Rarity had to admit, the new tunnel system that Sundial had led them into was quite the marvel. The pathway was generally smooth and straight, seemingly well-maintained, and well-lit by electric lanterns that hung from sturdy support beams at regular intervals. An electrical wire through the lanterns kept them powered and ran all the way through to the entrance. It was warm and dry inside, and not at all as musty as a tunnel complex like this should have been. If anything, Rarity was certain she detected a pleasant, earthy aroma in the air, though she couldn’t quite place where she recognized it from.
The group had traveled through the tunnels until nightfall—Sundial could tell what time it was without even looking at her Timekeeper even though they were underground—at which point they made camp at a large diversion in the tunnel path midway between the entrance and Goldridge, which was specifically made as a comfortable rest stop. At their rate of travel, the group could set back out in the morning and arrive in Goldridge itself before dinnertime, which Sundial was insistent they didn’t miss, as Pewter’s cooking was supposedly amazing and well worth the effort. Rarity remembered that being the case before.
So, naturally, the group was in the highest spirits yet later the following afternoon, with only an hour or so to go before they arrived at their destination. Nopony wanted to stop, not when they were this close, not when there was a prospective home-cooked meal and real beds to look forward to. The pace was quick and yet there wasn’t a single complaint, gripe, or moan. The worst it got was some heavy breathing from the less hardy members of the group—Rarity at first, then eventually Bluebolt and Flurry as well—as they pushed themselves to keep up with Sundial.
An hour or so before dinnertime, the group arrived in a large, cavernous chamber, well-lit not with electrical lights but by a natural glow emitted by bioluminescent fungus that coated nearly every wall and most of the ceiling.
Rarity eyed the sight—somehow beautiful and repugnant at the same time—with just the slightest twinge of familiarity in the back of her mind, not from her last visit to this world—this tunnel hadn’t existed then—but from her own. She was fairly certain, no, positive that the eerie glow was reminiscent of—
Her thoughts were interrupted when, to the surprise of the group, two young creatures—they appeared young, at any rate—ran across the pathway that Sundial was leading them along, laughing and jumping to and fro like children at play. They were quadrupedal, with black, chitinous hides, insect-like eyes and wings, tiny barbed horns sprouting from their foreheads, and odd chips and holes in their limbs. One was male, the other female, judging from their eyes and body shapes.
Now Rarity was absolutely certain she knew where she recognized the eerie glowing from: the old changeling hive, from before they reformed. “Ch-changelings?” she blurted in surprise, pointing at the two young creatures.
The changelings, who had been clearly playing a game of tag or merely chasing one another for fun, jumped in surprise at the sudden sound of her voice. They eyed the large group that stood before them, their expressions and body language anxious, as if waiting for something terrible to happen. Nothing did, of course, as most of the group just stared at them in shock.
Then, without a word, they darted down along a different path and into the darkness where the natural light did not carry so well, out of sight within seconds.
Sundial chuckled and gave Rarity a teasing look. “Och, I think ye scared them, lass.”
“Me? I scared them?” Rarity scoffed, anxiously looking about for more of the creatures. “I think they scared me more, to be honest.”
“Aye. They’re not used ta strangers down here in the tunnels, especially not at this time o’ year. I’m usually the only pony crazy enough ta even travel in the winter, and ta be honest most o’ the younger ones don’t know me well enough yet ta recognize me on sight alone. They definitely wouldn’t recognize any o’ you lot.”
“Y’all talk like ya know 'em,” Bloom said, stepping up alongside Rarity protectively. “Are they friendly? 'Cause we used ta have changelings back home that weren’t real nice at first, an’ they looked just like that. Y’know, all dark 'n' pointy lookin’?”
“Really? What do the ‘nice’ ones look like then?” Bluebolt asked.
“A lot more colorful, kind o’ like ponies, an’ their legs didn’t look all full o’ holes like swiss cheese.”
“Darling, you never told us that your world had changelings these days,” Rarity said to Sundial, a little terse. “A little warning would have been nice, hmm?”
Sundial raised an eyebrow. “Warning? What for? They’re not dangerous. They’re mostly all wee ones, not a one o’ them even as old as Flurry Heart over there. They’re not like the kirin who just came out o’ hiding one day but had apparently been there for much longer, aye? They only recently started being born.”
“Really? Well that’s… interesting. Born to whom?”
“That would be to me, little pony,” came a clicking, reverberating voice from the darkness.
Everypony except for Sundial, Venture, and Weaver immediately backed up against the wall in fearful surprise. Symphony in particular drew her broken sword and put herself in front of Bluebolt. Sundial just watched the others move with a confident smirk on her face, clearly amused. Venture seemed oddly excited and not at all worried or afraid, barely able to contain herself from bouncing in place. Weaver, of course, just looked off into the darkness with keen interest, quiet and stoic as usual, as if he’d already noticed the source of the voice.
From the darkness stepped a much larger creature, mostly similar in appearance to the earlier pair of changelings, though with a reddish tint to her chitinous hide and more elongated limbs, rather like an alicorn. She had a short, straight mane, reddish-pink in color and made of a membranous substance, which hung just off to the side of her face. Her horn was long and jutted out at strange angles, ending in a razor-sharp tip. Her wings were larger and more powerful, like those of a dragonfly. Her forelegs ended in sharp points that pierced the rocky floor with every step. At the sides of her mouth were mandible-like protrusions, which explained the clicking in her voice.
Most strikingly, she did not have a hair-like tail as the younger changelings did. Hers was longer, solid, and ended with a barbed, scorpionesque stinger.
The two young changelings from before huddled behind this larger changeling for protection, looking out at the ponies with a great deal of anxiety and fear. Sundial’s assessment had been correct: Rarity had scared them.
Rarity, Apple Bloom, and Flurry Heart were rather instantly reminded of Queen Chrysalis, though this changeling was perhaps even more intimidating because of the many sharp, piercing points her body had. She took another brief step towards the collection of ponies, showing off her two rows of sharp teeth that looked like they could tear flesh apart with ease. Her horn glowed with a sinister black aura.
She let out a low, growling hiss towards the group as she poised herself to strike—
Then, she stopped instantly when she noticed Sundial, her expression lightening into a pleasant smile, and even the darkness in the air around her seemed to vanish in an instant. “Oh! Sundial! I didn’t know it was you. I was worried we had intruders. My two darlings here know better than to play so far from the hive.”
The two young changelings looked a little embarrassed at the accusation.
“It’s quite alright, Yer Majesty, you were just being cautious,” Sundial said with her professional, polite demeanor. “Sorry if we scared yer wee ones, aye? I wasn’t expecting ta be traveling with such a big group this year and I didn’t exactly warn them about ye.”
“It’s quite alright, there was no harm done, my friend.” The changeling queen then looked amongst the group, and gasped the moment she saw Venture standing there expectantly. “Venture! By the stars above, it has been far too long since I have seen you. What are you doing here?”
Sundial blinked and stared at Venture, visibly and astoundingly confused. “What.”
Venture casually walked up to the queen and gave her a big hug—as best as she could despite their size difference—as though they were the best of friends. “Aculeata! It’s so good to see you again! Sorry I haven’t checked in with you in so long, but I’ve been awfully busy, y’know?”
The queen—Aculeata, apparently—grinned knowingly. “As usual.”
“So, how have you been? Is your brood getting bigger like you hoped it would?”
“I’ve been quite well, friend, thank you. And yes, my brood has grown in size quite substantially since I last saw you. Let’s see… ah, I believe I have laid five or so clutches since our last meeting, roughly sixty young ones. Oh!” She gestured to the young changelings huddled by her hindlegs. “These two lovelies were hatched in the first clutch after you left.”
Venture looked to the two young changelings with a sweet, pleasant smile. “Aww, and what are your names, cuties?” she cooed.
The two young changelings shared brief glances at one another, but seeing that Aculeata wasn’t afraid of this mare, they clearly figured they didn’t need to be either. The male spoke first, though he was quiet and shy. “I’m Chitin, miss…”
“And I’m Alata,” said the female, a little bolder than the male.
“They’re adorable,” Venture said with a little squee. “I’m so happy for you, Aculeata. May I… hug them?”
Aculeata smiled and nodded, then bent down and spoke softly to the two. “She is a friend, don’t be shy.”
Alata moved forward first, and Venture gave the little female changeling a ginger, friendly hug. Alata’s horn lit up with a dull, pink glow while locked in the embrace, and her mouth broke out into a little smile. Seeing his sister so elated, Chitin moved forward and tried to join in. Venture warmly opened the hug to let him participate, and his horn glowed the same as Alata’s.
“Oh my goodness, they’re so cute,” Venture said as she let the two go.
“I can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done, my friend,” Aculeata said with a smile. She turned to the two young changelings and gestured off into the caverns below. “Go on, loves, you may continue playing. Just remember not to stray far from the hive this time, okay?”
“Yes, mom,” the two said in unison. They headed off into the cave, but not before giving brief looks towards the group as they were leaving, and little smiles towards Venture.
“You’re doing wonderfully as a mother,” Venture said patting Aculeata’s hoof tenderly. “You should be proud.”
Sundial shook her head in disbelief. “Alright, that’s it, hold on one bloody minute!” She pointed at Venture angrily, her eyebrow starting to twitch. “Ye mean ta say ye know her? How? When? I’ve never seen ye before we met in that damned cave, and Tick Tock never mentioned ye before, so ye can’t have ever come ta Goldridge as far as I know.”
Venture tilted her head. “Oh, I knew Aculeata from before she came here to Goldridge, duh. I actually told her all about your little settlement here so that she might have a safe place to raise her ever-growing family. I mean, I’d only heard about Goldridge before, but the stories made it sound just perfect, even if I’d never been! This is my first time here.”
“Aye, is that so? She came here some a wee bit over ten years ago, around the same time I took over for Tick Tock, so ye’re saying ye knew her before that?” Sundial scoffed. “Ye don’t look a day over twenty, lass, so ye can’t possible have known her that long.”
“Oh? Well… thank you, I guess? I mean, I do try to take care of myself,” Venture said with a polite smile. “I’m older than that, though. Actually, I’m closer to thirty than I am to twenty. I do appreciate the compliment, though, that’s a very nice thing to say to somepony.”
Queen Aculeata smiled at Sundial before the latter could go off on another rant. “She is telling the truth, Sundial. I owe Venture a great debt of gratitude for helping me and my family, and she is a dear friend to me. We met when she got lost in my old hive, shortly after I laid my first clutch.”
