//------------------------------// // Chapter One Hundred Seven // Story: HiE - A Hollow in Equestria // by Charlie_K //------------------------------// Chapter One Hundred Seven How long had Apple Bloom been laying on her bed? How long had she been crying? How long had she been unable to cry because of all the crying she'd been doing previously? She honestly didn't know. She couldn't recall petty, immaterial details like arbitrary lengths of time; not the way she felt currently. Nightmare Moon had been defeated and Equestria had been saved once again, but it'd all come at a terrible cost. Far too terrible a cost for what was involved; that being stopping a monster that would've killed everypony if she'd been allowed to live. "Sugarcube, Ah don' know how ta tell ya this, 'cause it's gonna hurt no matter how Ah go an' do it. Twist is... she's dead, Apple Bloom. Nightmare Moon took 'er as a host an'... Mr. Cifer had ta do what he had ta do..." The news from Applejack had hit her with the mental force equivalent of a ton of bricks and left her floored, desperately wanting to deny the statement as being far too impossible to be real. But Applejack wouldn't lie to her, and especially not about something as big and important as all this. She knew it had to be the truth, but her mind just couldn't process that fact. It wanted to deny it, wanted to shout that it wasn't real, wanted to confirm that Twist was still alive and well. Nothing was going to serve to change the facts of the matter, however. Twist, one of her oldest friends, was dead and gone, and there was nothing that anypony could do about it. Why? Why did she have to die? Why did any of them have to die? Why had Nightmare Moon taken her as a host, rather than anypony else? She didn't have any answers. She doubted anypony had any answers, really. And that lack of knowing, the lack of available answers, just served to make the hurt all the worse. How was she supposed to make sense of anything? A knock at the closed door to her room served to interrupt her thoughts. Only for them to be replaced by other thoughts. That wasn't a knock she recognized. It was too low of a position on the door to be Big Mac or Applejack, too firm to be Granny Smith, and it didn't match the usual pattern that Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo would employ when visiting. Plus there was no voice going along with it, which was just weird. She must've been taking too long to respond, as the knock sounded again, just as before, but still with no voice accompanying it. Slowly, she climbed off the bed and made her way across the room to find out who was on the other side of the door. Gripping the knob with her left hoof, she twisted it and pulled it open. Standing in the hallway, on the other side of the door, was the duo of Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. That in itself was more than weird enough. But weirder still was the fact they didn't really look like themselves. They weren't wearing what she and her friends had come to regard as their characteristic, antagonistic sneers that indicated there was going to be trouble at the first word. If anypony asked her, they looked kinda like she felt right now; like they'd had a great deal of life and enthusiasm sucked right out of them. Diamond Tiara didn't even look like she could muster direct eye contact, as she was keeping her gaze low. She didn't know if she should be concerned by this or not. "We heard about Twist," Silver Spoon stated simply, her voice weak as if she barely had the strength to get the words out. "We're sorry." Diamond Tiara simply nodded glumly in agreement, looking as if the act of simply opening her mouth to speak would result in her losing her composure entirely. Prior, Apple Bloom had thought she'd been completely cried out at this point. But the fact it was these two who had come to offer their condolences for her loss had apparently tapped reserves of sadness she honestly didn't know she had. Her eyes were growing wet and her vision blurry before she even had warning to try and head off another wave of bawling, leaving her little more than an undignified mess in front of her two adversaries. She honestly didn't know what she expected to happen after that, but it was most certainly not Diamond Tiara approaching and pulling her into a hug. Nor did she expect to find herself clinging to the pink filly for dear life as she bawled anew. But at this particular moment, she honestly didn't care who it was, just so long as somepony was here right now. Today, Rainbow Dash was finally -and permanently- returning to Ponyville where she truly belonged. This day had been a very long time coming, and Luna couldn't help but smile at the thought. With Nightmare Moon dead, the hallucinogenic substances in her body -and the bodies of countless others- were no longer being magically shielded, and thus prone to breaking down as they were metabolized into nonexistence. The very last vestiges of Nightmare Moon's assault against them were literally withering away into nothingness, and all physical traces would soon be no more. As far as Doctor Malar was concerned, her blood was good to the last drop. She could've returned home much sooner, had she actually taken better care of herself in the time leading up to now. Her stubborn refusal to eat certain dishes during her stay had certainly done her no favors physically. And then physically fighting with Nightmare Moon had only made things worse, straining a system that wasn't up to it in the first place. It'd been nothing short of a miracle she hadn't died from exhaustion/malnutrition alone on that day! Fortunately that hadn't occurred. She'd survived her ordeal, to go on to need to recover from said ordeal. It was a long, difficult journey towards said recovery, and required weeks