//------------------------------// // The Seventh Day // Story: The Final Choices // by GMBlackjack //------------------------------// The night was nearing its end. The sun had not started to peek out from behind the shell quite yet, but the sky had a sharp gradient across it that said it would not be long before day dawned. You must go to Twilight, Ichor. Ichor was invisible and flying through the different floors of the castle, aiming for one of the highest rooms. She trusts you. Ichor rose through the final floor, setting her hooves down in front of the door to Twilight’s room. There were no guards, but Ichor knew better. Spike would be on the other side, no doubt fast asleep, but she’d have to be careful. That is her mistake. Ichor phased through the wall rather than the door, reasoning that there may be enchantments on the standard entrances. She passed right through without a problem. Spike was fast asleep in his corner of the room while Twilight laid on her bed, motionless, her head turned away from Ichor. She might be able to sense you. Ichor was surprised that Twilight didn’t respond at all to her entrance. She could sense wraiths. Pretty easily… maybe she had to be looking for them. You are to calm her down by saying you just wanted to talk to her. Ichor almost wished that was the case. It would have been much better than… this. She’ll listen to everything you say. With shivering legs, she drifted over to Twilight’s bed. Without a noise, she laid her hooves on the floor and solidified herself. And when you’re close… Ichor looked down at Twilight’s sleeping form. Despite her power in the day, the purple mare looked so… small. The darkness of night surrounded her, making her brilliant purple coat muted. The back of her neck was exposed; so vulnerable. ...strike the moment you get the chance. She lifted her tail, poised to strike right at the base of the neck. The poison would go right into the nervous system, preventing complex magic from taking shape. It was how wraiths took out blairne. It was a maneuver Ichor herself had done dozens of times before. She hesitated. She couldn’t. Could she? This mare who had shown her such kindness and undeserved trust and chances and… and so many other things. A mare who was trying to show them a different way. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? She was challenging them with a different way. A way wraiths could not accept, for it was wrong. Even Ichor knew it wasn’t right. Or so she thought… Realistically, though, what choice did she have? It was her family asking for this. She couldn’t choose not to. That would be a betrayal of her entire life and all the ponies she had ever grown up with. The entire society of wraiths… if she didn’t follow through… She was supposed to be Loyal. That was her thing, right? Any Element alone can be taken too far. What she was doing… it wasn’t very Honest, Generous, Kind, or full of Laughter. She was only doing it because it was what every wraith was telling her to do. It was deceptive, murderous… and thievery. The way of all wraith. Until now, that was how she thought everything was. The shapers and the blairne claimed to be better, but really, they fought, killed, lied, and did everything more or less the same as wraiths did. They were just worse for hating their fellow shapers, fellow blairne. Wraiths were a family. Wraiths stood together. Everypony could stand together. But not if she killed Twilight Sparkle. Ichor lowered her tail. She reached out with a hoof and touched Twilight’s shoulder. “Hey, Twilight…?” “I’m already awake,” Twilight said without a hint of grogginess. “O-oh…” Twilight rolled over, turning her face to Ichor, revealing eyes filled with tears. Without warning, she pulled Ichor into a hug. “T-thank you for stopping.” “I… I…” “I would have had to kill you all if you didn’t...” Ichor froze. She hadn’t really thought about what would have happened if she failed. “You saved your race by stopping yourself. Y-” Ichor gulped. “Twilight?” Twilight’s hug became stiff. “...What?” “They’re going after Celestia and Rarity too. W-we should proba-” Twilight stood bolt upright and teleported them both away. ~~~ Rainbow slept, somehow. But these days her dreams were not her own. The awareness of others was shunted directly into her perceptions, giving her dreams of what others were experiencing. Usually, that was just the dreams of others, though Sunset was up late enough occasionally to have her actual projects feature in Rainbow’s dreams. Tonight, though, there was no loud sound-gun testing in her dreams. Just the normal dreams of everypony she was connected to. Which, unfortunately, did include Discord. It was about a fifty-fifty chance his dreams were funny or nightmarish. It was amazing how fast she’d gotten used to it all… Currently, she was sitting down at a tea party with Pinkie. This was a little awkward - because Pinkie was definitely a lucid dreamer, but Rainbow generally wasn’t. So Pinkie currently