Sundial, clearly disarmed by the queen’s calmness, took a breath. “Well… if ye say so, I won’t question it. Ye’d have no reason ta be making stuff up, Yer Majesty, not ta me at any rate.”
“See? We’re all friends here,” Venture said with a pleasant grin.
Sundial grunted and shook her head. “But we’re getting ahead o’ ourselves, aye? Ye haven’t met any o’ my other companions, have ye, Yer Majesty? I mean, I certainly don’t think ye have, but apparently I could be wrong.”
Aculeata turned towards the rest of the group, still smiling. Her pleasantness was definitely disarming—comforting, perhaps—to Rarity’s nerves. “Forgive my rudeness, friends. I have not yet introduced myself properly, which I understand to be poor manners. I am Queen Aculeata, leader and mother of all changelings. How do you do?”
Rarity, who had finally collected herself after this whole display, cleared her throat to speak first. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. My name is Rarity.”
Aculeata offered her hoof politely. “The pleasure is mine, Rarity.”
Rarity hesitated for only an instant before taking Aculeata’s hoof and giving it a dainty shake. To her surprise, the queen’s hoof was hard and smooth like polished stone, not at all unpleasant to the touch.
Introductions went down the line, and once everypony was acquainted with the changeling queen, the tension that had once been in the air was immediately released.
“This is my first time meeting any changelings before,” Bluebolt said excitedly. “Sundial says your kind can shapeshift. Is that true, Your Majesty?”
Aculeata nodded. “Of course. Would you like to see?”
“Yes, please!”
Aculeata then stood tall and closed her eyes to focus. Her body shimmered with a crackling red glow, and with a brief flash, her body changed instantly and completely.
Before them now stood a stunningly gorgeous earth pony mare with a golden yellow coat and a long, flowing, silver mane. Her cutie mark was a sparkling red heart. She was, of course, nude.
“Ta da!” Aculeata said, her voice perfectly normal in this form, and rather sultry at that. “Is this satisfactory?”
Bluebolt and Symphony gawked at the mare standing before them, the former’s wings slightly rigid. “W-wow,” Symphony muttered, dumbstruck. “You’re… beautiful…”
“Oh, why thank you,” Aculeata said with a nod and a perfect, gleaming smile. “I take it that you appreciate this form as well, Princess?” she added, turning to Bluebolt.
Bluebolt blushed and nodded. “Y-yeah, you’re like a supermodel. Holy smokes, uh… yeah. Yeah, it’s very… nice.”
Aculeata smiled again, then shifted her form slightly to grow a pair of luscious wings. “This is my ‘neutral’ form, so to speak, the one I use when interacting normally with ponies that live in or visit the settlement.” She shifted again, ditching the wings to grow a shiny horn. “I have found that most others find it pleasing to the eye.”
“And how!” Symphony blurted.
Aculeata tilted her head slightly. “Hmm… your reactions are—” She smiled as her horn glowed a dull red. “Ah, I see. Yes, I do seem to have that effect on ponies. Typically not mares, however, so this is a new sensation for me. Very curious.”
“Can you shift into forms of other ponies,” Flurry asked, slightly nervous. “Like, can you impersonate or imitate another pony?”
Aculeata nodded briefly, then shifted her form into an exact copy of Flurry Heart, minus the wings and cutie mark that she couldn’t see. “As you can see, yes, I can,” she said in Flurry’s voice. “Though it is without your ‘cutie marks’. I prefer not to do it, actually.”
Flurry gulped as she looked at herself. “It’s quite a good copy, I’ll say that much. You look almost exactly like me.”
Aculeata immediately shifted back into her original changeling form. “Yes, but I do not wish to instill distrust or fear of my kind, so I avoid doing so and encourage my children to avoid it all the same. Our ‘other selves’ are as unique as any pony is, though I hope that one day, we will not need to hide our true selves.”
The group continued on their way along the path towards Goldridge, with Queen Aculeata as company, who seemed more than eager to share more information about herself and her hive when asked.
“So, you’ve built your hive here underneath Goldridge?” Rarity asked. “And you say that Tick Tock helped you make that happen?”
Aculeata smiled and nodded. “Yes, and I owe Tick Tock a great deal of gratitude for the favor she and her husband have done for me and my children. We could certainly live anywhere in the Great Expanse, as we live underground and are not bothered by the weather here, but having a little settlement of ponies above us keeps us well fed. We have no need to ‘hunt’.”
“When ya say ‘well fed’, what d’ya mean?” Bloom asked.
“My kind gain sustenance from emotions,” the queen explained. “Interestingly, some emotions provide more or less nutrition than others. Why, my attempt earlier to frighten you off caused a portion of your group to experience the emotion of ‘fear’.” She shook her head with disgust. “It is not a very hearty emotion, but it serves its purpose if we are desperate. I personally do not enjoy the taste and so prefer to avoid it.”
“Really?” Flurry asked. “What emotions do you think are the best, then?”
Aculeata smiled. “The positive emotions are generally all healthy and hearty to feed off of: joy, laughter, excitement, and pride, for example. But most of all, there is love. Just the tiniest expressions of love between two creatures can provide enough nutrients to feed me for an entire day, and the ponies of Goldridge are a loving bunch.”
“So something as simple as a hug between two ponies can do all that? And you don’t have to actually… do anything? You do it passively?”
“That is correct, my dear, so long as the expression is expressed outwardly, then we merely need to be close enough to feed from it. The hive here is close enough to feed from the ponies above in Goldridge. I have found that the greater display of love it is, the more hearty of a meal it is as well. A hug can feed me alone for a day; a kiss can feed dozens of my children; sexual intercourse can feed most of the hive.”
Flurry blushed and looked away, embarrassed. “R-really? So you… know when the ponies up above you are doing… that?”
Aculeata nodded. “Indeed I do. Fear not though, for I do not pry, and I do not necessarily know who is engaging in such an act. So if you and your…” She clicked her mandibles in thought, making a sort of purring noise. “What is the phrase, ‘special somepony’?” She glanced briefly between Flurry and Bloom. “If you and your special somepony wish to engage in such activities—”
Bloom, red in the face, hastily waved her hooves. “Whoa whoa whoa, me 'n' Flurry ain’t involved like that! We’re just friends!”
Aculeata tilted her head, then smiled politely. “Ah, forgive me, I didn't mean to assume. There is a great deal of love in the air nearby and I have yet to pinpoint its source.” She laughed briefly. “Whoever it is, their love for one another is quite potent, as they can barely contain it to themselves.”
“Forgive me for asking, Your Majesty,” Rarity interjected, “but Sundial mentioned earlier that your kind didn’t just 'emerge from hiding’, like the kirins supposedly did. If that’s true, then where exactly did you and your kind come from?”
Aculeata looked up at the ceiling, a sad little smile on her face. “All of the changelings in my hive were born from me. They are my children, and mine alone, for I am the only queen of my kind. It is my duty—my privilege—to bear them into the future. It has been hard work, but I believe I have made progress.
“As for myself, I have lived a long, long life.” She turned to Rarity and tilted her head curiously. “What do you know of the Gargantuans, Miss Rarity?”
Rarity frowned as she recalled her last visit to this world. “They were terrible creatures that lived in the old Wastelands, so far as I knew. Monstrous insects of a size worthy of their namesake, with all sorts of deadly, horrible appendages and violent intentions towards ponies and one another. I almost lost a dear, dear friend to just a young one’s venom.”
Aculeata looked absolutely mortified. “Oh my goodness! I do hope that they recovered.”
“She did, though the experience was still quite harrowing, you understand. It’s only thanks to Tick Tock and Pewter’s help that we managed to save her life at all.” Rarity gave a brief smile. “That is a debt to them that I, too, can likely never repay.”
“I am truly sorry that you and your friend went through that experience, Miss Rarity, and I hope that you will not judge me too harshly for anything.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Why would I do that?”
Aculeata sighed. “I am the last of my kind—my former kind, to be accurate. I am the last of the Gargantuans, so far as I know. At the very least I am the only one to take this form.”
Rarity balked. “But… but you… you don’t look anything like one of those creatures. You’re so much smaller for one thing, and you have a completely different shape! Those Gargantuans were like… spiders mixed with scorpions and all sorts of other creepy crawlies, and you don’t look anything like that.”
Rarity glanced at Aculeata’s tail, and she made a small connection there. The creature that had stung and nearly killed Fluttery had a similar tail. But she didn’t say anything further, as her comments were meant to be more complementary than anything.
“It took years of evolution and a great deal of magic to make it possible, but that is what happened. Myself and the other queens fought each other all the while, and by the time I was the only living member of my once horrid race, I had begun to change. To become…” Aculeata clicked her mandibles together in thought. “To become horrified by what I once was.”
Sundial cleared her throat. “Harmonia played a big role in the process, aye? I understand it took years o’ constant effort ta make it happen.”
“More than five years, yes,” Aculeata said with a nod. “But, when it was done, and once I had shed my old skin and taken this new form, I knew that I had become more than what I had been before. I had intelligence. I had a conscience. I had a dream. A dream that I could give birth to a new race that could live in harmony with the world. Harmonia gave me and my race a second chance.”
Venture smiled and patted Aculeata’s side gently. “And I’m so glad that she did, Aculeata. You’ve done amazingly well with the gift that she gave you. You’re a loving mother, you have wonderful friends, you have a home of your own, and you’re making that dream of yours a reality. I’m very proud of what you’ve done.”
Aculeata gave Venture a little smile. “I owe her everything, my friend, but I could also never forget all the opportunities given to me by Tick Tock and Pewter. All of what I have done could never have been accomplished without the help of some of the greatest creatures I’ve ever known.”
“What sort of arrangement do you have with Goldridge, anyway?” Bluebolt asked. “Like, do you trade food or something?”
“My kind live beneath the settlement, and I will protect them, and my children, from any threat that comes from below,” Aculeata said, baring her sharp teeth. “I may not possess my former size, but I am still as durable and strong as I ever was.”
“Wow, that’s impressive,” Symphony whistled. “Used to be that a Gargantuan queen could take anti-armor rounds from the really big guns like they were spitballs. The only thing that kept them at bay were those tremor devices.”
“And you’re still just as tough you say?” Bluebolt asked with wonder. “Like, you could take a bullet and not feel a thing?”
“Correct,” Aculeata said with a sinister smile. “No threat to Goldridge will come from below, I have made sure of that for years. And, in return, my children and I may feed off of the emotions of the settlers here—we do so passively, so there is no need to worry them. In addition, because I need to populate my hive constantly…” She clicked her mandibles again. “The male settlers and male visitors who sometimes pass through are free for the taking to satisfy my needs. I ask permission first, of course.”
