//------------------------------//
// The Night Passes Peacefully 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Bubbles rose through the water as two defeated brood beasts bobbed, no way to tell if they were paralyzed or dead. It wouldn't have made a difference to Equestrian soldiers, their expressions utterly stupefied as Valey ignored them, the black sword slung over her shoulder. Her attention was elsewhere.

Far to the northeast, in the vicinity of the derelict airship, a titanic explosion rocked the horizon. Valey glanced up at it. "Is that my problem? Because I have some friends I need to talk to and some questions I need answered."

The pegasus captain finally managed to get his jaw back in working order. "Form up," he ordered, still breathless. "If the situation is safe here, we reinforce the other squadrons."

Valey shrugged, turning again to the stairway where Shinespark, Starlight, Amber and even Maple were waiting. "So," she said, hefting her pendant. "The last thing I remember is dying, and here I am not dead. And I'm betting it has something to do with this."

"You're welcome..." Jamjars stumbled out of the door to the bridge, looking slightly off-balance after the ship's rocket-powered dash.

"Chrysalis tried to take you," Starlight replied, hiding her flanks. "I used the Nightmare Modules to make moon glass and took you back."

"Heh..." Valey's mouth turned in a regretful half-smile. "She got everyone else, too? That make me the last bat in the world?"

Shinespark shook her head, barely looking like she was processing where she was or who was in front of her. "Everyone on the ship survived. Nyala and Felicity. They're here too."

"I took back all the others as well," Starlight assured. "Everything she stole. But they're still trapped in moon glass..."

Valey squeezed her eyes shut and stepped forward. "...Hey. Can we go downstairs and get a room? I kinda... want to be somewhere a little more private to say what I'm thinking right now."

"My room." Shinespark nodded. "Is it still in use as the infirmary?"

Maple winced. "If so, it's where I really should be..."

"Gazelle and Meltdown," Amber added. "Though I think they'd be fine in a smaller room, and Meltdown would even appreciate it."

Shinespark nodded, and started down the stairs. Valey watched her go. "An infirmary, huh? Her horn... How badly off are we?"

Maple smiled tearfully. "Bad enough that ten minutes ago, we thought we were going to die. I'd hug you, but my ribs..."

"I gotcha." Valey grinned, then followed Shinespark into the ship.





Starlight's horn was the one to light the room, the ship's power out once again now that Glimmer's burst had subsided. Valey sat in the center, Maple resting and Starlight still hiding her flanks but Shinespark and Amber close next to her.

"The more I look at you, the rougher you guys look," Valey remarked seriously. "Not just beaten up, too. How long have I been gone?"

"Between two and three weeks," Amber answered. "How are you feeling, though? I never stopped believing you'd be back, and did everything I could to keep your body in good shape."

Valey stretched, testing her legs. "Honestly? Never better. Pretty full, too, which is weird because every time I used this pendant in the past it made me stupid hungry. So don't you worry about me."

"There will be time for worry later," Shinespark whispered. "I just... can't..."

"Hey. You guys have had it hard? I've got you. Just take it easy." Valey put a wing around her and patted her shoulder. "I'm sure I'll get story after story about just what's happened while I was gone, and I'll lick a boot if there's not a ton of stuff breathing down our backs already, but leave all that to me."

"But how are you doing?" Maple insisted. "It must feel like minutes ago in Grandbell..."

"Yep. Sorta. Glad to be alive." Valey stretched, then stared straight at Starlight. "But I meant it when I said I'm better than ever. You know why?" She put her forehooves on Starlight's shoulders, staring straight into her eyes. "Say what you did with the moon glass again. To that hag in the arena."

Starlight swallowed from her intensity. "I used the Nightmare Modules and took back all the cutie marks she was trying to use her powers to steal, including you."

Valey instantly yanked her close, burying her in a deep hug. "Don't you get it? It was an ark."

"What?" Shinespark frowned, stepping closer.

Valey grabbed both her and Amber with her wings, hugging them tight. "It was an ark," she repeated, her voice a tense whisper. "The meteor, eight years ago. It wasn't sent to carry something evil to the world. It was one hundred percent good. If Nightmare Moon or whatever was up there on the moon... the meteor was to get everyone inside away from her and give them real lives here."

"Valey, what?" Amber repeated, surprised. "How do you know? Do you remember something you forgot before?"

"'Cuz it just happened now," Valey chuckled. "Who cares how the Nightmare Modules work, or who made them or why? There's thousands and thousands of batponies Crystal tried to swipe, and Starlight swiped them back. It's exactly the same. Regular batponies can use Nightmare Modules too, and there must have been enough of us up on the moon to populate the meteor in the first place. What if Nightmare Moon was a tyrant up there, and some hero made that meteor so we could all escape? It's totally possible!"

"Possible, but you're saying guaranteed..." Shinespark's ears fell.

