//------------------------------// // Chapter 23 // Story: Heart of Loyalty // by PonyAmorous //------------------------------// After retrieving Applejack's cart, (much the worse for it's extended and untended exposure to the elements) Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash made their way into Ponyville on the third day after Twilight had left. As the familiar sight of Sweet Apple Acres came into view, Rainbow Dash wondered how much longer she was going to have to wait. The last three days had been intolerable enough as it was. "Hold up here a moment," Applejack waved at the other two. "Probably best we don't just crash in through the door with a pony that's been missing for months. I'll go on ahead and get them ready. Let them know we'll be having guests." Applejack ran down to the farmhouse, leaving Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to stand at the tree line in awkward silence. Ten minutes later, she came running back with news. Apparently, Applebloom was off visiting her cousin Babs in Manehattan, while Granny had taken a trip to catch up with Goldie Delicious. That left only Big Mac, a stallion that could be counted on to keep his mouth shut in sensitive matters. Furthermore, considering the last thing Applejack had said to him before heading out with her cart was "gonna go bring Dash home" , returning with her in tow was hardly a surprise. While Applejack got Dash settled into the guest room, Fluttershy took off to check in on her animals, and to relieve the probably much beleaguered sitter she had arranged to care for them in her absence of undefined length. Said settling in took very little time, as Rainbow Dash hadn't exactly brought any luggage to unpack, and with nothing to do but wait for Twilight to come for her, it wasn't long until she was asking Applejack for any kind of work she could help with, just to have something to focus on. Fortunately for her, a great number of chores had been building up in Applejack's absence. The two spent the day feeding pigs, mending fences, patching roofs, and bucking apples. It was tiring, left little time to worry, and was followed by a proper home cooked meal not prepared over a campfire. The mood was further brightened by Fluttershy returning to join them for dinner and bringing Tank along with her. After a joyful reunion, some cobbler, and a few rounds of cards, Rainbow Dash took her tortoise under her foreleg, collapsed into bed, and crashed straight into dreamless sleep. *** Three more days passed, and despite her efforts to keep busy, doubts and worries continued to make themselves known within the confines of Rainbow Dash's skull. How long was she supposed to stay here? Twilight had been vague and evasive on any kind of timeline, just that she would meet her here. Presumably "soon", but that could be days or weeks for all she knew. Unless she's not coming back at all. No! She's definitely coming back. She promised me! Even if whatever she was planning went sideways, she'll find a way to get back to me. She was shaken out of her contemplation by a commotion out in front of the house. She peeked out the window to see Applejack staring down a trio of royal guards. In the distance, she could just make out Fluttershy approaching with a basket of treats, catching sight of the scene, and dropping the basket to quickly turn around and fly off. "I told ya, y'all ain't welcome here right now. Now I got a lot of work to do, so why don't you fellas just move along?" "We have strict orders to bring the pony known as Rainbow Dash to the Princesses at once. Reliable information places this as her last known location." He glanced over to see the pony in question peering out the window at them. "And confirmed current location." Not taking her eyes off the ponies in front of her, Applejack called out. "Hey, Dash! What do you think of leaving with these here gentlecolts?" "No Way! I'm not going anywhere, and the first pony who tries to make me is getting a broken leg!" "Well, there you have it. Looks like she ain't up for traveling. Now, I'm not opposed to talking. I'm all for it in fact. But Rainbow Dash is my guest, and welcome to stay as long as she likes. And to the Apples, guests are like family, and we don't stand for anypony trying to do harm to family around here." "Our orders—" The lead guard began to repeat. "I heard ya. But she ain't leaving unless she wants to, so if the Princesses or anypony else want to chat, they can just come and do it here. Ain't like we're going anywhere." Applejack swept her eyes over the guards, spotting one of the fresher looking ones with the look of a pony about to try something stupid. "Course, if nopony is feeling particularly talkative..." She suddenly lashed out behind her with a hind leg, reducing an empty apple crate into a cloud of splinters. She could see the guard in question reconsidering. "...but no, I can tell we're all reasonable ponies here, and there's no need for any kind of unpleasantness." The ensuing staring match was broken by a posh voice calling out. "Applejack, darling! What is going on? Fluttershy came storming into town saying something about some kind of emergency on the farm. Is everything alright?" Applejack looked up to see Rarity, Pinkie, Spike (riding on the former's back), and Fluttershy quickly approaching down the path . "Hi Rares. The short version? Dash is inside, these fellas wanna take here away, and she don't wanna go." "Good enough for me!" Pinkie shouted before jumping to Applejack's side and taking a defensive stance. "Yes, while I quite expect to be caught up on all the no doubt lengthy details later, I trust you know what you're doing, so..." Rarity took her place on Applejack's other side. With four ponies (plus a baby dragon) blocking their path to a very hostile fifth, the guards began to recognize that the situation had spiraled far out of control. The new addition of a very large red stallion rounding the corner of the house and joining them didn't make it any better. Their orders were to secure a single VIP on a psychiatric hold, not start a brawl with Equestria's national heroes. Two guards held position while the leader fell back to call in with a status update and ask for further instructions. After twenty minutes of alternately being put on hold and re-explaining the situation up the chain of command, it became clear to all present that this standoff was not going to be short lived. After forty-five minutes, an unspoken but mutual agreement was made between both