//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty-Four: Encouragement // Story: CRISIS: New World Order // by GanonFLCL //------------------------------// Sundial woke up from what felt like a daze, almost completely forgetting where she was at the moment or even had been. It took her eyes almost a full minute to adjust, and she did what she could to blink the blinding white light out of her vision. There was an intense ringing in her ears as well that prevented her from hearing anything either. She felt as if she’d been hit with a particularly potent flashbang at point blank range, which wasn’t really all that far from the truth. Once she’d recovered her vision enough to see the Beacon courtyard, she took stock of the situation as best she could, though did so slowly—her head was pounding and it hurt just to think. The first thing she noticed was that Harmonia was nowhere to be found, as if she’d just vanished without a trace. The second—and more important—thing she noticed was that Weaver was right by her side. Only he was still laying on the ground. And he wasn’t moving. “Weaver?” she said, dragging herself through the snow to scoot closer to him. “Hey, Weaver. Are ye alright, lad? That was a pretty sharp hit, aye?” Weaver didn’t respond. She gently gave his shoulder a little shake, growing concerned that he wasn’t replying. “Oy, Weaver. Can ye hear me? If ye can, answer me. Aye?” No response. She rolled him over so she could get a good look at him and noticed that not only was he not moving, he didn’t seem to be breathing either. “Oh no… no no no…” She shook him again and put a hoof to his neck to feel for a pulse, but felt nothing there. “C’mon, lad, get up. This is no time ta be messing around, aye? If ye’re having a giggle or something, stop it. It’s not funny.” No response. She shook him again, harder this time. “Weaver! Damn you, don’t you dare do this ta me, lad. Not after everything we’ve been through together. Not after everything we’ve done, everything I promised you.” No response. Sundial felt the tears welling up in her eyes. “C’mon, Weaver… wake up. Please. I don’t want ta be alone again—” Weaver let out a loud gasp for air and shot upright very suddenly, nearly smacking Sundial in the nose with his forehead. “Bloody hell!” she blurted, putting her hoof over her heart after hastily wiping her tears. “Ye damn near gave me a heart attack, lad! Don’t do that!” “Sundial?” he mumbled, his voice weak and tired. “Where are we? Are you okay?” Sundial shook her head and eased back into the snow to breathe, trying to collect herself after that brief panic attack. “I’m fine,” she grumbled. “We’re still at the Beacon courtyard in Zeb’ra’den. So, y’know, we did it. We diffused the Beacon.” “Oh, good. That’s good.” Sundial looked around to take stock of the situation in the courtyard now that she had a moment to breathe. The Beacon tower had changed from how she remembered seeing it last. No longer was it glowing with any sort of magical light of one color or another, first of all. It stood as just a grand tower of white metal now, totally unremarkable except for its sheer size at this point. The rest of the courtyard was in shambles; most of the statues and busts of zebras had been damaged immensely in the fighting and from the diffusion. She huffed. “Och, we sure did a number on this place, aye? What a mess. The zebras aren’t going ta be happy about that.” “Where’s Venture?” Weaver asked, tilting his head. “I mean… Harmonia? I’m still a little confused by that whole thing.” “I don’t know, lad,” Sundial sighed. “Maybe she left while we were out or something? That doesn’t seem like something she’d do, though, ot when you’re injured and all that. She was supposed ta patch up yer wounds after we finished with the Beacon. Kind o’ tacky ta just wander off—” “Sundial?” “Aye?” “Why can’t I see you? Or anything at all, really?” Sundial raised an eyebrow. “What do ye—” She looked to Weaver and saw him trying to look around, as if searching for her. But why would he do that? She was right in front of him. Then, she realized what was going on. “Oh no…” “What? What’s wrong?” Weaver asked, trying to look at her now based on the sound of her voice. Sundial came over to him and took his face in her hooves, pointing him directly at herself. The pupils in his eyes had become a milky white. “Weaver, can ye see me? I’m right here in front o’ you.” Weaver’s hooves came to hers, gently. He blinked a few times, then shook his head. “No… no, I can’t see you…” “Shite…” She let her hooves fall slightly from his face, and the tears from earlier welled back up. “Damn it all.” “I don’t understand. Why can’t I—” He paused for a moment, then gulped. “Oh. I understand now.” His hooves pulled hers back up. “It’ll be okay, Sundial.” “How can ye say that? Ye’re blind. That light blinded you!” He paused in thought again, then shook his head. “We both knew going into this that being close to the Beacon when it diffused was going to have a severe negative effect on me,” he said matter-of-factly. “We just didn’t know what that effect would be or the extent of it. It could’ve been worse, couldn’t it? I could’ve been killed.” Sundial sniffed and wiped away some more tears. “I know. I know. But that doesn’t make me feel much better about it. We had so many things we were going ta do after this, aye? We were supposed to explore the world and let ye see all o’ the things ye’ve never seen before. How can I take you stargazing if ye’re blind?” Weaver gave her a little smile and pulled her hooves back to him. “You’ll just have to describe what you’re seeing to me. All of it. Every little detail, no matter how small.” “It’s not the same. It’s not fair. None o’ this is fair.” “Sundial, please. I’m alive, and I’m here with you.” He set his forehead against hers, bumping a little roughly since he couldn’t judge the distance. “That’s all that matters. That’s all that’s fair.” “But—” Weaver then leaned in and kissed her full on the mouth, and with surprising accuracy. She pulled away at first, just from the shock of the whole thing, but only for a second. Then, she leaned in and kissed him back, putting her heart into the effort. She knew she’d given him a brief kiss earlier in the heat of excitement earlier after he’d helped her figure out how to fix the Beacon. Even so, this felt more appropriately like their first kiss together. The kiss didn’t quite feel the way that Rarity had explained it to her—lots of weird metaphors about butterflies and fireworks or whatever—but more like being submerged in a nice, hot bath after a long, hard day out in the brisk, freezing cold. Maybe the other stuff came later, once Sundial grew more experienced with kissing? It was nice, though. Very, very nice. Sundial pulled back from the kiss for a moment to look at Weaver in a way she’d never looked at him before, trying to catch her breath after the new experience. She felt a little woozy—Rarity had told her to expect that—and had to look down at the ground after a moment before she got dizzy. Her eyes widened as she looked down at his flank, which was easy to see through his torn uniform. She gasped. “What? What’s the matter?” he asked, concerned. “Yer cutie mark,” she breathed, heart pounding with excitement. “You… you have a cutie mark!” “R-really? I do?” he asked, also excited. “That’s amazing! I didn’t think I’d ever— what is it? Describe it to me.” Sundial described it to him precisely, down to the smallest detail: it was an old-fashioned compass made of a shiny, silvery metal kept within a bronze casing, almost like a pocket watch. The arrow pointing north was pointed directly away from the Beacon, which marked Equestria’s southern pole, and it was colored a striking black. The other lines on the compass were red and stood out fairly well. “A compass, huh?” Weaver hummed, leaning back a little into the snow to think it over. “What does that mean?” “We’ll figure it out, lad,” Sundial replied, clamoring on top of him and wrapping him in a hug. “We’ll figure it out… together. But for now, we’ve got a lot o’ work ahead o’ us, aye?” “Yes, I suppose we do. I hope the others are all okay…” “Me too, lad. Me too.” ***** The snowstorm in the western mountains had died down completely. It was still overcast enough that the sky was covered with dark clouds, but every now and then the stars peeked through, as did Equestria’s two moons as they moved through the sky. Gone were the heavy snowfall and biting winds. Now, the air was calm and peaceful, as it should be. Almost pleasant, actually. Bloom sat calmly and patiently with Flurry’s head still in her lap as she napped and recovered from her ordeal. She regaled said ordeals as best as she understood them to Symphony, who’d reunited with them only a few minutes ago. About how Nihila had tried to take over Flurry’s body, about how Bloom had gotten through to Flurry and encouraged her to fight back, and how Flurry and resisted Nihila and kept her from running away. Symphony, in turn, regaled Bloom with her fight against Stormy Night. She seemed rather proud of the few injuries she had sustained in the process, particularly the sliced ear, bragging about how she was “a true zebra warrior” now complete with “marks of