//------------------------------// // Episode 01 ~ A Past and Future Secret // Story: Queen of Crimson Crows // by ZhaoZoharEX //------------------------------// “It’s been some time, hasn’t it Tia?” The tension in the air was as prevalent as the confusion, guests murmuring and guards ushering them aside. This mare not only had the audacity to tear her way through the party - without a ticket no less - but her cloven hoof was currently planted firmly in the temple of Celestia’s young and still somewhat green successor. Spike, frozen in place by a mix of fear and uncertainty, expressed a silent plea to the elder alicorn to at least get his poor friend unpinned. “Not since Luna returned, mother,” Celestia responded, already quite done with this situation. “If you would not mind, may I kindly ask you to, um, remove your hoof? I’m starting to feel secondhand pain staring at her.” The petite mare, indifferent to the mild bleeding and likely skull fractures of her victim, merely shrugged and brushed Twilight aside with her hoof, almost as if scraping the dog mess off it. “Thank you.” Celestia took a deep breath to clear her thoughts and tame her frustration, not unlike the technique taught to Twilight years ago. “Now then, mother… We talked about this. Why in your ever vivid wisdom did you decide it was a good idea to make such an impulsive, violent entrance, especially considering what happened last time?” There was a very obvious tone of anger in her voice, clearly being held back behind gritted teeth. “Oh, give me more credit than that, I actually made it in here without slaughtering any of your guards,” responded her mother with snarky reassurance. “I’d give you more credit if you made it in here without making a scene at all.” “Oh don’t be like that, Tia, I come here to see you and Lulu, the least you can do is give mama a little gratitude.” “I would really rather you had just, I don’t know, sent a letter first. Or at least do this in a private setting. This is quite possibly the worst- well okay, second-worst - time you could have done this.” “Hardly the worst thing I’ve done.” “Not the point, mother. Considering your reputation-” “Oh please, nobody present is from a generation that even remembers me.” “Again, not the point-” “Anyway, where’s the feast? I’ve been anticipating a banquet since I left the palace…” the mare scanned the room in hopes of locating her coveted meal. It wasn’t long before her eyes spotted a few more familiar faces, specifically a dark alicorn pushing her way through the crowd, despite protests from the guards. “Lulu! Oh my goodness, you’ve got your full strength back, oh you look so regal now.” Luna, tensing up from being called out by mommy dearest in such a way, in this place of all places, merely let out a frustrated sigh of her own accompanied by a hoof colliding with her forehead. “Hello, mother. Thank you for the compliment… I think.” “Ah, and I see you’re wearing the dress! Oh, you just look like such an elegant lass,” mama said in a sickeningly sweet tone with a cutesy smile. “You know, Maple was so excited to send it to you, oooh you two were so adorable-” “Mother, please, not here and not now,” Luna interrupted with a mix of urgency and embarrassment. “Do you realize how much chaos your visit has caused?!” The mare shrugged once more, her snide grin beaming with the kind of pride that only someone who knows exactly what they’re doing flashes. “Really, were you expecting anything else at this point? My invite failed to come through this year, so I figured I’d drop by to talk about this in person. Not my fault you neglected to send my ticket, and Celestia, you have that zappy spell thing that puts express mail to shame, really you have no excuse.” Celestia was about to explain herself when Twilight, rather dazed and taking exception to being kicked in the face, stumbled between the two of them, horn lit and face contorted. “You… what are you… you’d better step away from Celestia, NOW!” Spike, putting himself in the line of fire of this party crasher, attempted to intervene. “Twilight, you’re hurt!” “Spike, please... stand… back.” The mare rolled her eyes and took a step forward. “That’s a rather cute display of confidence on your part, but if you would be so kind to step aside, that would be fantastic.” “Not! Another! Step!” This response caused Celestia’s maternal figure to drop her grin, replacing it with a menacing glare, completely unimpressed with this little girl ordering her. “Tia. I respect that you like to keep some personal company, truly I get it, but would you be a dear and call back your concubine before I have to teach her a lesson.” Celestia, ignoring the concubine comment, stepped to Twilight’s side, extending a wing in front of her and Spike in an attempt to defuse things. “Twilight, calm yourself. I can explain.” “Celestia, how... can you be so casual about... this?! She trespassed onto palace grounds, is an… an active threat to public safety, and I’m about... ninety-five percent certain I have a concussion from that... completely unwarranted attack!” “I understand how you feel, trust me. But you need to stand down from this one, you will not win this confrontation.” “B-but…” Looking away from her target in an attempt to plead with Celestia turned out to be a mistake, as when she turned back she stared right into the eyes of this short stack mare, whose face only went up to Twilight’s chest. The distance had been closed in short order, their faces mere inches from each other. She froze. The eyes of this mare lacked any form of fear or even amusement. Twilight’s bravado was gone, now replaced with unexplainable dread and terror. All she was doing was just… staring. Yet, her muscles and bones were quivering, her blood running cold, heart pounding. Why was Twilight Sparkle, who bested many threats in her life, feeling such paralysis from the sight of a mere mare? “Listen, Purple,” said mare began, devoid of her previous arrogance. “I’m sure you’re some kind of hero in these parts, but if you don’t stand down here and now when I’m trying to talk to my darling angel, you’re only going to have yourself to blame for anything that happens to you. Believe me, there are far worse things than a silly skull fracture.” With that, a smirk slid across her face as she lightly brushed the purple princess to the side like a cloud of dust. Twilight, still in the midst of processing, collapsed to the floor - likely due in part to her head injury - into the concerned claws of Spike. “Now, where were we? Oh yes. Tia? Mind explaining this little misunderstanding with my invite?” “A… About that. You see, I’m not really in charge anymore. As you may know, Luna and I, well, retired last year. My successor is handling things now.” A raised eyebrow was the sole response to this statement. “It… may have slipped my mind to tell her about you with everything that happened.” “Tia, I love you to bits, but you really bring this onto yourself sometimes,” her mother responded, slightly disappointed. “Anyway, where is this successor of yours so I can go yell at ‘em?” The royal sisters shared a hesitant glance. Both knew that this wasn’t going to end well, but nonetheless gestured to the purple alicorn lying on the floor. Mama, looking over at the dazed but still conscious Twilight, once again rolled her eyes. “Not impressed. Now, about that banquet-” She was barely able to finish her sentence before a stone dagger zipped past her, rustling her mane and barely missing her cheek during its journey. Letting out a disgruntled groan, she turned to face the source of this insolence. This glance was met with a squad of guards, having parted a path through the crowd and circling around a lone mare, clad in a military dress uniform and adjusting her monocle. “Mahogany Bloodmist, I order you to yield!” commanded Atha. “You know my name? Have we met before?” “Indeed, we have. Now stand down!” Celestia, growing increasingly concerned about