had Rainbow trapped in a dream about eating pies that she actually enjoyed. The existential crisis it was causing dream-Rainbow was hilarious. “But I don’t like pie!” “You do now!” Rainbow grabbed her head. “I… I…” Pinkie was about to further the dream joke, but something went twitch in her mind. “Uh-oh.” “Uh-oh? It’s just p-” “Rainbow, you’re dreaming, and I think you’re going to need to be on your hooves soon.” She was right. A searing pain shot through Rainbow’s mind a short while after Pinkie had spoken, shooting her awake in an instant. She was alone in her room, but one of her friends weren’t. She saw through Rarity’s eyes a large wraith she didn’t recognize - his tail dripping with blood. It was poised to strike again. Rainbow burst out of her room, tearing the recently-repaired door of the school off its hinges. Rarity slept at the head of the hall, so all she had to do was take a sharp left and break that door down too. Rarity was writhing on her bed, two tremendous puncture wounds reddening her white coat. One was at the base of her neck, the other in her chest. The wraith vanished the moment Rainbow bashed the door down, but she was a pegasus. Even if she couldn’t see him, he was like a cloud, he could be touched. She performed a quick spin-kick - and her leg was caught in his invisible wing. “Wha-” He threw her into Rarity, who managed to let out a cry of pain. “Sorry!” Rainbow shouted, panicked. “I…” And then she felt it - the Element of Generosity. Activating. Rarity’s hooves were glowing, shooting a small burst of energy into Rainbow. There was a rush of power through every nerve in Rainbow’s body. Rainbow lost all perception of where she was, for she could see everything. The outside of the Sphere and the galaxies spinning in the far distance… Rainbow looked around, confused, disoriented; for she didn’t have a body, just the collective perceptions of… she didn’t even know what. Compensating… What? Who said that? Rainbow thought. With a shark jerk of her mind, the outside of the Sphere was locked away from her. She was left with the interior… and it was so full of life. Everything was laid out to her… I need to find Rarity. Or myself! Knowing where I am would be good! She was able to pick up on something familiar, so she descended her consciousness. Her level of awareness tapered off, restricting to a single continent, then down a little further, until she could sense things like the shaper kingdoms and the blairne empire. Suddenly there was darkness. She could still feel other things, but something had dominated her view. Look, I have better things to do right now than deal with whatever this is! Two eyes opened in the darkness, swirling with so many colors Rainbow couldn’t pick any particular one out. However, unlike light, which would mix together to make white, the colors mixed together into black where the density was strong enough. “What are you?” Rainbow Dash, now can you stop? My friend’s life is in danger and you’re interfering with my head! “It is you who invaded mine…” Completely unintentional, sorry. “I must understand how.” What part of ‘my friend’s life is in danger’ do you not understand!? UGH! “Your ‘friend’ can wait.” YOU CAN WAIT! Rainbow’s mind shot back into her body - she could still feel her friends, but nothing beyond that. The wraith had just stabbed her in the chest and was retracting his tail. Despite the immeasurable burning pain in her body she shoved her legs forward and locked herself to his tail. “You’re not going anywhere!” She twisted her body around his tail, pegasus magic allowing her to coil the otherwise intangible tail around herself. The wraith only gave up when she threatened to tear his tail right off. “HELP! FLUTTERSHY! PINKIE! TWILIGHT!” Rainbow shouted at the top of her lungs. “WE NEED - gehakhkkk - HELP!” Twilight teleported into the room with Ichor the same instant Pinkie dragged a very tired and groggy Fluttershy into the room. Despite her weary eyes, Fluttershy jumped into action immediately, healing Rainbow’s wound. “Rarity!” Rainbow shouted, pointing while Twilight canceled the wraith’s intangibility. Fluttershy flew over and held her wings over the white unicorn. Rarity didn’t move. “I… I…” Rainbow turned to Twilight, wincing slightly - the pain wasn't completely gone. “The Element of Generosity it… supercharged me. Take it out of her, use i-” “It’s not in her anymore…” Twilight said, haunted. “There’s… nothing there…” Fluttershy laid her wings over Rarity’s body and focused - but nothing happened. “No.” “Flutt-” Rainbow began. “I SAID NO!” Fluttershy jumped off Rarity and pummeled the wraith into the ground, breaking one of his ribs. “You’re going to fix this!” “If you cannot fix it… none can.” Fluttershy grabbed his neck with her wings. “Then y-” “Fluttershy!” Twilight teleported her away from the wraith. “He may have just been manipulated into doing it!” “No…” Ichor said. “That’s Ridge. He and Silicate were the ringleaders…” Twilight locked eyes