Rarity burst through a solid steel door, and quickly ushered the rest of the team inside. The poorly lit room they found themselves in had rather spartan accommodations: a weathered brown sofa, two folded up steel chairs, some blankets, and a small foam cooler. Three other rooms branched off from here, but aside from the streetlights from a nearby window, everything was dark.
Once the door was closed and locked, both unicorns collapsed onto the sofa, both of them were drenched in sweat and gulping the stale musty air. Rarity’s horn brightened, and turned on room light. Rainbow and Nova claimed the chairs, and neither of them were in much better shape.
After a few long moments, Twilight groaned in pain while holding her sore abdomen. Running for just about an hour had brought her to her limits. Her only saving grace were the pauses to lay low to stay out of sight. Even then, it took her several seconds to have enough breath to speak. “Any chance we can get some air going?”
“Afraid not, mon ami.” Rarity was in better shape than Twilight, and she wasn’t as out of breath now. “This is a safehouse with all the amenities striped down for costs. That means no water and no electricity.” Rarity pointed up at the light to show it was a magic glowstone attached to a switch.
“Isn’t water supposed to never be turned off?” Twilight asked. She stood up on limp legs and started to scan around for a restroom.
Rainbow Dash scoffed and flicked a wing in no particular direction. “Ha! Who said it was the water company who turned it off? The slumlord doesn’t want the homeless getting free showers so he only gives water to paying tenants. Diamond keeps this place because Slummy owes her, but not enough to keep the water on.”
“Well, if the water’s off, how am I going to use the restroom?” Twilight started to whine.
Rarity pointed at the correct room. “I have some gallons of water stashed in there to fill the reservoir. It’s horribly degrading doing it like that, but that’s the point of it. Nopony who knows me would think I would stay in a place like this, and would overlook it in a search. There may only be some canned food in the, I hesitate to call it a ‘kitchen’, but if you’re hungry, please, eat and clean yourselves up. As best as you are able anyway. We can think of our next step after we’re ready to leave.”
Upon Pinkie Pie’s arrival at the genetics lab, she was quickly rushed to the lounge near the security center. Flintlock was standing close to Guiding Light who was muttering cranky obscenities at him. Vapor Trails was pressing the surviving Knight for details as well. Both thestrals were wearing robes similar to what Pinkie saw Rainbow wearing the night they met. The only difference was that their robes looked much sharper and had the stylized “S” and “9” printed on the sides.
Pinkie noticed her snooping kit was resting close to Flintlock. The stallion looked away from Guiding Light once Pinkie approached. “Heyya boss. Where do ya want me?”
Flintlock grumbled under his breath for a moment. “Detective, we need to get you a private helicopter if you’re going to be this late again.”
Pinkie shrugged, her slight grin never leaving. “Eh, getting a pilot’s license would sure beat traffic.”
Guiding Light arched a curious eyebrow at the pink pony bedecked in shaman fetishes and icons. Yet what got him to speak up was the small clay smiling mask lodged in her mane and her most prominent necklace. “You’re bringing a shaman to do your forensics now, Flint my boy?”
“She’s done good work so far. Guiding Light, this is Detective Pinkie Pie.” Flintlock waved at both of them. “It was her… patron’s prodding that gave us the justification to go in and arrest Denim Pants.”
Guiding Light hummed in approval. “Denim was a stain upon Equestria. I might just have to make an offering, provided it is nothing obscene. Who is your patron exactly?”
Pinkie Pie let off a snorting giggle and waved casually at him. “Oh, that would be Gelos. And all he likes is hearing ponies laugh and smile. But only in good fun. He doesn’t like benders or fun times that hurt yourself or others.”
Flintlock scoffed with only modest disrespect. “Quite a prune if he’s so restrictive. Anyway, Detective, go to the security center behind me and see what you can sniff out of the astral. Focus on where they’ll go next if possible.”
Pinkie did a stiff salute and held a hard face for a brief second. “Rogerino!”
Guiding Light watched her go. An idea formed. “Flint my boy, my old bones ache, are you done with your questions?”
Flintlock was too distracted by his own thoughts to notice Light’s mood. “The big ones, yes. The rest can wait until tomorrow. Get some rest, ya old salt.”