sides to transition to a more relaxed sitting position until further orders came through. After an hour and a half, rumbling stomachs prompted Pinkie to slip into the house and whip up some snacks for everypony, including the guards and their backup that had been dispatched with orders to wait and observe. Three hours in, and small talk had been achieved, mostly from Pinkie inquiring about what being a guard was like, but eventually transitioning into a few of the younger guards asking about some of the heroic exploits of the Element Bearers. One guard even worked up the courage to ask for an autograph for his kid, prompting a few stern looks from his compatriots, followed by several more such requests. After four hours, somepony produced a pack of cards and Pinkie had laid out a full buffet table of snacks and a punch bowl. It was early evening by the time Princess Celestia herself arrived on the scene, snapping the guards back to full attention as some tossed away cups and attempted to covertly wipe crumbs from their mouths while maintaining a stony expression. With a curt nod she dismissed them all and turned to address the assembled group of friends. "First of all, I'd like to apologize for all this." She waved a hoof at the general area. "I never intended this to be something confrontational. In truth, I should have just come myself from the start, but I was otherwise occupied. I merely wished to confirm that Rainbow Dash is well." "Well, she's fine. She just don't feel like going anywhere or talking to any doctors at the moment." Applejack swallowed her apprehension as she fixed a determined glare at the divine ruler of Equestria. "Understandable I suppose. I would like to have her come in for a checkup at some point, but I suppose there's no real urgency if she's not an active threat to herself or others. Is she?" "No." "Well in that case, she can schedule an appointment whenever she feels comfortable, though preferably within the next month." "And she won't be kept there against her will?" "It shouldn't take more than the better part of a day. There might be a few quick followup visits to schedule, but provided she doesn't attack anypony while there, she should be in and out and sleeping in her own bed." "Well..." Applejack thought for a moment. "That sounds mighty reasonable, but I ain't the pony you gotta convince." "Indeed. Which is why I suggest we continue this conversation inside." She looked around at the assembled ponies. "All of us. There is much we need catch up on, and I'm afraid I bring...unfortunate news." *** Rainbow Dash's world was awash in noise and confusion. There was the clattering of the table somepony had kicked over. Right, that had been her. She was vaguely aware that she was shouting something, but the pounding in her ears was so distracting, she could hardly tell what. "LIAR!" She thrust an accusing hoof at Celestia. "THAT'S NOT TRUE! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Celestia simply nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid it's all too true Rainbow Dash. Twilight is—" "Don't you say it!" "Twilight is gone." "NO!" Rainbow continued her raging storm of denial. Pinkie sat with her deflated hair hanging down and hiding her face. Applejack held her hat to her chest and stared at her hooves. Rarity had gasped and fainted straight away, while Spike was simply staring catatonic into a corner. Meanwhile, Fluttershy attempted to speak up through leaking eyes. "A-Are you sure? I mean, you don't have a body, so..." Celestia nodded again. "There would be nothing to find. I was reluctant to believe it myself. I'd love nothing more than to be wrong. That's why I waited this long, but after scouring the area over and over, the conclusion became increasingly inescapable. Twilight Sparkle is no more." "NO!" Rainbow Dash punched a hole straight through a wall of the Apple residence. A small part of her recognized she'd have to apologize to Applejack later for trashing her house like this, but it was a small and distant part. "I don't care what you say! There's no way–she–she promised! She looked me in the eye and promised she would come back to me!" A small voice of reason in the back of her mind told her she needed to get out of here before she demolished the entire building and possibly hurt one of her friends in the process. She turned and launched herself out a window, which fortunately turned out to be open at the time, not that she had even paused to check. The wind ripped the tears from her eyes before they could even fully form as she piled on speed. If she could just go fast enough, it wouldn't be true. The terrible reality wouldn't be able to catch her and drag her down into that horrible dark abyss. She didn't know where she was going. With no set destination, she just kept her initial upward trajectory. Now she was getting dangerously high. The air grew cold and thin. Her wings struggled to find purchase in the low pressure environment, like attempting to swim in foam, and the flight field generated by her pegasus magic began to destabilize. It was also getting harder to breathe, but the lightheadedness helped push the troublesome thoughts from her mind for a few brief moments. Spots swam in front of her vision and she closed her eyes just for a second. When she opened them again, she was in free fall. Recovering from her brief and blessed bout of unconsciousness, her finely honed reflexes kicked in as she spread her wings and pulled out into a recovery glide as she took stock of her surroundings. She soon spotted something and didn't know if it was simple chance, or something in her subconscious that had directed her here. Celestia had only vaguely mentioned the location of her confrontation with Twilight. Somewhere out in the hinterlands in the direction of Baltimare. A place that would normally be hard to find given the lack of distinguishing landmarks, at least until recently. Rainbow Dash descended to the large circle of blackened glass that was now eminently visible from the sky. The place where Twilight had di–NO! She was alive! She had to be! Rainbow Dash landed on the cool surface and began searching. For what? She didn't know. Something. Anything. Some clue Twilight would have left behind for her. Something that only she would understand and would go completely unnoticed by Celestia and everypony else. A hidden message or a map etched into the scorch marks, telling her where to meet up. Some obscure Daring Do reference? Something connected to one of their