Bluebolt turned bright red. “O-oh? Uh… wow, okay.”
Symphony looked disappointed. “Just the males, huh?”
Bluebolt nudged her. “Symphony!”
“What? C’mon, don’t tell me you wouldn’t—”
“That’s not the point!”
Flurry raised an eyebrow, looking to Aculeata. “What do you mean by all that?”
Aculeata smiled brightly, clearly eager to explain. “You see, every other year, near the beginning of spring, I enter into a brief breeding cycle—not unlike estrus—and require a mate to donate to my newest clutch.”
She gave a brief look towards Weaver, then shifted into her ‘neutral’ form. “I am due for one this coming spring, and have yet to single out a donor.” She casually flicked her tail against his nose as she circled around him. “But I am always… ‘on the prowl’, I believe the saying is?”
Weaver didn’t react, merely watched her in curiosity.
She tilted her head, clearly confused by his lack of reaction. She tried shifting her form to gain wings, spreading them wide to give him a view of her impressive wingspan, but still nothing. She then shifted into her unicorn version, lighting up her horn with a display of colors, and yet still nothing.
Bluebolt and Symphony were not as unaffected, and were constantly nudging one another and pointing excitedly.
Aculeata shifted back into her true form, apparently disappointed. “Most peculiar.” She shrugged. “At any rate, I seek a unique mate for each engagement, so that I may diversify the genes of my brood. It would not do for all of my children to share the same father, for they will someday need to seek mates of their own, and it is important to ensure the health of future generations.”
Flurry blushed a fierce red and looked away. “I… I see…”
Rarity cleared her throat, also quite embarrassed. “Ah, I suppose we have been asking for quite a lot of information, haven’t we? Pardon us if all of this seems forward. Asking you about your… um… your sex life, I suppose.”
Aculeata smiled and shook her head politely. “It is no trouble or embarrassment to me, my friends. I do not often have an opportunity to speak on the matters of my kind, as Tick Tock and Sundial have been the only two with the curiosity to ask so deeply of me.”
“Ye’ve not heard the lot of it yet, either,” Sundial noted with a cheeky grin. “She’s very detailed when describing the process, aye?”
“Have you ever asked her if you could watch?” Symphony asked.
“Symphony!” Bluebolt exclaimed, nudging Symphony hard.
Aculeata didn’t seem to hear the question. “Ah, but we are approaching your destination, so this is where I will leave you.”
“You’re not gonna come up wit’ us?” Bloom asked.
“I must return to tend to my hive, my dear,” Aculeata said with a polite smile. “My kind do not much like the cold and so tend to stay down below, and there are so many—and they are so young—that I rarely have time to do much else. This encounter with you all has been quite a treat!”
Bluebolt nodded excitedly. “It certainly has been enlightening. Wait 'til my mom hears I met the changeling queen, she’s gonna be so jealous.” She nudged Symphony. “I told you this little adventure was going to be awesome, didn’t I? We’ve met so many interesting creatures and seen so many cool places, all in just a week!”
“Sure beats staying in the palace all day, every day, for three months,” Symphony said. She smirked and pulled Bluebolt close. “Though I’m starting to get a little... amorosa, huh?” She leaned up and whispered something into Bluebolt’s ear.
Bluebolt hid her face behind her wing and pushed Symphony away. “You are just incorrigible.”
Aculeata tilted her head gently in their direction, then smiled. She said nothing, but her horn’s subtle pink glow was rather telling, at least to Rarity, who was picking up on the queen’s magic auras quickly.
Just as she was making to leave, however, Sundial cleared her throat. “Och, actually, Yer Majesty, would ye mind coming along with us? I have some news ta deliver ta Tick Tock and Pewter, and ye should really be there when I deliver it since ye’re gonna be involved. Figure ye should be part o’ the process, aye?”
Aculeata now tilted her head towards Sundial, clearly a little worried. “Oh? Well this doesn’t sound good. Nothing too awful, I hope?”
“Let’s save it for when I get ye all together, aye? Do ye have anyone who can watch the hive for an hour or so while we meet?”
Aculeata nodded. “Comet will already be tending to things, yes. I was actually going to relieve him in every sense, but he can wait a little longer. He has always been a patient stallion.”
“Who’s Comet?” Flurry asked.
Aculeata smiled, and briefly shifted her form into that of a pegasus stallion with a golden brown coat and a short, fiery red mane. “This is Comet,” Aculeata said in a distinct stallion’s voice. “He is my partner. I’m sure that he would love to meet you all once this business is dealt with, actually, and will be attending dinner.”
Flurry tilted her head. “Your ‘partner’? Not… mate?”
“No, but that is a complicated situation. It would best saved for later. Typically I do not wish to take on the form of others, but Comet allows me to do so for him, and sometimes encourages it.” She gently swished his short tail along his backside. “I have ensured that the anatomy is accurate from memory.”
Flurry blushed. “R-right…”
Aculeata shifted back into her true form. “But for now, let us focus on the task at hoof, yes?” She turned to Sundial and gestured forward. “Lead the way, friend.”
Sundial led the group just a little ways further ahead until they came upon a door built directly into the side of the cavern wall. She opened it, revealing a stairwell that led up towards yet another door, and took the lead as the group made their way up single-file.
At the door at the top of the stairs, Sundial first gave a short, loud knock, then waited a few seconds, then opened it and walked inside. “Hello! I’m back!” She briefly turned back towards the others, Weaver in particular. “Ah, Weaver, lad, if ye don’t mind, can ye wait at the back o’ the group? Just for a wee bit?”
Weaver tilted his head. “Yes. Why?”
“It’s a long story, lad, but let’s just say I’d rather we avoid any complications right away, aye?”
The others followed along behind her into a small room not nearly large enough to hold the entire group, so some of them waited out in the hall—namely, Rarity and Weaver, who had been at the back. The room was clearly some sort of storage chamber that had been repurposed, as there were still a few empty shelves that hadn’t been removed yet, but there wasn’t much else of note.
There came hoofsteps from the other side of the door. The door opened, and a mint green unicorn mare with a blue mane, wearing a comfortable plaid turtleneck sweater, was on the other side. Her cutie mark was a stopwatch that accurately showed the current time. Rarity could barely contain her excitement and wanted to usher the line along more quickly, but kept herself composed for now.
“You’re late,” said the mare, narrowing her eyes at Sundial. “You were supposed to be here yesterday. Any particular reason—”
She glanced behind Sundial to see that the other room was crowded, particularly that there were three unfamiliar faces: Venture, Apple Bloom, and Flurry Heart, though she clearly didn’t see Rarity just yet, or at least not well enough to recognize her.
“Oh. I see that you’ve picked up a few extra heads. Righto then, that’d do it.”
Sundial nodded. “Aye, that’d do it. Do ye mind if we take this out inta the den, Mum? I’d rather get comfortable before I give ye a rundown of all the shite—”
The mare tugged Sundial’s ear harshly with her magic. “Oy! Language! I’ve told you a hundred times that while you are under my roof, you don’t use that kind of talk, eh?”
Sundial winced under the pressure; this was the first time anypony had seen her genuinely show any sign of pain. “Aye! Aye! Sorry, it’s just been a rough week, and I’ve been under a lot o’ stress and I forgot, I forgot! Let me go, Tick Tock, I’m sorry!”
The mare—Tick Tock—let her go. “Good. Now don’t let me hear any more of that rubbish language for the rest of the winter, okay?” She stepped aside and let Sundial through into the den.
Rarity could just barely make said den out from here, and it hadn’t changed much from how she remembered it. It was a large, comfortable common area with plenty of chairs and couches to rest on, as well as a lit fireplace. There was a door shuttered up with heavy metal plates that led outside, as well as a pair of windows on either side of the door. There was a raging blizzard outside, with fierce winds that shook the glass slightly.
Sundial took a seat on one of the bigger chairs and cozied down into it. “Ah… that hits the spot…”
Tick Tock rolled her eyes, then turned back to the storage room. She smiled up at Aculeata as the latter walked through the door next. “Oh! This is a surprise, Aculeata. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
Aculeata smiled and pressed her forehead against Tick Tock’s. “Sundial said she had important news to share and that I should be present for it, so here I am. Comet will watch the hive until I return, then join you for dinner as usual.”
“News, you say? That involves you? Well, that’s certainly odd…” Tick Tock mumbled. She shrugged and let Aculeata pass. The changeling queen took up most of one of the sofas by herself.
Next were Bluebolt and Symphony. “Princess. Symphony,” Tick Tock greeted with a gentle bow of her head. “So? How was the ‘adventure’ with Sundial? Was it everything you expected it to be?”
Bluebolt nodded excitedly. “I’ve got so many stories to tell my mom when we get back home, Tick Tock, you wouldn’t believe it!”
Tick Tock chuckled. “You’d be surprised by what I’m willing to believe, Princess.”
Symphony puffed out her chest proudly. “Yeah, like how I got gored through the side by a maniac kirin!”
“What?” Tick Tock stared blankly at Symphony. “That’s… quite a thing to brag about, Symphony. Are you okay? You don’t look like you had anything happen to you quite that bad.” She paused, then nodded in realization. “Ah, wait, you said ‘kirin’. Guess you went and saw Kwake afterwards?”
“Yup! Nice lady, fixed me up just perfetto. Look, you can’t even see a scar.” She demonstrated by lifting up her heavy coat to show that her wound had healed completely, not even so much as a scar. “Cool stuff, right? I mean, I’d love to have a battle scar to show off, but Bolt said it ‘tarnished my perfect body’.”
Bluebolt turned red and nudged Symphony. “I said no such thing!”
“Psh, sure you did!” Symphony primped up her mane like a model—rather, like how she’d seen Rarity do it. “I can’t help it if I’m bellissima.”
“Well, far be it from me to tell you to be more careful out there. If you feel it’s something to get excited about, fair play to you, you nutter.” Tick Tock shook her head. “Go on then.”
The couple headed into the den and took a seat together on a single chair, barely big enough to hold them both, but proximity seemed more important at the moment than anything else.
Next out of the room was the first unfamiliar face to Tick Tock: Venture. “And who might you be?”
Venture smiled and offered her hoof. “My name’s Venture! I’m the world’s finest and foremost explorer, treasure hunter, archaeologist, and adventurer.”
Tick Tock raised an eyebrow, but took Venture’s hoof. The latter immediately started shaking enthusiastically. “That’s quite a lot of things to be the best at, if you don’t mind my saying. You can’t fit all of that on a business card, eh?”