this escalating situation, grimaced as she exchanged yet another look with her sibling, with Luna clearly echoing her fears. “Miss Atha, please,” she pleaded, “There really is no need to take things this far.” Atha adjusted her monocle once more, somehow adopting an even more stern face than already presented. “Your highness, I understand this… mare is your family, but I will not tolerate her causing a ruckus again, especially with the guard still on edge after last year's events.” “Atha, I must insist you stand down!” “Might I remind you that you are no longer commander-in-chief after abdicating. You no longer have authority here, and I have a duty to act in the interest of the public. For your safety I am pulling rank and ordering you to stand aside!” This solicited a grin and a chuckle from Mahogany, albeit clearly annoyed rather than amused. “Oh yes, now I remember you. You were the captain that got her ass handed to her the last time I was here, what, forty-ish years ago? Seems you made general now. Progress.” This was accompanied by a mocking clap of her hooves. “Forty-five, and I have just about had it with your attitude. You made an enormous mess the last time, I will not allow you here again. Now if you choose not to yield, I will be forced to take drastic action.” Atha summoned an array of stone-clad spikes as she stomped her hoof, rather done already. This prompted her adversary to pop her neck, the popping audible throughout the foyer. She brought her hoof in front of her and with a flick of her wrist, summoned a grisly-looking demonic claw, morphing from her cloven hoof. “Perhaps you haven’t learned your lesson. Seems I’ll have to administer some more corporal punishment.” “I’m hardly the same mare you saw years ago.” Celestia, on the verge of panic at this point, was about to jump between them, hoping a physical barrier would be enough to quell this disaster in the making. However, it turned out to not be necessary. Her salvation came in the form of her mother being elbowed into the wall by a regal unicorn wielding a crimson scythe. As the mare was flung into the marble, creating a Mahogany-shaped impact crater in the wall near Twilight and Spike, this hero of the day firmly planted the bottom of his polearm into the ground and made his frustration known. “Mother, this is why you don’t get invited to parties,” Spruce sighed with a disappointed head shake. “Ah, Spruce!” Celestia said exhaling with relief. “Your timing is impeccable.” “Hello, Sister. Apologies, I wanted to prevent this, but it seems I was too slow.” Atha stood confused as Bonsai, having entered the room by this point, casually and calmly tipped his hat and stepped past her. “Seems even the ‘Vanishing Prince’ can be outpaced at times, haha.” Celestia perked up even more, fully calming down at the sight of her father. “Daddy! Good, with you here too, things are going to be alright.” Bonsai smiled and waved at her, giving a hearty chuckle. His wife stepped out of the hole in the wall with barely a scratch from their son’s intervention, popping her neck. Before she could get a word out, Spruce turned to his sisters and put his hoof to his head before sighing in annoyance. “I would recommend we take this somewhere private before things get even more ugly. Would you be able to put together a dinner for mother, just to keep her busy?” Celestia nodded, equally devoid of energy. “Yes, if you would be kind enough to treat Twilight’s wounds. It would be the absolute minimum to even begin explaining things…” Twilight found herself in the dining hall of the castle, still woozy from the assault earlier in the evening. It took a bit before she was able to make out two distinct noises. One was the sound of her friends gathering around her with emotions ranging from concern to anger to confusion, as well as relief she was okay. The other was the barbaric table manners of Mahogany as she devoured the absurd spread laid before her by the chefs and staff who no doubt were working double time, even for a gala. “Woah… Oof, what happened…” “Twilight,” started her mentor with an apologetic smile, “I’m so sorry for all this, I should have told you from the very start.” “Celestia? What do you…” Only now was she noticing the unfamiliar stallion at her side, his hoof pressed against her temples administering a healing spell, a particularly potent one she remembered reading about from her books. “Remain calm. You’ve still got some fractures, but at least you’re not bleeding anymore.” Twilight blinked. She didn’t know him, but his touch and words were almost therapeutic. She was beginning to feel better already as her pounding headache was melting away. “Oh, t-thank you… Um…” “Spruce. Of House Bloodmist.” “Bloodmist? I don’t recall…” Luna, who had been kneeling nearby, shot Celestia a scowl of mild disappointment. “You really have a bad habit of being cryptic with your information, sister.” “Yes, I agree. Lesson learned. I just didn’t expect Mother to literally kick up a fuss.” Twilight’s vision returned enough to get a crystal clear look at this stallion. Truth be told, he was easy on the eyes, but there were more important things at hand than to ogle his side-combed silver hair. With a little help, she stood to her feet, albeit somewhat wobbly. “You gonna be alright?” Spike asked as he steadied her stance. “Yes, I’ll be okay. Thank you.” Starlight, who had been monitoring Spruce since she had bumped into him, had also been sneaking glances at Bonsai and what she assumed was his wife based on the context. This tiny mare, this brat with the testicular fortitude to give such a violent greeting to a ruler she had never met, was merely stuffing her face with an almost nauseating amount of fruit, bread, and sweets without any real care for making poor Pinkie work harder than she probably has in a year. “So… could somepony please explain?” Starlight inquired to nobody in particular, being passive-aggressive in her volume. “Both who these people are and why that one,” pointing in the general direction of the pony doing an impression of a garbage disposal, “is currently emptying the fridge.” Maho rolled her eyes. “I ain’t thrilled about this either, kid.” After inhaling a plate of Pinkie’s flan pudding, she set aside the dishes for the chef to take. A loud grunt escaped Twilight’s throat. “Okay, you walk into my castle, you scare the guests, destroy my jaw, and now you devour all the food that one of my best friends slaved all day preparing!?” “Don’t worry Twilight,” Pinkie pipped amidst the sweat and panting, “I saved a bowl just for you.” “Not the point, Pinkie. Now. Tell me who you are and explain yourself.” Another roll of the eyes followed by a click of her tongue later and the mare rested her chin on her hoof. This show of annoyance prompted Celestia, not willing to let another fight break out, to step between them and try to once again defuse the situation. “This… Isn’t the way I had intended to introduce you, but this is Mahogany of House Bloodmist, Queen of the land of Bloodmist, home of the Vamponies.” She glanced over to the queen who was already elbow-deep in a new plate of flan. “She’s also my and Luna’s mother.” “This is your mother?!” Twilight practically blurted out before regaining her composure. “Um. I… where do I even start with this?” She stopped for a moment to observe Mahogany. “When I said I’d liked to meet your mother, I was expecting someone… nicer.” Mahogany chuckled. “And I was expecting someone stronger, so I guess we’re both disappointed.” “Would you- ahem… So then, Queen Mahogany-” “Purple, just address me as Maho, it’s easier.” “...Maho then. You said you were Queen of the Vamponies, right? Could you explain exactly what that means?” “You’re supposedly smart. You can figure that out.” Twilight growled, resisting the urge to just shout. “What I meant is I have never heard of ‘vamponies’ actually existing in reality. Could you elaborate?” Maho finished her fourth plate