honor” and everything. Bloom wasn’t sure just how powerful Stormy was as a Warden, but Symphony made it certainly sound impressive. Then, Bloom’s attention was drawn towards an airship approaching the mountain from the east as a blistering pace, leaving a rainbow-colored trail of engine fumes in its wake. “Is that one o’ them airships from Hope’s Point?” she asked, pointing off towards the approaching vessel, which stood out against the dark sky like a sore thumb. Symphony squinted in the direction Bloom was pointing, then her eyes widened in glee. “It is! Yes! That means Bolt made it to Newhaven safely!” She stepped over to the edge of the mountainside, lit up her horn, and fired off a single bolt of magic that sparkled and flared as it rose slowly up into the sky. “What kind o’ spell was that?” “A simple signal flare. It’s not as good as a real flare, but it gets the job done just as well as far as I’m concerned. Every ship in the fleet knows to watch for those.” Bloom grinned and pointed at the ship. “Well, looks like it worked. That sucker was movin’ awful fast before but it looks like it done slowed down.” Sure enough, the airship slowed down to a hovering near-stop just overhead of where Symphony fired off her magic. She waved up at the ship eagerly as it pulled into a rather rough position near the cliff. It came to a complete stop now, then opened up its boarding ramp carefully onto the snowbank nearby. A single pony, a green earth pony stallion in a multi-colored flight jacket, came up to the top of the boarding ramp. “Ahoy there!” he called out to Symphony over the din of the ship’s engines. “Need a lift?!” Symphony nodded and shouted back, “That’d be nice! We’re gonna need some help getting some of my crew aboard, though!” “Roger that!” The earth pony then gestured inside the ship, and two Hope’s Point militia ponies hustled down the ramp, approaching Symphony and giving her a brief salute, then coming over to Bloom and Flurry. Bloom eyed the two cautiously, then gestured down to Flurry. “She ain’t hurt or nothin’, just nappin’. She done pooped herself out, y’see. Y’all think ya can get ‘er inside wit’out wakin’ her?” The two militia ponies glanced at one another—their expressions were unreadable under their helmets—then shrugged, nodded at Bloom, and carefully transferred Flurry over so that she draped over the back of the larger of the two. Said larger pony then moved slowly back over to the ship, his partner by his side keeping Flurry steady, with Bloom and Symphony right behind them. Once on board the ship, the boarding ramp shuttered back up and the engines roared to life, and the two militia ponies set Flurry down carefully onto a nearby set of seats. Symphony turned to the earth pony that had addressed them earlier. “You must be the co-pilot?” “That’s right, ma’am,” the co-pilot said, taking her hoof and shaking it briskly. “Name’s Quickshot. Welcome aboard the Rainbow Blitz Two, courtesy of Captain Prism Burst by order of Her Majesty Queen Blackburn. We’re all set to take you back to Zeb’ra’den to meet up with the fleet—” “Yeah yeah, I bet. Before we depart, I’ve got a little list of things that need to be addressed first, okay?” “Captain Prism was told to give you a fair amount of leeway considering everything that’s been happening, so go ahead, what’s on your mind?” Symphony cleared her throat. “First off, we’ve got a hippogriff friend out here in the mountains that was headed to Astropolis ahead of us to get help when we were ambushed. Let the captain know we need to find him before he flies himself to exhaustion out there or whatever.” Quickshot nodded. “More than doable, I’ll handle the tracking myself. Should be easy now that the weather’s cleared up.” “Good. The next thing isn’t as urgent, and we can save it for when we get back, actually, but we need to get word out to Old Town that the body of Lady Stormy Night of House Night is out here in the mountains. She’ll be around the spot you picked us up, actually. I didn’t exactly leave a marker, but like you said, the weather’s cleared up.” “The body? She’s dead?” “Yup. Killed her myself,” Symphony said, scuffing her chest with her hoof. “She was working with Nihila as her Warden, the wendigos, and the NPAF towards… uh, whatever their end goal was. I guess helping Nihila return to power or something? You guys might know more than me since you all put a stop to it at Zeb’ra’den and stuff, right?” “I’ll make sure Her Majesty is informed. That’s quite a bit of information to parse out.” Symphony smiled and nodded. “Great. That’s pretty much the long and short of it, then. So, let’s get going! I think there’s a lot of talking that needs to be done amongst a lot of ponies, yeah? No sense in keeping them waiting.” Quickshot smiled and nodded right back. “Right away, ma’am. Get cozy and relax, but don’t get too cozy; we’ll be back at Zeb’ra’den within the hour.” ***** Getting the gang back together was, thankfully, a tremendously easy task compared to the week’s worth of mountain climbing, marching across fields of ice and snow, and flying non-stop for a week. Such was the benefit in having well-equipped airships designed for traveling great distances in short times, and Hope’s Point more than delivered in that aspect as it always did. So, thanks to the Rainbow Blitz Two, a journey that by land would’ve taken two weeks through mountains, ice, and snow only took about an hour. When the Rainbow Blitz Two made its landing at the outskirts of Zeb’ra’den near the rest of the currently grounded fleet, Bluebolt was the first to go running towards it, faster than anypony else, hardly even waiting for it to land before she was at the bottom of where the boarding ramp would deploy. As soon as it did, she sprinted up the ramp and onto the airship, reaching the top just as Symphony started her way down. The pair wasted no time in embracing one another. Bluebolt was sure to kiss Symphony full on the lips just once before either of them said a word. “Thank Harmonia you’re safe, Bolt,” Symphony said, kissing down Bluebolt’s neck to punctuate every few words. “I’ve been worried sick. You made it, though! All the way to Newhaven in a week! That’s some damn good flying, pecha.” Bluebolt giggled as Symphony next ran her hooves up her wings, not caring for an instant that they weren’t someplace private or even if anypony else was watching. Let them watch. “Thanks, songbird. I’m glad to see you’re—” Then, her eyes widened when she noticed Symphony’s injured ear. “Your ear! Oh my stars, what happened?!” Symphony tilted her head and tapped a hoof to the missing bit, a proud smile on her face. “I’ll share the whole story later, but the short version is that Lady Stormy Night was working for Nihila the whole time, called herself her Warden and everything. Apparently she’d been letting Nihila camp out in her body for a while.” “Seriously? Her?” Bluebolt scoffed. “That’s kind of a step down from somepony like Silvertongue, at least from how my mom described him. Like going from real blueberry pie down to that Dolor knock-off crap.” “Yeah, that’s what I told her, heh. Still, she got a couple of good shots in on me before I was able to rally myself and start kicking her ass right back.” Symphony smirked and pulled Bluebolt in for a tight hug. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you. I am never letting you out of my sight again for so long, pecha. Never.” Bluebolt smiled and kissed Symphony’s nose. “Speaking of which, I was thinking about a few things the entire time I was flying up north, and I know we need to really sit down and have a real discussion… but I’m just gonna say this right now: I never want to be apart from you ever again. I mean that with all my heart.” Symphony smiled. “Me neither. We’re definitely going to have that talk soon, okay? For now, though, I think we all need a break from everything that’s happened. We need to rest, and relax, and then you and I can talk about us.” She nudged Bluebolt slightly. “I think I’ve got a pretty good idea what you want to say, anyway.” “You do?” “Of course I do, pecha. I know you better than anypony.” She leaned up to Bluebolt’s ear and whispered. “I know you’re gonna ask anyway, but I hope you don’t think I’m gonna say anything but ‘yes’, do you?” Bluebolt smiled and shook her head. “I wouldn’t think anything else. Not in a million years. But I still want to ask you properly, so… y’know… save that answer for later, okay songbird?” “Okay.” Symphony kissed Bluebolt’s nose. “I love you.” “I love you, too.” ***** It was a few hours before Flurry woke up from her nap, not exactly at full strength but refreshed enough that she could walk, talk, and be alert enough to interact with others freely. Bloom, who’d stayed at her side in this cozy little room at the zebra royal palace throughout her entire nap, filled her in on what had happened for the most part. Bluebolt had gotten the fleet to Zeb’ra’den in time to save as much of the army as possible—though she was sad to learn that there had still been tremendous losses—and Symphony had defeated Stormy Night in single combat. They’d been picked up by an airship from Hope’s Point’s fleet at some point, which had also picked up Harvey, who was quite ecstatic that