Valey pushed them back upright with a wingtip, laughing harder. "You don't get it. I've never had any explanation for how the meteor could not be a bad thing before. It was always about how do I live with myself when I know I came from this creepy evil thing, and every single time I tried to find out more about what it was, it just looked worse and worse. Even the Night Mother had nothing, remember?" She wiped her mane back, almost doubled over while hugging her friends. "But it totally could have been just like this! It's not about being guaranteed, it's about being not guaranteed!"

"Oh, Valey..." Amber beamed, wrapping her hooves around the entire hug as well. "So you're happy?"

Valey tipped over, taking her friends with her. "Hahaha... Never been gladder not to know something in my life. It doesn't matter what the meteor was, because I can reasonably believe it was fantastic, and how I feel about it is the only part that's ever really mattered. Bananas, I love you girls. You too, Ironflanks. Bet you were starting to miss getting called that?"

Maple smiled, staying safely to the side of the hug. "From the very first day."

"Thanks, kiddo." Valey ruffled Starlight's mane, eyes streaming. "You look pretty rough too, but I'm never gonna forget this. Whatever you've been through without me and to get me back, it means more than life to me. Feels like I've got a whole lot more of a future now than before she got me... You're a hero. Anything you need for the rest of your life, I will never, ever let you down."

Starlight started bawling, and Amber soon followed suit. "Everyone thought I was crazy for always believing I'd see you again..."

Valey was too busy laughing to answer, but she pulled Amber closer anyway.

They could have carried on all night, and would have if not for a knock at the door around an hour later. "I'll get it," Shinespark sighed, extracting herself from the pile.

She opened her door with a hoof and blinked. It was Jamjars, wearing saddlebags loaded with what looked like everything she owned.

"Pay up," Jamjars demanded.

Shinespark narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Pay up," Jamjars smugly repeated. "You bet me your room my plan to get Valey back wouldn't work, remember? These are my captain's quarters now. Besides, I've been the one doing all the piloting lately, so you might as well name me captain too."

Shinespark blanched. "No. I was not in my right mind."

On the floor, Valey sat up. "Wait, seriously?" she asked, threatening to start chuckling again. "Jamjars was the one who figured out how to beat moon glass? And you bet her this room she couldn't?"

Shinespark's ears pressed heavily back, and she scowled. "I have not been in a good state of mind, lately. If she bet me that, I wasn't paying attention and she was taking advantage of-"

Valey was at her side in an instant, somehow carrying Amber and Starlight both. "Are you joking here, kiddo?"

Jamjars winked at her. "Jamjars one, Valey zero. Now you owe me."

"Just give her the room, Shinespark..." Valey rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh. "Look, it's worth it to me, and I'll make it worth it to you. Besides, smaller places are cozier anyway. How full are the other rooms?"

Shinespark sighed. "Fine. And I wouldn't know. There's a lot to be done..."

"Yeah, and I'll be doing the doing." Valey stepped out of Jamjars' way, Starlight following her with Maple carried carefully in her aura. She glanced aside. "First, we wanna set Ironflanks down somewhere?"

Shinespark nodded, stepping through and checking door after door. "Jamjars' room is clean and empty. It will do for now."

Valey nodded in return, leaving her friends to see to setting up the other room. Her hooves carried her through the library, most of its chairs overturned and books shaken free. That would be a task to deal with. Probably from all the ship-rocking caused by those monsters. She wasn't looking forward to facing the outside state of the vessel, but her cutie mark was quiet, so at least there wasn't any danger of sinking.

One glance into the engine room told her all she needed to know about its state. It looked actually worse than when Starlight had fought the windigoes in Ironridge, and that was saying something. The remains of a twisted moon glass sword lay in the middle of the room, and she silently closed her eyes, taking a moment and nodding respectfully to the place where the rest of her species was enshrined.

Then her path brought her below. The dining hall was actually crowded, most of the ship's occupants having set up there for the night rather than in the proper cabins. A quick look across them told her there were likely too many to even fit in the cabins without crowding... Gerardo and Slipstream were using each other as pillows, a sight that brought another smile to her lips. There was Felicity, just as predicted. And Nyala...

"You're back," Nyala whispered, eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Yeah," Valey breathed. "Sorry about disappearing again right when... you know. I got you back. Again."

"I heard you laughing," Nyala murmured.

"Glad to be alive." Valey winked. "Maybe things will really start looking up for us, now."

Nyala shook her head. "Well... thanks for coming to talk to me. But we should save any celebrations or reunions for tomorrow. Everyone is exhausted and there will be more trouble in the morning, so let them rest. I'm just glad to see they can rest peacefully."

"Looks like they've needed it for a long time," Valey murmured back. "Guess a good night's sleep is what I can give them for now. Maybe I should stand guard for a bit. Think I'll go for a fly... Don't wanna leave Amber and Sparky for too long, though. Don't you worry. This place looks like a dump, but I'm gonna get it back in shape in no time."