of flan and handed it off to Pinkie once again, taking aim at the fresh one presented to her. “It’s exactly as it sounds, Purple.” A twinge of pain shot through her head as Twilight could practically feel an aneurysm popping. This mare was not giving her anything to work with. Luckily, Spruce chose this time to shine. “Yeah, this conversation isn’t going anywhere, I’m taking over.” “As you wish. You’re better at these silly diplomacy games anyway.” Spruce straightened himself up, never dropping his stoic stoneface during this whole time. “Very well. Firstly, allow me to apologize on behalf of Bloodmist for the aggression of its queen.” He shot a glare at his mother before returning to his stone face. “To answer your question… how shall I address you?” “Err, Twilight is fine.” “Very well. To answer your question, Twilight, vamponies are a species of ponies who are… How should I put this… more in tune with dark mana. There are many other features that set us apart, but in the end, we are still ponies just like you. Much of the history surrounding our origin and divergence is still shrouded in mystery, though. Mother is their queen, I am the crown prince and acting regent." Twilight nodded, content with absorbing the information she was being fed. “Okay, this is strange. I always thought vamponies were mythical, I’ve never really heard of any actually existing. Doubly so, considering Celestia and Luna are evidently related to them.” “For the better part of the millennium, with a few exceptions, our policy has mostly been to not leave our homeland. The reason why is, for lack of a better term, our own safety. The truth is that there is a stigma surrounding our kind, and we run the risk of harm should we stray outside Bloodmist.” “Given what happened earlier, I can see why…” Maho, now clawing and biting at a whole watermelon presented to her, scoffed at Twilight’s remark. “So, Celestia? Why didn’t you tell me about this? That you were family to vamponies? I can understand not wanting to tell me about your mother now, but you could’ve at least told me you were born there, about-” “Purple,” Maho interrupted, “has it ever occurred to you to just ask about her life, where her hooves have been instead of worshiping the ground they walk on?” She drew her claws to split open the large melon, scooping its contents out and shoving them into her mouth. “From what I hear, you Equestrians seem to treat her more like a goddess than a princess.” Twilight was ready to retort, but quickly shut her mouth and gritted her teeth. Besides not wanting to disrespect her mentor by throwing her under the bus, perhaps it wasn’t the wisest idea to do so in front of her barbarian of a mother. Judging by Maho’s smug smirk, she deduced it was not worth taking the bait on this one. Instead, she decided it was better to change the subject. “Moving on… So what are you doing here, um, Maho? As the queen of a whole nation, you must have a very important reason for-” “I’m here to help Tia and Lulu move back home.” A bit taken aback at the blunt mundanity of her response, Twilight blanked, her glance swapping between Maho and the royal sisters for a few seconds. “That’s… It? No important business, no opening relations… Why do you need to-” “What? A mother can’t visit her kids from time to time? Do I need an excuse? I’m allowed to travel for leisure once in a while. Who’s gonna stop me?” “I… Guess I can’t really argue with that. But doesn’t that seem a little-” Maho tossed the rinds of the melon aside, smacking a poor unfortunate waiter in the face with the corpse of leftover fruit. “And just who are you, Purple? I’m hearing a lot of questions from you but you ain’t offering anything in return.” "I would appreciate it if you would stop calling me that. I'm a princess, and I have a name." "And how do you expect me to know,” Maho stood from her seat and walked around to look her straight in the eye, “you have yet to introduce yourself or your cohorts." As much as she hated to admit it, Maho had a point. Looking around at her friends, who had been rather silent for most of this, she shrugged and gestured for them to gather around her. She knew deep in her soul that she was going to probably hate herself later. Starlight’s eyes met with Twilight’s with an assurance that everything was going to be just fine. “Very well. Firstly, my name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and new Princess of Equestria as the successor to Pri- Celestia and Luna.” This hasty introduction clearly did not impress Maho, as indicated by her uninterested eye-rolling. Nevertheless, Twilight did not falter. “I share regency with my friends, with whom I carry the power of the Elements of Harmony. There is Applejack, Element of Honesty…” Applejack tipped her stetson with a nervous grin, a gesture that Maho barely acknowledged. “Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty…” The pegasus, who had been absent for most of the evening preparing for a Gala event with the Wonderbolts, put up a facade of bravery in the face of this tiny mare. Said mare saw right through her, and stonewalled her confidence with a dismissive shrug. “Rarity, the Element of Generosity...” The elegant, shimmering dress Rarity was wearing seemed to elicit a glint of interest in the queen, who hummed with the rise of an eyebrow. This action did not go unnoticed by Rarity, who not so subtly straightened her posture in pride. “Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter…” Maho merely gave a light chuckle at the haggard Pie covered in flour, her mane even more messy than usual. Despite being worked to the bone by her guest, Pinkie exuded her usual upbeat optimism and gave a big, genuine smile, all whilst rushing a cup of tea to a polite and thankful Bonsai before falling in line with the rest of the clique. Her Majesty could not help but admire this resolve. “And Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness.” There. Maho stopped in her tracks in front of the yellow mare, who in spite of her growth in the past decade shrunk a bit upon the queen making eye contact with her, almost analyzing every inch of her, even into her soul. Maho took an unusual amount of interest in her, standing in silence for a solid fifteen seconds, sniffing the air around her, invading her personal space and generally weirding out both her and the rest of the girls. “Hm… Could it be? Is she…?” Maho summoned her claw and touched the face of the pegasus who inwardly recoiled. Thankfully, rather than snipping even so much as a hair off her body, it seemed to turn into a hands-on exam, the talons parting her lips and glancing at her teeth. A fang. Two in fact. Canines weren’t exactly rare amongst Equestrian ponies, but the particular shape of these pearly whites, coupled with a faint but distinct scent exuding from her coat and the shape of her hooves provided more than enough evidence to affirm whatever it was Maho was thinking. It was at this moment that Maho’s dull scowl curled into a huge and shockingly sweet smile, her eyes starry and ginormous. This was coupled with her scooping Fluttershy up in her arms and squeezing her in a big bear hug, nuzzling the poor confused mare whose face was currently being squashed by the oversized crown on Maho’s scalp. “OH AREN’T YOU JUST PRECIOUS!” This abrupt change in Maho’s tune caught just about everyone off guard, Twilight especially who had borne the brunt of her mockery. Fluttershy herself had absolutely no clue how to even respond to this and barely had time to process when a poof of magic dust accompanied a spark that separated the two mares. “Twilight, please. How could you forget your dearest friend of all?” “I didn’t, Discord. What are you doing?” “Sorry I had to intervene, but I couldn’t help but notice Fluttershy looking a little bit distressed there.” Maho’s scowl returned, glaring right in the unyielding iris of the creature that interrupted her and her new best friend. “Oh