The following few days passed by uneventfully. The village recovered swiftly from the bandits’ attack, burning their fallen numbers. The soldiers who lost their lives were given proper burials in the cemetery, their funerals filled with the sorrowful cries of loved ones and comrades. Fiora even delivered individualized, teary-eyed speeches commemorating each of her subordinates who had given their lives to protect the village. In the days following the attack, she could often be seen bringing flowers to their graves. Fluttershy and Florina even accompanied her one time, bringing their own bouquets for each of her fallen comrades.
Eventually, life resumed its normal course for the village. Applejack and Rainbow Dash carried on with helping the citizens quickly cultivate crops. Twilight and Canas continued teaching each other about their different types of magic. Fluttershy found doing odd jobs to be a pleasant experience and spent the bulk of her time helping the villagers in whatever little ways she could. Hector spent much of his time overseeing the crop cultivation but occasionally took some time off to help Fiora train her mercenary company and the town militia. Oswin and Serra were rarely seen, but the few times they were Serra was talking about their bright and happy future as husband and wife while Oswin would either look flustered or mindful of passersby.
At one point, Rainbow Dash got a chance to put on another, much longer and flashier show for the whole village. Everyone had been grouped together near the village square and stared up in slack-jawed amazement as she performed every single flying maneuver she knew for them. By the time she’d touched back down, they were cheering her name and calling her a goddess, filling her ego like a water balloon much to Applejack’s dismay and Hector’s mild amusement.
“You know none of this is gonna matter once we leave, right, Sugarcube?” Applejack had asked.
“Yeah, I know,” Rainbow had responded. “Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the praise while it lasts.”
Applejack gave no counterargument, content with the knowledge that, indeed, it wouldn’t last.
Finally, the last day of the ponies’ visit had arrived. The crops were in full bloom and had sprouted ripe fruit and vegetables aplenty. Applejack put the last finishing touches on the field, patting the final clump of dirt before letting out an exhausted sigh and wiping her brow free of sweat. A small village boy and girl scurried over with a flask full of water and a damp cloth.
“Thanks, y’all,” Applejack told them. She removed the cap from the flask and took a long swig, letting out a refreshed sigh. “That hits the spot.” She next took the cloth and mopped her forehead before giving it back. “Thanks again. That was a big help.”
“You’re welcome, Miss Applejack!” they said in unison.
Then the little girl looked at her anxiously. Applejack blinked. “What is it?” she asked.
“Can I ride on your back?” the girl asked.
Applejack was taken aback for a moment. Then she laughed heartily. “You know what? Sure. Why not?” She turned her body perpendicular to the girl.
“Yay!” the girl said and clambered onto Applejack’s back.
“Hey, no fair!” the boy cried. “I wanna ride too!”
“You’ll get your turn, don’t you worry your pretty little head none,” Applejack promised.
She began trotting around the perimeter of the field. Every now and then she gave a light buck to bounce the girl, eliciting a delighted squeal from her every time. All the adult humans watched them either in surprise or in trepidation, probably shocked to see one of their ‘saviors’ acting so casual about letting one of their children ride her. That was one thing she could never get over her dry amusement of, the villagers treating her like a holy deity just because she had alien magic to them and was using it to their benefit. Seeing the children treat her the complete opposite convinced her that childhood ignorance could indeed be a good thing sometimes.
“Hey Applejack!”
She turned to see Rainbow Dash descending from the sky, having finished clearing away the clouds. The pegasus came down and hovered next to Applejack, keeping pace with her as she trotted. The girl became transfixed by Rainbow Dash’s flying, attention squarely on her while the two friends struck up a conversation.
“So, last day, huh?” Rainbow said.
“Yep,” Applejack replied. “Time sure flew by fast. Can’t wait to get back home and tell everyone about all the craziness we went through.”
“Yeah.” Rainbow took a moment to flash the girl a wink, making Applejack roll her eyes while the girl giggled. “But still, it was a real adventure. And hey, Hector’s a real cool guy; someday I’m gonna come back through the Window and spar with him.”
Applejack smirked. “Ya gonna wear that fancy armor and use an axe?”