with Ridge. Her face was devoid of all emotion. “Ridge. Why did you do this?” “Pressure of the socie-” “LIAR!” Ichor shouted. “Traitor,” Ridge growled. “You made me choose between two types of trechary!” “You should have known where your loyalties lied before coming here.” “ENOUGH!” Twilight shouted, shaking the earth around them. “I don’t care about the stupid little ‘purity’ of your wraith society. You have commited a murder on my turf. You are hereby found guilty and sentenced to immediate execution.” Ridge stared at her in shock. “But you’re soft!” “You misjudged us.” Twilight engulfed Ridge in an intense blue flame. There was no time for him to scream of even react - he was nothing but glowing ashes a second later. “T-Twili-” Fluttershy began. “I… I’m glad I stopped you…” Twilight breathed. “...That was horrible…” “Celesita,” Ichor said. “Celestia!” “RIGHT!” Twilight, in a panic, teleported Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Ichor to Celesita’s room. The alicorn was sitting on her bed calmly drinking tea while a dozen wraith were tied up in the corner of the room, bound, gagged, and each one given an adorable stuffed animal enchanted never to leave them. “Oh, hello Twilight, it seems some ponies attempted to assassinate me. You too, I assume?” Twilight nodded breathlessly. Celesita’s smile vanished. “...No… they couldn’t have gotten anypony. You, me, Discord, we-” “Rarity,” Twilight said, finally feeling the tears rush to her eyes. “They went after Rarity.” Celestia stood bolt upright. “Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, we are going to round up every single wraith in New Equestria. Now.” Ichor winced. Celestia sighed. “I am sorry, my child, but your ponies have crossed a line. We must take swift, immediate action.” She pulled Twilight close. “I can handle it, you sp-” “I’m handling it,” Twilight growled, narrowing her eyes. “They betrayed me, not you. They are going to answer to me.” ~~~ The sun lit up the world with the morning. In New Equestria, it was a morning without smiles. There were only frowns… or livid scowls. Every single wraith that wasn’t Ichor had been caught, bound, and set in the middle of New Equestria’s plaza, just outside the School. Twilight stood above them on a pillar of marble she had created just a few minutes prior. She had her wings splayed to their fullest, casting the wraiths in shadow. They could only see her gleaming eyes. Ponies of all kinds had taken up a crowd around the wraiths, composed out of roughly half shapers and half Equestrians. When Twilight was satisfied that enough ponies were here, she levitated Ebony and Silicate out from the rest of the group, setting them before her. Ichor and Celestia sat facing them while Discord was coiled around the marble pillar, glaring at them with malevolent eyes. Silicate was crying and shaking uncontrollably. Ebony was perfectly calm and level - and she still had the book of mindbenders clutched in her wing. She spoke without bothering to lift her head. “What is the meaning of this?” “Ridge assassinated Chancellor Rarity this morning,” Twilight breathed - though her magic carried the almost whisper into everyone’s ears nonetheless. “He was executed for his crime. There were also attempts on my life and Celestia’s, though these were not successful. Ebony, what do you say?” “I was unaware of such things.” Twilight nodded. “Ichor corroborates your story. But as for Silicate…” Twilight focused her steely gaze upon the trembling wraith. “You and Ridge were the ringleaders.” “D-don’t kill me…” Silicate whined. “Why shouldn’t I?” Twilight asked, holding her head high. “It’s the ‘proper way’ of this world, and you tried to kill us to protect that ‘proper way’. All of you should be ground to dust if we went with the ‘proper way’.” Most of the wraiths twitched in fear. However, a disturbing number of them were nodding in agreement. “I have yet to decide what I am going to do with you,” Twilight said. “A pony has been killed. The most generous, intelligent, unders-” she took a moment to collect herself. “Rarity is no more. You all saw her. She helped you. She was the Element of Generosity. You know, the thing where we gave you a place to stay, food, and didn’t judge you the moment you walked in the door!?” “I’m sorry!” Silicate shouted, “YOU ARE NOT!” Twilight boomed. “ICHOR WAS SORRY! ICHOR BACKED OFF! NONE OF THE REST OF YOU HESITATED! MORE THAN HALF OF YOU WERE INVOLVED!” “But isn’t that the righ-” “I don’t give a flying feather what you think the right response is.” She levitated Silicate into the air until his eyes were level with her own. “I care about your motives, your reasons, your soul. You, Silicate, lived among us for a few days. You knew we meant you no harm. We went above and beyond to protect you.” Silicate whimpered, tears falling down his face. “Why would you put you and all your ponies in danger like this?” He couldn’t respond. “ANSWER ME!” “T-the way of t-h-” “-e wraith is sacred,” Twilight