and dearest Mahogany! How are you doing, you old goat?” he said, giving the finger guns and clicking his tongue. Maho was unimpressed. “You do not have my blessing to call me that, Mish-Mash. Do so again and I may just pull each animal part off you and see how many of them can fill a zoo.” “Aw, don’t be like that, I thought we were friends! Besties, amigos, compadres-” He was sidelined as Maho walked past him to continue her ‘discussion’ with Fluttershy. “What was your name again?” she asked with an overly excited grin. “Um… Fluttershy…” “Ooooh even your name screams adorable! Everything about you, the soft coat, the cute smile, the bashful stature… Sequoia would love you!” This declaration stiffened Celestia’s, Luna’s, and Spruce’s nerves. After sharing a grimace with each other, Celestia rushed next to her parents. “Uh, mother? Can we please not do this? I don’t think-” “Nonsense, Tia! This one would be a perfect wife! Oooh, I can’t wait to see the foals, I’ll bet they’ll be so cute!!” Fluttershy’s yellow face turned a tomato red upon realizing what the queen was insinuating, hiding behind her wings. Twilight also turned red but for different reasons, which she made known. “Hey now! I take issue with you just up and assuming my friend would just… Marry someone she hasn’t even met! Without her permission.” Maho ignored Twilight entirely as she turned back to her husband. “Bonsai! Bonsai! She’s perfect! Isn’t she perfect?” The stallion took a sip from his still piping hot tea. “Indeed, she is beautiful dear. But perhaps it would be best if-” “Spruce dearest! Send a letter back home, tell the staff to prepare for a wedding at once and welcome a new bride! Ooh, this is going to be so grand!” “Mother…” Spruce wanted to protest, he really did. But before he had the chance, Twilight stormed past him in a fit of frustration. Luna made an effort to halt her advance before she did something she’d regret. Unfortunately, the oversized sleeves of her dress got in her way and she tumbled forward onto the stampeding alicorn, knocking her into Maho’s stoic husband. Bonsai himself was barely nudged from the impact. His drink however, which may as well have been lava at this point, was spilled onto the backside of Twilight’s dress. The molten stain caused a multitude of emotions to run through the princess, the pain taking priority and resulting in her screaming and doing her best Riverdance as she struggled to get the dress off. “Ahhh, gedditoffgedditoff!” As her friends rushed to her aid, Rarity in particular silently mourning her work, Maho stood alone in her hysterical laughter at Twilight’s expense. Those present had to hold her still in order to pry the heat-soaked dress off her flank, Applejack being the one to just rip it off. “Owowowow… Oof, thank you,” Twilight said, waving a hoof around her rear to cool it off. “No prob.” AJ spit the fabric out of her mouth, blowing on her own tongue which had been a casualty of the stain. “Sorry ‘bout the dress, Rares.” “Oh, it’s alright Darling. It can be replaced.” Twilight stood up, now minus one dress, and turned her attention back to Maho, who had stopped laughing by this point. She was about to protest the comments from earlier when she noticed… Maho’s confused but angry expression. “M-Maho, I don’t-” “Why do you have Her mark?...” For the second time, Twilight was caught off guard. “Um… What?” Maho stood silent for a moment before turning away from her. “...Nothing. Bonsai, let’s go find a courier, I’ll do it myself.” Twilight did not get the chance to lay into Maho before she was escorted into the halls by Bonsai, who glanced back to give the princess a faint smile, as if to say “Sorry about this…”. Starlight awkwardly stepped aside and allowed Maho to pass, not keen on being bulldozed. “Twilight, uh, I think I’m gonna go check up on the students. I’ll be back in a bit.” With that, she rushed out the doors of the room. There were so many questions. Twilight stood unsure how to proceed. Turning back to her mentor and her siblings, she saw them contemplating, as if telepathically discussing with each other. “So... Can I ask why you didn’t do anything to stop her?” Spruce sighed heavily, “It’s a complicated story, one best saved for another time.” “Ugh, this isn’t how things were supposed to go…” Starlight traveled into the room she was staying in and once out of earshot of the public, stood and placed her hooves to her face and just heavily sighed. “Hey, it isn’t all bad,” Sunburst encouraged, patting her back. “Nobody died and the students weren’t harmed, and whoever was hurt wasn’t hurt badly.” Taking another sigh, this time of relief, Starlight slouched, leaning against the shoulder of her friend before shooting back up in embarrassment upon realizing what she was doing. Both ponies blushed momentarily before Trixie, who was smirking rather conspicuously, cleared her throat and robbed Starlight of the chance of stammering. “So what happened back there?” asked the Great and Powerful inquisitor. “We got too caught up in the chaos, I heard that mare was, like, someone’s mother?” “Celestia and Luna’s. It would seem they were raised by vamponies.” “Vam… ponies? You mean like those cannibals in the folktales?” Trixie’s face scrunched up in a mix of disgust and unease. “I thought they were mythical, are you sure?” “That’s what she and the princesses claim, minus the cannibal part anyway. Though… Aside from the queen, the other two were actually quite nice. The prince healed Twilight’s head injury and certainly didn’t seem amused by his mother.” “Real vamponies, huh?” Sunburst pondered, rubbing his chin in fascination. “I’ve read a few epics surrounding their queen, how she conquered what is now known as Hollow Shade, about a millennium ago back when it was a bustling duchy. I didn’t expect her to be related to Celestia, let alone the one who raised her.” “It’s weird,” Starlight scratched her head, “She doesn’t at all resemble either Maho or Bonsai- uh, the dad. And neither she nor Luna act like their…” she looks around to make sure she’s not within earshot of the queen, “...crass mother. Though they didn’t really do much about her either.” Some hoofsteps made it known they were no longer alone, making their way into the room. First one in was Apple Bloom, followed by the remaining two members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Along with them was a familiar face Starlight had not expected to see again so soon, as she was met with a pink unicorn. “Sugar Belle? What are you doing here?” “Sorry for barging in like this. I was with Big Mac and the girls when that mare attacked Twilight. I saw you follow them, so I knew you were here and wanted to check up on you.” Starlight smiled. “Are you okay? Hopefully, none of you got hurt.” “Oh no, we’re fine. In fact, I saw someone we know there too. And that’s also part of why we’re here.” “Wait, someone else?” The door opened further as another guest walked in. “That would be me, Starlight Glimmer,” stated the aged unicorn as she adjusted her monocle. “Atha? What are you… Why are you here?” “Starlight, we need to talk, this is important.” Atha closed the door behind them, removing her jacket and running her hoof through her mane. The trio of school administrators exchanged a glance with each other, along with the equally unsure fillies and their guardian. “Starlight Glimmer, Sugar Belle, I know it’s been many years since you were studying under me, so I know I have no right to involve you in matters like this, but I’m rather desperate.” Starlight tilted her head. “What’s wrong?” “That mare, Queen Mahogany of Bloodmist? This is hardly the first time she’s caused a ruckus at the gala like this. Forty-five years prior to today, back when I was still somewhat wet behind the years in my service days, I witnessed her show up at the event. I won’t get into the details, but it ended with her killing a guard, a member of the nobility, and injuring a few