everypony was okay and that the day had been won, not to mention getting to see a Hope’s Point airship up close for the first time in his life. The most surprising thing, though, was that Venture had apparently been Harmonia in disguise the entire time they’d known her. Flurry wasn’t entirely sure if that made sense until she really thought about it. Venture had always been rather distant from the others; Flurry had never seen Venture eating and rarely saw her sleeping, and when she did sleep, she’d always take the worst sleeping arrangements when possible so that the others could sleep comfortably; Venture hadn’t been dressed appropriately for the weather whatsoever even as she left with Sundial to go into the wendigo storm; Venture was apparently best friends with Queen Aculeata despite nopony having seen her before, and Aculeata had been rather purposefully sparse on details; Venture seemed to know virtually everything about the world’s history from before the Beacons fell with startling detail, as if she’d lived through them; and Venture always seemed to have just this aura of goodness about her that Flurry could never explain and had never sensed from anypony else in this world, but that she recognized from alicorns in her world, like her mom and Aunt Twilight. But nothing really prepared her for when she and Bloom met with Sundial and Weaver early that morning sometime before breakfast, as she desperately wanted to check in on the two of them immediately after waking up. Her heart sank when she saw Sundial guiding Weaver along the hallway towards them enroute to the dining hall, her wing draped over his shoulder as he walked with slow steps to keep pace with the shorter mare. “Oh no…” she murmured, hoof to her lips as she approached them. She saw the milky white of his pupils and knew immediately what that meant, but she still asked anyway: “What happened? Weaver, are you alright?” Weaver smiled and tilted his head towards her voice. “Flurry? It’s good to hear your voice, because that means you’re okay after everything that happened. I heard you went through quite an experience. I’m alright, though, thank you for asking. I’ve got my injuries all patched up—” “I meant your eyes, Weaver. What happened to your eyes?” Sundial shook her head and sighed. “We were right next ta the Beacon when it diffused and let loose all o’ that Light magic inta the world. We always knew that it was gonna have some kind o’ effect on him, we just didn’t know what it would do, exactly. I was hoping it was just a worst-case scenario, not a sure thing.” “What do you mean ‘we always knew’? I didn’t know that!” Flurry blurted. “I thought it was just going to destroy all of those wendigos, not hurt him, too. Why would it do that?” “Aye, it destroyed the wendigos because they were imbued with loads o’ Nihila’s Dark magic. Just like Weaver is, remember?” Flurry frowned. “So… you knew about this, but you never told me? Never told anypony? Why would you keep that a secret?” “We didn’t know for sure until it happened,” Weaver said, shaking his head. “I mean… I think Sundial and I suspected it, but until it happened we thought we were just being paranoid. We didn’t really think about it until we were in the tunnel on our way to the Beacon, either.” He cracked a grin. “At least it didn’t kill me.” “How can you joke about this?” Flurry gestured down towards the rest of Weaver, which had a rather severe, slowly healing burn scar across his chest. “Look at you, you’ve even been injured! What did this to you?” “The Overseer’s new techno-magic construct.” Bloom blinked. “W-wait, what? The Overseer? Ya mean that jerk what used ta order ya 'round all the time?” “The same.” “How?” Flurry asked, completely at a loss. “How was he even down here? What was he doing?” “The Hope’s Point fleet noticed a small airship on the other side o’ the city, so that’s probably how he got here,” Sundial said with a shrug. “As for why, he was in league with Nihila the whole bloody time, aye? Just like we thought he was. That little device o’ his that he was using back in that cave,” she added, looking briefly to Bloom, “used Void energy ta try and corrupt the Beacon inta Dark energy.” “That would’ve eventually covered the whole world in Darkness… just like Nihila wanted.” Flurry shook her head and looked at Weaver’s eyes again. “This is awful… even after all we did, he still came all this way to hurt you…” “I know, it’s awful,” Sundial said softly. “But I’m here for him, aye? All o’ his friends—Bluebolt and Symphony, too—are going ta be here for him until he recovers.” “But what if he doesn’t recover?” “Well, we’ve made it this far pretty much just running on hope, aye? Well, I say we don’t give up on that now. I’ve got hope that he’s gonna recover his eyesight someday, one way or another.” Flurry paused, mulling this over, then nodded in agreement. “Okay. You’re right. I know that if I have hope for him and his situation, then only the best can happen, right? I held out hope for all of you to come back alive and win the day, and you did. This shouldn’t be any different.” Bloom let out a breath. “Well, I’m wit’ Weaver on this: I’m jus’ glad he’s alive, yeah? We still ain’t got any idea what happened ta Venture… er, Harmonia, do we? I’m still confused as all heck 'bout that, y’know?” “Not a clue, lass,” Sundial grunted. Then, she smiled. “Och, but forget about that. I’ve got something ta show— Weaver’s got something ta show ye.” She nudged Weaver gently in the side. “Go on, lad, show 'em. They’re gonna get a kick outta this.” Weaver smiled and tilted himself to the side so that Flurry and Bloom could see his flank under the zebra-made fur coat he was wearing. Bloom gasped rather loudly. “Ya got yer cutie mark!” “Oh my goodness!” Flurry exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. “When did this happen?” “Right after the Beacon, actually,” Sundial said. “Noticed it a wee bit after finding out about his eyes, actually. He may have lost his eyesight, but he got his cutie mark out o’ the deal. Not exactly an even trade, aye, but it’s great news. It means that Nihila’s essence has been completely erased inside o’ him.” Bloom clapped her hooves together. “Hot dang, this is fantastic! Didja figure out what it means yet?” Weaver shook his head. “A compass can mean so many things for so many ponies. I have no idea what it means for me, though.” “Shucks, ya should’ve tol’ me 'bout this way before now, guys. Don’t y’all remember? I’m an expert in all things cutie mark, an’ that’s the honest truth.” Bloom tapped her chin in thought. “So, let’s see, a compass? Well—an’ this is me just spitballin’ here—a compass is used ta find yer way in case ya get lost, ain’t it?” “Yes, that is its intended purpose.” “Well then, the way I see it, you’re a gosh darned great tracker, first off, but more importantly, ya always seem ta find yer way 'round everythin’ that comes at ya. Ya found Sundial 'n' Flurry in the mountains an’ they brought ya ta us. Ya found Rarity in them caves and saved her from bad ponies.” Bloom grinned and nudged Sundial. “Ya also done did the impossible 'n' found yer way inta Sundial’s bed.” Sundial rolled her eyes. “Bloody hell, here we go. You lot aren’t gonna let that go, are ye?” “Nope, never,” Bloom said with a smirk. “Ye’re as bad as Bluebolt and Symphony…” “Thanks! Anyway, what I mean ta say is, you’re good at findin’ solutions ta stuff, not ta mention yer trackin’ skills helpin’ ya find folks you’re lookin’ fer.” Bloom set her hoof on Weaver’s shoulder. “So, like Sundial 'n' Flurry said, I think you’re gonna find a way ta get yer eyesight back, too.” Flurry smiled and patted Bloom’s shoulder. “That’s a very good way to look at it, Bloom. You’ve got a real knack for this kind of thing.” Bloom puffed out her chest. “Well yeah, that’s ‘cause that’s mah special talent, remember?” Then, her stomach rumbled. Her face turned red. “Uh… sorry. I ain’t had nothing’ ta eat since lunch yesterday an’ that was just a bunch o’ rations.” Weaver chuckled. “Perhaps we should go find breakfast, hmm?” “Ha!” Bloom laughed, nudging Flurry in the side. “Listen ta him, already crackin’ jokes. See, Flurry? He’ll be just fine.” “I think you’re right, Apple Bloom,” Flurry said with a soft smile. Bloom cleared her throat. “So, uh,I think we oughta go get somethin’ ta eat before we all collapse right here in this dang ol’ hallway.” Sundial smirked. “Aye, I’ve been needing a good meal for a while now, too.” She wrapped her wing around Weaver’s shoulder. “C’mon then, lad, I think you need something ta eat as well.” “Sounds good,” Weaver said with a smile. ***** As Sundial sat calm and composed in her chair in her TARDIS back at Hope’s Point, she took a deep breath and tried to collect herself for what felt like the hundredth time since the southern Beacon was diffused. Not a whole lot had happened, really, in the week since Zeb’ra’den was liberated from the wendigos, but what few things had happened were rather significant. For one, news had spread throughout the south rather quickly about what had happened in Zeb’ra’den. Sundial wasn’t sure what the ramifications of such a thing were going to be just yet, but considering that Lady Stormy Night had manipulated Houses Golden