“No, I don’t suppose you can. Luckily, I don’t have any business cards!” Venture laughed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, by the way, Mrs. Tock. I’ve heard the rest of the group mention you a few times here and there, so I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I always like meeting new ponies, especially ones with such a reputation.”
“You can trust her, Tick Tock,” Aculeata chimed in with a smile towards Venture. “She’s a friend of mine from before you and I met. She’s the one that suggested I come to see you about making my hive here, so she’s a good pony.”
Tick Tock nodded. “Ah, I see. Well, any friend of Aculeata is a friend of mine, mate. Go on then, make yourself at home.”
Venture nodded excitedly. “Thanks!” She hopped onto the sofa next to Aculeata.
Flurry was next, and offered her hoof as well. “A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Tock. My name is Flurry Heart.”
Tick Tock paused halfway through shaking Flurry’s hoof as if a sudden thought struck her. “Did… did you say ‘Flurry Heart’?”
Flurry tilted her head, but didn’t drop her smile. “I did, yes. Why, is something the matter with my name?”
“No no, there’s nothing the matter, it’s just that that name sounds really familiar. Have we met? I swear I’ve heard that name before and it’s driving me crazy. It’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t quite reach it.”
“I can’t say that we have, no, but I believe you know my aunt, Twilight Sparkle?”
Tick Tock’s expression went through about six or seven different emotions all at once, most of all, shock. “I… did… what… but…” She shook her head. “Did you say ‘Twilight Sparkle’?”
Flurry smiled, clearly realizing she’d gotten somewhere. “I did. She’s my aunt. My dad, Shining Armor, is her older brother.”
Tick Tock glared at Sundial. “Sundial! Were you just going to let it be a surprise to me that you had non-native visitors? What, did you think it would be funny to get a laugh out of me? Are you having a proper giggle? Hmm?”
Sundial chuckled. “Aye, I thought it might rattle ye a little bit—”
“A little bit?! Blimey, girl, you’ve got a wicked sense of humor, springing this on me like that! You… you… ooh! You’ve got a lot of nerve, young lady.” Tick Tock grunted, then turned back to Flurry. “Sorry about that, Miss Heart, but that mare drives me up the wall sometimes with all the rubbish she pulls. How is Twilight?”
“That’s a pretty loaded question, actually,” Flurry chuckled. “I think that sort of discussion might be better saved for when we have a chance to talk later, if that’s alright with you? She’s good, though, I can at least say that much.”
“Righto then, no problems here. Go on, take a seat, get comfortable.”
Flurry nodded appreciatively, then took a seat on another sofa.
Next in was Apple, whose bright smile and energetic hoofshake were almost as excitable as Venture’s had been. “Boy howdy, it sure is a pleasure ta meet ya, Mrs. Tock. I’ve heard so much about ya 'n' what ya did fer mah sister. If it weren’t fer y’all, I’d have never seen her again!”
Tick Tock blinked, clearly lost and confused by the mare’s enthusiasm and not quite catching all of her words. “You’re... welcome? I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met. You are who, exactly?”
“Oh! Right, sorry, got a lil’ carried away there. My name’s Apple Bloom.”
Tick Tock’s jaw dropped and she immediately stopped shaking her hoof. “Really now? ‘Apple Bloom’, you said? As in the sister of Applejack, Apple Bloom?”
“That’s right! Y’all helped mah sister make it back home when she was here.”
Tick Tock’s mouth curled up in a little grin. “Well, today’s just full of surprises, isn’t it? How is Applejack?”
“Oh, she’s just peachy keen back home on Sweet Apple Acres. I mean, she’s probably worried sick 'bout me, but I know we’re in good hooves wit’ Miss Sundial,” Bloom said with a brief smile to the latter. “Just like mah sister was wit’ you, Mrs. Tock. She spoke awful highly 'bout ya, y’know?”
“Did she now?” Tick Tock said with a knowing smile. “I’m glad to hear it. She and I butt heads quite a lot while we were traveling together, you know?”
“Oh yeah, she told me all 'bout how she got convinced y’all were tryin’ ta steal Flathoof from her on account o’ lots of miscommunication. She’s way past that. Curaçao’s still kind o’ embarrassed about the whole thing, actually.”
Tick Tock’s eyes widened. “Curaçao? You’re in contact with—” She shook her head and held up her hooves. “This is too much. We’ll save it for later, okay? We’re holding up the line and I’ve got a feeling that we've got a right proper conversation in the works. Go on then.”
Bloom headed into the den and took a seat next to Flurry.
Tick Tock then turned to greet the next visitor, and her jaw dropped again, more so than before. “R-r-rarity?”
Rarity wasted no time in pulling Tick Tock in for a tight hug, a huge smile on her face. “You have no idea how wonderful it is to see you again, darling. I know these are rather bothersome circumstances, but this is the finest silver lining there could possibly be. How are you, dear?”
Tick Tock gulped, apparently trying to find her words, but she wasn’t doing a great job at it. “I… you… b-but… what…” She shook her head. “This is amazing! I never thought I’d see any of you again, especially not now, not after I retired. You’re really here…” She set her hoof on Rarity’s cheek just to be sure, then brightened instantly and tried to look into the room behind Rarity. “Are… are any of the others—”
Rarity shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid not, dear. Just me, Apple Bloom, and Flurry Heart. It’s a rather complicated story, and I believe it can be saved for later, after Sundial goes over her more pressing matters, hmm?”
“Sure… sure, that’s fine. It’s good to see you.” Tick Tock pulled Rarity in for another hug. “After everything we went through… the hardest thing about these past twenty-one years has been never seeing some of the best friends I’ll ever have ever again. I’ve missed you all so much.”
Rarity tightened the hug. “We’ve missed you too, darling. Twilight especially so. I think you had a real impact on her and the mare she is today. She’ll be glad to hear how you’re doing.”
Tick Tock wiped her nose and nodded. “Go on then, take a seat and get comfortable. There’s so many things I have to tell you, you have no idea,” she laughed.
Rarity moved along, taking a seat in a comfortable chair all by herself and allowing herself sink into the cushions.
Tick Tock waited for the next visitor to walk through, but Sundial hopped out of her seat approached first. “Now, Mum, I need ye ta take a deep breath, and stay calm, aye? This might come as a wee bit o’… well, a big shock, and I don’t want ye ta get too spooked.”
Tick Tock looked at Sundial like she was from one of Equestria’s moons. “Huh? Sundial, whoever else you have with you can’t possibly be a bigger deal than Rarity. You’ve gone proper mental if you think that.”
Weaver stepped through the doorway next, but didn’t say anything.
Tick Tock looked at his face first and offered her hoof. “And who might you—” Her eyes then trailed down to his uniform to the pair of red goggles hanging around his neck. She leapt back in a panic and nearly banged her head against the wall. “No…. no no…”
Sundial took in a deep breath. “Och, that’s exactly what I was afraid would happen. Bloody hell…”
Aculeata rose from her seat in an instant, her horn aglow with a dim black energy, moving her tongue through her mouth as if disgusted by what she was tasting. “Fear. She’s afraid. No… terrified.” She glared at Weaver and flared her wings. “What are you doing to my friend, fiend?!”
Sundial had to physically restrain Aculeata from taking more than a few steps forward. “Easy! Easy! It’s not what ye think!”
The others in the room all rose as if expecting to need to do the same. Rarity moved to Tick Tock’s side to try and calm her down, but the other unicorn was in such a panic that she didn’t notice.
“He is making Tick Tock experience fear! He is scaring her!” Aculeata spat. “Step aside, Sundial!”
Venture came up behind Aculeata and put her hoof on the queen’s side. “Oh dear, please calm yourself, Aculeata, he’s not an enemy—”
Tick Tock pointed her hoof at Weaver, scuttling back against the wall in a panic. “Stay away from me! Stay away!”
Weaver tilted his head as he watched the commotion. “I do not understand. I have done nothing.”
“Tick Tock, look at his bloody face, dammit!” Sundial snapped, gesturing towards Weaver with her wing. “Look at him! He’s not the same pony! Look at his face! It’s not who ye think it is, I promise!”
Tick Tock, breathing hard in a panic, took a moment to look upon Weaver’s face carefully. She noticed his coat and mane in their shades of brown; she noticed his body shape, just a little taller; she especially noticed that he wasn’t a pegasus, but an earth pony. She still looked at his uniform in shock, however, and clearly found it hard not to focus on the goggles.
“He’s… he’s not him… he’s not him…” Tick Tock panted, hoof to her heart as her breathing slowed back down to normal. “He’s not him. He’s… somepony else. But he’s not him…”
Sundial nodded calmly. “Aye, he’s not. He’s a good pony, Tick Tock. I’m sorry about all this, but he’s with us now. I knew this was going ta be hard, but ye needed ta meet him and know who he was.”
Aculeata’s horn dimmed, and she relaxed a little as the fear in the air diminished, but she did not take her eyes off of Weaver. “She is no longer afraid… no, that is not true. She is still afraid, but she is not afraid of Mister Weaver.”
Tick Tock took a deep breath and rose to her hooves with Rarity’s help. “Thanks, Rarity.”
“Of course, darling. I’m terribly sorry about this…” Rarity murmured.
Tick Tock glared at Sundial. “Bloody hell… you could’ve given me a better warning than that.”
“Och, language,” Sundial said with a slight smile.
Tick Tock pointed her hoof at Sundial. “Don’t get wise with me now, not after this. You nearly gave me a proper heart attack.” She looked at Weaver, and though the fear—at least of him directly—was gone, she was still clearly anxious to speak with him. “Who are you?”
“Weaver,” he replied, his expression sad. “Did not intend to frighten you. I am… sorry.” He looked to Sundial, as if unsure if that was the right word. She gave him a nod to assure him.
“Why are you wearing… that,” she asked, gesturing at his uniform.
He pressed his hoof against his clothes, confused. “Official uniform for the Shadow Project. Only clothes in my possession.”
She tilted her head. “The… the what?”
Sundial let out a breath. “Another long story, Mum, it can wait. Don’t you worry though, we’ll get him some new clothes ta wear while he’s around you, aye? I didn’t have anything that would fit him before.”
Tick Tock nodded briefly. “Sure… yeah, alright.” She took a deep breath. “I swear to Harmonia herself, Sundial, if you have any more surprises waiting for me—”
Sundial rubbed the back of her neck. “Aye… about that…”
*****
The meeting had been, for lack of a better term, tense. Relatively brief, all things considered, but tense.
