them my Cutie Mark Story after they came by looking for books on earning Cutie Marks,” supplied Arcanica. “I told them mine, but only after they asked if I knew where Rainbow Dash was.” The doors slammed open, and the seven mares turned to see the fillies they had just been speaking about enter the store. “Speaking of whom…” Rainbow Dash smirked as she approached the four fillies, and the other six mares listened as she told them her Cutie Mark Story. As she concluded, one thing really stood out to all of them. “Wait, Rainbow Dash. That explosion was you?!” They all looked at Arcanica as she stared in shock. “I saw that Rainboom and the rainbow after it right before I met the stallion that helped me earn mine!” “I heard that explosion and saw that rainbow too!” said Fluttershy as she went up to her friend. “Rainbow Dash, if you hadn’t scared the animals, I never would have learned I could communicate with animals, and would have never earned my Cutie Mark!” “I heard that boom!” yelled Pinkie Pie. “And afterwards, there was this amazing rainbow that taught me to smile!” Applejack put a hoof to her chin. “When Ah got mah Cutie Mark, Ah saw a rainbow that pointed me home…” Her face brightened before she pointed at Rainbow Dash. “Ah bet it was your Sonic Rainboom!” “There was an explosion I could never explain when I got my Cutie Mark,” added Rarity. “This is uncanny! If that explosion hadn’t occurred, I would have blown my entrance exam!” Twilight gave a warm smile to the cyan pegasus. “Rainbow Dash, I think you helped me earn MY Cutie Mark, too!” Pinkie Pie tackled the dumbfounded mare and stood over her. “We all owe our Cutie Marks to you!” “Do you realize what this means?” asked Fluttershy. “It means we’ve had a connection since before any of us even met each other!” “We’ve been BFFs for ever, and we didn’t even realize it!” “Come here, ya’ll!” With a watery smile, Arcanica joined the group hug as the seven of them shared the warmth of their friendship. Scootaloo, disgusted at how sappy everything was getting, tried leaving, but was quickly dragged back in when Fluttershy suggested they all sing a song together. As they all left, however, Arcanica was stopped by Twilight. “Hey, can I ask you something, Arcanica?” “Sure, Twilight. What is it?” The mare looked puzzled by something, so Arcanica was partially concerned the Pinkie had blabbed, but was also curious. “Well it’s just, you aren’t an Element of Harmony, yet your Cutie Mark is connected to all of ours. I was wondering if you had any idea of why that is?” Not that she’d ever admit it, but some part of her initially suspected the connection was the work of the Outer Beings, but that wasn’t exactly their M.O., especially since they were entities of primal chaos. Why tether their Herald, a pony meant to serve as their focus point and medium, to a series of artifacts that were the opposite of their existence? “I’m afraid not, Twilight. But I feel like it’s something important if I was able to befriend you six.” She nodded, as if processing something what Arcanica told her. “Alright. Thanks, I guess.” Arcanica went to leave but Twilight stopped her. “Wait, before you go, I had something else to ask you.” She raised an eyebrow and waved her hoof so Twilight would continue. “Well, actually the Princess wanted me to ask you. Have you seen anything… unusual lately? You know, things like moving shadows, ponies with black eyes, strange creatures that shouldn’t exist?” SHIT! “Um, can’t say that I have, Twilight.” She desperately hoped her caution and concern came off as confusion by the weird question. “Should I have?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so, but the Princess asked me in her last letter, so I’m afraid I don’t know that much about why she would ask something like that.” Okay, so Celestia is suspicious, but doesn’t know for certain… I think I can work with this… “Anything else, Twilight? I’m afraid Blossomforth might be wondering what’s taking me so long.” “No, that should be it.” She stepped out of the way and let Arcanica go on her way yet didn’t stop watching the mare as she made her exit. “See you later, Arcanica.” “Bye, Twilight.” If you see her acting strange when you mention my list of items, discreetly keep an eye on her. If you see her use any strange magic, please inform me of what it seemed to do and what she looked like when she used it. The Princess’s words still rang in Twilight’s head as she stealthily followed her friend. She may have learned this particular cloaking spell to sneak into the Royal Library after-hours, but right now it was incredibly helpful for tailing her friend. “Alright, time to take a