and Light into war to fuel the wendigos, she was sure that the political landscape was going to undergo a massive upheaval. For another, Zeb’ra’den had strengthened its alliances with Hope’s Point and the Hippogriff Commonwealth far beyond where they’d once been, and even started working on a new one with House Wind, as they had all contributed greatly in the retaking of Zeb’ra’den and the safety of the zebras that had evacuated. Word was already circling through Hope’s Point of building a proper port at Zeb’ra’den to ease the transportation of goods, services, and visitors. But most of those things weren’t really her place to be involved with directly—Chronomancers were supposed to maintain a neutral position in all matters unless they pertained to Void rifts threatening the world—except for one thing, and that one was absolutely the most crucial: The portal ring that she was planning to use to send Rarity, Bloom, and Flurry back home had been moved here to Hope’s Point from Zeb’ra’den with the express purpose of activating it. With the southern Beacon diffused and the northern Beacon destroyed, and with Harmonia nowhere to be found once again, there was no longer a source of magical energy powerful enough to activate it. Even Flurry Heart, as strong as she was, wouldn’t be able to do it on her own; her world’s alicorns simply weren’t on the same level as Harmonia and Nihila. However, Queen Blackburn had most graciously taken it upon herself to put her best techno-magic engineers on the job, and they’d been hard at work all week on figuring out how to power the device without a Beacon or an alicorn. Sundial knew it was just a matter of waiting for them to find a solution before anything else could be done and before she could finalize her plans with Clockwork, and if anypony could do it, it was the geniuses of Hope’s Point’s engineering division. Today was the day, though! The solution had been found, and so work could commence on getting the portal ring activated and sending Rarity, Bloom, and Flurry back home, finally. So now, Sundial sat in her chair in her TARDIS and waited for her communication with Clockwork to go through. And waited, and waited, and waited, as was usual. Clockwork picked up after a few minutes of waiting, though; Sundial had all the time in the world now, so she wasn’t impatient. “Ah, hello there! It’s good to hear from you again, Sundoil. Oi assume you’ve got news on developments on your end of things with the portal?” “Aye, that I do,” Sundial replied, leaning forward in her seat. “They’ve figured out a solution to get our portal ring activated. It’s a bit o’ brute force, really, but if it works, it works, so who am I ta question it?” “What’s the plan then?” “They’re just gonna hook the bloody thing up ta the city’s power grid and supercharge it. It’ll give it enough juice ta stay open for about an hour or so, enough time ta send the Equestria-IV natives back home, as well as a new immigrant with them, so start getting a Protocol TR-112 form set up, aye?” “A new immigrant, you say? Ah, that’s right, the zebra that Rarity was involved with and that started all this mess?” “The same.” “Roight then, Oi’ll put together the protocols to get him integrated into Equestria-IV properly. Easy enough to do, since Toime Turner went through the process a few times last time this happened, so Oi’ve got a good framework ta work with.” “So, how’s this whole deal gonna work from yer end, so far as getting the portal opened? Did ye hear back from HQ on a solution?” “Yes, that Oi did. It’s a mite bit complicated, but you’re a smart one so you’ll be able to follow along pretty well, Oi think.” Clockwork cleared his throat. “Equestria-IV is in a rather unique situation here, actually, as is Equestria-V, seeing as we’re goin’ to be connectin’ the two together to get those natives home, yes?” “I’m listening.” “Oi know your world is different from Canon by a pretty substantial amount, so tell me, what do you know about the ‘Crystal Mirror’ artifact?” Sundial paused, tilting her head. “I’m not too familiar with it, ta be honest. We don’t have one o’ those or an equivalent.” “Roight, roight, Oi figured you wouldn’t be. Well, the short version is that in Canon, this Crystal Mirror served a similar function as a portal ring in connectin’ two worlds together, in this case the Canon Equestria and the ‘alternate’ reality of the Canon ‘Canterlot High’, often referred to at HQ as the ‘EG’ subreality.” Sundial raised an eyebrow. “Och, the one with all those hairless apes walking around?” “That’s the one. Well you see, Equestria-IV never integrated the EG subreality into its own, yes? The Proime Incident all those years ago did a number on this world’s acceptance of alternate realities, kind of like it got all spooked and just washed its hooves of the whole deal.” “That’s a pretty significant difference,” Sundial whistled. “That it is. Now, normally, Oi wouldn’t have much trouble gettin’ a portal ring activated on this end, seein’ as we’ve got plenty of alicorns to draw from, yes? Problem is actually building the damn thing. We don’t have the materials readily available—Oi’ve been searching for months to find enough conductive metal to keep it together and Oi’m way short of the mark.” Sundial rolled her eyes. “Ugh, of course. Always a setback.” Clockwork smiled. “Oh, aye, but that’s where the Crystal Mirror comes in. We’re goin’ to use it as a portal ring, seeing as it’s inactive in this world and free to use.” “Aye? Huh. That’s a right clever solution. And ye say ye got this approved by HQ and everything?” “That Oi did. But, here’s the kicker: there’s a little bit of a side effect to usin’ the Crystal Mirror for the process.” “What kind o’ side effect?” “Namely, Equestria-IV and Equestria-V are goin’ ta be permanently linked together in the same way as the Canon Equestria is with its EG subreality.” Sundial raised an eyebrow. “Wait, are ye telling me that the connection is going ta be permanent? Like anypony could just travel between the worlds willy-nilly?” “Yes and no. It won’t be permanently open anymore than the Canon version is, but it will open on its own on occasion and allow for travel between the two worlds in a safer, more convenient, and—most importantly—predictable manner.” Clockwork cracked a grin. “HQ determined that Equestria-IV and Equestria-V have had this happen too many times for it to be a coincidence, so they’re putting a stop to it.” “What does that mean?” “The other side effect of bein’ permanently linked is that Equestria-V will stabiloize just like Equestria-IV has, meaning no more Void rifts, no more interdimensional travelers. Oi’ve got official approval from HQ to inform you that once this connection is made, it moight take a few years to fully bond the worlds, but when that happens you’re slated to retoire. Equestria-V will have no more need for a permanent Chronomancer.” Sundial leaned back in her chair, absolutely floored by this information. “Ye mean… that’s it? I do this last little job, then wait a few years and my life is my own?” “That is what retirement entails, yes.” “Bloody hell…” Sundial shook her head. “Well… alright then. It looks like we’ve gotten things all worked out. Let’s not waste any more time on the issue. Are ye ready on yer end ta open the portal?” Clockwork nodded. “Princess Twoilight Sparkle is here with me at the Crystal Empire, and she and Princess Cadence are goin’ ta help me establish the connection. Oi’ll get started as soon as we clear the channel. Shouldn’t take more than an hour. You?” “Queen Blackburn’s going to give our portal ring a jump start when I give the word that you’re prepared on your end. I’ll gather everyone together to get them ready to depart, let Her Majesty know about this new ‘bond’—she’ll want ta make sure the ring is set up in the future ta accept travelers or whatever—and get things hooked up.” “Good, good. Well, Oi won’t keep you from your work, then.” “Thanks again, Clockwork. Ye’ve been a big help in all of this, aye?” Clockwork shrugged. “All in a day’s work for a Chronomancer, eh?” Sundial grinned and nodded. “Aye, all in a day’s work.” ***** Rarity marveled at the new “portal” chamber that Blackburn had arranged in the royal palace at Hope’s Point, utilizing a room in the palace that as far as Rarity knew hadn’t been used for much before. Again, she was never much for all those techno-magic gizmos and gadgets, but even she had to admit that the room was impressive. It wasn’t particularly large, just big enough to hold twenty ponies or so to be present at a time if need be, which was more than enough room for the current company. Rarity, Flurry, and Bloom stood ready to go back home after a long, arduous journey, filled with stories to share with friends and family and with new experiences to learn from. Blackburn and Lockwood were present to see them off, as were Bluebolt, Symphony, Sundial, Weaver, Tick Tock, and Zarya. The room wasn’t big enough to fit everyone that might’ve wanted to see the group off and technically the whole “alternate universe” deal was still supposed to be secret, so Blackburn arranged just for certain individuals to be here that needed to be here. Oh, and Zircon was here as well, Rarity hadn’t forgotten