“Why not?” Rainbow replied, pointedly ignoring Applejack’s joking tone. “He looks cool in that armor, and if he could custom make some for Florina, I’m sure he could do the same for me for a little more of my weatherworking or something as payment.”
“Are you a soldier, Miss Rainbow Dash?” the girl asked, still awestruck.
Rainbow reached over and lightly ruffled her hair. “I’m awesome enough to be, but I’m a weatherpony for life, kid.”
“Could I be a soldier when I’m a grown-up?” the girl asked.
“You can be whatever you set your mind to, kid,” Rainbow said proudly, flashing her a confident smile. “Train up and practice enough and you’ll be the best soldier that ever lived!”
“Yay!” the girl cried. “I’ll train extra hard and practice every day!”
Rainbow laughed and ruffled her hair again.
“You’re a horrible influence, you know that, Dash?” Applejack joked.
Rainbow just stuck her tongue out at her.
“Hey!”
They turned to see the little boy from before running up to them. He stopped before them and looked excitedly at Rainbow Dash. “Can I ride on your back, Miss Dash?”
“Heck yeah!” She touched down and lowered her back. “Hop on kiddo!”
The boy gave an excited squeal and clambered onto Rainbow’s back and she took off again, resuming her place in midair next to Applejack.
“Hey, no fair!” the girl whined. “I wanna ride on a pegasus!”
“Too bad!” the boy replied.
“We can switch after a while if y’all want,” Applejack reasoned.
“Okay,” the kids replied in unison.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack shared a quick laugh before resuming their ponyback rides.
“One Fire tome will cost five hundred and sixty gold,” the vendor said.
Canas reached into his pack and fetched the appropriate change, giving it to the shop vendor, who took it with a smile and gave him the tome in exchange.
“Use it well,” she said.
Canas and Twilight waved her goodbye as they stepped away from her stall and joined the small crowds of shoppers throughout the marketplace looking for needed wares. They headed for the entrance to the village where, in a short time, Twilight’s group, sans Canas, would be leaving to make their return trip to Lycia.
Canas handed the Fire tome to Twilight, who took it in her magic. An excited grin split her muzzle as she rapidly flipped through the pages, taking in the alien scripture like a shark to a bloody carcass.
“I could write entire volumes about the magic contained in this one book!” she said with no small amount of joy. “And you’re sure you’re okay paying for this? I’d be happy to pay you back in whatever way I could.” She tore her gaze from the book, looking to Canas with a sincere expression.
He shook his head. “You already have. I might have caught a cold as a result, but having the chance to walk upon the clouds is worth so much more than a mere Fire tome. Had I more coin, I would’ve gladly bought you more complex tomes for your studies.”
“Well, even just this one will keep me busy for a long while,” Twilight said. She poofed it away to her personal pocket dimension for safekeeping. “I wish I could use the tome myself instead of just copying the magic, but even just studying it is enough for me.” All her attempts to tap into Canas’ tomes’ magic ended up fruitless, but despite her displeasure at this, it provoked an interesting question: Why couldn’t she use it if magic tomes in this world weren’t bound by bloodlines and despite the physics convergence of the Singularity? All the more reason to get cracking on her research as soon as she got home!
“I’m sure you’ll get a lot out of it,” Canas said. “And I could never thank you and your friends enough for aiding my homeland in its time of desperation— just as well, for the inspiration to use my magic to fight against the harsh weather conditions here. My wife will be delighted to hear that news.”
“I’m glad we could help,” Twilight said with a bright smile.
The two continued their walk through the village, occasionally stopping to greet passing villagers. Many of them expressed their thanks for Twilight and her friends as well as their regret to see them leave. Twilight felt a surge of pride swell within her to know that she and her friends had made such a good impression on these people. There were even a few who had, somehow, learned of her tussle against Malo and thanked her for aiding in the battle against the Trea bandits. She could only smile awkwardly and say ‘sure…’ whenever this happened.
Soon enough, they found themselves near the village entrance: Hector, Fiora, Florina, Fluttershy and a contingent of soldiers were grouped next to the gate while Huey stood by them with the supply wagon hitched up to him. To their right, through the window of the inn, Serra and Oswin could be seen looking red in the face and quite embarrassed.