others.” “Honestly, I’m not as surprised to hear this as much as I probably should be, it doesn’t really sound too far out of the realm of possibility.” “Look, she’s a liability and a danger to the public. The problem is until recently I didn’t really have the power to act. Now former Princess Celestia always insisted on handling her mother on her own, despite a pressing need to act.” Atha shook her head, sighing with disappointment. “It pains me to say it, but she’s enabling her to act this way. And it’s cost us quite a bit.” “That… That can’t be true,” Starlight said in defense of the beloved princess. “She’s far from perfect, I’ll admit. But she’s not that irresponsible.” “My point is,” Atha stated, ignoring Starlight’s defense. “There needs to be a check against this queen, and I need your help. Could I ask you to keep an eye on her? I have a feeling Princess Twilight Sparkle isn’t going to be as much of a pushover to just let her get away with her childish behavior, nor should she. She’s going to need the assistance of her friends to keep everyone safe.” Starlight wasn’t naive. There was no denying Maho’s recklessness did pose a hazard that could have major consequences if ignored. And there was no way she was going to approve of her just taking Fluttershy away either. “I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise anything significant.” “Um,” Sugar Belle chose this time to speak up, “Sorry if it’s out of line, but why are you asking Starlight specifically, Professor? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the guard keep watch? It’s just... Starlight and I have our own lives and obligations.” Atha removed her monocle and after exhaling onto the glass, began to clean it with a cloth. “As I said, I know I have no right to ask this. But between the new prisoners we have and the recent threats against us, we’ve been stretched pretty thin. I trained Starlight Glimmer in her magic, I know she’s strong and I know she’s smart. You have a luxury no soldier nor I have, in that you can observe Mahogany Bloodmist without arousing her ire.” “Prisoners?” Atha’s eyes widened for a moment, and she cleared her throat. “Oh. Uh, that was meant to be classified information. Disregard that comment.” Trixie crossed her arms with a frown. “You can’t just ask Starlight to put herself at risk and then withhold information from her like that.” “Trixie, it’s fi-” “Actually, I agree with Trixie,” Sunburst chimed in, standing in solidarity. “I get that you and Starlight are well acquainted, but this arrangement seems one-sided.” “Professor, with all due respect,” Sugar Belle added, “I don’t really like what you are asking.” Starlight, aiming to defuse this mess before it could escalate, stood to shield Atha from the vocal bombardment. “Woah, okay listen. I don’t think it’s really fair to put this kind of pressure on her when all she’s doing is asking us for help.” Taking a deep breath, she turned to face Atha. “Although… It would be good to know why this matters. If nothing else, then to understand the severity of it.” “Ms. Glimmer…” “It’s okay. I’m sure you can convince Twilight it was for a good reason. If you can’t tell me anything, it’s okay too.” Atha closed her eyes, resting her face against her hoof. After a long moment, she reached into her jacket pockets and pulled out a pipe. “Very well. I suppose you will probably just hear about this soon enough anyway.” She raised the pipe to her lips, and with a spark of her horn, ignited the tobacco. “I’m sure you all remember what happened last year when a certain draconequus gathered together a band of criminals who almost ended up usurping Equestria.” “Yes. Wait…” Starlight’s eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets. “You don’t mean…?” “Yes, they - by which I mean the statue entrapping them - have been locked up deep in the old mines of Canterlot Mountain. The very same that has been converted into a prison.” “But, why here? Wouldn’t it make more sense to, I don’t know, lock them up in Tartarus?” “No. I learned my lesson with Cozy Glow. We need to keep them locked under maximum security with a powerful protectorate near in case something goes south… Which could happen if ‘they’ get their hooves on them.” “They?-” “We’ve been getting wind of anonymous threats. Apparently, there are folks out there who take issue with imprisoning a filly in stone. This is completely ignoring the fact that this very filly, along with two other miscreants, almost doomed Equestria. Some people… Anyway, if these kinds of individuals are stooping to threats, I shudder to imagine what they’d do if they ever got a hold of the statue. So I’ve moved it here and placed it deep in the new prison with some advanced security measures. Only time will tell if it’s enough and if these threats will die down, but I prefer to leave nothing to chance.” “So what does this have to do with Maho?” “As I said, she’s a liability. I’m worried about her doing something stupid and compromising our security. Of course, that’s far from the only reason, but I’m willing to put aside my personal grudges for the sake of public security. I will not force you or your friends here into anything, I merely ask a favor. I understand if you decline to partake.” Starlight closed her eyes, still absorbing this onslaught of info. After sitting in silence for long enough, she scanned the room to try and read the thoughts of her friends. Trixie, Sunburst, Sugar Belle, they all had futures of their own. Perhaps it wasn’t right for her to ask them to put them on the line, but maybe they didn’t have to. After all, this was merely a favor her former mentor was asking. “Listen, Professor. I’d like to get back to you on this, I need to think about it. You make a compelling argument and tonight… well, certainly backs up a lot of it. But I can’t promise anything and I certainly won’t do anything that leads to violence.” Atha took this answer in stride, almost expecting it. She nodded and smiled as she turned to the door. “Do as you need, having another pair of eyes will make things much easier on us all. I must settle some affairs, take care of yourselves. Oh, and Sugar Belle? Congratulations on your marriage.” With that Atha exited the room, leaving only the sweet smell of smoke from the pipe lingering. “So…” Trixie said breaking the silence that also lingered. “Now what?” Starlight sighed. “Maybe we should go check up on Twilight.” “We aren’t seriously letting this happen, are we?!” Applejack half-shouted. “Of course not!” Rainbow Dash full-shouted. “Who does that clod think she is, barging in and bossing us around! And then deciding Fluttershy is some bride to be given away!” “Agreed, darling. We shall not let this stand,” Rarity affirmed. “The question is, what do we do? What can we do?” “We’ve gotta do something!” Pinkie asserted whilst brushing the flour out of her mane. “Fluttershy doesn’t deserve this! She has a choice in her life, and that big meanie pants wants to take it away!” “Relax, girls,” Fluttershy said, desperately trying to calm her friends, “Let’s not be too hasty. Perhaps this is, erm, just a misunderstanding. Besides, we shouldn’t make this harder than it needs to be for Twilight.” As if on cue, Twilight emerged from the dining hall doors, looking physically and emotionally drained. Whilst her friends had been out here, she had been trying her best to negotiate with the prince. Judging by her haggard face, she had not been left with many options. “Twilight? Is everything okay?” Fluttershy said, patting her friend’s back. “Well, I have a solution to this, but…” The doors opened again with Spike and Spruce joining the clique. “Twilight, you should get some rest, we can talk about it in the morning,” Spike suggested, tugging on her tail. “Besides, even with that spell, your head can’t be feeling good.” “I don’t know Spike…” Twilight rubbed the injured side of her face. “I still have a responsibility as a princess, if nothing else than