News of the NPAF forces amassing in the north had been the biggest, most crucial topic, of course, and both Tick Tock and Aculeata were understandably mortified by the news that their home was almost certainly in danger. Evacuating Goldridge and making for Hope’s Point as soon as the snowstorms cleared up was the only option that they had. The changeling hive might be unharmed due to being so deep underground, but that was not a risk Aculeata was willing to take.
Still, they had time to plan and prepare. Winter would last another two months and then some, and so long as the thunderblizzards were raging through the northern lands the NPAF would not be coming for anypony. Tick Tock—and her husband, Pewter, by extension—and Aculeata had the drive to do whatever it would take to get every single resident—ponies and changelings both—ready to move in time. It would be tough, but they knew they could work together to make it happen.
Speaking of Pewter—a bronze unicorn stallion with a charcoal gray mane and an imposing frame that filled out his comfortable jacket—he had come downstairs sometime just before the meeting had concluded and briefly participated. Tick Tock promised to give him all of the details later, and ushered him off to go get dinner started in the meanwhile.
Rarity was pleased to see that Pewter still lived here at Goldridge after all this time. She was more pleased to see, based on how he and Tick Tock interacted, that the two were a couple at last. She’d suspected—rightly, it seemed—that the two had been in love for a long time but hadn’t expressed it to one another, mainly due to Tick Tock’s demanding job. But they had clearly worked past that and come together.
It gave her hope.
Once that order of business was settled and Aculeata had left to relieve her partner, Comet, Tick Tock noted that it was just about time for dinner, and so the group was ushered into the dining area to take seats and make ready. The dining room was large and accommodating, big enough for a group bigger than their current one by a decent amount. The table was set with a checkered tablecloth and enough settings for everypony present plus three others.
And so the group sat around the dining table, conversing about old times and new, catching up with old friends and making new ones, while they waited for Pewter to finish with making dinner. Judging by the smells coming from the adjacent kitchen, whatever the unicorn was cooking up was most definitely worth the wait and worth the hurried pace from earlier. Rarity couldn’t wait to get a nice, home-cooked meal in her belly; kirin stew was one thing, this was something else.
It was around this time that the sound of multiple hoofsteps came running from outside the dining room.
First came Comet, who Rarity recognized immediately from Aculeata’s display earlier, though at least now he had clothes on—just a simple, warm jacket. Some brief introductions were made, naturally, as he took his seat at the table, but Rarity didn’t pay too much attention to him conversing with some of the others.
No, she was much, much more focused on and interested in the two young unicorn fillies that had come with him. The two had mint green coats and bright blue manes that were outrageously similar to Tick Tock’s, and they were practically identical to one another save for their cutie marks: one was a gorgeous red jewel, the other an equally gorgeous gold one. They even wore precious, matching dresses befitting their size.
“Mum, Mum!” exclaimed the red-jeweled twin as she ran over to Tick Tock’s seat and tugged the older unicorn’s sweater. “Scoria said a naughty word earlier!”
Rarity caught the accent immediately. She could barely contain herself, but fought with all her might not to blurt anything out just yet.
“I did not!” cried the gold-gemmed twin—Scoria—as she rounded on Tick Tock’s other side to tug at her sweater too. “She’s lying! You’re lying, Pumice!”
“Am not!”
“Are so! And you’re a tattler, too!”
The red-gemmed twin—Pumice—stuck out her tongue in defiance. “You can’t tattle on somepony if they haven’t done anything, so what am I, a liar, or a tattler?”
Scoria pouted and looked at Tick Tock with big, puppy dog eyes. “Mum, she’s lying! I didn’t make a swear, I promise!”
“Yes you did!”
Tick Tock, who’d listened to the entire conversation with rapt attention, turned to Pumice first, her gaze calm and comforting. “What naughty word did your sister say, honey?”
Pumice smiled and nodded. “She said ‘shite’!”
Rarity put her hoof to her mouth to stifle a laugh. Such a word coming from such a young mouth was both scandalous and adorable at the same time.
“I did not, I said ‘hell’!” Scoria pleaded. She instantly realized what she’d just done. “Uh oh…”
Pumice, victorious, pointed at Scoria and laughed. “Ha ha, gotcha!”
Scoria then pointed at Pumice. “Well… then you just said a naughty word! I didn’t say that word, you did! Mum! She said a naughty word!”
Pumice seemed to realize that as well, and her face fell instantly. “Oh…”
Tick Tock closed her eyes and took a breath to keep her patience from falling. “Girls, what have I told you about using that kind of language, hmm?”
The twins hung their heads. “That we shouldn’t use it until we’re older…” they said together.
“And where did you learn such colorful language?”
The twins both instantly pointed at Sundial.
Tick Tock shot a glare over towards Sundial, who held her hooves up defensively, wide-eyed with bewilderment. “What?” Sundial blurted. “Don’t look at me like that, Mum, I didn’t say anything like that ta them, I swear it on my life. Chronomancer’s honor.”
“Nuh uh!” Pumice declared nearly hopping up on the table to point harder at Sundial. “She says it all the time when she thinks you’re not listening.”
“Yeah!” Scoria agreed. “She doesn’t think we’re listening either, but we are, because we’re smart, and you told us that the best way to get smarter was to listen.”
“She does it whenever she’s mad—”
“—or when something goes wrong—”
“—and it’s usually when she’s walking down the hall—”
“—or getting ready to go out on a job.”
“Is that so?” Tick Tock said, still glaring at Sundial. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing you don’t get mad and that everything goes right for you, isn’t it, Sundial?”
Sundial clenched her teeth and just stared at the two fillies like an angry dragon. “Traitors, the both o’ ye. You two wee ones got in trouble by yourselves and ye had ta drag me down inta the hole ye dug?”
They both stuck their tongues at her defiantly.
Bluebolt chuckled. “Luckily they don’t get to hear you out in the field, Sundial.”
“Yeah,” Symphony agreed, “can you imagine how colorful their language would be if they got to hear you when you’re not trying to keep all that in check?”
“It’s amazing to me that you can go hoof-to-hoof with a crazy kirin or a scheming unicorn without a care in the world, but the one thing that gets you all defensive and scared is Tick Tock not letting you swear.” Bluebolt shook her head in disbelief. “I mean, really?”
“You shut yer yap, Princess,” Sundial said, pointing a hoof at Bluebolt accusingly. “It’s not fair and you know it. How would ye like it if Tock Tock had a rule that you and Symphony couldn’t enjoy yer private time, aye?”
Tick Tock rolled her eyes and gestured for the two fillies to sit. “Since you two can’t behave like proper fillies, no dessert for you two tonight. You’re lucky I don’t make you wash your mouths out with soap like other parents supposedly do.”
The twins hung their heads and slowly took their seats. “Yes, Mum…”
Tick Tock then took a deep breath and turned to her other side to resume her conversation with Rarity, who was seated next to her. Rarity had been watching the entire display unfold was the brightest smile Tick Tock had likely ever seen on her face and glittering, star-like twinkles in her eyes.
“Are you okay, Rarity?” she asked.
Rarity nodded excitedly and grasped Tick Tock’s hooves in her own very suddenly. “You didn’t tell me you had children, Tick Tock! Oh. My. Goodness. The others are going to absolutely love to hear about this. Oh, this… this is amazing! You’re a mother! I’m so happy for you!”
Tick Tock smiled slightly and gave a nervous laugh. “Oh… yeah, sorry I didn’t say anything sooner. I guess I just figured that Sundial mentioned it.” She glanced over at Sundial with an accusatory look. “Funny how she didn’t, hmm?”
Sundial snickered and leaned back in her chair. “What, and miss this? Fat chance at that, aye?”
Rarity pulled Tick Tock in for a tight hug. “Congratulations, darling! I’m sorry that this comes so late, but obviously we couldn’t exactly stay in contact. Better late than never, I suppose? A little more silver lining to this whole situation, I say.”
“I suppose so, yes,” Tick Tock said. She turned towards her daughters and gestured for them to greet Rarity. “Girls, this is my dear friend Rarity. Go on, say ‘hello’.”
The twins smiled politely and nodded. “Hello, Miss Rarity,” they said in unison.
“You’re really pretty,” said Pumice. “I like your coat.”
“I really like your mane,” said Scoria.
They then both gasped in realization. “Wait, Rarity?”
Pumice looked to her mother and pointed excitedly. “She’s the one from the stories you told us?”
“The one where you saved the world?” Scoria asked leaping up in her seat.
Tick Tock nodded and gave Rarity a sidelong glance. “That she is, girls. A proper hero, this one.”
“Wowww…” the twins said together.
Rarity smiled brightly at the two. “And what are your names, darlings?” She’d already heard, of course, but she couldn’t resist doing this properly.
“I’m Pumice,” said Pumice.
“And I’m Scoria!” said Scoria.
“Oh my goodness, they’re absolutely precious, Tick Tock,” Rarity tittered, fanning herself slightly. “You should be very proud of yourself. I know I am.”
Tick Tock smirked. “Oh, I am, too. These little troublemakers are the brightest joys in my life, and I’m really glad you got the chance to meet them.”
“Likewise, darling.”
Pewter came bursting out of the dining room a moment later, dozens of trays held in his magic with expert precision and practiced balance. Each was loaded up with an assortment of food—soups, salads, sandwiches, the works—with the most delectable smells wafting through the air.
“Dinner is served, everypony!” he announced as he started doling out food onto everypony’s bowls and plates. “Eat up and don’t be afraid to ask for seconds!”
*****
After dinner was over and done with, Rarity and a few particular ponies—Apple Bloom, Flurry Heart, Bluebolt, and Tick Tock—followed Sundial up to her room on the third floor of the old checkpoint building. There was one final task that needed to be addressed before anypony could get any sleep: checking in with whoever was handling the situation on the homeworld of the former three. Sundial’s room was relatively small and couldn’t quite hold everypony in it at once, but that didn’t matter much.
What mattered to Rarity was that, aside from Tick Tock, she and the others were all unsure how exactly they were all going to fit inside the large grandfather clock that stood against the wall near the window. Of course, when Sundial opened the door of the clock to reveal a room inside it—which should have been impossible given its position—those doubts gave way to intrigue and confusion, and maybe a little anxiety.
Sundial and Tick Tock entered first, followed next by Rarity, who glanced around on the inside of the new room beyond the threshold. It was much too big to possibly exist where it did even discounting the fact that the room should be outside right now. The others followed closely behind and had much the same reactions.
“My goodness, darling, this is quite a… closet… that you have?” Rarity said, unsure of what else to say on the matter. “At least I think it’s a closet? It’s not, is it?”