dates? But there was nothing. No matter how much she searched, there was nothing here. Just the wind howling over scorched earth. Finally, Rainbow Dash laid down in the center of blackened circle and began to cry. *** Time, as it is often keen to do, continued to pass. Days became weeks, and soon a month had gone by. With her friends by her side, she had reluctantly submitted to a series of medical examinations, been given a clean bill of health, promptly spat on an offer of "trauma counseling" and been able to return home to her own bed. Unfortunately, it provided little in the way of restful sleep. Most of the time she woke up in tears. Even worse was when she awoke struck by sudden inspiration, remembering yet another secret location where Twilight might possibly have gone to hide. She'd leap out of bed, racing off into the night to check it. She knew from the start that she wouldn't find anything there, but somehow, every time, a small ember of hope would rekindle itself in her heart, and no matter how she tried to smother it, it would grow into a raging inferno of certainty by the time she reached her destination. When she finally arrived, she knew that this was it. That Twilight was just inside that cave and she'd apologize profusely for putting her through all this. Explain that she couldn't risk reaching out and contacting her in Ponyville, but that she knew Dash would come find her eventually. By the time Rainbow Dash crossed the threshold of the cave , she was always buzzing with excitement. Only to find a barren interior and have her heart crushed all over again. Those flights back home afterward were always the longest. Today, Rainbow Dash was in an even fouler mood than usual. All of her friends had left her. Oh, they had invited her along with them. Practically begged her to come, really. But she wanted nothing to do with where they were going, and after enough shouting (and a few thrown objects) they had finally boarded the train without her. Today was Twilight's funeral, held by her family in Canterlot. An empty grave in a family plot. A small private affair given her...mixed legacy in the eyes of the public. It was official now. Everypony had just given up. Not her though. No. Not her. She wasn't some fair-weather friend who would cut and run and throw in the towel when the chips were down. She was loyal damnit! She had no interest in spending the day listening to speeches from a bunch of weepy quitters! After continuing to sulk on her cloud for a while longer, Rainbow Dash returned home to check her mail. "Junk, junk, junk, ju–wait a minute!" Something on one of the envelopes caught her eye. It looked like a certain familiar cramped but neat horn-writing. Rainbow Dash ripped the thick envelope open with her teeth and her nose was struck by a lavender odor that made her heart leap. FInally! All that waiting had paid off! She quickly retrieved the contents and began to read. Dear, Rainbow Dash ("Dear" is the greatest of understatements, but I fear that if I stop to search for the perfect words to describe how precious you are to me, I may never finish this letter). I'm writing this before we part ways and I head off to meet Celestia. I desperately hope with all my heart that you never have to read this, because that would mean I wasn't around to prevent it from shipping after a set period of time as per my instructions when I dropped it off at the post office. Assuming I'm not currently showing this to you in person as we both share a laugh looking back at all this craziness, that means something went wrong and I...didn't make it back to you. I'm so, so sorry. I hope you can somehow forgive me. I knew there was always a chance this could happen. That I couldn't control for everything. That one day, no matter how calculated the risk, I'd gamble and lose. But that's no excuse. I left you behind. Failed you. And for that I can't sufficiently apologize, though I could spend eternity trying. I've already written similar letters to be sent to the rest of the girls and Spike (that one was hard), along with copies of the enclosed will. This is the last one and then I'm finished. I can't make myself stop writing, though. I don't want to go. I can hear you getting antsy and irritated on the other side of the camp, wondering why I'm taking so long, and I just want to stay here with you forever. But no, I decided that this was a risk I had to take. I need to finish up and get going. But...if you're reading this, that means I'm gone. That means this is my last chance to speak to you. Write to you. Whatever. My last chance to tell you how much I love you. How am I supposed to do that?! There's not enough ink and paper in the world. I'd grow old and crumble to dust before I could finish. I'd need to study even more languages, possibly invent new ones, just to have the words to properly convey my feelings for you in a way that would do them justice. Damnit! I had this letter neatly planned out. It was going to be succinct and to the point, and now it's become a mess and I can't stop words from just pouring out. I LOVE YOU! I love you so much that my death could be taken as proof against the existence of an afterlife, else I would tear the veil between worlds apart in an instant to come back to you! You're the light in my darkness. The center of my universe. The axiomatic first principle of all reason and understanding. I could go on and on, but I realize I'm just stalling now. I need to wrap this up. I'm sorry. I love you. I'll never be sorry for loving you. - Twilight Sparkle When Rainbow Dash finished reading the letter, she reread it a second and then a third time. She tried reading every other letter and some of the other simple ciphers Twilight had once tried to teach her. When that failed to substantially change the message, she considered tearing it in half, shouting a denial at the heavens, destroying the room in a rage, collapsing into a sobbing heap, or possibly some combination of all of the above. Instead, she did none of those things. She gently placed the letter down on the table as she felt something finally give inside of her. It was a sharp, stabbing pain, but one that was accompanied by an almost merciful release of a constant aching pressure. Like lancing and draining a boil. It was that final spark of hope being extinguished, bringing with it an almost perverse sense of relief with all the agony. Rainbow Dash turned and crawled into her bed. She was so tired. Now, without that constant prodding in the back of her mind that insisted she needed to go out there and continue the search, she could finally get some rest. How long had she been this exhausted? She could rage and scream and cry her eyes out later. There'd be time enough for that after a nap. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and drifted into sweet dreamless oblivion. *** Celestia sighed as she reviewed the stack of guard orders, budget appropriations, and intelligence reports. She struggled to face what even Luna had come around to before her. It was nearly time to call off the search. She hadn't wanted to believe it, but either Twilight Sparkle was truly dead and gone, or else so deep in hiding that she wasn't going to be found in several pony lifetimes no matter how many resources Celestia frittered away. She thought back to her final meeting with Twilight. She had been so sure her former student had been bluffing. Afterwards, she had been positive she was still alive. That she had somehow covertly worked out a way to breach her interdiction field and escape. But there was no trace of any attempt to teleport out. An illusory Twilight perhaps? Remotely controlled along with the improvised bomb by an invisible Twilight hiding nearby? No. She had definitely felt the real Twilight teleport in at the start, and no physical body had crossed the invisible sensory hemisphere surrounding them to escape milliseconds before the blast. Despite all the evidence it was still difficult to shake the feeling that Twilight was still out there somewhere. Celestia had of course ordered Twilight's friends watched and their mail intercepted ever since that day, just in case Twilight was still out there and attempted to contact them. Three days ago, that had paid off when Twilight's packages (the real ones, and not the elaborate decoys sent by Pinkie) had shipped out of a small post office in Baltimare. After exhaustive study, they were determined to be free of any decipherable codes, invisible ink, or secondary messages imprinted with magic that would trigger in the presence of a specific pony. It seemed they were exactly what they appeared to be. A last will and testament and farewell letters to her friends and family. Eventually, she had sent them back on their way to their destinations. Celestia refocused her attention on the reports. The major issue of managing Equestria's defense against major threats with one of the Element Bearers gone turned out to be something of a moot point. After several guard patrols encountered overly aggressive vines in the Everfree Forest, Discord had 'remembered' an old gambit of his from roughly a thousand years ago that had 'just slipped his mind until now'. The Elements had to be returned to the Tree of Harmony, leaving them all without a contingency plan for a rogue Discord (as if there were any other kind). Something Discord himself insisted was 'entirely coincidental'. On a more positive note, the heightened state of alert maintained in the search for Twilight had detected the escaped Tirek, still hiding and attempting to gather strength. Fortunately, he was still too weak to drain the innate magic of anything less magical than a unicorn, so a team of earth pony guards was able to subdue him and return him to his cell in Tartarus. Celestia gave an involuntary shudder at the catastrophe that might have turned into if it hadn't been caught so early, especially without the Elements to call upon. Great strides had been made with the changeling prisoners. The researchers claimed they were on the verge of a breakthrough in finalizing a method for changelings to generate and share love among themselves, even if the test cases were...garish. Soon there would be no need to continue feeding them puppies to drain. The puppies recovered eventually when removed and provided plenty of cuddling, but changeling feeding duty remained the most disliked assignment among the guard force. Interestingly enough, with Chrysalis either dead or off hiding somewhere, some of the changeling prisoners had reoriented themselves toward herself as the next clearest source of queenly authority and offered to serve. She had given a few probationary assignments, closely watched of course, and they proved to be remarkably capable spies and informants if directed well. They showed an aptitude for improvisation and adaptability in the field that she wouldn't have expected from beings living in a hive collective. She had already begun working up plans to integrate them into her new preemptive threat detection program that would be vital to keeping Equestria safe in this post-Elements future. There had been too many close calls. She had been relying too much on Twilight and the Elements. It was time to be less reactive and more proactive. There appeared to be the beginnings of a small cult village forming out on the edge of nowhere, led by a powerful unicorn. It was probably nothing serious, but she'd send an agent out to infiltrate and observe. More concerning were rumors abroad about some 'Storm King' seizing power in distant kingdoms. That was where the changelings would really prove useful. Not only could they take the form of non-pony races, they were also much better suited temperamentally for work in the...less idyllic societies outside Equestria's borders than any of her little ponies. Then there was that mirror. That caused her to pause in her duties. Yet another student lost. Celestia wondered if it was something about her, some flaw in her teaching that kept repeating this tragedy. But perhaps...perhaps the previous one wasn't lost in quite so permanent a manner. Celestia glanced to the bookshelf where the two way journal still lay under a thick coating of dust. Was it still possible to mend that relationship? There was no guarantee it even worked anymore, but she hadn't bothered to try in all these years. She had simply waited for her former student to come back on her own. Be proactive, not reactive. Celestia vowed to make the effort and filed it away in her mental to do list. A list that she had to admit was much more manageable now that Luna had successfully convinced her to share the workload after a long and long overdue talk. In the mean time, she'd wait another month. One more month of keeping Twilight's friends under surveillance. Just in case. Then she'd redistribute those resources elsewhere and move on. *** 8 months later *** As she did every morning, Rainbow Dash looked around at the trash pit that was her bedroom. She knew she should clean it, but every