to make sure everyone is alright.” “Darling, you go ahead to bed, we’ll take care of the Gala for the rest of the night. Though if I may ask, what is going to happen with the queen?” “Celestia and Luna are going to keep Mother from getting into any more trouble,” Spruce affirmed. “I feel as long as my sisters are around her, she’ll behave herself.” “Even still…” Twilight trailed off as she became woozy from exhaustion. “It’s okay Twilight.” Spike smiled confidently. “I’ll fill in for you. Don’t worry, as your number one assistant I can handle it.” “But…” A fluffy blanket and sleeping mask suddenly appeared on the flustered alicorn with a flash of light, accompanied by a snap of fingers. Discord descended just as quickly with an impatient scowl, his claws on his hips. “Honestly Twilight. You’d think after all you’ve been through together, you’d have more faith in your friends. We’ve got this, just go to sleep.” Exhaling in defeat, Twilight slid the sleeping mask off her eyes with a hoof. “Alright. We’ll talk about this over breakfast… Thank you, everyone. I know I can count on you, it’s just been a long day.” Fluttershy gently steered Twilight down the hall. “I’ll take you to your bed.” After playing seeing-eye dog to Twilight, the yellow pegasus navigated her wobbling friend to her bed chambers. Melting into the bed after a rough and stressful day, Twilight’s eyes shut the instant her head softly hit the pillow. Fluttershy tucked her in with a smile and after making sure the lights were off and the canopy of the bed enshrouded the princess in their comforting darkness, she left the room. Once the door was shut as softly as possible, she let out an audible exhale of her own. “This was certainly an eventful day, wasn’t it?” Discord, rubbing his temples and noticeably irritated, had been waiting for Shy outside the door. “Maybe you should rest too, Discord. You’ve had that headache for a while now.” “It’s fine, nothing to be concerned with.” “Discord…” The two proceeded with walking down the halls once Discord popped his neck, louder than intended. “The immortal lord of chaos can handle a little migraine once in a while.” Fluttershy’s disappointed gaze was proof enough she wasn’t convinced, but what was she gonna do? What could she even do? “So… I noticed earlier you seem to know Queen Mahogany? She didn’t seem too thrilled to see you. I’m curious, could you tell me what your history is?” “Hm? Oh, well, I’m afraid I don’t really remember much that far back. Even before I got turned into stone.” His claw went from rubbing his head to scratching it, reaching as far back into his archive of memories as his brain would allow him. “I only really remember visiting this one time Tia and Lulu were teenagers, and even then my only memories of Maho are me pranking her. Heh, that mare needs a sense of humor. Well, a better one.” “Yeah, I’m not sure I can disagree with that.” “Hm… Still…” Prodding deeper into his thoughts only resulted in more twinges of pain. “Gah!” “It’s okay, you don’t have to push yourself.” Discord, rubbing his temples like he was trying to summon a genie, grumbled as he leaned against the wall. “Grr, ever since that tiff with Sombra last year, my head’s been getting foggier and foggier.” “Sombra?” Fluttershy said with a head tilt and an eyebrow raise. “Wasn’t that part of your plan to inspire Twilight?” Discord winced not just from the present pain but from the past shame as well. “Sort of.” “Sort of? Discord please, I’m your friend, you don’t have to hide things from me.” “I really don’t feel like talking about it toni-” Discord’s excuse trailed off as the hurt and concern on his best friend’s face flooded his view. Even the lord of chaos wasn’t immune to the almighty puppy dog eyes. He took a deep breath and exhaled his reservations. “Alright. Alright, okay. I’m sorry.” Fluttershy’s smile returned, which in turn made him smile. (Why am I even hiding this anyway?) “That battle with Sombra in this very castle? Do you remember when he tried to attack you? And how I said I faked my injury after protecting you, inspiring you and your friends to defeat him? Well… It wasn’t entirely fake.” “What do you mean?” Fluttershy said quizzically. “What I said was true, but the attack did hurt me. Being, well, immortal doesn’t mean I can’t get injured. Ultimately, it didn’t do any real damage, but ever since then, I’ve been experiencing some… weird stuff, to put it mildly.” “Like the migraines? Oh dear, have they been going on that long?” “Yeah. My own fault really, but they’ve been getting worse lately and when they happen…” Discord paused as if to decide his next choice of words. “When they happen I hear voices. One specific voice telling me things, but a lot of the times they’re muffled and… I can’t really understand it.” Fluttershy’s eyes shifted about. This hadn’t been what she was expecting to hear. “...Y’know, now that I think about it more, I wonder if that dream is related.” “What dream?” Fluttershy inquired, shifting her full attention back to Discord. “Wait, was it that dream Luna was talking about?” Discord sighed, the fatigue was starting to set in. “Sometime after that fiasco with Cozy Glow at the school, I started having this weird dream. I find myself in this dark foggy town, no sun and no moon in the sky. Just black. I hear a deep voice calling out to me. The town is deserted, abandoned and desolate, the only landmark is a well in the plaza where the voice is calling. In the dream, I always look down the well and climb into it. When I hit the deep bottom, it’s just black and all I see is a faint glow in the distance. I walk towards it and then I wake up… I’m in front of the Tree of Harmony, or at least what remains of it.” “I… I’ll be honest, I don’t really know what to do with this knowledge. I certainly wasn’t expecting…” “Yes, well. That’s all there is to it. I don’t know what any of it means. Could mean something or it could be nonsense. Either way, I’m too tired to think about it tonight.” Discord snapped his fingers and a fuzzy pajama onesie with a matching sleeping cap appeared on him, along with a pillow under his arm. “Thank you for listening, Fluttershy. I think I changed my mind, I’m going to take your advice and get some rest. If you need anything…” He snapped his fingers again and materialized a small brass bell which he proceeded to give to the pegasus. “Just ring this bell and I’ll be right there.” Fluttershy smiled warmly. “Get some rest, okay?” Discord, for the last time, snapped his fingers and disappeared into the aether. Or his bedroom, probably one and the same. Fluttershy left holding the bell which was swiftly tucked away into the pocket of her dress (thank you Rarity), feeling no less concerned after talking to Discord than she did before learning what was bothering him. Maybe this wasn’t going to be as simple as she thought; first the queen and now this. “You’re not acting like yourself, Discord…” The next morning at breakfast, Twilight trudged her way into the dining hall, body aching and head pounding. Even with a solid ten hours of sleep, the bags under her eyes were highly noticeable. This was a stark contrast to her friends, who had the luxury of not being kicked in the face the previous night and were as peppy and alert as ever. Even if the gala evening was still on their minds, they at least made an attempt to look like nothing was wrong. The students of the school as well as the CMC carried on with not much worry either, though one would be forgiven if they saw no hint of the concern either. Seated next to Apple Bloom was Sugar Belle, herself flanked by her husband. Finally, on the end of the table directly across from Twilight sat Spruce, between Luna and Celestia. He remained stoic as he quietly yet contentedly ate his meal with a much more acceptable amount of table manners than his mother. Next to them conspicuously lay two empty chairs, for whom Twilight could only imagine. Twilight sat herself