The intervening hour was a quiet one. Between some passed around cans of food and the growing heat of the safehouse, no one felt like talking much. Twilight had fallen asleep on top of some blankets after cleaning up her fur and mane as best she could with jugs of water. By the looks of Rarity’s drooping face, she wasn’t long for the waking world. Nova was still wide awake, and had taken the time to wash off the fur dye. An act only possible because Rarity had stocked the proper shampoo for her own disguises. Nova was finally able to reveal her true fur color as navy blue with her mane a two toned caramel. She had rebandaged her missing implant, and was currently stuffing her maw with canned carrots. Dribbles of vegetable juice ran down the corners of her mouth.
Now that Rainbow had a safe-ish place to think and come down from the adrenaline, all she could think about was Guiding Light’s words. The first real thestral. Rainbow Dash would be the first to admit she was no scholar, probably brag about it too, but even she couldn’t shake the feeling he was being poetic. Maybe the first generation of thestral mares instead, since none of the guys were sterile.
Rainbow felt around for her moon pendant, and tugged it out to look at its silvery surface. She had it rest on the frog of her right hoof while tracing it with her left. “So which is it?” she whispered, barely audible to her own ears. “Am I a real one?”
For a long moment, the pendant remained inert, but Rainbow didn’t sulk. She fixed a hard grimace at the icon, daring it to do something. Her mage senses started to pick something up from the pendant, a buildup of mana, and for a second she saw it start to glow.
“What’s that?” Nova called from her side of the room. She started walking over, the can of carrots tinging noisily on the ground, where not even a drop of carrot water was left behind.
Rainbow Dash sighed as the pendant went fully inert once more. Maybe it was enough of a sign. I hope. She remained still until Nova inched her way over to Rainbow’s side. That was enough to motivate Rainbow into showing the pendant to the other mare. “This is the Window to the Moon. It’s something all modern thestrals have, or at least I thought so until you showed up.”
“Yeah well, I thought I was a run of the mill bat, genetically speaking at least, until tonight,” Nova shrugged with a half-grin.
Rainbow leveled a massively lifted eyebrow at the decker. “To hear anypony who used to be in bat land call themselves run-of-the-mill is a new one.”
“Spoken like somepony on the outside,” Nova tossed spat right back. She frowned, and lowered her ears. “That’s the big reason I don’t like showing my tribe.” Nova remembered herself and pawed at the ground and looked away from Rainbow. “Sorry… I just can’t stand the other bats. Ponies who see my wings always ‘throw shade’ as mom loved to say.”
Some part of Rainbow was amused the only reason she knew that phrase was because of Rarity. “Hey, at least we have something else in common, am I right?”
“Psh, I guess.” Nova’s wound where the holographic projector had been started itching, but she kept on talking as she scratched at the gauze. “So what do we do now?”
“First, I need to send my husband a signal that I’m laying low. After that, we need to update our client on what we found out in the lab. But—” Rainbow shook her head at the sleeping unicorns. “The daywalkers will need at least a little sleep before we move, and my dude’s in the know enough that he won’t start to worry crazy high if the news never says they caught any of us.” Rainbow was still holding her medallion, and presented it to Nova. “Which at least gives me some time to show you this.”
Nova looked down at the crescent moon with only passing interest. “I’ve seen the moon before. We are nocturnal after all. Er, right? All bats are, but I think we did it for the appeal.”
Hearing that from a bat pony would have been expected, if insulting to Rainbow. From an ignorant thestral, it was grounds for immediate education. Twilight would be pleased if she wasn’t asleep. All the same, Rainbow had to suppress her need to lecture Nova’s ears off. “Yeah, but for us, the moon means a lot more.” Damn it, Winter was always better at explaining things to the kids. How do I explain anything without her experiencing the rebirth first? Not like she’s a kid who’ll believe me because I’m her mom. Rainbow briefly closed her eyes to both think, and to recall how emotionally moving her rebirth had been. Maybe I should try from a worldly approach first.
“Okay, so - here’s the deal. Science brought our tribe back from the grave, but Mother Moon is the source of our magic. If you wanna be poetic like my Winter, science is our father and Mother Moon is well - obviously the mother.” Rainbow inwardly cringed a bit at Nova’s face wrinkling. “So because Guiding Light was the big brain behind us, his only request was that we never chrome ourselves up, but some of us got him to allow datajacks for the deckers we had.”
Nova scowled angrily. “Don’t tell me your whole group are essence purists.”
“We are for good reason,” Rainbow tried to counter back with less vitriol than Nova was showing. “We’re made so our bodies and minds can handle using both the projected magic of mages and the inner magic of adepts tribe-wide. I dare you to try and find anypony outside of cutie mark naturals who can do that.”