shortcut,” she heard the other unicorn mutter. She stayed behind the red mare as she walked into an alley way. Why would she go this way? She thought over the street layout, and this alley was a dead-end. As Arcanica walked down the alley, Twilight fought to keep herself from gasping when her friend’s right eye erupted into black smoke and her horn began glowing with a black aura. The shadow on the wall in front of the unicorn darkened into a pitch dark black and she proceeded to walk through the black mass before it lightened to its original color. “That… doesn’t look good…” Dropping her cloaking spell, she ran through the streets back to the library. The Princess absolutely HAD to know what just happened. As she ran, she didn’t notice a shadow snaking after her until it melded itself with her shadow. When she arrived at her library, she quickly retrieved a quill and a scroll. This message had to be recorded by her personally, and not by anypony else. Once the message detailing everything she saw was written down, she rolled and sealed the letter. “Ok, now to have Spike deliver this to the Princess.” “Does she really need to know? You don’t really know what Arcanica was doing with that spell, do you?” She shrieked in fright and looked around. “Wh- who said that? Is somepony in here?” “Just you and your shadow,” came the voice. It sounded like her own voice, only distorted and with a slight echo to it. She looked down and screamed when she saw her shadow moving independently of her yet still being connected to her with a pair of ethereal yellow orbs where its eyes would be. “What’s the matter? Never spoken to your shadow before?” “What the hay is going on?!” She shot a spell at the shadow, but that did nothing. “What are you?!” “I’m just your shadow, Twilight. And I’ll ask again, does Celestia really need to know about Arcanica using that spell? We don’t know what it did, so maybe it’s completely innocent?” “But her eye and horn turned BLACK!” She stomped her hoof and glared at her smirking shadow. “That’s never a good sign with magic!” “How do you know? Do you know any spells that actually do that?” The mare didn’t respond as she thought over the shadow’s point. The scroll began floating towards her from where she had thrown it. “So, why not just destroy this? You know, just put off delivering that report until you know a little more about what Arcanica was doing?” “But… I… I promised the Princess I would report anything I saw.” She seized the letter and was finding it strangely harder to argue with the shadow. “But if I knew more and could write a full report on what I saw…” “Hey Twilight, I’m home!” She blinked and turned to see Spike walking in with a pile of new scrolls. She looked at her shadow, but noticed it was back to normal. “You okay, Twilight?” She stood unresponsive for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. I’m fine, Spike. Just wondering if you can send this letter for me to the Princess?” I don’t know what that was, but I gave my word to the Princess. I WILL deliver this report. “I told you that would not work, Shev,” remarked a strange mare. She sat in the shade of a large tree in the Everfree forest. Despite her appearing as an Earth Pony, a book was hovering in front of her solid black eyes. Her coat was an ethereal bone-white, with her mane being composed of black mist and flowing in a phantom breeze. Her Cutie Mark, if it could even be called that, was a black triangle with two arcs crossing in an X-pattern through it. “The Element of Magic is too enamored with Celestia.” She set down her copy of Being Mortal and looked down as her shadow changed to resemble a tall alicorn with dragon features. {As you will recall, similar tactics worked when we confronted both Stygian and Luna to dissuade them from informing others of our Heralds and their gifts.} “And as I’m sure you will recall, both of those instances resulted in one of our Heralds losing their lives.” She glared at the shadow god who returned it without complaint. “But like I told you when you expressed your concerns over the Element of Laughter keeping her vows, the Element of Magic is too devout to Celestia. Stygian idolized the Pillars, but his jealousy overwhelmed him and he stole our secrets. Luna was already envious of Celestia and reveled in possessing knowledge that her sister lacked.” She paused to shudder as her stomach began to slowly expand. “As for this Element of Magic, she practically worships Celestia, and would never dream of defying her requests in such a way.” She stroked her stomach idly, the swelling not slowing down but remaining at a gradual pace. It was beginning to reach a point that should not have been possible on a pony of her size. {We still believe our plan would have worked had we been granted more time with her. The wyrmling’s arrival forced us to abandon our efforts.