finished for him, voice once again barely more than a whisper. She dropped him unceremoniously, turning to Ebony. “Your way is evil.” Most wraiths gasped at this statement. Ebony nodded. “I agree.” All the wraiths grasped at this. Twilight frowned. “What do you think I should do?” “Kill us all. I had hoped we would be able to change our ways. It appears not.” “E-ebony…” Silicate shivered. “You can’t be serious…” Ichor said, hoof to her mouth. “Ichor, sister…” Ebony sighed. “You almost killed simply because your family asked, and you are the best among us. I would have been a voice of opposition. But I would have gone with the will of the wraith.” She directed her empty gaze to Twilight. “It may be easy for me to see how wrong the others were now that I am here, but I will not fool myself. I would have joined them had they not kept me out of the discussion.” Twilight nodded to herself. “What say the rest of you?” she asked the crowd. The shapers were the loudest. “Death to them all!” “Enslave them, like the blairne do to us!” “Make them kill each other…” The Equestrians weren’t much better. “I can trap them all in an eternity of torment,” Discord offered, while Sunset declared “executions for those who were involved, heavy observations for those who weren't.” Celestia came up with the least aggressive option. “Banish them all and let them spread word of their failure here. Let their entire extended family know they have made a horrible enemy in New Equestria and that no wraith will be allowed here ever again.” This idea seemed to catch on for most of the Equestrians, who weren’t about to endorse mass killing. Twilight nodded to Celestia. “That seems adequate. Ebony, if I give you a choice?” “I will go with them anyway to spread the word.” Twilight nodded slowly. “The rest of you will be banished… except you, Silicate.” Silicate whimpered as he felt the magic coil around him. “You stirred them up. You, after living among us, specifically chose to rile wraiths against us and attempt to destroy us. We lived alongside you, worked with you, laughed with you when you would let us. You deserve much, much worse than banishment.” Silicate couldn’t respond. “Discord? I give him to you.” She tossed him to the ground. “Do as you wish.” Discord didn’t even say ‘with pleasure’ like Twilight was expecting. He slithered down from the marble and stood directly in front of Silicate. “I was a monstrous demon who wanted to rule the world, once.” Discord put his finger on Silicate’s forehead. “Not even I killed ponies for it.” Four grotesque limbs appeared behind Discord - one of bone, one of shadow, one of glitches akin to what was seen on Sunset’s computer screens, and one of fire. They grew far too long for what they were, reaching around Discord the long way until they hovered around Silicate. “And you won’t die today, Silicate. You will become locked in your own mind, trapped in an eternal nightmare of your own worst fears until your body wastes away. There will be nothing funny about it.” The four hands opened wide. “You w-” “STOP!” Discord retracted the limbs instantly, turning his head with everyone else to see Sweetie Belle running through the crowd, Eagle at her heels. The two scrambled to where Silicate was sitting, bawling his eyes out. Twilight looked down at Sweetie. “Sweetie, maybe you sh-” “WE CAN’T LET THEM CORRUPT US LIKE THIS!” Sweetie shouted at Twilight, holding out a desperate hoof that was dripping with her tears. “Look around, Twilight! This… this isn’t Equestria! This is this world! This is not what we would do!” Twilight’s eyes widened. “No…” “They… they did something horrible! They took my sister!” Anyone who didn’t know Sweetie was Rarity's sister knew now, and they were understandably shocked. For the first time, Ebony wore an expression of utter disbelief. “But they are confused and… and don’t know any other way!” Sweetie held a hoof, pointing toward the wraith. “They’ve lived… all their lives like this. All the ponies of this world have. They don’t know better. How… how would you have felt if… if Celestia had turned into a monster when you were still in the School for Gifted Unicorns, Twilight? Would you have followed her?” Twilight stared at Sweetie, haunted. “...Yes. Yes, I would have.” Sweetie nodded. “How can you expect them to do anything different?” “I… I cannot,” Twilight said, letting a tear fall down her cheek. “But Sweetie, they…” “He,” Sweetie said, pointing at Silicate. “Just he. Just Ridge. He…” she couldn’t finish the sentence. Eagle groaned. “What Sweetie is trying to say is that you need to be careful with the wraiths, but that sending them away won’t get them to learn jack squat about friendship. It’ll make you an enemy.” She looked to Twilight. “Magic to Magic: get off your high horse and remember what you’re the Element of.” Twilight obliged, destroying the marble pillar and folding her wings. She was crying profusely. “Sweetie… Sweetie, it hurts so much. I…” “I k-know,” Sweetie