about him and never would or could, but he wasn’t there to see them off, oh no. He had packed a few personal belongings of his from Zeb’ra’den: his falchion, some of his nicer clothes—which were made of inoffensive materials like cloth and silk, as his genuine fur and leather gear would likely be frowned upon—and his favorite sculpture he’d made of Rarity, which was crafted from finely cut white diamond in its entirety. There was no question that he wasn’t staying this time; he was going with Rarity, like Flathoof had done with Applejack all those years ago. The portal itself was open and waiting for the group to pass through it. Rarity was surprised to see how different it was compared to how she’d grown accustomed to such things appearing after all the times she’d seen them. This portal was a swirling pink vortex that looked altogether rather pleasant, all things considered. Sundial had been very brief on the details, but apparently this portal was to be a permanent fixture? Nopony knew exactly how long it would take before such a thing was possible—years, at least—but it was something to look forward to. Since there were so many different ponies to go through with so many different relationships to address, it was simpler for Rarity and her friends to go through the portal—and through their goodbyes—one at a time so as not to overwhelm anyone. Age seemed to be the easiest way to divide the order up, so Flurry Heart—the youngest—went first. “It was a pleasure to meet you both, Your Majesties,” Flurry said, giving a bow to both Blackburn and Lockwood. “After everything I heard about the two of you, I’m glad to see that all of the stories were true. If anything, they didn’t quite do you justice. You’re both simply… amazing.” Blackburn smirked and bowed slightly in return. “Was a pleasure indeed, Princess Heart.” Lockwood bowed a bit lower than his wife did. “The pleasure was all mine, Your Royal Highness,” he said with a smile. As he rose up, he gave her a little wink. “I’m glad to see that all of my advice to you paid off in the end, eh? Princess of Hope sounds wonderfully fancy, and definitely something us here at Hope’s Point can appreciate.” “I was just thinking the same thing,” Flurry said with a grin. She stepped forward and gave Lockwood a hug. “Thank you so much, Lockwood.” He returned it. “You’re welcome, Flurry.” Blackburn tapped Flurry’s shoulder. “And do not worry; measures taken to seek solution to Weaver’s blindness.” Flurry grinned. “I was just about to ask about that. Thank you, Blackburn. I appreciate it. He’s done so much—” “No need to explain again. His intelligence provided key weaknesses to NPAF fleet, gave us the upper hoof. I owe him that much.” She tilted her head towards Bluebolt. “Go on then, Princess. The others are waiting.” Flurry next came to Bluebolt and Symphony, and she gave them a little smile. “I’m so glad to have met the two of you. You’re wonderful ponies, and you’ve been wonderful friends to me and my friends as well. And, of course, you two are wonderful together. I’m a little jealous, actually.” Bluebolt smiled and nudged Flurry gently. “Aw, thanks. You’re not so bad yourself, Flurry. It was super cool meeting you and getting to know you.” “And hey, maybe you’ll find your own special somepony someday, huh?” Symphony suggested, waggling her eyebrows. “After all, our version of you apparently hooked up with our version of Apple Bloom, so, y’know—” “We’re not together!” Bloom shouted, as nopony was speaking quietly enough to prevent most of the room from hearing and so she’d clearly hear the insinuation. “I don’t know how many times I have ta tell ya that, dagnabit!” Flurry chuckled. “I’ll find somepony someday, maybe. It’s not really that important to me right now, though, to be honest. I’m just glad to be… me. For the first time in a long time, I’m glad to be who I am. You two helped me so much on this journey, and I can never thank you enough—” “Pshaw!” Symphony huffed. “You made sure that Nihila was vanquished for good. You basically guaranteed our world isn’t gonna have to deal with evil like that ever again. Sei fantastico.” “Yeah, I can rest easy knowing that when I’m the queen, I’m not gonna have to stress myself gray like my mom is,” Bluebolt added with a gesture towards Blackburn, earning a raised eyebrow from the queen. “Everything’s gonna be okay around here. I believe that from the bottom of my heart, thanks to you.” Flurry moved in and gave the pair a hug. “I’m glad I could be of help to you and your world, then. I hope for nothing but the best for both of you, now and in the future.” “Same to you, Flurry.” Next was Sundial and Weaver. Flurry didn’t waste any time in giving the two of them a solid hug. “I’m so happy to have met you two,” she said, tightening the hug. “And we’re happy to have met you,” Weaver said, hugging her back. “You and Sundial pulled me out of a very dark place that I had no way out of until I met you. I can never thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.” “Aye, ye’re a good lass, Flurry,” Sundial said, patting Flurry’s shoulder. “Ye really lived up ta yer new title even before ye had it. Ye gave us all a wee bit o’ hope in our lives… even me. And Bluebolt and Symphony would be happy ta tell ye that until I met ye, I was a proper cynical bitch.” “I wouldn’t go that far,” Flurry muttered. “No, it’s true. I treated everypony like shite because I didn’t want ta get close ta anypony, except for those I had ta live with,” Sundial said with a short gesture towards Tick Tock. “Between the lot o’ ye, I learned ta be more open with others.” She gave a smile to Weaver. “And if I hadn’t done that, I’d have never gotten close with Weaver.” “So… are you two—” “We’re officially dating now, yes,” Weaver interjected with a grin. “I can’t thank you enough for that, either. I can still remember how my life was before I met you, and look at how much you’ve helped me turn it around.” He tightened the hug. “You gave me hope.” Flurry sniffed and pulled back from the hug. “I’m so happy for you, Weaver. For both of you. I know this isn’t goodbye, but… I’m going to miss you two all the same.” “Don’t worry,” Sundial said with a grin. “When this portal network gets properly bonded, Weaver and I will come and visit ye.” “We might even stick around for a while to explore your world, too,” Weaver added. “That would make me very happy,” Flurry said, giving them both another smile. “I’ll look forward to it. And I’m glad that… even after everything that’s happened to you, Weaver… you’re still holding onto your dream of exploring the world.” Next was Tick Tock, who offered Flurry her hoof; Flurry took it and they shook politely. “I know we didn’t talk much back in Goldridge, Flurry, but from what I’ve seen of you, you’re a right proper mare. Your aunt was… no, is probably the best friend I’ll ever have. Tell her I said that when you see her—” “I believe you told her yourself more than once over the winter,” Flurry said with a grin. “You’ll be able to say it to her face eventually, too.” “I know, but I want to make sure she knows it. She changed my life. She saved my life.” Tick Tock smiled. “You’re a lot like her, y’know? I know you’re not her daughter or anything, but you could have bloody well fooled me.” “That’s a pretty substantial compliment from the way you’ve talked about her.” Flurry smirked briefly. “Are you sure there’s not more to you two?” Tick Tock laughed. “Y’know, deep down, there probably is a part of me that wishes I could’ve gone with her to your world and stayed there.” With a shrug, she added: “Too bad that for your aunt that Pewter met me first, eh?” Then, her face red as she seemed to realize what she just said, she also added: “Don’t… don’t tell her I said that.” “I won’t,” Flurry giggled. Tick Tock then turned very, very serious. “And never, ever tell Briarthorn.” Flurry binked. “Oh. Uh… I won’t?” “That’s a good lass.” Last was Zarya, who bowed low to Flurry. “Princess Flurry Heart, 'twas a pleasure to meet thee.” “And you as well, Dame Zarya,” Flurry said. “I know our time together was brief, but you seem like a very nice mare, and I hope for nothing but the best for you.” “'Tis a blessing then, and I will accept it.” Zarya tilted her head slightly towards Rarity and Zircon. “And thank thee for… whatever it is that thou didst to reunite mine uncle and Rarity. Even if it were an accident, 'twas a happy one in the end.” Flurry smiled. “I suppose so.” At last, Flurry took a breath, turned towards the group, and gave a little wave goodbye. “Well… here goes. Goodbye, everyone! Until next time!” And with that, she stepped through the portal and vanished beyond the veil. It was Bloom’s turn to go down the line next. She went straight up to Blackburn and Lockwood and took them both in a tight hug, which they eagerly returned. “I’m so glad ta have met y’all. After everythin’ mah sister 'n' Flathoof had ta say 'bout ya, meetin’ ya was just about the best thing that could’ve happened.” Blackburn chuckled. “Ironic. Have known you personally for longer than Flathoof or Applejack; you know me better than they did.” “Huh… yeah, that’s true, ain’t it? Well now, that’s mighty interestin’. Ha! Plus, what wit’ knowin’ the rest o’ the family o’er here so well, I know this side o’ the family better’n mah sister does.” She tilted towards Lockwood briefly. “‘Cept you, o’ course.” Lockwood nodded. “Yes, well, I think you’d rather know me as King of Hope’s Point than who I was before that,” he said with a grin. “Naw, mah sister had nothin’ but nice things ta say 'bout ya, even if ya drove Flathoof bonkers back when y’all were younger. I’m glad ta meet ya now, sure, but I’d love ta have met ya when I was younger.” Bloom hugged him more tightly. “You’re a good pony, Lockwood. I’m glad ta have ya in mah family.” “Me too, Apple Bloom.” Blackburn then cleared her throat to get Bloom’s attention, and presented her with a book with an exquisitely decorated cover and a heavy, hard spine. “For you and your family.” Bloom took the book eagerly. “What is it?” “A photo album, of course,” Lockwood said matter-of-factly. “Twenty-one years worth of memories catalogued as best we could. Wedding photos, foal pictures, vacation shots, the works. Flathoof and AJ have a lot of catching up to do, so we figured we’d get the ball rolling.” “And Grayscale Force, as well,” Blackburn added with a deadpan expression. Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Wow… really? I can show this ta her, too?” “She is… family,” Blackburn said, not looking at Bloom directly but off towards a wall. “Have moved on from what happened. Have realized extent of Nihila’s evil influence. Grayscale and her sisters have tried to make amends.” “Well, shoot… she’s gonna be glad ta hear that. They all are.” Bloom smiled and put her hoof on Blackburn’s shoulder. “Thanks, Blackburn. That’ll mean a lot, I just know it.” “Hmph. Also: expect and album from your side of the family at first opportunity,” Blackburn said with a steely look in her eyes. Bloom snorted and gave her a grin. “Are you kiddin’? That’s the easiest dang thing I’ve been asked since I got here. We’ve got tons o’ albums back on the farm, I can get y’all hooked up right quick.” She then paused and gave Lockwood a wicked smirk. “Wait, y’all said ‘foal pictures’? Ya mean o’ Bluebolt?” “Absolutely,” Lockwood said with an equally wicked smirk. “Pages five through seven. Enjoy.” “Heh heh heh, awesome,” Bloom chortled as she stepped away from Lockwood and approached Bluebolt and Symphony. “So—” Bluebolt was quick to grab Bloom by the collar, not in a hug but in a rather aggressive move. “You show those foal pictures to anypony outside the family and you’re dead meat, Aunt Apple Bloom. Got it?” Bloom paused and stared at Bluebolt, then let out a loud laugh. Bluebolt and Symphony joined in. “Goodun, Bolt. Ya actually had me goin’ there fer a second what wit’ the voice 'n' all.” “Yeah, I bet. You should’ve seen the look on your face.” Bluebolt wiped a tear from her eye. “But no, seriously, don’t show those pictures to anypony outside the family,” she repeated. “Or I’ll tell everypony the little secret you told me and Symphony.” Bloom paled. “Ya wouldn’t.” “Don’t test her,” Symphony said with a grin. “She may not like being compared to her mother, but she’d totally pull a ‘Her Majesty’ on you. You’d never see it coming, and you’d never know when or what she tells anypony or who she’s told, or even if she’s told anypony at all. You’ll always watching your back for the rest of your life.” “Eh heh… r-right.” Bloom cleared her throat and scooped up Bluebolt in a hug. “Shucks, it’s gonna suck not hangin’ 'round wit’ y’all anymore, Bolt, at least fer a while. You 'n' Symphony’re awesome friends.” “Thanks, Bloom,” Bluebolt said, returning the hug. “You’re awesome, too.” “An’ you’re kind o’ like mah own Cutie Mark Crusaders o’er here, too, what wit’ y’all bein’ a pegasus 'n' a unicorn, an’ wit’ Symphony bein’ yer version o’ Sweetie Belle.” Bloom paused, tilting her head. “Say, I wonder who yer world’s version o’ Scootaloo is, anyhow? We never met her, did we?” Bluebolt and Symphony shrugged. “Can’t say that we have,” Bluebolt said. “I know a stallion that kind of matches the description you gave, uh… Captain Rollerblade, I think?” Symphony nodded thoughtfully. “Oh yeah, doesn’t he fly the Lunar Spear?” “Yeah, but y’know, stallion, way older than we are. I doubt it’s him.” “Ah well, no biggie,” Bloom said with a shrug. “Probably not important in the end, I guess. Ain’t like we’re collectin’ sets o’ alternate Crusaders or nothin’ ta form some sort o’ club.” She clapped Symphony hard on the shoulder. “An’ y’all better take darn good care o’ Bluebolt, y’hear? An’ I don’t just mean keepin’ ‘er safe.” Symphony saluted and grinned. “Roger that, Bloom.” “Good. 'Cause when I organize some kind o’ family get-together once this here doohickey lets us travel back 'n' forth, I expect you two ta be family by then, yeah? Uh… ca-piece?” “Heh. Capisco.” Next were Sundial and Weaver. Bloom gave the two of them a smile and offered her hoof to Sundial. “It was really nice gettin’ ta meet ya an’ hang out 'n' stuff, Sundial. You’re a real piece o’ dynamite, ya know that?” “Ye’re not so bad yerself, lass,” Sundial replied, shaking Bloom’s hoof. “Take care o’ yerself, aye?” “You too. An’ ya better take care o’ Weaver while you’re at it, yeah?” Weaver grinned and reached out to pat Bloom’s shoulder, and she helped him do so. “Thank you again for pulling me out of that cave, Apple Bloom. You started me off on my new path, and I can never thank you enough for it.” “Sure ya can! Just take care o’ Sundial, take care o’ yerself, an’ ‘find yer way’ like we told ya.” Bloom pulled him in for a brief hug. “I’m glad we met, even if our first meetin’ wasn’t exactly the best.” “You cracked a rib,” Weaver noted. “But I got better.” Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? Ya never tol’ me that. Huh, guess I was stronger’n I thought.” “Ye’re a lot stronger than ya look, I’ll say that much,” Sundial chuckled, patting Bloom’s shoulder. “Go on, lass, you’ve got a home ta get back to.” Bloom moved next to Tick Tock, who, like she’d done with Flurry, merely offered her hoof. “Apple Bloom, it’s been a pleasure to meet you.” Bloom took her hoof and shook it. “Likewise, Mrs. Tock. I can see why Princess Twilight liked ya so much, an’ why mah sister was jealous o’ ya for a bit. You’re a real good mare, y’know?” “Thanks, I appreciate it. Say hello to your sister and brother-in-law for me, will you?” “I will. An’ thank you 'n' Pewter fer puttin’ us up in yer home fer the winter, yeah? That was some mighty kind hospitality an’ us Apples always make sure ta thank folks fer their hospitality. If’n I can, I’ll hook y’all up wit’ some apple seeds when I can.” Tick Tock smirked. “Heh. Pewter would love to learn how to tend to a new crop. Thanks.” Bloom next moved on to Zarya, who also offered her hoof. “'Twas a pleasure to meet thee, Miss Bloom.” “You too, Miss Zarya. I know we didn’t talk much, but… well, ya seem like a stand-up kind o’ mare, an’ I’m glad ta have met ya.” At last, Bloom took a breath and, like Flurry before her, approached the portal. She turned and waved at the group. “So long, everypony! Lookin’ forward ta seein’ ya again someday!” And with that, she stepped through the portal and vanished beyond the veil. Rarity looked to Zircon, and they nodded to one another before they moved together to say their goodbyes as well, first to Blackburn and Lockwood, who Rarity didn’t hesitate to pull in for a hug. “It was so good to see you two again after all these years. You’ve done very well for yourselves if I might say so, and for your lovely city.” “It was good seeing you again, too,” Blackburn said, returning the hug briefly. “So good indeed!” Lockwood said, returning the hug with much more earnest, a big smile on his face. “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed our city so much, and that you just generally had a more pleasant experience in our world this time around. Y’know, minus that whole war business.” “Incidentally, Hope’s Point is sending aid to Zeb’ra’den, Frostburg, and High Mountain,” Blackburn noted. “They sacrificed much, deserve reparations for their efforts.” Zircon bowed briefly. “Thine aid is most appreciated, Thy Majesties. 'Twill be crucial for Zeb’ra’den to rebuild.” “Yes, I’m very glad to hear that,” Rarity said with a sad smile. She shook her head. “This isn’t the time for sad thoughts, though. It was such a pleasure to meet your family. You should be very proud of all of your children.” Blackburn smiled. “We are. Thank you.” Lockwood nudged Rarity gently and looked between her and Zircon. “I suppose next time we see one another, you’ll have a little family of your own, eh? Eh?” “Oh, absolutely.” Rarity smiled and looked to Zircon, who was slightly red in the face, then patted his shoulder. “Suffice to say we’ve already, ah… well. Ahem.” “Gotten started,” Blackburn finished with a nod. “Wish you luck. Doubt you’ll need it.” Rarity, also red now, coughed into her hoof. “I was going to say ‘discussed it’, but yes, I suppose we have, haven’t we?” She paused, then smirked. “I suppose it’s too late… or is it too early? Hmm… well, either way, I suppose it’s not the right time to ask if we can get a ‘wedding gift’ in Zeb’ra’den like you did, hmm?” Blackburn smirked right back, clearly knowing exactly what Rarity was talking about. “Not good timing, unfortunately. You’d enjoy it very much.” She then looked to Zircon and patted his shoulder. “Wouldn’t she?” “Yes, Thy Majesty, I suppose she would,” Zircon replied with a smug grin. “A shame indeed that we couldst not arrange it before our departure. 