“So, I gotta ask,” Twilight spoke up as a thought came to her. “Do you think you’ll ever have a chance to come visit Equestria? There’s so many things I’d love to show you about my world. You could help yourself to all the books in my house and you’d get to meet the rest of my friends.”
“That would be nice indeed,” Canas said sincerely. “Sadly, I do not foresee a chance to visit in the near future. My son has spent far too long without his father— just as well, gaining entrance to Castle Ostia would prove a hassle.”
“But aren’t you and Hector friends?” Twilight asked, confused. “Why wouldn’t he let you visit?”
“He would, of course, but as the ruler of the Lycian League, he has the utmost protection from the royal garrison. Anyone who wishes to meet him face to face would need to either be a royal messenger or similarly possess a letter of recommendation. The guards wouldn’t let me pass just because I claim to be a friend of their liege.”
“Makes sense, I guess.” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck, unsure. “I guess it’s hard for me to empathize with someone like you, given how I lived in Canterlot Castle for much of my life and know Princess Celestia so well.”
“Rest assured, were it a feasible goal I would love to visit your world,” Canas said. “Ever since I learned of the Dragon’s Gate, I have wondered what the world on the other side is like, and your world sounds especially fascinating. I’m particularly interested in the presence of other sapient creatures aside from ponies. Including dragons! Although, from your descriptions, they seem even less capable of compassion and kindness than this world’s own.”
“Yeah, Hector told me and my friends about Ninian and Nils.” Twilight’s lips pulled into an amused smile. “All the differences between shared aspects of our worlds is even more fascinating than the stark differences. I feel like I could spend my entire life comparing and contrasting our worlds and still wouldn’t learn everything!”
“I believe it,” Canas said plainly. He looked up at the sun’s position in the sky. “I imagine you’ll be leaving soon.” He gestured toward the group near the entrance. “We’d best meet up with everyone.”
“Right.”
They made their way over to the group. The part of Twilight that wished she could stay a little longer reared its head again, only to quickly be talked down by the part which yearned to return home and see the rest of her friends again. But she knew she’d have a chance to visit Elibe again sometime in the future. For now, she should savor what she’d seen and learned of this world and its people.
The last day of their visit saw Hector and Florina spending most of the morning loading up the supply wagon. Most of their supplies from the trip had been used up quicker than expected with the additions of Canas and Serra, forcing them to shop in town for extra foodstuffs. Hector was glad he’d made the last minute decision to extract five thousand gold from the castle’s coffers before setting out.
Fiora and some of her mercenaries helped the royal couple with loading up the wagon. Once they were done, Hector pulled them aside to talk.
“Time to work out the details of that discounted fee you promised in exchange for help,” he said.
“If you ask me, the ponies deserve it over you,” one of the mercenaries slyly remarked. “They’re the ones who put in all the work, after all.”
Hector was about ready to argue his point, only to realize he couldn’t come up with a good counter-argument. He fell silent as a result. Then Florina clasped a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention to her unusually confident expression. She stepped forward to address the mercenary.
“I understand your reasoning, but the truth is that the ponies haven’t a need for mercenaries; they have their own source of protection that rivals the finest soldiers of Elibe. But if you’re still not persuaded, Equestria is an official ally to the Lycian League, so consider any help to us help to them.”
Hector blinked, surprised by her words. The mercenary shifted the sword on his shoulder a little, looking unsure. Fiora caught Florina’s gaze, a knowing smile splitting her lips. She clasped a hand on her subordinate’s shoulder, earning his attention. She nodded, signaling her stance on the matter, which made him deflate.
Fiora turned to the royal couple. "We'll tell Central that everything went smoothly. Wait here and I'll fetch the contract detailing the terms of your discount.”
Hector snapped from his stupor and nodded. He waited until Fiora and her subordinates had left to whisper into Florina’s ear, “You actually lied to him.”
Florina’s mask of confidence melted a little. “I’m sure the ponies will agree,” she said nervously.
Hector sighed. “We’ll need to make sure.”