gagged. “But w-we need to save this world from itself. W-we are Harmony. We have to teach them, even if they wrong us.” Twilight took a sharp breath in. “...There will be no banishments.” There was silence from the crowd. “Instead, all wraiths in New Equestria will have a tracker spell put on them. It will monitor everything they do and everywhere they go. It will keep them from becoming completely invisible.” She turned to Silicate. “And you…” She frowned. “What should we do with you?” “We shouldn’t decide,” Sweetie said. “I-it’s too personal.” “Who then? Ebony?” Sweetie shook her head. “Ichor?” Twilight looked to Ichor - and nodded her approval. Ichor took in a sharp breath. “Silicate… I tried to help you. I tried to get you to change. And you… you spat in my face as well as theirs. If you don’t care about them, at least care about what you did to your sister.” Ichor frowned. “Silicate, you will never phase again. All your wraith attributes will be removed. Permanently, if possible.” “No!” Silicate wailed. “No, I nee-” “You’ll live in New Equestria the rest of your days, and nopony will be able to trust you. You will get to see the world you wanted to destroy grow around you.” Ichor glared at him. “And I will be there every step of the way.” She turned to the other wraith. “I understand that I am no longer wraith to you. I am a traitor. I…” She wiped her face. “I am no longer your sister.” She broke down - that was all she could take. Twilight put a wing around her. “Ichor…” She paused. “Eagle… Sweetie… I’m proud of you all.” She held her head high, not afraid to show her vulnerability or sorrow. “Rarity would have given everypony a second chance…” “HEY! HEY! EVERYONE!” “Frostfire!?” Sunset shouted, panicked. “You need to stay hid-” “GET TO THE LABS NOW!” he shouted - not caring in the slightest that dozens of shaper dignitaries were staring slack-jawed at a two-element blairne that clearly wasn’t an Empire agent. Twilight heard the urgency in his voice, though, and understood that they needed to come now. Everyone that could teleport did, and the entire crowd surged forth behind them - including the wraiths. There was not enough space for everyone in the lab, but several dozen people still managed to push and shove their way through to the room. Sunset had to put protection enchantments on all her experiments. She only completed half of the spells she wanted to before she was stunned into silence. “No way…” The main screen that constantly showed the interior deam-space of the Roots showed Zecora… and another pony. A white, elegant unicorn with a look of desperation on her face. “I’m fine!” Rarity called, waving her hoof. “I am fine! Don’t go do anything drastic! Please!” Twilight’s face couldn’t decide if it wanted to grin in elation or frown in confusion. “R-rarity? H-how…?” “I don’t know, dear, these are your roots, you tell me.” Twilight didn't wait any longer. She lit her horn and reconstructed Rarity from nothing, building her a new body right then and there. A body shining with the light of Generosity. “...I have no idea how this is possible,” Twilight said, pulling Rarity into a hug. “And I don’t care.” “You? Not caring about how something happened? Give yourself a few hours, dear, you’ll be Twilighting over it.” “Probably,” Twilight chuckled, releasing her - allowing Sweetie to tackle her. “S-Sweetie! Oh, my Stars, I’m sorry I scared you like that…” “It’s not your fault,” Sweetie said, burying her face in Rarity’s coat. “I’m just glad you’re back…” “I am too. That poison was dreadfully painful. Wouldn’t wish it on anyone.” “I got to feel it twice!” Rainbow called. “Terrifying…” Twilight tousled Sweetie’s mane. “Sweetie here was amazing. She’s the one that kept us from doing anything we’d regret.” “I don’t know what it is but I’m already proud of you,” Rarity said. “Ahem,” a shaper dignitary said - an Algae if Twilight remembered correctly. “I do hate to interrupt. But do you care to explain… this and this?” She gestured at Frostifre and then to the whole room they were in. “I…” “I shall explain,” Celestia said. “And I shall take care of the wraiths. Queen Twilight, you’ve cared about your appearance enough today. You need to spend time with Rarity.” Twilight blinked - then smiled. “Thank you, Princess.” “I live to serve, your highness.” Twilight managed to stifle a giggle before teleporting herself and her closest friends away. “So,” Celestia summoned a chair and a teacup, sitting down. “Who wants to ask the first question?” Sunset raised her. “Can I get to work on the Roots?” “No, my student, you will assist me in answering questions pertaining to the many, many unusual devices you have littered around.” ~~~ Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Sweetie, and Rarity stood in Rarity’s room, looking at Rarity’s body. Rarity poked it. There was a weird mixture of gasps, grunts, giggles, and hums from her friends. “I do suppose we must do something with it…” “Holding a funeral would just be