of effort to replace what had been lost, to get her back to what would be considered a healthy condition where her ribs weren't so visible, and her mane and coat were shiny once again. As far as Doctor Malar was concerned, in his expert medical opinion, it was safe to release her to return back home without supervision. Luna couldn't help but smile at the thought. But it wasn't exactly a happy sort of smile. It was more like the sort of smile her sister would often wear during times of difficulty when a brave front had to be put on for the benefit of somepony else. True, she was happy for Rainbow Dash, but at the same time she wasn't entirely happy about the change that would soon be coming to life in the palace. The time in which Rainbow Dash had come to reside with them in the palace had been... well it'd been horrible, that was the only way to describe it! Although that was more due to the unconventional circumstances they found themselves in, than anything the pegasus had done herself that would make her at fault. There had been many rough points in Rainbow Dash's recovery that left many of them wondering if they were cut out for the task they'd undertaken. But as time passed, and Nightmare Moon's influence over her weakened, they had slowly -very slowly- settled down into a somewhat comfortable -almost familial- sort of setting, as the lot of them tried to work through things they obviously weren't qualified to deal with. It was that ad hoc sort of approach, she believed, that had been responsible for some of the better moments they'd experienced during an otherwise dark and horrible time that was better off forgotten. "You do not have to leave if you do not want to. You know that, right? You are free to stay with us in the palace if you would like," she stated, despite knowing it sounded weak. But she also knew that if she didn't speak up, she'd kick herself for her silence. "Thanks, but I really need to get back to work," Rainbow Dash replied as she took one last look around her room, just to make sure nothing was getting left behind. Although other than Tank, more or less everything had been lent to her for her stay. "I don't even wanna think how much salary I'm getting docked for being down for so long. Assuming I haven't been fired." "Ah! That is one area in which you will not have to worry. My sister took care to speak to the weather bureau directly. The directors were quite understanding," Luna replied with what could've potentially been a mischievous smirk. "Your position is quite safe, just waiting for you to come back to it. Although if you would like, it would be quite easy to get you transferred to the Canterlot branch of the weather bureau. Then you would have good reason to stay." Rainbow Dash shook her head in response. "I'll admit, that's very tempting and all. The conditions up here in Canterlot are way better. But I really need to get back to Ponyville. It's my home, and it's where my friends are. We've been apart for way too long and I miss all of them." "You could commute," Luna suggested, "I can teleport and drop you off in the mornings before I turn in for the day, and come by to pick you up in the evenings." Rainbow Dash didn't immediately reply to the proposal. There was nearly a solid minute of silence as she wore a look that suggested serious thought was being given. "You're really not making this any easier," she eventually mutter, sighed, and hung her head. "Look, you, and Celestia, and Ulquiorra, and the others, you all helped make this bearable when I was ready to kill myself. Everything just came together in a way that just sorta worked, you know? But I can't stay here forever, even if it would be kinda sweet." At this, Luna could only sigh and nod. "I know." "But at the same time, it's not that I really want to leave, I have to leave, you know?" Rainbow Dash replied as best she could. "I know the whole familial thing we had going on was just sort of a joke between us, but... I honestly, almost, started to believe it myself. It was nice to think about and all that; made me feel a bit less alone in everything. And when I do go back home, that means it's all gonna be over..." she said as she looked down at the floor, not liking that she had to admit any of this. It would've been far easier for her to leave without having to openly say these sort of things out loud. Now it was just going to be really awkward. Open mouth, insert hoof. Luna approaching and pulling her into a hug certainly wasn't expected. But it certainly wouldn't be objected to either. No, this was the sort of thing one just sank into and got lost in. "I would not have jested about such a matter, if I did not find the notion acceptable in the first place, Rainbow Dash," Luna stated quite firmly, despite her voice never changing as she spoke. "Perhaps we are not family, be it by blood or other social convictions modern ponies are so obsessed with. But that will not stop me from regarding you as being my sister, and loving you just the same. Nor would I object to you doing the same yourself." "You're not playing fair," Rainbow Dash mumbled, not in any big hurry to break the current hug. "I am afraid it is part of the job description to not play fair in matters such as this," Luna replied and grinned mischievously. Despite herself, Rainbow Dash just smiled. "Very well then. I will escort you back home as soon as you are ready to go," Luna continued, knowing that her own defeat on the matter was inevitable. "That should be easy. I just gotta say goodbye to everypony and I should be good to go," Rainbow Dash replied. "Let's see, Malar, Goodwill, Corners, Ebony, Celestia, Ulquiorra, the guards... ugh, I'm gonna be here all day!" "Oh?" Luna asked, barely able to suppress a smirk. "Well then, I guess you will just have to spend another night, and I will