“Wait, are you saying we can all do that!?” Nova perked up with intense interest.
Rainbow gave off a smug grin. She flexed, and used a bit of magic to make her foreleg look even beefier than normal. “Every last one of us, all thanks to Mother Moon’s magic. Well, we can, but not all of us do. Some of us were deckers before joining the Nightborne, and I’m sure they were as willing to keep their decks as much as you would.”
“Okay, I can dig it if I can keep my board.”
“Awesome. As for me, I already liked kicking flank, so it was a no brainer for me to join up. I was a bit slow to pick up the spells, but the Nightborne still managed to beat them into me.”
Nova felt around her missing implant wound. “Can this Mother Moon repair essence if you remove implants? I’ve heard about some shamans whose patrons can do that for them.”
“I don’t know about implant removal, part of the Nightborne screening process was strength of your essence. But I can tell you what I do know about her.” If there was ever a time Rainbow would have a non-mom lecture mode, it’d be tonight.
Deep inside the royal palace, Shining Armor sat inside a mission control center. His position was at the top of a multi-tiered line of consoles where a dozen operators remotely aided two squads of Solar Paladins. While Shining had a few screens next to him, giving various readings, it was the large wall screen that displayed each paladin’s helmet feed.
Shining Armor used some magic to switch two of the displays immediately in front of him to show the feeds from both squad leaders. The one on the left was at Mercy Hospital while the squad on the right was at the Royal Equestrian Supreme Court. Shining Armor was playing it quiet, with neither facility being aware of the squads’ presence.
“Door lock cleared, moving in,” said the leader in the hospital. His feed revealed a tactful shrine encapsulating the Element of Kindness. An earth pony moved towards the shrine’s console, and typed in the security code Celestia had provided. The shrine dutifully shut down and released the Element, allowing the squad leader to claim it in his magic. “Artifact secured. Exfiltrating.”
“Very good, Commander,” Shining Armor radioed with professional pride. “But it looks like you’ll be owing Team B a round of drinks this time.”
Shining Armor absently listened to the squad groan and complain. Good, things are going smoothly. Too bad, Sunset, I was almost hoping you’d try something. His attention shifted to the other team leader. The unicorn commander was flanked by three others on camera and were stepping onto the roof of the courthouse. The rooftop lights, which usually illuminated the towering statue of Celestia, had been shut off so the magically silented tiltrotor aircraft didn’t draw unwanted attention.
Ropes fell from the back bay doors, and each one of the five pony team latched them onto their harnesses—not even the pegasi wanted to risk flying so close to the downwash, and rappelled up as well. The team leader moved up right behind the pilots before pulling out the Element of Honesty to show it to the camera. “Piece of cake, Captain.”
The co-pilot looked up to see what was being presented. Barely a second after he did the whine of the engines started to drop. The co-pilot looked back at the dashboard with a worried brow. The pilot tried to increase thrust, but there was no response. “Central, we have a problem.”
A bit of cold sweat appeared on Shining’s brow. “What kind of problem?”
The tiltrotor was beginning to lose what little altitude it had, forcing the co-pilot to pull the aircraft away from the roof and over the street. The dashboard started flashing half a dozen warning lights, and an alarm that the pilots squelched. The pilot continued his efforts to reengage the engines. “Throttle’s not working. I can’t get the engines to respond to anything. It’s gone into emergency glide mode for some damned reason.”
“Glide mode? Did somepony flip the wrong switch?” Shining asked blindly, being unfamiliar with the craft.
“Negative,” the pilot said before directing his attention to the co-pilot. “Set us down, and watch out for the streetlights.
“Sorry sir, best guess, this is an equipment malfunction. Glide mode should only activate if the computer was compromised in any way to prevent theft of the aircraft.”
“Compromised?” Shining parroted as the sweat started dampening his uniform, “or hacked?”
The tiltrotor remained responsive as far as movement was concerned at least, and the pilots were able to settle it down safely. “Sir,” started the co-pilot, “permission for total shut down. If the computer is compromised, we shouldn’t leave the aircraft active.”
“Granted. Lieutenant, get your troops out of there, I’m calling in a new exfiltration option. Hang tight and bunker down.”
“Yes, Captain.” The leader turned back towards the troops who were nervously watching outside the windows or checking their gear. The atmosphere was electric with both worry and determination in equal measure.
“Alright, I want everypony to fan out and make our way south and stay on this side of the concrete divider. We’ve already swept the courthouse, so we know that’s clear of hostiles. Flyboys!” he called out to the two pegasus pilots. “You’re with us. Stay in the center.”