time she tried to work up the motivation, a single question would float through her mind. Why bother? It would stay clean maybe two days, a week if she was particularly diligent, then it would be back to this state. Who was she even trying to impress anyway? It wasn't like she was bringing any mares or stallions back to her place these days. She had told herself she needed to try to get back in the dating world, if for no other reason than it was a much poorer world without the stunningly sexy Rainbow Dash in it. But...she just couldn't do it. How could she sit through a date and not end up comparing it to what she once had with Twilight? And how was anything supposed to follow up something like that? That wouldn't be fair to her or her hypothetical dating partner. So here she was, single and celibate as a damn monk, entirely out of apathy. Apathy was what defined her life these days. It seemed like nothing excited her anymore. Sure, hanging out with her friends was still fun and Pinkie's parties never disappointed, but there was definitely an overall lack of passion. Even the Wonderbolts didn't stir up the same energy. Not that she was considering dropping out of the reserves or anything, but apparently Firestreak was planning on retiring soon to teach full time, creating an upcoming opening in the main team, and Spitfire had come to her first to tell her the spot was hers if she wanted it. It had been her dream since as long as she could remember, but in that moment, all she could think was that it sounded like a lot of extra work and responsibility. She had passed it up, let the opportunity drift right by while telling herself she'd catch the next one, just as soon as she got her head screwed back on right. Whenever that would be. Rainbow Dash looked over the detritus of loose change, stationary, takeout boxes, and a rather worryingly large number of now empty alcoholic containers, and knew something needed to change. I gotta get outta here. Travel? Maybe a change of environment would break her out of this rut. One thing was for sure. If she stayed here, there was an increasingly likely chance she'd end up a sad, washed up has-been who almost accomplished her dreams, slowly drinking herself, if not to death, than into a state that destroyed the sleek athletic body she had worked so hard to build, staring at her past photos and trophies and promising every night that tomorrow she'd turn it all around. But where should she go? Just start flying East? She mulled over the question as she sorted the small pile of mail on the table. A colorful bit of junk mail caught her eye. Some mass advertisement that had been cluttering up all the mailboxes of Ponyville in the last week. She hadn't paid it any mind until now. A Land of Adventure Awaits! Looking for a change of pace? Come visit exotic Southern Equestria! Try the mouthwatering food from street carts along with the local fashions in the vibrant marketplace of Somnabula, Desert Jewel and gateway to the south. Hire a guide and explore the white water rapids and perilous jungles of the Tenochtitlan Basin. Marvel at the architecture and artwork of our many ancient temples. More are being discovered all the time! Will YOU be the one to uncover the next piece of lost history? You'll find thrills, excitement, and a unique beauty not to be found anywhere else! Get lost in the adventure! Start your trip to Southern Equestria today! -Somnambulan Society for the Promotion of Tourism. Southern Equestria? Wasn't that where the Daring Do books were set? She'd actually forgotten it was a real place and not just a fictional setting for her favorite book series. She wasn't alone in that, either. Unlike most of the northern part of Equestria, the southern half was significantly more isolated. So much so that most ponies thought of it as more of a separate country entirely. Twilight had once mentioned something about the difficult terrain inhibiting the southward expansion of the rail networks that had stitched most of the North together. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth through the bittersweet pain that accompanied any memory of Twilight. Still, cutting through jungles and exploring trap filled ancient temples like she was Daring Do could be just the change she needed. True, the reality was probably different from the fiction. The ancient temples were probably closer to museums with gift shops and guided history tours, and velvet ropes blocking you from touching the flaking ancient murals, rather than mazes full of puzzles and traps. But at least she could see the iconic location from the series in person and lose her shit like the fangirl she was. And who knew? She might stumble into some adventure along the way. Maybe foil a nefarious plot by villainous rogue archaeologists or something. The notion that had started as a half-joke quickly blossomed into a serious plan of action. Soon she was tracking down maps, packing survival gear, and wondering where she could get a pith helmet. She found her friends and told them she was planning a vacation of unknown length, arranging for Fluttershy to look after Tank while she was gone. For their part, they were glad to see her with some energy again, looking a bit more like the Rainbow Dash they recognized. She went to the Wonderbolt Academy to clear some time off. Spitfire told her to take as much time as she needed, and that there'd always be a spot waiting for her when she came back. By the time she finished packing, planning, and sorting all the necessary details, the sun was already setting, so she resolved to make a fresh start first thing in the morning. The second the morning sun shone through her window, she jumped out of bed, practically inhaled her breakfast, grabbed her bag, and leaped out the door. There was only one stop she had to make first. *** "Hey there Twilight, how's it going?" Rainbow Dash stood in Canterlot, on the well manicured lawn of a small cemetery plot, staring at the grave in front of her. "Dumb question, I know." It irked her that it was so...modest. A pony like Twilight, a pony that accomplished half the things as she had, deserved at least a 50 foot tall statue. Maybe some fountains. A mausoleum with so many stained glass windows and packed with so much gold, flowers, and golden flowers that Rarity would faint at the sheer garishness of it all. But Twilight probably wouldn't want all that anyway. She was never comfortable being put up on a pedestal. She'd save Equestria and attempt to brush it off as