} It looked at the mare, its eyes scrunching in a mouthless sneer as she cooed lovingly at her engorged belly now that it had stopped swelling. {Oh for the love of the World Star, Akzin, what manner of beast did you allow to rut you this time?!} She grunted with a smile on her face as she felt the creature in her kick. “A manticore. I was curious as to what could happen if I allowed my womb to bare a child of a beast rather than a pony, especially one born of this land’s natural magic.” She rolled onto her side to accommodate her swollen body. “You wouldn’t understand it, Shev, but I truly adore creating new beings for this world.” {We believe you enjoy being rutted like some manner of sow more than anything.} The shadow god severed itself from her shadow and used the tree’s to manifest itself properly. Without the limit’s of its native Plane, Shevkiral only stood at roughly the height of the younger Royal Sister. {Surely the others are aware of your insistence in partaking in such disgusting rituals?} “Oh like any of them care what I do, Shev,” she teased as amber liquid splashed down her thighs. “Now if you don’t mind, my newest creation is about to be born and I can feel at least three tails on this one. So unless you’re willing to help me deliver it, I suggest you leave. This one is going to be messier than usual.” The shadow god rolled its eyes before dissolving its body as it returned to its realm, leaving its kin to deliver her child. “Sister, you are not going to Ponyville.” The younger alicorn was unfazed by the glare she was receiving from her sister. “Luna, you heard the report from Twilight. There’s no doubt in my mind it’s her.” Celestia went towards the door out of her study, but Luna got in her way again. “You don’t know what I’ve witnessed in your absence, sister. Every time I trusted one of the Heralds, they brought nothing but destruction in their wake. We cannot let that fate befall Ponyville.” “Is this to protect Ponyville, or to protect thine student?” The older alicorn’s glare intensified, but she did not answer. “From what we heard in Twilight Sparkle’s report, there was no indication that this Arcanica has begun to unleash destruction. If anything, she sounds more akin to the mindsets of Storm Breaker or Rune Cluster, who respected the Void and Outer Planes, seeking not to wield Their powers for mayhem but to study.” Celestia flared her wings. “Need I remind you that Rune Cluster caused Discord’s arrival in this world?!” “On who’s word did we believe this? The very serpent thou speak of!” snapped the younger sister. “Discord spoke of the Herald’s involvement, and thou believed his word as if it were the absolute truth when I told you repeatedly that he was lying!” The two glared at each other in an absolute standstill. “So then what do you suggest we do, Luna?” she finally asked. “Simply let Arcanica do as she pleases until she destroys Equestria?” “I shall speak to the Herald within her dreams, where no secret may hide from us. Once there, I shall pass our judgement. Should she prove unreliable, I shall permit your plan to terminate her.” She turned to leave the study. “I shall inform you of my decision once I have observed her. Until tonight, sister.” “Okay, where am I this time?” Arcanica asked out to the void. She had been in the middle of a delightful dream of her home town when she found herself being dragged into the sea. Next thing she knew, she was standing in a starry void. “Greetings, Arcanica Hoofcraft.” A midnight blue alicorn with a starry mane materialized from the void around her. “Alright, which one are you?” she asked plainly. “We beg your pardon?” “Hmm, speaking with a royal ‘we’ matches Shevkiral, but they hate not appearing in the Plane of Shadows and appearing with a defined sex.” She put a hoof to her chin. “I suppose the dream void matches Anzagtik, but she refuses to take on the form of a pony.” “Foolish unicorn! We are the Princess of the Night and Moon! Princess of the Dream Realm! How dare thou presume us to be of Their ilk?!” she roared as she took to the air. She blinked owlishly as she stared up at the mare. “You mean… you’re the actual Princess Luna?” She awkwardly bowed to the alicorn. “Apologies, Princess. But when your dreams become a playground for Eldritch gods, you tend to get suspicious of your own dreams.” The Moon Princess landed and looked her over. “We understand thine hesitance, Herald. Yet we do not find comfort in you presuming us