The two pilots finished the last of the fast shutdown, and climbed out of the cockpit. Both of them already had nervous fidgeting wings, but they kept their service pistols close. “We’re with you, LT.”
The bay doors had never been closed, so the team and two pilots were able to disembark. The team moved quietly, with only the occasional clatter of plastic on fabric. The leader stayed behind, ready to bring up the rear. As the last of his team made it onto the street, breaking glass and a loud ripping sound from the opposite pizzeria roared to life. Heavy machinegun fire raked the team, dropping half of their number before they could duck behind the concrete divider.
The squad leader cursed and remained tight against the frame of the bay doors, laying down covering fire of his own while another unicorn summoned a thick mist with his magic. A few others poked out from behind cover to add their own fire.
With everyone so focused on the machinegun, no one noticed the four griffins who flew in until they landed all around the tiltrotor. One of them grabbed at the squad leader at the back of the downed aircraft. Two of them starting laying down automatic fire from on top of the aircraft, nailing the pilots and two other troopers. The return fire was quick, with one of the bird getting a trio of shots right in the chest and neck while the other was forced to hide behind the tiltrotor’s starboard engine.
The squad leader squared off against his attacker, aimed, and fired too hastily. The griffin ducked under the rifle and slapped it out of the unicorn’s grip, and fired his pistol point blank. The unicorn spasmed and jerked as a tranquilizer dart sank in his neck with a follow up taser bolt.
The griffin was shot a moment later by one of the soldiers that had made it out of the aircraft, dropping him in a bloody heap. Machinegun fire arced back over the shooter’s position, forcing him to hunker down behind a wrecked van. A dark feathered griffin rounded the tiltrotor from the other side and jumped on top of the squad leader who was now drooling from the tranquilizer. The griffin slammed a riot shield between himself and the soldiers, and ducked behind it. The pony didn’t struggle as the second griffin frisked him until he found the proper satchel and looted the Element of Honesty. Weapons fire rattled against the shield, but the griffin held firm.
A trio of rifle launched grenades sailed into the pizzeria, blowing the machinegun nest to apart, with burning pieces raining down all over the street. The distraction allowed the griffin to abandon the shield for speed, and slink back around the side of the aircraft and vaulting the concrete divider. “I got the package. If anyone’s still alive, disengage!” The remaining soldiers were still ducking from the debris of the explosion, and didn’t move in time to stop the griffin from vaulting down a subway entrance.
Shining Armor was already tapping the radio, broadcasting to the tac team. “I want medics at the crash site.” He looked up at the operators. “Whistle Breeze, track them! Don’t lose sight of the Element!”
“The leader ran down a subway entrance. I’m accessing the local security grid… I - What?! He’s off my scopes, the local cameras must have been hacked ahead of time.”
“Damn it!” Shining Stomped the desk in a rage. Dreading the news, he looked up at the vital signs screen to find everyone was still alive. Some vitals were outside the norm, but he didn’t know what it meant. “What?! Vitals, is there something wrong with the equipment?”
“N-negative sir. The unconscious soldiers’ heart rhythms spiked before they went down. I’d say it’d got to have been taser rounds. I’m reading some broken bones, but nothing life threatening. Their helmets stopped T-round hits that could have been fatal. Damndest thing I’ve seen in years.”
Shining Armor look a long, angry breath through his nose. They went out of their way to avoid killing my troops, even though they lost some of their own. One one person came to mind. No one else would have had the knowledge of the operation and access to that kind of equipment. Sunset Shimmer. This less-than-lethal attack was all to mock the Princess and Rainbow Dash’s efforts. Shining Armor stomped his desk hard enough to hurt himself. “One way or another, Sunset, I’ll have your head for this.”
It took Rainbow’s team until dawn to return home. The group was walking two abreast up the last leg of the street when Rarity leaned into Rainbow’s ear. “Some of my other ‘friends’ have finished going over Miss Nova’s history. Her family claim checks out, but she went off the grid after she was disowned. Naturally.”
Rainbow glanced backwards. Nova was wearing Rainbow’s outer robes to hide her tribe, while Rainbow was stuck tucking her wings inside her tighter robes. Nova and Twilight were locked into a quiet discussion that Rainbow couldn’t overhear. “Alright. I guess we’ll take the chance she’s on the level.” Rainbow developed a smug smirk. “Looks like you finally get your wish of having a backup decker. You’ve got a lot of vacation time saved up, I’m sure.”