Fiora returned a couple of minutes later with the contract. Hector quickly read it over, finding it to be a simpler ordeal than the bureaucratic nightmares he dealt with on a daily basis back home. The names of every Ilian mercenary commander were signed at the bottom. He signed his own name before storing the parchment in a chest in the supply wagon. A minute after that, they saw Fluttershy coming around the corner of a building, Rusty resting soundly on her back.
“Hey, Fluttershy!” Hector called, catching her attention. “Come over here!”
Fluttershy closed the distance between them. “Can I help?” she asked.
“Florina and I were considering asking Princess Celestia for an official alliance between our two nations. We were wondering how likely she would agree to this.”
Fluttershy blinked, seemingly unprepared for such a question. She rubbed the back of her head, face scrunching in confusion. “I’m… not sure? I mean, Twilight would know better than me, but I don’t see why Princess Celestia would turn your offer down.”
“Well, thanks for your opinion,” Hector said with a sigh. His expression turned downcast, eyebrows furrowing.
“Is something wrong?” Fluttershy asked, sounding genuinely worried.
He waved her off. “It’s nothing.” He allowed his lips to lift slightly. “But I never imagined there’d come a time where Florina would be the one to stick up for me.”
Florina wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head against his side, saying nothing but smiling cutely. He ran his fingers through her hair, eliciting a soft giggle from her.
“I’m guessing we’re getting ready to leave soon?”
Everyone turned to see that Twilight and Canas had arrived.
“We’re taking some time to talk, to say our final goodbyes,” Florina explained.
“Yeah, everything’s all packed, so we’re just waiting for everyone to show up,” Hector said.
“Rainbow and AJ are still working on the crops, I think,” Twilight said. “They should be finished up soon.”
“Can I ask you something while I have your attention?” Hector asked her.
“Of course,” Twilight said with a smile.
“Florina and I were wondering if Princess Celestia would be willing to officially ally with the Lycian League. The Knights Union offered a discounted price on their mercenaries in exchange for aid, but some would think you’re more deserving of their services than me. Based on everything you’ve told us, Equestria wouldn’t find much use for the services of Ilia’s mercenaries, but if you were to officially ally with the Lycian League then this matter could be solved without further complications.”
Twilight appeared to think for a moment, tapping her chin. “Well, I don’t see any reason why she’d deny the offer, seeing how she’s been trying to establish good relations with all of Equestria’s neighbors. I could ask her if she’d be willing to arrange a meeting if you want, and we can work things out from there.”
Hector nodded. “Of course. Thank you.”
The group chatted for a while longer, waiting for Applejack and Rainbow Dash to arrive. As time passed the villagers started gathering around them, having remembered the ponies were due to leave that day. Twilight and Fluttershy quickly found themselves being hounded by villagers singing their praises and asking for blessings before their departure, much to their discomfort. The ignorance shared among the villagers astounded Hector; they should’ve realized by now that the ponies weren’t goddesses, nor did Twilight and Fluttershy specifically deserve the bulk of their praise.
Fate quickly sided with the ponies, because as soon as Applejack and Rainbow Dash arrived the villagers left Twilight and Fluttershy alone, shifting their attention onto their friends. Rainbow, as expected, soaked up the praise while Applejack tried her best to politely turn down their absurd requests. Fiora and her mercenaries stepped in after a minute to disperse the villagers, stating that the ponies’ personal space should be respected. The villagers quickly regrouped in a semi-circle a fair distance from everyone, their sorrowful eyes locked onto all the ponies.
“That ain’t one thing I’ll miss,” Applejack remarked, shaking her head. “Is this something all you highborn noble types have ta put up with?”
“It’s because you’ve demonstrated powers comparable to that of gods,” Canas reasoned. “That said, they should have realized by now you’re every bit as human as us— uh, pardon the term,” he added at the ponies’ bewilderingly amused faces.
“Actually, it serves them right for the greeting Florina and I received upon visiting their hometown,” Hector said with a laugh.
“Hey!” Twilight said with a pout, her cheeks flushing. “That party was entirely Pinkie’s idea! I was totally against everyone dressing up as humans!”
Hector laughed again. “Consider us even, then.”
Everyone shared a round of merry laughter. Twilight shot him an annoyed glare before she let herself join in the laughs.