'Twould seem that we will have to go about it the ‘normal’ way.” “Well, I suppose I could ask Zecora if she has anything similar to what Zyra described…” Rarity mumbled, giving Zircon a knowing look and a cheeky grin. “It does sound like it would be quite… exciting.” Zircon gave another brief bow to the royal pair. “Thank thee for thy well-wishes, Thy Majesties.” Lockwood chuckled. “Now now, Zircon, there’s no need for all of that royal treatment from you anymore. Rarity is our dear friend—practically family—and we don’t expect it of her, now, do we? If you’re going to be her partner, we’d naturally extend that same treatment to you.” “Aye? 'Tis an honor… Lockwood. Blackburn.” “Go on now, you two,” Lockwood said, gesturing further down the line. “Don’t keep everyone else waiting.” Rarity hugged Lockwood again briefly, then she and Zircon moved down to Bluebolt and Symphony, who she also pulled in for a hug. “It was so wonderful to meet you two.” “Thanks, Rarity,” Bluebolt said, returning the hug in earnest. “I’m really glad to have gotten a chance to meet you, too. I’m more glad to know that this isn’t going to be goodbye for good, either.” “Same here, darling. I look forward to seeing you and your family again someday, under better circumstances this time, yes?” Symphony patted Rarity’s shoulder. “So hey, listen, make sure you tell your Sweetie Belle how awesome I am, by the way, capiche? I bet she’d get a real kick hearing how you guys all thought I was her at first, especially considering how different we are and how awesome I am. Maybe she’ll be inspired!” Rarity grinned. “I’m sure she’ll get quite a kick out of it indeed, dear. Hopefully it doesn’t give her any crazy ideas about taking up a sword herself or something like that, though.” “Pshaw, you act like there’s something wrong with that.” Bluebolt looked between Rarity and Zircon with a soft smile. “I’m so glad things worked out for you guys. I just knew you two were meant to be together when you started talking about him, considering what I’d already heard from Zyra about how he felt about you.” “And I appreciate everything you did to help me along the way,” Rarity said, taking Bluebolt’s hoof in hers. “You have a kind heart, Bluebolt. You should be proud of yourself for everything you’ve done. I know your parents are proud of you as well—yes, even your mother. Especially your mother, hmm?” Bluebolt gave a quick look over towards Blackburn, then rolled her eyes. “Yeah, doesn’t mean I didn’t get a big earful about all the danger I put myself in to do it all. I’m glad everything worked out in the end, though.” Symphony pulled Bluebolt in for a hug. “You did just fine, pecha. I’m proud of you, too, y’know?” “You two are simply lovely together,” Rarity said with a happy sigh. “I look forward to seeing you again, perhaps as more than just fillyfriends, hmm?” she added with a wink. “We’ve already started talking about that,” Bluebolt added, red in the face. “Seeing you and Zircon get back together was pretty inspiring, y’know?” She looked to Zircon and gave him a little smile. “Take care of Rarity for us, yeah?” Zircon bowed slightly and smiled back. “It will be done, Princess Bluebolt, of this I swear to thee.” Next were Sundial and Weaver. Sundial held out her hoof and shook her head. “Ah, no hugs for me—” Rarity ignored her and pulled her in for a hug. “Oh no you don’t.” Sundial grunted. “Bloody hell. Alright, alright… fine.” She returned the hug, in earnest, Rarity noticed. “Bring it in then, lass.” “Thank you for everything you’ve done to help get me and my friends home,” Rarity said. “You really have been an excellent successor to Tick Tock, and I say that as somepony that’s dealt with both of you. You should be very proud of yourself and what you’ve done.” Sundial pulled out of the hug and shrugged. “Och, it’s not like I saved the multiverse or anything though, aye? Just this one world, which only needed fixing in the first place because we sent ye back too soon or something, I dunno. Not quite as impressive.” “It doesn’t need to be as impressive to still be impressive and wonderful. Besides, it all worked out in the end, though, didn’t it?” Rarity turned to Weaver next and pulled him in for a hug. “Weaver, darling, it was such a pleasure knowing you. I’m so sorry about what’s happened—” “Don’t be,” Weaver said, returning the hug. “I’ll find my way, just like Flurry and Bloom said. Whether it takes weeks, months, or even years, I’ll get my vision back someday. And when I do, I’ll be able to see your pretty face again, hmm?” Rarity tittered. “Oh ho, such flattery from the young gentlecolt. Be careful, darling, you might make Sundial jealous.” “Feh,” Sundial snorted. “It’d take more than a few compliments ta you ta make me jealous, aye?” She gestured on down the line. “Go on then, get moving. Mum’s gonna pop a gasket if she doesn’t get ta say her goodbyes soon.” “Indeed. Take care of yourselves, both of you.” She leaned in and hugged Sundial briefly and whispered. “And just remember what I said, hmm? About taking that next big step?” Sundial whispered back. “Aye, lass, I will.” As Rarity pulled back, she noticed Sundial’s face was beet red. Rarity next moved to Tick Tock and the two embraced in a tight hug. “Y’know, my girls are going to miss their world-saving, fashion-conscious, gem-hunting ‘Aunt’ Rarity. At least for now.” “Aww, that’s sweet,” Rarity tittered. “I’ll miss those little darlings, too.” “I never imagined I’d ever see any of you ever again,” Tick Tock said with a heavy sigh. “I hope it doesn’t sound inappropriate for me to wish that everypony had come along with you?” “Not at all, dear, I’m sure everypony would’ve loved to see you again and meet your little family,” Rarity said, tightening the hug. “Especially Twilight. I know she misses you dearly, even if she’d never say just how much she does. I’ve said it before, but you had a very big impact on who she is today.” “Well, I’m glad to hear that I’ve played such a big role in her life like she’s done with me.” Tick Tock then turned to Zircon and gave him a smile. “And Zircon, it’s been nice seeing you again too, eh?” “And thee as well, Lady Tock,” Zircon said with a nod and a grin. “'Twas a delight to meet thy family.” “And they certainly enjoyed meeting you, especially when you told them you and Rarity were together. I’ve never seen their faces light up like that before.” Tick Tock gave a brief glance between the two and smirked. “Just don’t waste any time in getting the same—” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Yes yes, I’ve heard it all already, darling. Believe me, we’re not going to waste any time. We have twenty-one years to catch up on, after all, and we’ve only just started.” She pulled Tick Tock in for a hug again. “I’ll be looking forward to your visit eventually. Twilight will be ecstatic to see you again in the flesh, as it were.” “Likewise.” Next in line was Zarya, who pulled Rarity and Zircon in for a hug as they approached. “It hath been an honor to meet thee, Lady Rarity, and to serve in the Order beside thee, uncle. 'Twas a delight to be a part of thy reunion.” “And it was certainly a pleasure to meet you as well, Zarya,” Rarity said with a smile. “So… now that Zircon is coming with me, what exactly does that mean for you? I’m afraid that I’ve been rather in the dark on the whole thing.” Zircon smiled and patted his niece’s shoulder. “My niece hath proven herself in combat time and time again, both as a warrior and as a leader. With His Majesty’s blessing, she hath been promoted. No longer is she Dame Zarya, but Lady-Commander Zarya of the Order of the Black Flame. The first mare to hold the title.” Zarya smiled back and nodded. “And 'tis the highest honor I couldst ever asketh for. I hath sworn an oath to the Order, and to Zeb’ra’den, to keep them safe once more. The Order shalt rise again, in time.” “Well, that’s certainly a splendid bit of news!” Rarity said. “I’m so happy for you, darling. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve it. I hope the other knights are all in agreement with this?” “There hath been no objections,” Zarya said, shaking her head. “Our numbers art few following the War of the Wendigos, but those that remain hath seen that I am worthy of my new title and position. I shalt lead them forward with honor and glory.” “And I hath faith in thee, Zarya,” Zircon said, not speaking in meter anymore. “Thou shalt lead our Order into a new age. Thou hast earned it.” Rarity grinned. “So, Zarya, how are things progressing with Silver Shine, hmm? I still feel terrible about what happened to him, and to his family. I hope that perhaps you’ve given him a fresh look at life.” Zarya blushed and nervously scratched her chin. “Ah… they art progressing well, Lady Rarity. He hath decided to remain in Zeb’ra’den for a time so that we may decide on how to move forward with… us. I knowest not what the future doth hold for us, but my hopes are high.” “Well, I certainly hope things work out well between you too, and I have all the confidence in the world that they will.” Rarity set her hoof on Zircon’s shoulder and gave him a loving look. “After all, your uncle and I have made everything work after all these years, haven’t we?” Zircon set his hoof on Rarity’s. “Aye, my love, that we have.” “And what of his mother, Lady Silverluck? How is she doing?” “We hath received word that due to the news of the War of the Wendigos and House Silver’s crucial role in stopping the threat, the Harmony Guard hath heard her petition for. The war against House Silver hath been ended. Though I knowest not what she will do with this peace… I hath faith that the sun will shine on them again.” Rarity nodded and let out a breath. “Good… that’s very good. I hope everything works out for them.” Zarya moved in to hug Zircon again. “I wisheth thee the best, uncle. May thy future be bright and happy.” Zircon returned the hug. “And thee as well, Zarya. May thy future be bright and happy.” At last, Rarity and Zircon stepped up to the portal. Rarity took a breath, then turned back towards the others. “Well… this is it,” she said with a smile and a wave. “Hopefully our next meetings will all be under less drastic circumstances, hmm?” And with that, she and Zircon stepped through the portal, heads held high, and vanished beyond the veil. ***** There exists a plane of being beyond the mortal, material realm that is not occupied by such creatures as ponies and zebras, or such places as Hope’s Point or Zeb’ra’den, or such things as seawater or snow. It is a realm of energy and magic imperceptible to the mortal eye, incomprehensible to all but the most prodigious of mortal minds, and typically inaccessible to mortals while they still draw breath. That realm is called the Dreaming, for the only way that a living mortal soul can bear witness to it is within their dreams. But it was also a realm of souls, for the spirits of those that passed away in this world ventured here afterwards, where they could rest in blissful peace forevermore. It is this realm that the alicorn Harmonia calls home. Here within this plane she has no physical form, she has no voice, and time means practically nothing to her. And, after twenty-one long years in a physical body, she had finally returned home to where she belonged and was always meant to be. The realm of souls and dreams stretched out before her as an infinite expanse of swirling golds tinged with weak, dull purples. It all merely represented the influence of the world’s alicorns within this realm. She found herself curious, though, when she gazed upon the colorful display. The last time she visited the Dreaming was as an escort of sorts for Queen Blackburn and King Lockwood, and at that time it had been gold and only gold, for Nihila had been weakened so tremendously by Silvertongue that she had no influence here. She would not possess that manner of strength for many years, it seemed. Before that time—before Silvertongue had drawn her into a mortal body all those years ago—the Dreaming had been an expanse of gold and black, for the latter represented Nihila’s influence over the plane. Though Harmonia and her counterpart could not interact with one another for centuries due to the influence of the Beacons, she still knew that somewhere out there in the Dreaming Nihila was always watching and waiting, perhaps willing herself to overpower Harmonia no matter how impossible that might have been. But Harmonia remembered a time long, long ago when the Dreaming had not been gold and black. Back then, it had been gold and purple, as it was now. That was in times so ancient that Lord Silvertongue himself was not even a glimmer in his father’s eye, for his father would not be born for many centuries yet. This was before the great civil war that tore the southern lands apart. This was before Nihila exerted her influence over mortals and steered them towards her goals. This was before Nihila even called herself Nihila. Seeing it like this again was curious indeed. So, Harmonia did the only thing she could think to do: she reached out into the Dreaming, searching for Nihila’s spark out in the infinite expanse. She could not find it, though she did not expect to, either, for even in her weakened state she could see the dreams of mortals, and the dreams of Flurry Heart told her that Nihila was no more. But now that she had regained her strength and could determine the truth of that, she was almost… sad. Nihila had been truly and unequivocally evil, but she was still the other half to Harmonia’s whole. So she reached out again, out into the Dreaming for any trace of her counterpart, and she still found nothing. However, after what felt like an eternity of searching, she found something else. Another spark. A familiar one. She had not felt this spark for a very, very long time. The other spark felt her, too, and reached out for her in turn, speaking to Harmonia with a voice that Harmonia had all but forgotten. “Harmonia?” the voice asked, horribly small and weak. “Is that you?” “Yes, I am here,” Harmonia replied, curious and cautious, “though I am not quite sure how thou art here, or if thou art who I think thou art. So, who art thou?” The spark flickered weakly, like a flame in the wind. “It’s me, sister… Pandemonia.” If Harmonia could breathe in this state, she would have gasped. “Pandemonia? Not Nihila? Thou hast not used that name in thousands of years, sister.” “Nihila?” the spark whispered, frightened. “Why do I know that name? Sister, where is my Warden, Lady Peach Blossom? I have tried reaching out to her in the mortal realm—” Harmonia couldn’t frown, either, but if she could she would be. “Lady Peach Blossom, sister? She hath been within the Dreaming with us for ages. She passed away shortly after thou didst begin calling thyself Nihila. I couldst find her, if thou wisheth me to do so?” “That name again… Nihila.” The spark then flickered more brightly. “I know that name. Nihila. She is a parasite. What has she done with my power? How long has it been?” “Parasite? What dost thou mean?” “I… I cannot remember much, sister. My mind feels as though there has been a fog upon it. I remember a time, long ago, when the ponies of the south worshipped us both. They prayed to you for peace and the hope that came with the rising sun. They prayed to me for the excitement that came with the late night hour and the triumph over the hardships of life.” “'Twas a time most ancient… I remember it well,” Harmonia said. “But thou didst feel unsatisfied with mere payer. Thou didst influence the ponies to seeketh out further adversity, to create it themselves if need be, to relish in it. Gone were the days of peace—” “That was Nihila’s doing. I know that now,” Pandemonia said, great sorrow in her voice. “I was pleased with my worshippers, sister. I enjoyed their prayers and praising of my name. It was a pleasing experience. I… I wanted more. Then… a voice came to me. It spoke to me of how to bring more ponies under my fold…” Harmonia pondered this. “A voice? Another being, then?” “Yes. That was Nihila. She took hold upon me as I reveled in my prayers and enjoyed the happiness it brought to me, and when her advice brought more and more of that sensation to me, I… I allowed her into my essence. But soon… the surge of happiness grew less and less potent. She enveloped me, sister. I could not fight her Darkness, for it was stronger than my own.” “'Tis when thou didst begin calling thyself ‘Nihila’ instead?” “Yes. I was a prisoner within my own spark, a slave to her will, trapped in… some sort of nightmare.” The spark flittered meekly. “I am sorry, sister… I was weak. I allowed her—” “Shhh… be still, my sister. There is no blame to give.” Harmonia interweaved her spark with Pandemonia’s. There was a startling sense of familiarity that she had not felt for ages. This was no lie; this was her sister, through and through. “I can sense that thy words ringeth truer than I couldst ever believe. Thou hast… returned to me at long last. How can this be?” “The one known as Flurry Heart,” Pandemonia said, her spark igniting a little brighter. “She purged Nihila from my essence and took it within herself instead, though not entirely of her own will, I think. But she fought back. Then, she kept Nihila within your Light when it surged across the mortal realm. I saw it happen. I saw Nihila be destroyed.” Harmonia couldn’t smile, but she wanted to, desperately. “'Twould seem that Flurry Heart doth have so much hope within her heart that she didst lend some even to one such as me. I had lost hope many ages hence that my sister would ever embrace me with her spark again. I hath… I hath missed thee...” Their sparks interweaved again, and the Dreaming around them surged with energy. The purple glow grew just a little stronger. “'Twill be some time before thy strength returns, my sister,” Harmonia said softly. “Until then, I shalt stay here with thee and watch over thy recovery. Once thou art made whole again, thou canst see our world and what hath become of it.” “Thank you, sister,” Pandemonia said, more confident than before. “Ha… it would seem as though this Flurry Heart is quite the extraordinary mare, yes?” “Yes… 'twould seem she is.”