nothing special. She'd probably appreciate the tombstone being shaped like a giant book though. That was a nice touch. "So, I'm planning on taking a trip. Don't know how long I'll be gone. I just know that I gotta get outta Ponyville for a while, you know? It's been...hard. Since you've been gone, I mean. I just feel like...like a wheel spinning in the mud. But I think maybe this trip could change that! I'm gonna go to Southern Equestria and visit all the places from Daring Do." Rainbow Dash's faint smile dipped briefly into a half-frown. "I wish we could see them together. Geek out like a couple of eggheads and embarrass ourselves in front of the locals." The delicate smile quickly returned. "Wouldn't that be something? You'd probably find out the North Face Totem actually faces 0.05 degrees Northeast or something and be completely scandalized. Probably get us both arrested when you insist on trying to 'fix' it." A genuine laugh forced its way from Rainbow Dash's chest at the thought. "Anyway, I'll be sure to take lots of pictures. I'll write your name on the Wishing Wall, too. Well, I should probably get going. Got a long flight ahead of me. I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll be back." Rainbow Dash tilted her head and plucked out a feather with her teeth, placing it gently on the grave in front of her. With that done, she took to the air. "See ya later, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash fired a quick salute and took off on her adventure. *** Rainbow Dash walked through the evening streets of Somnambula, the fatigue of her long journey continued to make itself known in her muscles. Despite this, she was fully alert and ready for action. A small part of that was due to the impressively spicy vegetable kabob she had eaten earlier, but most of it was due to the fact that she was clearly being tailed. For the last hour, she thought she had caught glimpses of the same pony shaped cloaked figure wherever she went. About fifteen minutes ago she'd spotted them following her when she checked her travel compass with a small built in mirror. She'd continued to check it every couple minutes since, which probably made her look like the most directionally challenged tourist in the world. Each time, she spotted them following along at a distance, trying to blend into either the crowds or the shadows, depending on whichever was more prevalent. Rainbow Dash was awash in conflicting emotions. Part of her was excited. This was the danger and intrigue she had come for! Another part was annoyed that this couldn't wait until tomorrow morning after she got some rest. Another was curious as to what this mysterious pony wanted. One thing was certain, if they were looking for trouble, she was ready to deliver it in abundance. Rainbow Dash adjusted the strap on her bag as she approached her destination, the Get On Inn. After making her way to the front desk and acquiring a room key, she grabbed a drink and dinner from the nearby bar and took a table in the corner where she could see the door. A minute later, the mystery pony entered, gave a quick glance around the room, and moved to a table facing the opposite wall. And the large mirror covering it, through which they could likely see the entire room. Rainbow Dash scowled and turned her gaze back down to her food. The cloaked pony made no attempt to approach her or offer any cryptic warnings or pleas for assistance, or anything of the sort. They just silently watched her, ordered a drink from a passing waitress, paying with a few bits levitated onto the tray, and resumed watching. A unicorn, then. At least that was something she knew. Rainbow Dash finished her meal, tossed a few bits on the table, grabbed her bag and headed upstairs to her room. She didn't need to look to know the pony was following her up. She breathed normally, kept her muscles loose and maintained a steady gait, giving no hint that anything was wrong. She knew they were right behind her now. She reached the door to her room, smoothly turned the key in the lock, and pushed the door open. She took several steps inside, stopped abruptly, heard two rapidly halting hoofsteps behind her, and spun around with a lightning fast kick. To their credit, the cloaked pony had solid reflexes and actually managed to jump back enough to dodge the surprise attack. Unfortunately for them, they didn't leap back out the open door, but ended up with their back against the wall. They weren't quite fast enough to dodge the second blow, a downward chop that caught them right in the horn just as it was starting to light up, leaving them stunned and completely open to the combo that followed. First, a breath stealing uppercut to the gut, which lifted them up onto their back legs. Second, a low kick that sweeped said legs out from under them. Their fall forward was abruptly halted by Rainbow Dash's back as she pressed in, grabbed one of their forelegs, and flipped them over her shoulder and onto the bed. In an instant, Rainbow Dash was ontop of them, hooves pinned on chest, horn, and major joints. "Why are you following me!" Dash snarled. Still wheezing a bit from the uppercut, the cloaked pony finally managed to cough something out. "W-Well you always did take my breath away, didn't you Dash?" An impossible voice replied. Dash tore off the hood of the cloak to reveal a ghost. A bizarrely corporeal ghost, given the thrashing she had just administered to it. "What?" That was the only word in her universe at the moment. Twilight, on the other hoof, seemed to have more. "Or wait, should I have gone with 'you always knew how to sweep me off my hooves'? Crap, now I've really made a mess of it and gotten completely off script. I had stuff planned. It was gonna be a whole thing. I don't suppose I could go out and come back in again, could I?" "......WHAT?!" *** A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Twilight's face as she watched Celestia's hoof descend in slow motion, in defiance of her ultimatum. This was it. "Please forgive me Dash." Several things happened within the next half-second as Celestia's hoof struck the ground. Twilight closed her eyes and released a blinding flare of light from her horn. She also wrapped a shield around herself as she slammed a narrowly focused gravity field down ontop of herself, driving herself down like a nail through the plug of dirt covering the long vertical shaft she had previously excavated beneath her current position. As she rapidly dropped away from the surface, limbs