weird,” Rainbow said. “So... do we just bury it and forget about it?” “I wonder what happens if we try necromancy…” Pinkie said, scratching her head. “Pinkie!” Twilight shouted, aghast. “We wouldn’t dare indulge in such dark arts! No matter how unusual it is to have a body… and a spirit elsewhere…” She furrowed her brow. “What would happen? There’s no soul to return to it…” “Uh, Twilight?” Applejack nudged her. “Might wanna get out of that before you go too far.” “Oh.” Twilight shook her head. “Right.” “A unicorn’s horn is filled with many rare minerals and medicinal properties,” Fluttershy said. “...And I thought I was the overly practical one,” Rarity mused. “I could stuff it…” “Why?” Sweetie asked. “I have no idea, it just occurred to me as a thing I could do. Probably get some fine quality leather too, complete with cutie mark.” “We ain’t doing cupcakes on this,” Pinkie said. “What?” Sweetie said, cocking her head. Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Rarity, do you want your body around?” “Well, no, but…” “Then just burn it. The horn’s not even useful, Twilight can just make a unicorn horn.” “Oh. I can.” Twilight’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks. “Which means it is now perfectly ethical to see what the Brew of Shattered Hopes and Dreams actually does!” “I don’t want to know…” Applejack shivered. Rarity examined the wounds where Ridge’s tail struck her. “Pinkie’s got the right idea. Burn it. Twilight, do you mind?” Twilight closed her eyes and vaporized the body in much the same way she had vaporized Ridge’s - only this time she put the ashes in an ornate jar. “Want me to fully disintegrate it?” Rarity shrugged. “I don’t care as long as I don’t see it anymore.” Twilight teleported it away, to where Rarity didn’t know or care. “So,” Rarity held up her hoof, crossing her eyes to fixate on it. “I know what Generosity does now.” “Overloads your system…” Rainbow muttered, rubbing her head. “It makes sense, doesn’t it, that the bearer of Generosity can bestow power?” Rarity smirked. “I suppose some testing is in order.” Discord appeared in a flash of light. “Do me do me do me.” “Heavens no!” Rarity declared. “You don’t need a power boost!” Discord snapped his fingers. “Awww, man! Well, it was worth a shot!” He teleported away. Rarity rolled her eyes. “So, I already did Rainbow, and she could see everything. Fluttershy?” Fluttershy nodded. “Go ahead.” Rarity touched her hoof to Fluttershy and focused, endowing her with some of her power. A sunflower erupted from the floor of Rarity’s room, breaking through the concrete with impressive force. “Right. Create life from… nothing, or make it extremely hardy. Probably could have revived me with that.” Fluttershy smiled warmly. “Rainbow thought of that. But we’d lost the essence of Generosity.” “Quick thinking.” Rainbow saluted. “It’s what I do.” “Okay… Applejack?” Applejack smirked. “Ah have a distinct feelin’ we should do mine outside.” Twilight teleported them to the Everfree forest. Rarity gave her some power. Applejack gingerly touched the ground with her hoof and caused an earthquake. “Yep. Just as Ah thought. Please take it back.” Rarity blinked. “Can I do that? I don’t think so…” Applejack focused and pushed the energy out of her. “Nevermind. Got it myself.” “Me! Me! Me!” Pinkie said, shoving her face into Rarity’s. “Should I? You are rather like Discord at times…” “Oh come on, you trust me, right?” Rarity smiled. “Of course, dear.” She pushed energy into Pinkie. Pinkie’s eyes went white and she fell backward, staring at the sky. Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “I just lost her in my senses. Completely lost her.” Twilight scanned Pinkie with her magic. “She’s fine. Just… her awareness is elsewhere.” “I saw the entire freaking planet when I was charged!” Rainbow said. “Where is she?” “The Field of Can’-Ka No Rey,” Pinkie muttered, sitting up and rubbing her head. “That was a lot of pointy roses…” “What happened?” Rarity asked. “I saw so far I left context behind,” Pinkie chuckled. “Saw a lot of very interesting stuff! That, uh, doesn’t matter at all to what we’re doing right now. It’d be like trying to screw in a lightbulb using a map of the solar system as a reference.” Twilight nodded slowly. “If I understand you right, can you help Su-” “No,” Pinkie said, shaking her head. “Too big for that too.” “...Geez.” “Yeah. I’m surprised my mind hasn’t exploded!” Pinkie giggled. Rarity turned to Twilight. “Your turn, I suppose…” Twilight held up a hoof. “I am basically the Tree of Harmony. I don’t need it.” “Okay then. Sweetie?” Sweetie trotted up to her sister. “Yep?” “Let’s see what this does with a non-Element…” She pushed power into Sweetie. Sweetie’s cutie mark flashed - and she gasped. “Woah…” “What?” Rarity asked, excited. “All of you are surrounded by strange colored things! Like… an aura!” “Ooh, what do they look like?” Pinkie asked. “Yours doesn’t keep the shame shape. The rest of yours are pretty stationary… Rarity, you