“So, what are we planning for our wedding?” Serra asked as she slipped on her sandals.
Oswin had heard her question but didn’t answer as he slipped on his chestplate before going to work on his remaining armor pieces. In truth, he was hoping for once that Serra would lose her persistence and stop badgering him with questions.
“Hey, Oswin, I asked you a question! Come on, your future wife is talking to you! I know you can hear me!”
He quickly relented and sighed; some hopes were better left unraised.
“Serra,” he said with a hard edge to his voice.
He couldn’t see her, but the dead silence that followed signified that she perfectly understood where the conversation was heading. He finished strapping on his armor and sheathed his lance before turning to her. Her face was guilty and downcast, exactly as it tended to be whenever he spoke harshly to her. He sighed again, deciding the best course of action was total sincerity.
“Serra, I never formally agreed to marriage; I only ever said that I was interested in being by your side as good support in light of your…” he trailed off for a moment, the words caught on his lips, “... troubled upbringing.”
Serra shuffled her feet, clasping her hands in front of her but keeping her gaze downcast. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Oswin felt a stab at his heart at the sight but kept his stoic demeanor.
“That said, if you were to be my bride, I would expect some things out of you.”
Serra perked up, the corners of her mouth lifting a little. “Okay. What would you expect of me?”
“First of all, I’d expect you to be as dutiful as myself. You are a cleric in service to House Ostia, and while you do your job admirably, in the past you have paraded around your noble lineage as if it entitles you to the same privileges as Lord Hector and Lady Florina. This needs to stop for good.”
Serra nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, I can do that no problem!”
“Second, I would expect you to be a fair and respectful wife. I will be your protector, not your vassal. And I expect you to be at my side ready to heal my wounds whensoever the need should arise.”
“Of course I can do that!” Serra said proudly and jovially. “We’ll make a great couple, like a warrior king and queen straight out of a romantic story!”
If there was one thing Oswin had always found charming about Serra, it was her fondness for romanticism. “There’s just one more thing…” He trailed off, hesitation washing over him.
“Come on, tell me what it is!” Serra pleaded.
Oswin cleared his throat and steeled his nerves. “Should we have children, I would train them to become knights of Ostia as well. Assuming, of course, they possess the same potential as me.”
All the exuberance drained away from Serra’s face as her cheeks flushed a darker shade of red then he’d ever seen on a human before. He mentally berated himself, realizing such a statement was unbefitting of a gentleman to say to a woman, especially one as young as Serra.
“My apologies, Serra.” His professional visage slipped into a regretful frown. He rubbed the back of his head and turned his gaze away from her. “I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for a second there. I have wondered from time to time what I would want out of a life spent by your side, and thoughts of having children as dutiful and strong as myself defend our realm has been an idle dream of mine since my days as a knight in service to House Cornwell. I understand if—”
He was cut off when he felt the silken texture of Serra’s glove close over his mouth. He felt his head turn to face her and his heartbeat intensified when he looked into her tearful, yet joyous eyes. She extracted her hand, but before he could say anything she leaned in close and pressed her lips against his, closing her eyes.
The kiss lasted little more than a scant moment, but time itself felt like it halted its advance for Oswin during that time. His thoughts clouded over and a warm tingle spread through his gut. His resulting cry of surprise was muffled behind Serra’s lips. He wanted to pull away from the act of passion, but his sense of chivalry was uprooted by basic human instinct and his will to move was sapped away. A long-suppressed part of his brain was overjoyed by Serra’s action and when she broke away with a gasp that voice cried out in despair. His brain took a few moments to catch up with him. He wiped his lips clean. Serra mimicked his action but looked a lot more content than he felt. They just stood there for a few moments, silent but blushing profusely. Disappointment welled up in Oswin, morphing into soft anger.
“That… that!” His lips split apart into a scowl. “What were you thinking!?”
Serra’s blush dissipated and a haughty smile split her face. “Is that any way to talk to your future wife?”
Oswin felt his mind scramble again. “What— I— I mean—” The pieces clicked together. “Wait, so you agree to those terms?”
“Of course I do!” Serra cried happily, the tears flowing again. “I would love nothing more than to have a child that grows up into a gallant young soldier!”