Risking unwanted attention, Rarity peeled off laughter. “Oh ho ho. Does that mean we get other benefits? My sister is about the age for braces, you know.” Rarity’s laughter petered away as they closed in on the front steps. “I hope you’re feeling better. Knowing the truth about ourselves is important, as Farmer would no doubt parrot.”
Rainbow’s smirk deflated, but not entirely. “A bit, I guess.” Rainbow stopped with a hoof on the door. She could smell coffee brewing inside. He’s pulling out the good stuff today. “If a fake mare can have real kids, then maybe I’m real enough to matter.” Rainbow stepped inside to find the coffee machine had a gentle ribbon of steam coming from the pot. The kids were absent, and Winter was asleep on the kitchen table, an untouched cup of java sat beside him.
What threatened to ruin the moment though, was Twilight’s sunstone sitting on the table as well. It was glowing hot.
“That can’t be a good sign,” Rainbow said worriedly. Did we make too much of a mess at the lab? Cold dread chilled Rainbow’s good mood as she stepped over to Winter Glen, allowing the other mares to file in. Rainbow gently nuzzled him awake.
Winter awoke with a start, but calmed upon seeing Rainbow’s face. He smiled in relief before enveloping her in a bear hug. “Hey, my Awesome Bow. How’d it go?”
Rainbow snorted in amusement and buried her muzzle under Winter’s jaw to be as close to him as possible. In the first time all night, she felt safe. “You got my message, or else you wouldn’t have had the pot on. You know how it went.”
Her moment of bliss was short lived however, when the glow of the sunstone doubled as soon as Twilight was in front of it.
Nova was still behind Twilight, and thought the silent glow was just a lamp at first. She looked around at the cheap kitchen walls, appliances, and the worn down look of the den beyond it. “Wow, and I thought my place was—” She had walked around Twilight by now, with her attention drawn to the sunstone. “—bad. Um?”
In a flash, the stone sent a beam of sunlight at Twilight who briefly became incandescent. Celestia teleported in between the kitchen and den. The spell had enough concussive force to slam the door shut and blow a few ramen cups away. “Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, I need you—” Celestia stopped when she saw the new face in the crowd.
Nova felt a chill run up her spine and she prostrated herself not nearly fast enough. She barely noticed how everyone else was quick to bow as well. “Princess Celestia?!”
“Please rise, everypony,” Celestia insisted impatiently. She looked to Rainbow. “Is this bat mare a member of your team or a mercenary?”
Rainbow stood up and pulled a bit away from Winter to have a bit more room. “Yes, Princess, she’s a new member, but honestly I was hoping to have a longer trial period before revealing the whole ‘working directly for you’ thing. And she’s actually a thestral.”
Nova leaned back on her haunches in utter amazement. “You all really are working for the Princess?! The way GL was talking I kinda figured, but hot damn, I hit the jackpot!” Nova skittishly shrank back at the unamused lifted eyebrow Celestia leveled at her. “Ah, I mean, it’s an honor to serve the crown for a change.” She grinned sheepishly, wanting to sink into a hole and die from embarrassment.
“For a change?” Celestia asked incredulously. “Nevermind, I’ll trust you know what you’re doing, Captain. Madam Diamond, was your excursion fruitful? Recent events have strongly indicated our culprit is none other than my very own regent: Sunset Shimmer.”
“I wish I was surprised.” Rarity cleared her throat after a flash of embarrassment in calling out the princess. “Er um, yes It was, your majesty. We found out a number of things. According to Guiding Light…” Rarity looked to Rainbow Dash to speak, sensing Rainbow would wish to say it herself.
And there it was. Thanks for your stupid forced therapy session, Rares. Rainbow Dash inwardly shored up her courage. No way I’m crying in front of the Princess. “It seems our newest member here, Nova, has been a thestral since she was born.” Rarity kneed Rainbow in the flank, earning a brief sour glare from the thestral. “And so am I. There were some genetic shenanigans involved I’m sure you know of.”
Celestia blinked in surprise. “Light spoke so openly with you? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I heard he had an uncharacteristically friendly relationship with you.” She regarded the new face again. “ I assume Miss Nova was present to hear it all?”
“Yes, your majesty, I was.”
Rainbow stepped forward. “That was my call. After he revealed Nova was a thestral, it just seemed right that she’d know more about what she was.”