down at the round table and slumped in exhaustion. Though the plate of pancakes looked quite delicious, her appetite just wasn’t there. In spite of this, she tried her best to get her belly marginally full, if just to avoid hunger pangs throughout the day. “Good morning, Twi,” Spike happily greeted. “Slept well last night?” The princess only gave an empty grumpy stare as she took a small mouthful of confection. Spike took the hint and asked the servants to fetch her some painkillers. Wait, no. A bottle of painkillers. That would be a better choice for the day. The servant did not make it two steps before he bumped into Discord and burned his eyes with one look at the nurse’s outfit the spirit was wearing as he carried a tray with a single bottle of pills. As the servant ran off to find some eye-bleach, Discord set the bottle down next to Twilight’s glass of milk. “Just for you, your highness,” Discord said with a stupid grin. Twilight rolled her eyes before popping the bottle open and swallowing two tablets, recapping the container and stashing it for later. After snapping his fingers and removing his totally-not-at-all revealing outfit, he sat next to Fluttershy who found his antics amusing. She was the only one who did. “So…” Twilight started speaking, her deadpan voice laced with frustration already. “Where’s the queen? I figured she’d be here already.” “Mother should be along shortly,” Luna stated. “She’s never on time for breakfast.” “Not exactly a morning person,” Celestia chuckled. “Sunlight isn’t exactly commonplace back home, what with fog and clouds.” Celestia giggled awkwardly as she stated this, perhaps attempting to lighten the mood some. Twilight, for all the respect and adoration she held for her life teacher, could not muster more than a small curl of her lips to humor her. “Ah… So, anyway. How did the gala go last night? Hope it wasn’t too much of a mess after I left.” Spike perked up. “Oh, it went swimmingly actually. Once everyone calmed down and we explained everything, it was pretty cool.” Spike took a spoonful of his cereal, a bowl of gems in milk. “It’s too bad you had you crashed early though, Shining Armor and Cadance came to visit and they brought Flurry.” Twilight’s heart sank into her belly, further reducing her appetite. “They came by?” “Sorry Twi, we wanted you to rest. Shiny understood once I told him everything.” Twi slouched onto the table and buried her face in her hooves, an action preceded by pushing her breakfast away. “Ugh, my head hurts again…” It was here a hoof reached out from beside her, comforting her and gently hugging her. Twi looked up, the bags in her eyes growing less heavy as she cracked a genuine smile upon seeing her brother. “I know we couldn’t see each other last night, but I’m not leaving without saying hello at least.” “Shiny… I am so glad to see you, you would not believe the night I had.” “I can imagine. Sounds rough.” Twilight shifted in her seat to face him. “Can I see Flurry?” Shiny adopted a look of discomfort. “Uh… Yeah, it’s just…” Giggly baby noises echoed from the door. The baby in question was being held in the arms of the queen, herself riding atop her husband’s back as he was escorted into the room by Cadance. Maho, quite enraptured by the adorable alicorn filly, was occupying Flurry’s full attention, focused on her Whammy in one of her claws - with Maho making it talk - while the foal herself was comfortably secured in her other. “Oh aren’t you just so precious!” Maho doted on the child with a warm, motherly tone not seen the previous night. “What did you say her name was again, Mrs. Amore?” “Flurry Heart, your majesty,” Cadance responded, a tad flustered but otherwise content. Maho, letting out many more giddy giggles, continued to play with Flurry as she jumped off Bonsai, the child firmly secured in her arm during the descent. “She’s a beautiful little girl. Raise her with love and joy for me, please.” Maho gently handed the baby back to her mother and patted her widdle head as she placed her Whammy in her widdle hooves. She made her way to the breakfast tables, Bonsai in tow, stopping by the table the CMC were seated at. “Oh hello there, I believe we met last night,” Maho leaned in with a smile, adjusting Apple Bloom’s bow with her claw. “Are you girls doing okay this morn?” “Yes ma’am!” Apple Bloom affirmed, smiling. “Thank you for asking.” “I’m glad. Let’s have a great day now, okay?” Maho continued to the spot saved at the big table with her husband. Twi was left a tad slackjawed as she watched this attitude change from what she experienced before. The kids, showing no sign of distress or discomfort on their end, appear to have met the queen while she was asleep, and judging by their smiles and lack of awkwardness, it seems Maho did not show them the same treatment she had received. If nothing else, it seemed at least children were safe in her presence. Cadance walked up to Twilight and allowed the best aunt ever to nuzzle and say hello to her favorite niece. This was good, A morale boost was so desperately needed for what was going to come. After a hug and a kiss, she let Flurry go back to Cadance and turned her body back to the table, watching Maho and Bonsai be seated by their daughters. “Thank you, dears. This plate looks tasty.” Maho licked her lips and rubbed her now clawless hooves together as she analyzed the enormous stack of waffles and fruit before her, topped with cream and drizzled with chocolate. Bonsai’s plate was much more modest, a simple banana crepe with a cup of tea. “Right then.” Spruce placed his utensils down and clasped his hooves. “I feel it’s best to address the elephant in the room sooner rather than later.” The prince now had everyone’s attention, including his mother’s whose tongue was glued to the first forkful of her feast. “Alright,” Twilight begrudgingly said. “Let’s get this out of the way.” “Son? Purple?” Maho’s eyes darted between them in confusion. “What is this about?” “Mother, you can’t just decide to take ponies and marry them into the family like this, not without permission.” Maho rolled her eyes and bit into the pastry, making a satisfying crispy crunch as she did. “Son, you know our policy,” she said while chewing. “Plus I’ve already sent the letter to Cypress and I’m sure he’s probably told the family by now, it would disappoint everyone.” She paused a moment to swallow. “You know how much Hawthorne loves making wedding cakes.” “But you can’t just decide Fluttershy is going back with you,” Twilight sat up, raising her voice a few decibels. “Besides being one of my best friends, she’s also a co-leader of Equestria, her leaving would be kind of a big deal. Regardless of your stupid policy, I can’t just allow-” “Stupid?” Maho balked. She put down her utensils - honestly given her table manners last night, it’s surprising she used them in the first place - and leaned her elbow on the table. “Listen here, Purple, I’m sure you are just the best of friends and I can respect that. However, you will not call my desire to bring safety upon my fellow kin ‘stupid’. As I’m sure you probably don’t know, there are many vamponies out there and it is my duty to bring them sanctuary.” “Um…” Fluttershy spoke up. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but I need some explanation here. Policy? Kin? You’re not… talking about me are you?” Maho smiled in her direction. “Don’t worry your pretty head, deary. It’s nothing to worry over.” “Mother,” Spruce interjected, “this is not the ideal way to reopen relations with Equestria.” “Oh, I agree. It’s just that I’m a tad miffed because this purple poser - who’s taking over my daughter’s job, by the way - just described our land’s mission statement as a ‘stupid policy’. Not very diplomatic if you ask me.” Maho shot Twilight a smug grin, challenging her to rebuttal. “Yes, because kicking her in the face is so much more professional,” Twilight coldly stated, her eye twitching from the audacity. “Learn to move your head out the way next time, Purple.” “Or maybe you should deflate yours.” “OR! Or…” Spruce held up his hooves to encourage a ceasefire. Maho’s snide cackle did little to cool the fire brewing in Twilight’s eyes, though she held her peace. This was obvious bait and there was no use biting down on it further. “Or… How about this. Mother, you are rather intent on bringing Ms. Fluttershy back home. And while I’m sure she is a lovely lady that Sequoia would be rather happy with, I can’t allow you to just force it.” “Spruce, I’m the queen. I-” “Now hold on, Mother, let me finish.” Looking over at his sisters, gaining their nods of approval. “Twilight, I think it would be beneficial to everyone for you to visit our homeland of Bloodmist so that you may gain a better understanding of us and what we can offer. I hate for your judgment of us to be tainted by our queen’s remarkably poor diplomacy.” After taking slight schadenfreude in Maho’s huffy eye roll, Twilight performed her calming technique, exhaling and extending her hoof from her chest. “I believe that would be a good idea. A gesture of goodwill, being invited to your kingdom. I’m curious to see where Celestia and Luna grew up.” “You can’t come,” Maho shot with a bluntness that Twilight honestly shouldn’t have been surprised about at this point. Her deadpan stoneface soon shifted, however, as she did her gaze from Twilight to Fluttershy. “But I’d like the yellow one to come meet her future husband. “Actually, Mother,” Celestia stood up from her chair, taking empty dishes and handing them to the servant. “I think everyone should come. After all, Twilight is not the only ruler now.” Twilight looked around, curious to see her friends’ opinion on this suggestion. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, but what do you guys think? I won’t force you to come, I know you guys have other responsibilities.” “I have no objections,” Rarity responded. “I don’t have any orders right now, and I’m interested in doing a little traveling.” “Ah can probably hire some help ‘ta look after the farm,” Applejack pondered. “You bet I’m goin’.” Rainbow Dash quipped. “No way I’m letting Fluttershy go alone.” Fluttershy herself smiled and giggled. “I guess if I don’t have to go alone, I’m okay with it.” Twilight glanced at Pinkie Pie. “What about you? Are you coming?” “As long as I don’t have to bake a dozen more dishes,” Pinkie smiled sheepishly. “Oooh, I wonder if Cheese’ll wanna come!” Maho scowled at the chatter and rested her head on her hoof, propped up by the elbow. “Suuure, why not? Turn this into a big ol’ shindig. Invite your friends, invite your family! Let’s all go straight into the big valley closed off to outsiders, that’ll end well.” “Lighten up, dear,” Bonsai gently stated as he planted a kiss on her cheek. “It may be time to talk about opening up the kingdom with this change of the guard. It may help the population if travel were less restricted.” “Hm…” Maho rubbed her chin, thinking of the implications presented to her. A bit of silence later, she grinned and rubbed her hooves together. “Perhaps you’re right. And maybe seeing her new home first will make the yellow one more comfortable.” After clearing her throat and pushing aside her dishes, she popped her neck and stood up. “Very well, as Queen of House Bloodmist, I grant you permission to come into the homeland. Under the condition that the yellow one meets my son to discuss the engagement.” Twilight growled. “Listen, I’m not going to let my friend be some pawn in a political marriage against her wi-” “I’ll do it.” Fluttershy’s affirmation sent a wave of panic through Twilight’s blood. “I’ll agree to meet him, and we’ll decide what happens from there.” Maho’s sweet smile returned with a vengeance. “Wonderful! I’ll make arrangements immediately, we can leave once you all are ready. Sprucie, dear, I’ll leave you to finish this. Bonsai? would you be a dear and accompany me for a little morning stroll in the gardens?” Bonsai kissed her hoof. “Would be my pleasure, my love.” Before Twilight had even a second to protest, Maho strutted her way out the dining room doors, content as could be with her husband tailing close behind. Dumbfounded, Twilight turned to Fluttershy, jaw open but no words coming forth. Looking for help, she glanced at the next table over, to Starlight who had been observing this whole thing unfold. She merely gave a confused shrug. Once she found the resolve to close her jaw, she sat back down and opened the bottle of painkillers again, taking two more tablets. “I’m gonna need more of these today…” “That mare is certainly something.” The power couple of Bloodmist stood amongst the comforting bloom of the castle gardens, encased by the aroma of flowers as they gazed upon the view of Canterlot City. “Yes, my love,” Bonsai said in his serene zen as he extended his bat-like wing to allow a robin to land on the edge. “I say she is a worthy successor to our darling angels. Her and her friends.” “Please, the purple one cracks too easily under pressure.” Maho leaned forward onto the guardrails of the terrace. She removed her crown and placed it on the well-manicured grass, popping her neck audibly before resting her chin on her hoof. “The child is far too inexperienced.” “Perhaps, but she seems to mean well, as do her friends. I trust they will perform admirably, just as much as Tia and Lulu.” “Yeah, well. They could do with a bit of character building. The yellow one, however, would make a fine addition to the family.” Bonsai brushed his conical hat back so that it rested behind his neck, allowing his long wavy mane to be swept by the wind. “Yes, about her. My love, I understand your desire but do you truly think that’s wise? She seems to have a place here and it may not be ideal to uproot their way of life just because of your promise. Perhaps it may be worth making an exception just this once?” “Bonsai,” Maho turned to face her husband, “You know as well as I do it’s for her own good. If the truth of her were to get out there, then she will be a target. I do not doubt they can hold their own, but the dangers out there are far beyond their capabilities.” “My love, they gave us back our Lulu, freed her from her darkness. Perhaps we should return the favor.” “Bonsai, dear. Please. I need you to have my back as you always do.” The pegasus nodded solemnly. “Very well. I shall trust your judgment as always.” Maho took a deep drawn-out breath, sitting with her husband as she exhaled. Her presence next to him caused the birds and butterflies to disperse. “Thank you.” Bonsai used his wing to wrap around her, pulling her close in a loving embrace which he matched with a smooch to the forehead. This brought a genuine smile to her lips and a blush to her cheeks. “Still, I do not understand why you seem keen on antagonizing Ms. Sparkle.” Just as quick as it came, the smile vanished, replaced with an annoyed scowl. Not at her husband for bringing it up, but directed back at the castle. “Being miserable builds character and she needs such a thing to be strong.” “My love…” Letting out a sigh, Maho rested her head against his body. “Oh, I don’t know. She’s just so… naive. She’s too green, I guess. And that mark…” Bonsai raised an eyebrow. “Mark? Cutie mark I assume?” “Yes… Her mark.” “Do you mean… I see.” “I don’t know why she has that mark. Just the sight of it on her rump just… stirs something in me, makes me boil. Her of all people…” “Do not dwell on it, my love. It is not her fault.” “Perhaps… but with her mark, the yellow one, and Discord here in one place? And with all the stuff that’s been going on lately… It’s too perfect to be a coincidence. Something more is going on. I want answers.” Maho broke away from the embrace and elected to stand by the edge of the terrace. Grabbing her oversized crown, she returned it to its cranial throne and looked off into the distance. Princess Twilight Sparkle… Just who ARE you?