don’t look so good.” “I do believe I just had a death experience, a little upset in the soul is to be expected.” Sweetie hugged her. “I’m here.” “I know.” Twilight nodded. “I think it tapped into her destiny finding talent. She helps those with troubled spirits find what they need… so, when empowered, she can see those spirits.” “Cool!” Sweetie said, grinning. Rainbow rubbed her hooves together. “Let’s try some other ponies…” Rarity nodded. “We should figure out the extent o-” “Nonono!” Sweetie shook her head. “You lose energy when you give it! You need a rest. I can see it.” “No I-” Rarity yawned. “-do not.” Sweetie raised an incredulous eyebrow. “Okay, fine.” ~~~ Celestia thought that had all gone pretty well. The shapers were all on board keeping Frostfire’s existence a secret - the idea of showing up the Empire in anything made them giddy. A few had expressed concerns about the whole wraith incident, but those who did were sushed by their companions for being insensitive. Everypony had at least some sense that the event had gone the way it needed to, and questioning it was just offensive. Celestia was actually glad to see actual political complaints filed against Ebony, accusing her of slandering the way of the shapers. It was a step up from wraiths being too low to even consider talking to. They just flat-out didn’t understand the technology. The few who could get some idea got understandably terrified of what New Equestria could do even without magic. They, naturally, asked for the trade of technological secrets. Celestia agreed to go over agreements of that sort on a later date - they still hadn’t heard back from the blairne Empire after all, didn’t want to upset them by establishing too much with the shapers first. The Gourds accepted this, the others did not, but their squabbles were small and insignificant, as were most of the things they said. Celestia had organized the wraith tracking spells. She offered Ebony a pass, but Ebony took it to be one with the family. Ichor had been there at the start but had vanished after a Silicate’s powers had been completely sealed. Things had calmed down, and Celestia eventually returned to the lab where Sunset and Frostfire were hard at work. “My secret will get out,” Frostfire said without glancing back. “No matter how much they wish to look down on the Empire, they will discover I am here.” “And we will protect you,” Celestia said simply. “You risked yourself today, coming out with urgent news. While perhaps not the smartest thing, it proves you have a great heart within you.” “Bah,” Frostfire muttered. “You’re progressing nicely,” Sunset chuckled, connecting two wires together. “I think I figured out what happened to Rarity, Celestia.” “Oh?” Sunset nodded. “It’s not the Element that did it - it was the Roots. Her soul is still connected to them since she came out. I think if anyone who was in the Roots before is killed, their spirit will just appear in it again.” “Is there a range to this effect?” “Yep,” Sunset said with a smirk. “Three times the diameter of the Sphere.” “Ah. I suppose we are all immortals, then.” Celestia furrowed her brow. “I am not sure if this is a blessing or a curse…” “Discord and Twilight aren’t keyed to it. If either of them…” “Discord would never be so careless,” Celestia smirked. “And Twilight…” her smirk vanished. “Let me spell it out for you,” Frostfire said, tapping a table with a broken computer on it. “The Empire is going to figure out that, if Twilight dies, this entire magic powerhouse of yours will come crashing down. You should guard her like a hawk.” Celestia nodded. “She will never leave New Equestria given her connection to the Roots. And I believe she will be finding herself a new bodyguard soon…” ~~~ Twilight found Ichor sitting at the very tip of Friendship Castle, like a bird. Twilight landed next to her. “...Today’s a lot to take in,” Twilight said. Ichor nodded. “I feel… small. Like a kid.” “Well, you are still coming into your own. If ponies in this world got cutie marks, that display down there might have earned you one.” “Yeah. ...Wait, don’t kids get cutie marks in your world?” Twilight smirked. “Yeah, you are a little old to be getting one. ...I guess I have no reference to how old you are. The calendar wouldn't work in different worlds and such.” Ichor shrugged. “We don’t keep track of time that well. You’re an adult when you either look or act like it. Was that wrong too?” Twilight shook her head. “Not everything your people did was wrong. They had a lot of things right. The importance of family, for one.” “And I don’t have that anymore…” Ichor said, staring at the ground. “I’m sure they’ll come around.” “No, you don’t understand.” Ichor shook her head. “I betrayed the family, so I’m outside it now. Even if they respect what I did, they won’t call me sister again. Those who come after won’t have to be traitors to be here… but I will.” Twilight smiled sadly. “...Then why not join our family?” She held