The metal-clad room was perfectly circular with a high ceiling, its walls covered with various panels and instruments that were currently inactive. A large central hub dominated the chamber, itself dominated by a large screen with a keyboard beneath it. A comfortable chair sat in front of the screen and had a full range of movement, as seen by Sundial sitting in it and fiddling with devices all around her without having to reach.
“What in the hay is this place?” Bloom asked, looking around in amazement at all of the gizmos and gadgets. “Some kind o’ workshop?”
“It’s a specialized pocket dimension that Chronomancers use for communicating with HQ and other agents across the many worlds out there,” Sundial said. “It works like Gilderoy’s Sanctuary does: bigger on the inside.”
Sundial pressed a few buttons on the panel in front of her, and five more chairs popped up around hers as if teleported so that the others had seats to take. In the meantime, she turned on the monitor, pressed a few more buttons, then leaned back in her seat and relaxed. The monitor now displayed a simple message as well as a number of readings that Rarity couldn't decipher. She could at least read the text, though, which read: “Contacting Equestria-IV. Please wait.”
“It’s sort o’ like a home base, aye?” Sundial continued. “It’s where I can come ta be alone for a bit, get work done that needs ta get done, and focus and relax without anypony bothering me.”
Bloom brightened. “Like yer very own clubhouse! Shucks, I know all about clubhouses, ya could’ve just said that’s what it was. This is so neat, you’re like a… Cutie Mark Crusader Time Magician, or something. Wow, I wish we’d had somethin’ like this when we were little…”
“Och, I wouldn’t exactly call it a clubhouse,” Sundial muttered. “That makes it sound… childish, aye?”
“Oh, don’t get all high-and-mighty now, Sundial,” Tick Tock chuckled, patting Sundial on the shoulder. “Being a Chronomancer is basically like being a member of a very exclusive, prestigious club. Only we don’t get any bloody benefits, nopony cares about our fancy club anyway, and the membership fees are shit.”
“Language, darling,” Rarity tutted.
Sundial snorted, giving Rarity a smug grin. “Oh no, this here is my roof she’s under now, so she’s more than allowed ta bloody well swear all she likes, aye? So am I, for that matter, and since I’m not allowed ta swear when I walk out o’ here, I need ta get a wee bit in, if ye don’t mind?”
“Um… okay?”
Sundial cleared her throat. “Ahem… shite! Damn! Arsehole! Hell! Aaaand twat!” She then gave Rarity a smile. “There, got it out o’ my system for now, aye? Well I mean, not really, but I just needed ta do that.”
Rarity frowned, not sure if she should be amused or disgusted.
Sundial turned to Tick Tock. “It’s been a while since ye been in one o’ these, aye? How do ye like my setup? Pretty slick, eh?”
Tick Tock looked around and nodded in approval. “It’s certainly brighter in here than mine was, I’ll give you that. A little bigger, too, I think. Though I’m not sure if I like the style so much, it seems too… I dunno, sleek and modern? Doesn’t have that classic clockwork charm to it that I like.”
“Och, ye’re a wee bit too old-fashioned anyway, Mum.”
Rarity held up a hoof to pause the conversation. “Hold on a moment, I have a question.” She gestured between Sundial and Tick Tock. “She’s called you ‘Mum’ a few times tonight, darling. Is… is Sundial your daughter too?” She narrowed her eyes. “Because if she is, you both have a lot of explaining to do why that wasn’t made clear sooner.”
Sundial and Tick Tock shared a brief glance, then burst out laughing. “Och, no, she’s not my real ma, aye?” Sundial said. “I just call her that ta give her a bit o’ guff every now and again and ta make her feel old, that’s all. If she were my ma, she’d have ta have had me at a scandalously young age, or she’d have ta be maybe ten or so years older.”
“Ha! Believe me, if I had her for a daughter I would’ve stopped at the one,” Tick Tock scoffed, tousling Sundial’s mane. “I bloody well have enough trouble reining this one in sometimes. Do you think I want to try and raise her and the twins? A bloody nightmare, that would be.”
“Aye… but there’s more ta it than all that,” Sundial said with a smile. “She’s also the closest thing I’ve got for a mother, aye? I know I give her a hard time sometimes—”
“All the time,” Tick Tock interjected.
“—but I love her like she was my own flesh and blood, that I do. Most Chronomancers tend ta develop that kind o’ bond with their predecessors if they got trained by them and all that.”
“It’s true. I considered Zenith—my predecessor—a sort of father figure to me as well,” Tick Tock agreed, a fond look in her eyes. “So don’t think anything weird about her calling me ‘Mum’, okay? She’s not really my daughter, but I consider her one all the same.” She tugged Sundial’s ear. Gently this time. “Even if she’s a bit of a twat sometimes.”
Sundial brushed her off. “Aww, thanks, Mum.”
Rarity smiled, hoof over her heart. “That’s very sweet. But don’t you know your own parents, darling? Come to think of it, Tick Tock never mentioned hers, either, and I thought we were all rather forthcoming about our families back then. Unless you only mentioned it to Twilight, maybe, and she just never said anything?”
Sundial shook her head. “My parents are gone, lass.”
“Mine too,” Tick Tock said. “A long, long time ago.”
Neither of them seemed at all sad to say this, but Rarity frowned anyway, feeling she may have made a mistake in bringing it up. “Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope I didn’t bring up anything troubling?”
Sundial waved that thought off with her hoof. “Never ye mind that, lass, it’s no trouble at all. I was very young when my world got eaten up by the Void, aye? I don’t really remember anything about my life there, least of all any family I had. Too young ta even have friends, actually.”
Rarity blinked, lost. “I beg your pardon? Did you say your world was destroyed? As in, it’s gone? Forever? Like what we were trying to prevent from happening to my world way back when?”
Sundial raised an eyebrow. “Aye?” She paused, then nodded. “Oh, ye probably don’t know about how all this Chronomancer business really works, do you?” She turned to Tick Tock. “Ye never explained it all ta her, Mum?”
“It never really came up, to be honest,” Tick Tock said with an embarrassed shrug. “I’m not going to just drop a bloody bombshell like that on my friends. There were a few times I wanted to, sure, but there just wasn’t a proper time for it. But yes, my world was consumed by the Void, too, back when I was maybe… three or four years old.”
“I was five, myself,” Sundial said with a nod. “Chronomancer HQ rescued me and a few other wee ones on my world before everything got destroyed, and then they gave us a new home and a new life, aye?”
“You mean to tell me that the Chronomancers save young fillies and colts and recruit them into their organization?” Rarity asked, aghast. She’d never known this about Tick Tock before, and found it rather hard to believe. “I had no idea it was like that at all. That sounds simply terrible, darling.”
“That sounds pretty close to slavery, actually,” Bluebolt mentioned. “So, uh… yeah, are you sure you’ve got this right?”
Sundial shrugged. “Look, ye might think that, but it’s better than dying, I’ll tell ye that much. The least we can do after HQ saved our lives was ta dedicate ourselves ta their cause and try and prevent more worlds from falling ta the Void, aye? It’s rough work, but somepony’s got ta do it. They don’t force anypony ta do it, and we’re young enough that we can be moved elsewhere if we don’t want ta join.”
“You were nowhere near old enough to be making that kind of decision,” Rarity said, shaking her head.
“It’s not just young fillies and colts that get rescued, if you’re concerned about HQ only recruiting children,” Tick Tock said. “Sometimes adult mares and stallions with useful skills get recruited as well.”
“What does that mean?” Rarity asked, growing more aghast by the minute. “Your leadership just, what, picks and chooses who they save? My goodness, girls, that sounds horrible! What gives them that right?”
Tick Tock rubbed the back of her neck. “Blimey, when you say it like that you make it sound worse than it is. Maybe we’re just shit at explaining it?”
Sundial huffed. “Look, I know it sounds harsh that they don’t save everypony, but they can’t exactly do that, aye? There’s not enough room at HQ for so many ponies, and we can’t exactly move an entire population to another world just like that, not without causing more chaos and risking bigger Void rifts.”
“It bloody well sucks, I agree, but there’s not much else that can be done,” Tick Tock sighed. “At least some ponies get to live.”
“Well, what exactly do you mean by ‘useful skills’ then? What qualifies a pony for being allowed to live, exactly?” Rarity asked, not really trying to hide her distaste for all this.
“Typically it’d be a skill that HQ needs that they simply don’t have ponies with the talent, knowledge, or skill for,” Sundial said with a shrug. “Y’know, things like growing food, making clothes, construction, tinkering, that sort o’ thing. Funny enough, we usually get alternate versions o’ some important ponies ta work for us.”
Tick Tock nodded. “That’s right. Why, there’s an alternate version of you, Rarity, that designs each and every Chronomancer’s unique uniform, if they’re the sort to wear clothes at least.”
Rarity blinked. “An… an alternate me?”
“Aye, goes by ‘Charity’, actually. Bloody brilliant lass, she is,” Sundial confirmed. She tugged at her balmoral bonnet. “Made every piece o’ my uniform herself ta suit my tastes, and I quite like it if I’m being honest with you.”
“Same here,” Tick Tock said with a nod. She smiled at Rarity’s befuddled state. “What, you didn’t think you were the only Rarity, did you? I thought we had this conversation a long time ago?”
“We did, but it’s still very odd that you knew her before me.”
“Yeah, but I’m friends with you and not her,” Tick Tock said with a smile. “I met her once in my whole life when she designed my old uniform. That’s it. She’s not you, or even another you. She’s a totally different pony, she just happens to have been a version of you on a world that doesn’t exist anymore.”
Sundial smirked. “If ye think that’s odd, ye should meet HQ’s psychologist, Shrinky Dinks.”
“She’s an alternate Pinkie Pie,” Tick Tock clarified. “Helped me get through some issues after the whole, y’know, ‘incident’. I still have a few problems every now and then, as you saw, but it used to be a lot worse.”
Rarity shook her head, lost in all the information. “This is all very confusing. And bothersome, to be honest. I knew your line of work was odd, Tick Tock, but this is really too much to process.”
“Such is the nature of alternate universes, aye?” Sundial said with a shrug.
The console gave a loud beep.
“Och, finally!” Sundial blurted.
She tapped a button on her console, and the screen flared to life with the image of a brick red earth pony stallion with a green mane, wearing a brown tweed jacket and a matching newsboy cap which had a little shamrock tucked into it. His cutie mark was a bronze gear affixed with clock hands which accurately told the time. Behind him was a similar room as the room Sundial and company were currently in, only of a slightly different design and color.
“This is Agent Clockwork, actin’ Chronomancer of Equestria-IV reportin’. To whom am Oi speakin’ with this fine evenin’?”