Celestia went quiet as she mulled over it. “...Very well. I trust you’ll make sure no state secrets find their way onto the matrix.” Celestia noted Nova’s implants. “Be sure you do not betray such trust. I have no doubt my captain here has little mercy for treachery.”
Shaky laughter bubbled out of Nova. “And piss off somepony who could melt off my face without even lighting her horn? I’ll be good. I promise.”
Rainbow inwardly chuckled at that. Heh, can’t say I didn’t think the same thing when I first joined up. “Seaking of melting faces, we found out Sunset Shimmer is still in command of Resolute Chorus. She could easily sniff out potential Bearers like Twiggles and me. I bet you anything she framed both of us!”
Rarity was left tapping her chin. “There’s still the ‘why’ of it all to figure out, but I’m sure you would already have an idea of a motive, your highness.”
“I know why…” Celestia glanced at Twilight who wasn’t saying anything further. “Last night however,” Celestia moved on. “Sunset Shimmer stopped trying to be covert about her aims. My Captain of the Guard sent two teams to retrieve Honesty and Kindness. The one securing Honesty was ambushed far too expertly for anypony else to set up on such quick notice. There is no doubt she is behind it all.”
Rainbow smirked and clapped her hooves together. “There you go, case solved. Summon the Guard, throw her in jail and we’re done by lunch. I’ll even forgo asking for a few billion bits for slandering my name for all these years if you let me ‘interrogate’ her first.”
The room seemed to darken as Celestia sucked in a breath. “Short of an attempted coup d’état, I’m afraid I can do precious little to Sunset Shimmer.”
By now, Winter has blinked away all the residual grogginess of sleep. “Uhhh, how is this not a coup d’état or at least treason? Your word is law. Anypony acting so blatantly against your wishes is guilty. Sunset is just a regent, you could throw her in chains and still have time for breakfast.”
Celestia was silent for a solid moment. Long enough for the crowd to get nervous.
“Winter,” Twilight asked when she saw Celestia wasn’t answering. “Do you know why Equestria has a regent in the first place?”
That stopped everyone else’s lines of thought. Winter looked away to think about it for a moment. “Not sure why that’s relevant, but I’ll bite. I always thought it tradition,” he answered with a bit of a shrug, “and Sunset was more accurately a majordomo or something.”
“The Princess takes holidays does she not?” Rarity asked next. “Surely Sunset takes over when she is away, yes?”
Both were common theories, among those who cared to ask. And as such, Rainbow felt compelled to stand out, if only to get a rise out of them. “Well duh, there’s a second Princess, right?”
“You say that in jest,” Celestia said at length. Her face was a mess with rising emotions long buried. “But you are correct, Rainbow Dash. Sunset Shimmer stands watch over a throne that has sat empty for just about a thousand years.”
“A thousand?” Rainbow repeated with mild confusion. “No offense, Princess, but isn’t that a bit too long to hold an empty seat? It’s gotta be covered in a mountain of dust.”
Rarity stepped in ever so politely, and roped a foreleg around Rainbow Dash and pulled her ear in close. “Shut your howling screamer. This is still the princess you’re talking too!” Rarity laughed sheepishly for Rainbow Dash and squeezed her ear keep the thestral quiet for a moment longer. “She is quite the jokester, Princess. Her time down here amongst the underworld has obviously robbed her of proper etiquette.”
“Perhaps…” Celestia was silent as she looked over the gathered ponies. She took a long breath. “The position of Regent has certain protections and privileges anypony else does not. Twilight, my faithful student. You may share what you know. I need to personally address Sunset Shimmer. I will let you know of what must be done later. I urge you to bring in Farmer and Angel. If my hunch is correct, this will involve all of you.”
Without further preamble, Celestia teleported away.
Celestia teleported back into her private office. The office was rarely used as she much preferred doing her work on the fly as it so often required. She used a touch of magic to ping her regalia to summon Shining Armor. As she turned around to her desk chair, she halted with a start at seeing Sunset Shimmer leaning silently against the desk.
“Hello, Princess. Busy as always I see,” she stated flatly. Any humor or snideness was completely absent from her dour, tense face. “How nice of you to tell me Plan A was still in the works.”
Celestia jumped a bit, but kept her composure. “Sunset Shimmer… You know me better than I thought.”
“Or hoped?” Sunset offered bitterly. “I thought we had an agreement.”
The office door suddenly swung open, silencing Sunset Shimmer for the moment as Shining Armor stood in the doorway with his horn still aglow from a teleport of his own. “Your majesty, I came as soon…” He locked eyes with Sunset, and went for his sidearm, horn aglow. “You. My sister’s been through hell thanks to you!”