out a wing. “Oh, that’s right, you do have a family!” Twilight shook her head. “Me? ...Yes. Spike. My number one assistant - brother too.” “...He’s a dragon.” “My family adopted him after I hatched his egg with my magic. He grew up with me and Shining Armor.” She frowned. “He’s all I have left of that, now.” Ichor tossed her mane back and set her jaw. “That settles it. Twilight Sparkle… can I be part of your family?” Twilight chuckled. “Of course, Ichor.” Ichor beamed. “Yes!” She pulled Twilight into a hug. “Thank you thank you thank you! Si - wait, no, you have different terms in your families.” Twilight looked at her. “...What?” Ichor beamed brightly. “Thanks, mom!” Twilight’s brain stopped working. Ichor clapped her hooves together. “Oooh, I’m going to go tell everyone this is so exciting see you later ahahaha!” She took off, laughing in glee. Rainbow Dash landed where she had been sitting a moment ago. “Did you just adopt a wraith?” “I… I…” Twilight smacked herself in the side of the head. “I… think so?” “Huh. Out of all of us, I never thought it would have been Twilight Sparkle who’d get a kid first.” Rainbow chuckled. “Little old to be called a kid though.” “Rainbow, I think I need a moment to process.” “Why? You’re smiling like a big idiot. Pretty sure that’s all the processing you need to do.” Twilight realized Rainbow was right - she was smiling like an idiot. “Oh. Well then. ...Maybe you’re right.” “Does this make her a Princess? You gonna give her a horn or something?” “One thing at a time, Rainbow.” “I don’t get that luxury these days. Suffer as I have suffered.” Rainbow smirked. Twilight couldn’t help but laugh. ~~~ “So…” Sweetie began, looking at her three students. “Eagle? Frostfire? Princess Ichor?” Ichor giggled at the title. “How about we start today with everypony saying what they learned about friendship today?” Eagle raised her hoof. Sweetie rolled her eyes. “Yes, Eagle, you can go first.” “I learned that not even the Princess of Friendship herself fully understands what Friendship is and that we all have something to learn from everypony else!” She clapped her hooves, rather pleased with herself. “You rehearsed that with Pinkie didn’t you?” “N-no…” Frostfire coughed. “Honesty.” Eagle sighed. “Okay, fine, I asked her for some tutoring and she helped me put that into words. I really did learn that though! Honest!” Sweetie smiled brightly. “Of that, I have no doubt. Frostfire, since you were so talkative, what did you learn today?” Frostfire sat back in his chair and furrowed his brow. “Doing stupid things for the sake of friendship feels stupidly good. I’m probably seven flavors of screwed right now but I don’t particularly care. It’s strange.” “I say you might be getting a core of Generosity in there somewhere.” Sweetie smirked. “Isn’t that curious?” Frostfire rolled his multicolored eyes. “Whatever you say. Hey, what do you score on the Element test? You never told us!” “I’m Generosity,” Ocellus said from the back of the room. “I mostly have Kindness,” Sweetie said. “But on the scale you took I’m significantly more balanced.” “Who scores the best?” Frostfire asked. “I think we’re getting off topic…” Eagle muttered. Sweetie nodded. “Eagle is right, we are. But to answer Frostfire’s question, the ‘best’ score, that is the most balanced, was Celestia. The runner up was Fluttershy. But remember, everypony is different, and they all have something to contribute. Discord, for instance, is virtually all Laughter. And if he wasn't, he just wouldn’t be the same person, would he?” There were several head shakes. “And now… Ichor, what did you learn today?” “I learned… that Loyalty is complicated.” Ichor let out a soft sigh. “You can have Loyalty to where you came from, Loyalty to a cause, and Loyalty to your friends. None of these things is wrong, and even when they come into conflict it can seem like both are right. You can’t live life by your loyalties alone, no matter how much they mean to you, because nopony is perfect. You can’t follow anything blindly - not even Friendship.” “Well said,” Sweetie said. “I also learned that family doesn't have to be blood relations or even the ponies you grew up with! It can just be the ponies in the place you call home!” She smiled widely, quite pleased with herself. “I’m glad to hear it, Ichor. You’ve come a long way in just a week. Started stealing from us… and now look at you. Got yourself into the royal family and everything. Saved the day. You need a trophy or something.” “I do?” Sweetie shrugged. “Need is such a strong word.” “She wants it though,” Frostfire said. “I want it too!” Eagle butted in. “I helped!” “If I’m not mistaken, all friends should share the credit…” Frostfire said with a smirk. “Hey! Some ponies do more than others!” “I’m fine sharing the credit,” Ichor said, waving a hoof. “I… I’m just happy to be here. Alive. Not living… like I used to.” She looked out a window at the sky that was quickly approaching night. “I can look to the future, now.”