tucked in away from the walls of the narrow shaft that left her very little room, the nullification field around her balloon bomb ended, triggering the detonation. She hoped she had calculated the timing right. Too soon and she'd be caught by the blast, too late and the delay between her false flash and the actual detonation would be noticeable. And too strong of a gravity slam would render her unconscious and then dead shortly after (whether from the blast, the impact with the bottom, or snapping her own neck from the slam itself depending on how much she overdid it). All she could do was keep her shield up, hope she had given herself enough of a head start on the blast, and keep her teleport primed and ready for the instant she fell out of the radius of Celestia's interdiction field. She wanted to simply spam attempts as she fell, but Celestia might detect them. It could be that it didn't matter with the explosion serving as sufficient distraction. Maybe Celestia wouldn't be able to scrutinize what happened with such precision that she'd spot failed teleportation attempts a few microseconds after Twilight should have been vaporized. But if she left any trace of evidence that made Celestia suspect she wasn't 100% dead, this whole scheme would be for nothing. The shaft itself was risk enough, but fortunately a nuclear blast did a good job of cleaning up after her. Twilight suddenly fell something shift. The restrictive itching feeling of the interdiction field on her coat vanished and she wasted no time in teleporting away. Then teleporting again, and again until her tracks were thoroughly covered. "OW! OW! OWIE! OW! OW!" Twilight hissed through grit teeth at the stinging sensation on her back. While she'd made it far clear of the actual blast, the radiation, moving at the speed of light as it did, was a bit harder to outrun. Even though she'd been most of the way to freedom by the time the detonation started, the front of that first wave had caught her, and some of it had even managed to get through her shield. Not enough for serious radiation poisoning, but enough to leave her back with a seriously painful sunburn as a memento. But she was alive. Somehow. It had worked. Twilight let out a long sigh of relief as she retrieved her stashed supplies and dug around for some aloe (the good stuff with lidocaine in it) to ease the burning on her back. The risky part was over. Now began the hard part. The waiting. Getting far far away from Ponyville. Away from Dash. As much as it hurt, there could be no communication. No reaching out to let anypony know she was okay. Particularly Rainbow Dash. There was no way Celestia would just accept this right away. She'd expect some trick. Would keep a close eye on all her friends and family, just waiting for her to slip up. And even if Rainbow Dash was somehow the greatest actor in the world...no, she couldn't know. The shock had to be real. The grief had to be real. It all had to be real if she was going to sell this. It might take weeks for Celestia to buy it. She'd wait months. If she moved too soon, it would all be for naught. She'd go somewhere far away. Disappear. Let those letters ship. Let the world move on without her. Then... Then she hoped Dash would forgive her for putting her through something that cruel. That she would even still want her. *** "I'msorry!I'msorry!I'msorry!I'msorry!I'msorry!I'msorry!I'msorry!I'msorry!" Twilight, her story now concluded, crushed Rainbow Dash in a vice like hug as she begged for forgiveness. Still trying to stitch the shattered pieces of her entire world back together, Rainbow Dash extricated herself from the hug so she could breathe once again. "So...just so I've got this straight...not dead." "Rumors of my death were indeed greatly exaggerated." Twilight nodded with a grin. "And you've been hiding out down here all this time." "I moved about the area a bit, but yeah, mostly here." "And your plan to contact me was...junkmail?" "Yeah, basically." "So, what, you invented a fake tourism board?" "Actually, no. The SSPT is a real organization. At least it is now. I may have had a hoof in creating it. With a couple of anonymously written suggestion letters from concerned citizens. And maybe one or two stab in the dark anonymous blackmail bluffs. And possibly planting the idea in the dreams of one or two influential city council members. But hey, it turned out to be a pretty big boon for the town after all. Local business is thriving!" "So...so we did it? We won? It's all over now?" "Well, nearly. There's one last thing I'd like to take care of, and I kind of need your help with it." Rainbow Dash let out a long suffering sigh "What now?" " I guess it's not strictly necessary. More a bonus objective. But...It'd mean a lot to me and I'd sleep a lot easier. I just need some packages delivered. I can't take them myself, and I'm not sure if I can trust the postal system. This has to be done by somepony I can count on 100%." "Alright, so tell me where I'm going already." *** Applejack fussed about her kitchen ensuring everything was clean and all the necessary ingredients and equipment were where they should be. Now she just had to wait for her cooking partner to arrive. Fluttershy had moved beyond the role of student about two months back when Applejack found she had run out of things to teach her. Now she was nearly as skilled in the kitchen as Applejack was. Not quite willing to give up on their favorite routine, Fluttershy had suggested they both start making dishes that neither of them had any experience with. That way they could both learn something new, and if it turned out a disaster, at least it was a disaster with a friend who could help clean up the mess. Applejack thought it was a swell idea, and they had soon found themselves frequent patrons of the library, where Spike would help them find an apparently endless supply of exotic recipe books. Today's task wasn't all that exotic, but it was something Applejack herself had never been any good at. Chocolate. They'd be making their own chocolate from scratch and then attempting to use it in about a dozen different ways, even tempering it. Applejack was no confectioner, but she was ready for the challenge. If she really wanted to ensure they got through this without a bunch of pans coated in a sticky burnt mess, she could always invite somepony who knew what they were doing, like Pinkie, but that wasn't really the point. Besides, Pinkie would be way too busy to leave Sugarcube Corner today. It was Hearts and