“Thank Celestia,” Sunset retorted bitterly at the elder mare. “Still pisses me off what her little secrets forced me to do to Twilight.”
Shining Armor’s anger flashed, and his grip on the pistol tightened. “Don’t you dare blame the princess for your actions!”
“Captain!” Celestia yelled to silence them both. She shored herself up to take advantage of her towering size. “Both of you calm down before one of you ends up getting shot. Regent Shimmer. Since you’re already aware of my activities, then I must have Honesty returned to me.”
Sunset fixed an iron grimace at her monarch. “And I shall gladly tell you where it is, after Nightmare Moon is dead.”
Shining Armor marched over so Sunset was forced to look at him. “You’re refusing a direct order? As the princess as my witness, I have more than enough cause to execute you for treason.”
Sunset gave him a terse scowl. “Not while I am still regent,” she rebuked while shoving him back with a hoof. “You know my immunities perfectly well, Captain. But I assure you, your sister came to no real harm. And never would have actually come to any danger if Rainbow Dash had not bumbled into Twilight’s cryopod.”
So she was listening in on my talk with Shining and Cadence when they returned. Glad I didn’t mention how Rainbow was guided to the pod. Celestia manifested the same cold wrath that kept the megacorps from encroaching on her royal power. “Even so, Twilight stepped up to the challenge that you put her in. Indirectly or not. But I will not be bogged down by your misdirections!” Celestia ended with a heat wave that instantly caused the mortals to sweat. “The Elements will work!”
“You have no proof of that!” Sunset bit back before Celestia could insist further. She stared straight into the blistering alicorn, refusing to so much as blink. “The Summer Sun Celebration is in three days. Even if you had all six Elements, you don’t have enough bearers do you?” Her eyes were hurting from the heat so she paced away to hide her blinking. “Let’s say you did somehow get all six ponies with the proper Elements. What then?” She turned back to the Princess. “Wouldn’t the Elements just banish her again?”
“It’s… possible,” Celestia conceded. “But I know if wielded by selected bearers, the Elements can purify Luna of the darkness that took her. Having her return to my side can allow us to reverse many of the ills that plague Equestria. It is worth the risk.”
Sunset shook her head. “I said it once and I’ll say it again, we ponies have to be able to keep moral integrity ourselves. Using the Elements or your sister’s powers—”
“Is no different than using vaccines or gene therapy,” Shining Armor interjected with a scathing look at her. “And I don’t see you saying we shouldn’t use those.”
“Outside of genetics, we can’t improve our immune system, Captain,” Sunset rebuked dismissively. “Only make it adapt. Culture and moral fabric however, are more malleable. But moral degradation is a much simpler problem than allowing a rogue alicorn to bring about a damned ice age!”
Shining Armor shoved his hoof into Sunset’s chest. “Which we can prevent!” The two unicorns glared at each other with utter contempt. “Why don’t you just admit it, Sunset. Enough with the charade. You’ve always wanted to be an alicorn. When Luna returns, you’ll have lost your chance to ever sit on the second throne.”
“Shining Armor, that’s enough,” Celestia admonished sternly, silencing the stallion, but he didn’t back off.
Sunset batted his hoof away, her temper rising. “You short sighted idiot. Once this crisis is over, I plan to resign.”
Celestia was taken aback, while Shining snorted dismissively. “Lies.”
Sunset pushed him out of her sight. “I am tired, Princess. I’m barely past middle aged and I’m close to needing a Lazarus treatment. I’m hardly the first regent you’ve burned through, am I?”
“‘Burned through’ is a bit harsh,” Celestia replied sullenly. Shining Armor is too blinded by the ordeal Sunny’s put Twilight through, but I know her well enough. She means every word she’s saying.
“I know you created Twilight to be a more robust replacement. I know I’m pushing the longest reign as regent as it is. I’m not blind, your highness.”
“And yet you think I am.” It wasn’t an accusation, more of a sad admission from the alicorn. “What if - what if we compromise then? Give me time for the bearers to use the Elements on Nightmare Moon. If we can’t do it, or in enough time, then—” Celestia took a long shuddering breath. “—I will not stop you from completing Plan B.”
“Princess,” Shining Armor pleaded.
“How much time are you asking for?” Sunset cut in.
“A few hours,” Celestia replied with a chill running up her spine. “Long enough for the bearers to try.”
“Three hours is a long time for her to go to ground.”