Sundial saluted briefly. “Evening ta you, Agent Clockwork. This is Sundial, Chronomancer of Equestria-V. We were on hold a long while there, is everything alright over where you are, lad?”
“It is. Oi just got off the train from the Crystal Empoire after finishin’ up the first part of my investigation here. Oi assume you’re callin’ on account of all that?”
“Aye, that I am. Three mares from that world ended up here in mine, and I’ve finally gotten a chance ta check in with a report after finishing up my own rounds. Bloody Void rifts, aye?”
“Are they now? Well, that’s good news. Oi was havin’ a fine pickle tryin’ to figure out where they’d gotten off to. The Void rift didn’t leave a very solid signature to trace, you see, on account of how it was formed and with this world bein’ stable. It’s been a mite bit stressful.”
“Ye don’t know the half o’ things, lad.” Sundial gestured behind her towards Rarity, Bloom, and Flurry. “But never you worry, I’ve got all three o’ them here with me, safe and sound, aye? We can start working on the next stage o’ protocols for getting them home if ye’re ready?.”
Clockwork let out a breath of relief. “Good, good. Oi’ve been havin’ this world’s Princess Twoilight Sparkle herself breathin’ down my bloody neck tryin’ to figure things out, so this is quite a relief, Oi tell you. This one’s a bold one, and Oi’ve met my fair share of Twoilights before.”
“You’ve spoken with Twilight?” Rarity asked, eyes alight with hope.
“Oi have. She’ll be right pleased to know you fillies are safe and all that. In fact, she’s asked me to collect her as soon as Oi got any word about you lot, so Oi’ll be going to get her now, if that’s okay with everypony?”
Rarity beamed. “Oh, that’s more than okay, dear. Please, don’t let us stop you.”
Clockwork tipped his hat, then shut off his monitor.
Sundial grunted and eased back into her chair. “Well, hopefully Clockwork’s figured out what’s going on with all this, aye? I’m still at a loss as ta what exactly happened and what ta do about it.”
Tick Tock nodded. “I know it’s not my place anymore, but I’d suggest you do what I did last time, assuming the portal amplifier is still functional down in Zeb’ra’den. I have no reason to believe it should be anything but functional, by the way. Blasted thing’s made of a nearly-indestructible, magic-resistant metal and powered by one of the largest magic jewels I’ve ever bloody well seen. Things like that don’t just fall apart after a couple of decades.”
“Aye, that was my main idea, but considering their world’s supposedly stable I don’t know how that’s gonna work.”
“True, I’ve never had to move anypony to a stable world before, but I’m sure Clockwork will come up with something. He’s been dedicated to his job far more than most of us were, I think. He didn’t retire when his world went stable, like Time Turner did, or any of the other hundreds of Chronomancers whose worlds stabilized way back when the Canon timeline finished up.”
A moment later, the monitor sprung to life again and Clockwork was back on the screen.
At his side was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. She smiled with relief when she saw her missing friends sitting there safe and sound behind Sundial. “Rarity! Apple Bloom! Flurry! Oh I’m so glad you’re safe! Are you okay? You haven’t been hurt or anything have you?”
Rarity smiled and shook her head, delighted to hear her friend’s voice. “We’re quite alright, Twilight dear, though this has certainly been a tremendous experience for us.”
“We’re doing just fine, Aunt Twilight,” Flurry said, giving Twilight a little smile and a wave. “How are you holding up over there? How are my parents? I hope everypony’s not too worried.”
“Well, we’ve been stressed out like you wouldn’t believe,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Your parents have been worried sick about you. You’re sure you’re okay?”
Flurry rolled her eyes. “I’m just fine, Aunt Twilight, like we’ve already said more than once. You guys don’t need to blow a gasket every time something happens to me.”
“I’ve done everything I can to keep her safe, dear,” Rarity assured Twilight. “And Apple Bloom has been helping along with that as well, and I’ve been keeping her safe, too. Applejack would expect nothing less.”
“Yeah! Nothin’s gonna give us no trouble as long as I’m here, Princess,” Bloom said, puffing out her chest. “I’m doin’ mah sister proud, I tell ya what.”
“And we must also thank Sundial here for all of her hard work,” Rarity continued, gesturing towards Sundial. “She’s been most helpful throughout this entire endeavor, and we couldn’t be having this conversation now if not for her efforts.”
Twilight turned to Sundial and gave her a nod. “Sundial, is it? You must be the Chronomancer of whatever world it is that my friends are on, right?” She gave a slight sigh. “It feels so weird having this conversation considering what happened last time…”
“Aye, that’s the gist o’ things, Princess,” Sundial said with a nod. “Don’t ye worry one hair on that royal mane o’ yers, aye? I’ve got things bloody well covered on this end.”
“Well then, I suppose I owe you a great deal of gratitude for taking care of my friends and family, Miss Sundial. So, thank… you…?” Twilight paused, and her eyes widened as she saw Tick Tock sitting next to Sundial, a wide smile on her face. “Is… is that…?”
Tick Tock waved briefly. “About bloody time you noticed me, Twilight. I was wondering when you were going to.”
Twilight’s smile brightened. “Tick Tock!” She practically leapt forward and hugged the monitor.
Clockwork cleared his throat. “Em… Your Majesty, you can’t hug her through the monitor there.”
“I can try!” Twilight blurted.
“Twilight, darling, please, you’re embarrassing me,” Rarity interjected, clearing her throat as well.
Twilight finally pulled away, looking at Tick Tock with wonder and joy. “Tick Tock, it’s so good to see you! Oh my goodness, it’s been so long. How are you? You look great, by the way.”
Tick Tock scoffed. “Oh, I look great? Look at you!” She gestured at Twilight’s full figure. “You’re a bloody giant now, aren’t you? And an alicorn princess to boot! What kind of vitamins have you been taking, eh?”
Twilight fluffed her wings out briefly, and looked just a little embarrassed. “Oh, this? It’s a long story, really, far too long to talk about right now. I’d love to tell you about about it.”
“It’s alright, Twilight, we’ll have our chance eventually. Trust me, eh?”
Rarity prodded Bluebolt, then got Twilight’s attention by waving her hoof. “Twilight, darling, besides all this reuniting of old friends, there’s somepony else you simply must meet.” She gestured towards Bluebolt with a little flourish. “This is Princess Bluebolt, of Hope’s Point.”
Bluebolt gave a little wave and a bow. “Um, hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“Princess of Hope’s Point?” Twilight paused briefly, then gasped in delight, her bright smile returning. “Nooo. No way, really? Oh my gosh, you’re Blackburn and Lockwood’s daughter, aren’t you? Oh yeah, I can tell, look at those eyes! I’d recognize those eyes anywhere.”
“That’s right,” Bluebolt said with a brief nod, now with her own smile. “They told me a lot about you, Princess, but I think they failed to mention that you were, uh… a Princess. Or an alicorn. Or so big. Which is quite a lot to forget to tell me, y’know?”
Twilight nodded. “Well, all of that happened after we left and fell out of contact with your world and your parents, so they couldn’t have known about it. But that’s not important, what’s important is… oh my goodness, wait until the others hear about this! Wait until Applejack and Flathoof hear about this!”
“Right?!” Bloom laughed. “They have no idea they’ve got a niece!”
“Two nieces, actually, and a nephew,” Bluebolt corrected. “Probably with more on the way…” she added under her breath.
Twilight’s smile brightened. “You have a brother and sister too?! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, this is… huge! This is great news!”
Sundial cleared her throat. “Look, Princess, I don’t mean ta be a party pooper here, but we’ve got important business ta discuss, aye? Trust me, you lot will have plenty o’ time ta catch up and get ta know each other and all that shite.”
Twilight paused, then nodded, apparently unbothered by Sundial’s language, either because she didn’t understand it or didn’t care. “Right, sorry. I just got a little carried away. Go on then, Miss Sundial. What’s the plan for getting my friends and family home?”
“The current plan is ta take them down south ta the portal amplifier you lot built in Zeb’ra’den all those years ago. Assuming it’s still functional—which Tick Tock assures me it should be—we’ll be able ta tear open a safe rift ta send yer loved ones home. Worst case scenario, we just have ta build a new amplifier or repair the old one, aye?”
Clockwork hummed and nodded. “That should work. Once you open a rift on that end, Oi can have HQ ready to open a relay network to slingshot your loved ones back home. Might get a tad complicated, but Oi don’t think there’ll be any trouble so long as you have a solid connection on your end.”
“Brilliant, then we’re all settled on a plan.” Sundial leaned back and let out a breath of relief. “That’s probably the easiest bloody thing I’m going ta have ta deal with out o’ all the shite on my plate right now. Bloody ironic, all things considered.”
“So your plan is basically to do what we did last time then?” Twilight asked, clearly pleased that things were looking up. “Let’s see, I might be a little foggy on the details, but that means you’ll head to Hope’s Point, get a flight south to the other continent, then move to Zeb’ra’den and go from there. Unless you guys run into any trouble, that should take, what, a week or two at most?”
“Aye, on top o’ waiting for the winter season ta finish out.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Winter season? There weren’t any seasons last time we were there. At least not up north. Are you down south?”
“Things have changed quite a lot here since we left, darling,” Rarity said. “They have honest-to-goodness winter here in the north. The Wasteland is no more—it’s called the ‘Great Expanse’ now—and there’s actual life up here. I saw grass! It was dormant and underneath the snow, but there was actual grass.”
“Supposedly it’s because of all the good you guys did while you were here,” Flurry said with a smile. “Even if you didn’t mean to.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. I’m glad we could help in some way, I suppose.” Twilight shook her head. “Well, how long of a wait is it until the end of winter, then?”
“Since we have ta wait out the bloody thunderblizzards—freak winter storms, just leave it at that, Princess—until the end o’ the season, we’re looking at about two months and roughly ten or so days. Add in traveling time ta Hope’s Point then ta Zeb’ra’den, and we’re looking at closer ta three months all together, assuming no major delays.”
Twilight balked. “Three months?! My friends and family are going to be stuck there for three months?!”
“Aye, that they are. Nothing doing about it, Princess, it’s impossible for us ta move in these winter storms. Hope’s Point goes on total lockdown anyway, so even if we could travel there in the meantime, they wouldn’t launch a ship ta take us south.”
Rarity nodded in understanding. “We’ve come to terms with it, darling. We saw the storms that she’s talking about with our own eyes, and they looked just like that dreadful Belt of Tranquility we had to pass through before, only they might just be worse. You remember what almost happened to Rainbow.”
Bloom raised her hoof briefly. “Speakin’ o’ which, how is Goldridge keepin’ itself safe from all them storms? It was comin’ down mighty fierce outside last I saw.”