“That’s good to hear, I suppose,” Oswin said. Dizziness washed over him and he stumbled for a second. “But I disapprove of kissing before we’re officially wed.”
Serra looked downcast for a moment. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help my excitement! And besides, if our marriage is set in stone than why should we wait!?”
Oswin couldn’t think of a good counterargument to that. Moreover, he realized Serra’s brazenness toward romantic passion made sense; she acted the way she did out of a need for attention after spending most of her life without a real family, so an agreement of marriage between them was the equivalent of a ravenous dog being thrown a fresh slab of meat.
“... I question how Lord Hector would react if he knew we were engaging in…” his lips quivered as he struggled to form the rest of his sentence, “... sexual relations.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” Serra said. “But… maybe we should keep quiet, just in case? For now, at least.”
“Agreed.”
They spent a few more moments just standing there, unsure what they should do next. Eventually, Oswin said they should meet up with the rest of the group, so they finished packing and made their way outside, swearing to each other not to say anything until the journey had concluded.
The time was high noon when the entire group was gathered by the village entrance. Literally, every single resident of the village was gathered to send them off, amounting to roughly a hundred people crammed together in a semicircle around the group. Canas and Fiora stood among them near the front.
Serra’s and Oswin’s belongings were stashed inside the wagon, leaving the group with nothing left to do but say a few final farewells before setting off.
“Hope you all loved my airshows as much as I loved performing them!” Rainbow said from her place in the air, throwing her hooves out and sporting a smug grin.
Many people in the crowd broke into soft applause while expressing heartfelt gratitude. A few shouts of ‘praise be to Rainbow Danger Dash’ were heard, making her grin stretch even wider while Applejack facehoofed.
“Will we ever see you ponies again?” a young woman near the front of the crowd asked.
Hector opened his mouth to respond but was beaten to it by Twilight. “Maybe someday, if the need arises. You’re all such wonderful people and I loved learning more about your culture. If anything ever goes wrong again, you can count on me and my friends to lend our aid again.”
There was another round of cheerful applause. Hector smiled and shook his head, resigning himself to the oddity of the current political situation he was in.
“I hope you and your wife find success with your endeavor,” Twilight said to Canas.
He nodded. “Thank you, Twilight; we’ll do our best.”
“I’m glad to see your married life has been going well,” Fiora told her sister. “Perhaps the next time we see each other I’ll be an aunt.”
Florina blushed profusely. Hector gently nudged her while the ponies giggled, except for Fluttershy who just offered her a supportive smile.
“Have a safe journey,” Fordwin said.
The group departed through the village gate, waving the residents goodbye as they did the same. Eventually, they stopped and focused their gaze forward on the road. Hector and Florina took the front once again while Serra and the ponies took the middle and Oswin walked in front of Huey and the supply wagon.
“Hoo-wee!” Applejack exclaimed. “We’re almost done with this trip!”
“I can’t wait to get home and tell everyone how awesome it was!” Rainbow cheered.
“I imagine Rarity will faint when she learns we got involved in bloody conflict,” Twilight remarked.
Hector thought he heard Fluttershy squeak in response. He cast a glance to look back at Twilight. “So you’ll talk with Princess Celestia as soon as you get back?”
Twilight nodded. “I promise.”
“What’cha talkin’ about?” Applejack asked.
“Equestria and Elibe might become official allies in the future,” Twilight explained. “If that happens, it’ll be easier for us to come and go between worlds.” Her eyes sparkled. “I could keep learning about this world forever!”
Hector stopped short of laughing at her; Twilight’s unquenchable thirst of knowledge had become amusing to him after getting to know her so well. But he wouldn’t mind letting her come through every now and then to let her snoop around, learning things. He wouldn’t be surprised if at some point in the future she knew more about Elibe than he did.
“I still need to escort you ponies safely back to Castle Ostia,” he said authoritatively. “While I appreciate your contributions to that battle, I need you all to stay safe from now on. Do I make myself clear?”
The ponies all gave their collective promise to him.
“Good.” He returned his gaze forward. “I couldn’t live with myself if I failed this mission when it’s so close to completion.”