Hooves Day after all. Though that certainly had nothing to do with her selection for today's planned activity. Nope. Not in the slightest. There was a gentle knock on the door. "Come on in Fluttershy." Fluttershy walked through the door wearing the same bright smile she always brought over. In no time, they had fallen into position and gotten started. For some reason though, Applejack found it difficult to concentrate on her own work with Fluttershy bouncing happily about next to her. "Hey Applejack, gimmie some sugar." "I–What?" Applejack jerked her head sideways in surprise. The movement also brought her head close to her pan for an unfortunately timed bubble to pop and gently splatter the side of her face with the hot proto-chocolate. "Ahh! Consarnit!" "Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine. It's not that bad. More surprising than anything." She raised a hoof to wipe at the rapidly cooling dark specks that clung to her face. "Here. Let me." Fluttershy grabbed a damp rag and began dabbing at the offending spots. "Hmm, you know it's almost like you've got extra freckles now. They're kinda cute." "Uh, th-thanks?" Fluttershy leaned in closer as she scrutinized a particularly stubborn spot that refused to let go. Applejack was suddenly quit aware of how warm it was in the kitchen. "You know, you don't have to–" "No, no, I got it. Just a little more." She leaned in even closer. "For the sake of Celestia, get a room already you two!" Both ponies leaped back in surprise and jerked their heads to the window, where Rainbow Dash hovered with a smug smile. "Dash! Wh-What are you doing here? Didn't you take off traveling?" Applejack pointed a hoof accusingly, trying to pretend she wasn't nearly as flustered as she actually was. "I was, but I had to pop back real quick to take care of something, then I'll be heading back out again. Speaking of which, these are for you." Rainbow Dash reached into a bag and threw two envelopes down on the table. "You a mail pony all of a sudden, Dash?" "Apparently I am today. Just make sure you read those real soon. See ya!" Rainbow Dash took off in a blur to complete the rest of her deliveries. Applejack and Fluttershy turned back to each other, as if expecting the other to have any answers. "So, uh, where were we?" Applejack asked. "I think here." Fluttershy leaned forward and gave Applejack a quick peck on the cheek, then turned back to the stove, licking her lips slightly. "Needs more sugar if you ask me." Applejack grinned and turned to join her. Later, when they finished their batch of chocolate, cleaned up , and stopped for a break, they'd look at the letters sitting on the table, sealed airtight with wax. When they eventually opened them, they'd have a scant few seconds to read the message before the exposure to air ignited the pyrophoric iron(II)sulfide that the corners had been dusted with, quickly destroying the letter in an entirely magic-less fire that would leave behind no thaumatic signature. Fortunately, it was a very short message. Only six words. I'm okay. Don't look for me. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash zipped across Ponyville. She had caught Spike and Rarity together at the same time, out on an expedition for gems. That only left one delivery remaining. She set a course for Sugarcube Corner, pulling to a sudden stop as she saw Pinkie waiting in the street for her. "Hi Rainbow Dash! My Pinkies Sense told me I'd be getting a delivery soon, so I popped out for a quick break." Through the open doorway, Dash could catch a quick glimpse of the Cakes scrambling to keep up with the tide of last minute shoppers. "Uh, yeah. That's right. Here you go." She pulled out the last of the sealed letters and passed it over. "FINALLY! It feels like It took FOREVER to get here. The writer really took their sweet time, didn't they?" "Uhh–I–" "Anyway, gotta get back to work! Have a good vacation, and happy Hearts and Hooves Day!" "Uhh–Thanks! You too Pinkie!" Pinkie Pie had already returned to a furious storm of baking. Her task finally complete, Rainbow Dash set a course southward. With a quick thought to what was waiting for her at her destination, she prepared to shatter her previous speed records. *** Twilight paced as she waited for Dash to return from this final errand. Her rational self-knew she was engaging in an unnecessary risk. She knew the course of action she should take was to keep letting everypony other than Dash think she was dead. After coming all this way and with everything to lose, why leave any possible opportunity for fate to screw her over? She'd have to be crazy to leave any dangling threads at all. She remembered the adage about three ponies being able to keep a secret only if two of them were dead. But there was another part of her. A part that had taken something of a backseat amid all the action and fighting and scrapes with death. The part that valued friendship too much to simply leave things the way they were. Even if she could never see her Ponyville friends again, she couldn't just leave them like that, thinking she was dead. They deserved to know. How could she really be sure they'd keep her secret? That word wouldn't get to Celestia, undoing everything she'd worked for? She'd just have to trust them. She'd spent so long in constant paranoia that she'd almost forgotten what it was like trusting in her friends. She'd missed it. She heard the door to the room open behind her as Dash stumbled in, panting and sweating profusely from the exertion of her record setting flight. "All done, Twilight. Now what?" "Well..." Twilight swallowed nervously and pointed toward a lit candle placed on a nearby table, sweet purple smoke rising from the tip. "If...if it's still what you want, then..." she trailed off. Dash thought for a moment then walked over to the table. She leaned close to stare into the tiny flickering flame. Then she blew it out with a quick puff. "Actually, I've got a better idea." "Oh?" "Yeah, you see, it's still Hearts and Hooves day, and somehow, impossible as it may seem, nopony has asked me out yet." A snorting laugh ripped its way involuntarily from Twilight's lungs. "Inconceivable!" "I know, right! It boggles the mind." She fixed Twilight with a look of mounting impatience. A smile spread across Twilight's face like the rising dawn. It lit up the room like a thousand candles. Twilight cleared her throat. "Ahem. Rainbow Dash?" "Yes?" "Would you like to go out with me?" Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"