“She wouldn’t do that,” Shining Armor countered with only mildly less hostility. “Nightmare can’t bring about eternal night without control of the sun, and that means going after Celestia.”
Sunset eyed him carefully. “You assume a lack of tactical thinking on her part, but ultimately the Princess’s security is up to you. Don’t fail us.”
“I trust Shining Armor will perform his role admirably. Now, do I have my three hours?”
“From the moment Nightmare Moon first appears?” Sunset Shimmer sagged a bit. It was only now that the others could see the age lines marring her face. “Fine, you have them.”
Sunset made to leave, but Celestia walked over and came close to draping a wing over her regent. She hesitated, finding it difficult to forgive so quickly. “Thank you. I can’t condone what you did to Twilight and Rainbow Dash. For what it’s worth, I’ll make sure they do not seek retribution when this is over.”
Sunset stiffened at the offer. “Don’t.” She turned to face a bewildered Celestia and Shining. “Denying them retribution is unconscionable after what I put them through.” Sunset went silent for a moment. “But I will say this: Flintlock and I didn’t do much to Rainbow Dash. All we did is we implicated her in the deaths of her squadmates when it was their own damned fault for not following her orders.”
“In what way?” Shining asked, curious about the meaning of it. “The recordings your pet, Flintlock, brought in was damning. Are you finally admitting he tampered with it?"
“He didn’t, no,” Sunset replied coldly, though more at her own actions than the hostile captain. “Flintlock quietly mentioned to me that he found a Vavera terrorist decker was tampering with it for propaganda purposes they’re so fond of. Flintlock killed him of course, but we went with his idea anyway after finding out it was tampered with to implicate Rainbow Dash. I doubt they realized her importance outside of being a government agent. Resolute Chorus had identified her as the definitive candidate for Loyalty. So we did what we did to remove her.”
Shining Armor’s body tensed. Treason, in his eyes, stood right in front of him, and every fiber of his being wanted to strike her down. He kept it in check, but only just. He spat on her face, an act Sunset took with only a slight flinch. “Bitch.”
“Captain!” Celestia half-shouted, moving to interpose herself. “That is unbecoming of you.”
“As if you actually disapprove!” Sunset countered with sudden force of will, halting both other ponies. She fixed him a harsh, iron glare to surpass his own. “I want Equestria to survive Nightmare Moon. Long before you made Captain, the Princess and I came to an agreement to forgo this laughably convoluted plan of using the Elements, which,” she focused on Celestia for a bit, “at best will kick this can down the road another thousand years. Which we have no guarantee there will be an Equestria around to stop her a third time.”
Sunset was getting too worked up to allow the others to get a word in, no matter how much Shining wanted to silence her. Celestia on the other hand, listen to it all in mounting sorrow. “And yet here you are, Your Highness, going behind my back in trying to resurrect your plan with Twilight Sparkle. Training her in how to use the Element of Magic. And it just so happened that Rainbow Dash was brought into the fold of the Nightborne.”
“You knew, Plan A was a fool’s errand, so you stopped working with me. You let me think Plan B was still the go-to all the while making your own version of Resolute Chorus away from my purview so you could search for Rainbow’s replacement without my knowledge.” She turned back to fix Shining with a spiteful glare, one that he was only able to meet with shock. “A group no doubt led by your more trusted advisor, the Captain of the Guard." She punctuated her point with a harsh scowl at the princess. "But that's why you chose me to be your regent, all those years ago. You knew I could do these things you were too sentimental to do.”
To that, Celestia was rendered disturbingly mute, a dark look settling over her. Shining Armor fumed, and breathed heavily through his nose, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie or potentially weaken his position with the wrong words.
A humorless grin crossed Sunset’s muzzle. “Well it worked. I acted to save the entire planet against the madness of an alicorn, and the sentimentality of another. And all it cost was the honor of one soldier, one clone, and my self-respect. As my predecessor would have said, ‘I don’t know about you, but I call that a bargain’.”
Having said her piece, and with the other two ponies too preoccupied with their own thoughts, Sunset made to leave. However... she felt the need to add, “History may call me a fool, but I will honor my agreement of three hours. I’ll pass along where I sent Honesty shortly. I'll also lend you my detective as well. You're going need her." Both Celestia and Shining Armor shared a deeply worried look. "I pray for your success, Princess," Sunset said at the door. At first she was looked out towards the hallway, but she let off a tired sigh before looking back at her old mentor. "I dearly wish to be proven wrong.”