Tick Tock smiled proudly. “Pewter reinforced the exterior with some of the best durasteel Hope’s Point could provide and affixed lightning rods to the roof. They keep the entire settlement powered for the whole winter and most of the remaining year, if we conserve it.”
“I know it’s going to be rough staying here that long, away from all of you,” Rarity continued, “but we’ve made some fabulous friends here in the meantime that can keep us company. We have a lot of catching up to do with old friends as well besides that, so look at the silver lining, hmm?”
Twilight shook her head. “This… was not at all how I was expecting this to go.” She let out a breath. “Still, you’re safe. You’re safe, and in a familiar place with familiar faces around you, as well as new friends—and family—to get to know better. I suppose even if this isn’t ideal, it’s not the worst thing that could’ve happened.”
Rarity smiled and nodded. “And besides that, darling, we’re not on any sort of time limit—” She paused, then turned to Sundial. “Are we?”
Sundial shook her head. “No, lass, as we’ve said before, yer world is stable—despite what happened—and my world’s in such a shite situation as-is that, if anything, you lot being here is actually a bloody benefit. I mean, last time you were here ye changed the whole world order that had been the same for hundreds o’ years, aye? Ye’re likely ta do it again.”
“So, we’re not on a time limit, we’re spending most of that time someplace safe, and, most importantly, we clearly have means to keep in contact with home while we’re here.” Rarity grinned and gestured to the rest of the group. “I’m sure our other friends and family would love to get in touch, don’t you agree?”
Twilight brightened. “You’re right! Oh my goodness, I need to let the others know immediately. If you’re going to be there for so long, they’ll have plenty of time to come visit the palace so that they can check in with you all, even outside of our monthly get-together. This is a wonderful little bit of silver lining, good point.”
Clockwood grumbled. “It’s not exactly protocol—”
Twilight gave him a terse look. “Seeing as there’s no harm in it, and that you’ve already got a plan for dealing with things, I do hope you’re not objecting to me wanting to be sure my friends and family are safe and happy, are you Mister Clockwork?”
Clockwork held up his hooves defensively. “Oi amn’t Your Majesty, believe me. Oi just know this is a highly unusual and unorthodox situation, so Oi have to consider how protocol applies to all of it.”
“Good, glad to hear it.”
“Oy, Clockwork,” Sundial interjected, “I meant ta ask ye if ye had any idea as ta what happened with this whole situation. How’d that Void rift even appear in the first place, eh?”
Clockwork adjusted his collar. “Well, like Oi said, Oi just got back from the Crystal Empoire and interviewed the key witnesses to the event, and from what Oi’ve gathered it’s quite a weird situation, it is.
“Best Oi can figure, Princess Cadence was attemptin’ a love spell of some sort, and she was empowered by the magic of Flurry Heart, so the spell was especially powerful right off the get-go. Two alicorns puttin’ their magic together is pretty astoundin’, eh? So, combined with the intention of the spell focused around Miss Rarity there, Oi’ve figured that the spell overpowered the stability of the world’s Void immunity for a moment in an attempt to fulfil its purpose.”
“What does all of that mean?” Twilight asked.
Sundial shook her head, amused. “It means the wee theory we had over here on this end was right on the money.”
“It was Gilderoy’s theory, incidentally,” Rarity added, giving Twilight a knowing grin.
Twilight brightened again. “Gilderoy? Oh my goodness, you got to see him again, too? How is he?”
“There will be time for that later, darling, but suffice to say I think he’s doing well enough. He looked over my memory to try and find a way to help. He even gave us a little mission to help solve some of this world’s other problems while we‘re here, but that’s neither here nor there.”
“So, what was his theory?”
“Exactly as Clockwork put it,” Sundial said, “though he put it inta some laypony’s terms so it was easier ta understand for those o’ the group that didn’t quite get magical theory.”
Rarity raised her hoof. “Guilty.”
“Basically, Princess Cadence’s spell—thanks ta Flurry Heart’s empowerment and Rarity’s… well, love, I suppose—overflowed out o’ yer world in an attempt to make a connection between Rarity and this ‘Zircon’ fellow, whoever that is.”
Twilight frowned and gave Rarity a sympathetic look. “Rarity… I thought you said you’d gotten past that?”
Rarity sighed in defeat. “I know, I know. It’s all very troublesome, and believe me, I’ve already beaten myself up over allowing things to get this far, but this is where we’re at at the moment, darling, so we just have to deal with it.”
“Considering it sounds like you’re going to Zeb’ra’den in order to make it home, you sure don’t sound that excited.”
Rarity took a deep breath. “I’m simply trying to keep myself focused, that’s all. Getting distracted is what got us into this mess in the first place, so I’m not about to let that happen again and risk putting us in danger.”
Tick Tock held up her hooves. “Now, let me get this straight. Princess Cadence’s spell was so powerful because of Flurry’s contribution and your love for Zircon that she literally tore open a Void rift when that should have been bloody well impossible?”
“That is the gist of it all, Mum,” Sundial said with a nod. “I’m just as baffled by it as ye are, and I’ve had time ta mull it over.”
Tick Tock shook her head in disbelief. “Bloody hell, Rarity, I knew you and Zircon had a bit of a thing going before you left, but I didn’t think it was that deep.”
“Neither did I,” Twilight added. “She gets a little distracted time and time again when winter rolls around, but I always just chalked it up to nostalgia or something along those lines. I’m not really an expert on romance and all that. I think Starlight Shadow might have the right idea, choosing not to involve herself in all of it.”
Tick Tock raised an eyebrow. “Starlight Shadow, hmm? Apple Bloom mentioned Curaçao earlier, so I assume they officially moved to your world after all? I thought they would.”
Twilight smiled. “They did, thanks to you. Shadow in particular still regrets a lot of the things she did—or tried to do—to you back then.”
Tick Tock shrugged. “Eh, I made it out alive, didn’t I? Water under the bridge, I say. No sense in holding a grudge.”
Bluebolt snorted, annoyed. “Even you feel that way, Tick Tock? I know my mom said you and my dad played devil’s advocate and all that for those six but I thought that was just you trying to be objective about it because of your job.”
“Listen, Bluebolt, I spent six years in their company because of how things went down, and I got to know them pretty well during that time period. Your mom only knew about the worst thing they did and knew them personally for less than a day.”
“That doesn’t—”
“I saw before anypony else the kind of regret Starlight Shadow and her sisters had for what they did, and I saw firsthoof how they put themselves in harm’s way to save the multiverse. Of course I’d be willing to look past their previous actions.”
Rarity looked between Bluebolt and Tick Tock, then turned to Twilight. “Twilight, darling, I know that you’re likely already preparing to arrange for visits from our friends and family to check-in on us and all that… but can I ask you another favor?”
Twilight tilted her head. “Of course you can. I’d do anything for you, you know that. Especially given your situation right now. If there’s anything I can do to help, just name it, and I’ll do my best to get it done.”
“I know it might be difficult, but can you arrange for Shadow and her sisters to get together so that they can have a chance to speak with Bluebolt here? I know Curaçao might be the most difficult to arrange, but I’m sure Princess Twilight can work something out.”
Bluebolt raised an eyebrow. “What? Why? Why would I want to talk to them?”
Rarity gave Bluebolt a weak smile. “I’ve already said all I can on their behalf, dear, and I know that nothing I ever say could possibly change the opinion that you have about them, or your mother’s opinion, but I feel I owe it to them to give them the chance to make their peace with your mother, even if it’s vicariously through you.”
“I think you’re wasting your time—”
“And I may well be, but I still want to give them a chance,” Rarity interjected. “They have spent their whole lives—literally—up until this point trying to make up for the first month of their existence, when they made some truly awful decisions. They hold themselves accountable and make no excuses for those actions despite being well within their right to do so, but they are trying to make amends. I think they deserve a chance to at least talk to you.”
Bluebolt paused for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. I’ll hear them out. But I won’t promise anything more than that.”
“Thank you, darling. I appreciate it, and I’m sure they will too.”
Sundial cleared her throat. “At any rate, fillies and gentlecolts, it’s getting late and we’ve had a long day of travel, so it’s probably best if we get ta bed, aye? Clockwork, I’ll be in contact with ye ta arrange all o’ these little get-togethers and such, and we’ll continue ta discuss the plan going forward.”
Clockwork nodded. “Sounds good to me. Oi’ll keep in touch, never you worry.”
Twilight smiled and nodded at Sundial. “Thank you again, Sundial, this means a lot to me, and to everypony else over here.” She turned to Rarity. “I’ll be sure to speak with Shadow about arranging that meeting too, Rarity. I’m certain they’ll be glad to have that opportunity and will appreciate your effort no matter what happens.”
Rarity nodded. “It’s the least I could do, darling. Oh! And do be sure to inform Insipid that she’ll be needing to housesit for a little longer than she was expecting. She might need some financial assistance, the poor dear, and I know I’ll feel terrible if she has to miss a convention because of all this.”
“I’ll make sure she knows and has all the help she needs, don’t worry. Spike might be willing to lend a claw. As for you, stay safe, Rarity. And you too, Apple Bloom. And especially you, Flurry.”
“Of course, Aunt Twilight,” Flurry said with a smile and a nod. “We’ll talk later, I hope?”
“Of course we will! I’ll also make sure that your parents can come in for a check-in too, okay?”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
While everypony was waving farewells, Sundial switched off the monitor and leaned back in her seat again. “Och, that went better than expected. Glad ta see that things are being handled well on the other end o’ this bloody shitestorm.”
“At least now we have an idea of what we’re doing and how we’re doing it,” Rarity said with a nod. “This certainly puts my mind at ease.”
“I’m just lookin’ forward ta introducin’ Bluebolt ta the family!” Bloom said, pulling Bluebolt in for a hug. “Y’all’re gonna love 'em!”
Bluebolt smiled and hugged Bloom right back. “I’m looking forward to it too, Apple Bloom. This should be the most fun winter I’ve ever had!”
Tick Tock then clapped her hooves together. “So, now that we’ve got all that settled, how about I get you lot all situated with some rooms, eh? My home is your home for the next two months and some days, so I might as well make sure everypony’s comfortable. It’s the least I could do.”
Rarity smiled. “Of course, dear. And thank you again for putting us up at such short notice. I hope we’re not imposing—”
Tick Tock brushed that thought off with her hoof. “No worries. After all, what are friends for? And do you know what else friends are for?”
“What, darling?”
Tick Tock jokingly waved her hoof over her nose. “Telling their friends that they need a bloody bath.”