to be of their kind.” She gestured for the unicorn to rise. “So, you know I’m the current Herald, huh?” Arcanica sighed as she looked around. “So, is this to keep me contained while Celestia comes to either kill me or lock me up in Tartarus?” “Hardly.” She stood beside the unicorn as they stared into the void. “Our sister received confirmation of your existence and was planning to storm down to Ponyville and erase you from existence. We dissuaded her on the condition that we judge your worth.” “So Celestia still holds the others accountable for what somepony else did, huh?” Seeing the alicorn’s confusion, she sighed. “Great Pillar created a race of monsters as a byproduct of cursing somepony for stealing the secrets of the Necroscriptus, but was accused of destroying Marethon in a fit of madness. Rune Cluster was accused of bringing Discord to Equestria, Stone Chip was falsely accused of releasing a flesh-eating plague, Sky Dazzle was executed on the assumption that she detonated a volcano to destroy an innocent city.” She looked over to the visibly sickened Princess. “I’d list more, but that would be almost a thousand years of Heralds and false accusations.” “So you’re saying there is more to the Heralds than our sister realizes?” Arcanica shrugged as she watched the stardust swirl around them. “I suppose. In all fairness, the Heralds could have done a better job with their powers, but most of them were not allowed to explain what had happened.” “It would seem our sister has much to explain, but that is for yet another day.” She fixed the unicorn with a serious stare. “What of yourself, Hoofcraft? What are your plans for the Necroscriptus and the Outer Beings?” “Honestly? I don’t have one. I’ve only been using the book’s powers since it helps keep the nightmares at bay.” She shrugged as her right eye erupted into shadows. “Something about using the powers keeping my connection to the Void stable and consistent.” The world around them shuddered as she drew on her powers before she released the connection. “I’d be much happier if I could just go on writing my books and not have to deal with anything weird, but something just tells me I’d be better off helping the Elements of Harmony.” “Is that so?” The two mares sat there in silence for a moment. “Stop it.” “Excuse you?” “That look on your face,” she said while looking out of the corner of her eye. “It’s your ‘I don’t know whether to accept the truth or follow my gut’ face. Storm Breaker found it adorable so I always get his memories of it.” To her credit, the Princess didn’t blush, but that might have been on account of her dark coat. “So, you remember Storm Breaker’s opinions of us and our sister?” “More than just that,” she said with a shrug. “I also have access to his memories about the time that you two decided to surprise Celestia by hiding in a giant cake on her birthday.” The Princess choked on air and stared in shock. “I also know about the mess that little stunt devolved into since Celestia had just gone into-” “SPEAK NO MORE OF THIS!” she yelled in the Royal Canterlot Voice. “WE DO NOT WANT TO THINK OF WHAT OUR SISTER DID BOTH TO AND WITH THAT CAKE AND OUR FRIEND!” Arcanica chuckled at the embarrassed look on the Princess’s face. “Now you know how I feel every time he brings it up.” She turned to face the alicorn properly. “In all seriousness, Princess, I don’t plan on abusing the powers I’ve been given. I have no desire to try teaching anypony how to use Their powers the way I can. I refuse to repeat the sins of my predecessors.” As Luna looked the mare over, she took note of just how heartfelt the unicorn was being. “Very well then, Arcanica Hoofcraft. We shall inform our sister of what we hath gleaned from our discussions here.” “Before you go, Princess Luna, I have one request.” She stopped and looked into the unicorn’s magenta eyes. “Yes, Herald?” “If Celestia decides I need to die, I’d like it if they didn’t know that I’m gone. Tell them I had to move, or something.” A tear slid down her cheek as she lowered her head. “I don’t want Twilight and the others to hate Princess Celestia for what she did.” The younger princess was silent as she contemplated the mare’s request. “Very well. We shall inform our sister of this request upon our return. Farewell, Arcanica Hoofcraft.” The starry void around them began to dissolve, and Arcanica found herself staring up at the ceiling of her room. She climbed out of her bed and looked out the window as the sun began its ascent from beyond the horizon. “Well, if today is my last day, might as well make it count.” She made her way to the kitchen, intent on making her sister an amazing breakfast.