take you back to your home in the morning." Rainbow Dash wasn't sure whether to grin or frown at the tone in Luna's voice. So instead she took a third option, pulling back just far enough to thrust her head through her forelegs, to gain access to the underside of her barrel and blow a raspberry against her exposed belly. Sending the princess into squeals of laughter as she tipped and rolled over backwards, trying to shield herself from further assault. Luna learned the hard way on that day, that she wasn't the only one who knew how to play dirty. "So this is it then. You're really going back home," Twilight stated, more for her own benefit than Applejack's. "Eyup," Applejack confirmed, "been a long time comin'." "I know," Twilight replied softly, all the while trying not to sigh. "I'm... I'm going to miss you being around. Having you and Zecora living here with us was... well it was a lot of work! But at the same time it felt like it was work that was well worth it." Applejack didn't say anything, mostly waiting to see where Twilight intended to take her train of thought on her own without interruption. "I... I didn't think this through too well," Twilight admitted and hung her head. "I'm sorry." Applejack shook her head. "No need ta be sorry, Sugarcube, Ah understand ya." Without comment, Twilight moved in to hug Applejack where she stood. "It took so long to get here, for a while I didn't think this day would ever come. And now that it finally is here, I'm not ready for it. I thought I'd be excited about you being able to go back home, but... I'm not," she admitted. All throughout, Applejack simply patted Twilight's back with her left foreleg, silently letting her friend voice whatever displeasure she might have to say on the matter. It was only once Twilight stopped talking, that she spoke up again. "It's probably gonna take us the better part of the afternoon ta get Zecora escorted back home an' situated again," she noted. "Would ya feel better if ya spent the night wit' us at Sweet Apple Acres, an' come back home in the mornin'?" Twilight nodded, rubbing her chin against Applejack's withers in the process. "I'd like that. Thank you." The matter should've been resolved then and there. But Applejack couldn't help but notice Twilight didn't seem to be in any hurry to actually disengage the hug. Not that she could actually blame her, however. If Twilight was feeling even half as bad as she did at the start of her stay here, it was pretty understandable. Obviously this was going to require a different approach to doing business. "Y'know, Sugarcube, we don' really work on the farm on Sundays, unless we really have ta," she started, pausing only to make sure she had Twilight's attention before she continued. "How 'bout, fer a while, we spend Saturday nights at each others' place? Would that work fer ya?" At that, Twilight actually pulled back to look at Applejack. "Really? You'd be alright with doing that?" Applejack gave a simple nod in response. "That... I could make that work," Twilight quickly agreed and nodded before the offer could be rescinded. She couldn't recall the exact details at the moment, but she did remember reading something about studies suggesting mental health benefited from ponies having moments in which they didn't have to try and maintain the strength indefinitely. Something about periods of weakness being good overall. She'd have to look up the studies to double check and see if she was remembering correctly, but the basic theory behind it all was sound. The two of them could try and be strong in their respective fields of focus for six days, and on the seventh they could just relax and let it all out if needed. This might be just what they needed right now. "A'right, Ah reckon that's enough. Let's get goin', we gotta get Zecora back home an' settled in before it gets dark," Applejack pointed out. "I know," Twilight replied, "I know..." Toggle Bolt's right eye twitched as he regarded what remained of the prototype armor sitting before him, uncertain if he wanted to scream, cry, curse, sigh, or simply throw something in a fit of juvenile frustration. As the head researcher of Research and Development, he understood that Princess Luna had jurisdiction and discretion over the projects that he and his team worked on. If she wanted to, she could withdraw funding on any half-finished project and have it shelved at the drop of a hat, because the funding could be better used elsewhere. But her deciding to actually pilfer one of their prototypes for her own improvised field testing hadn't been a development they'd expected to encounter. Nor had they anticipated it being returned in such bad, broken condition! She hadn't even returned it while they were present, oh no! Instead she'd snuck it in when they weren't looking, as if she were ashamed over what she'd done and had hoped to escape detection and a subsequent reprimand for their hard work being incomplete, burnt, dinged, and covered in scrapes with melted edges. Honestly, it reminded him of his niece a little bit when she didn't want to get in trouble for doing something she shouldn't. "So," he started slowly as he tried to focus on the task at hoof, rather than his own simmering fury. "What exactly is the story here?" Over at the work table, one of his fellow researchers by the name of Lug Nut, read over the provided note of explanation/apology. "Ah, long story short?" she asked, more rhetorical than anything before she proceeded. "Apparently it was procured for doing battle against a resurrected Nightmare Moon. Both it and the user survived the encounter." Toggle Bolt's foul mood suddenly slammed into a brick wall at hearing the summation of the note's contents. The screech of a record being deliberately scratched wouldn't have been out of place in his mind at the moment. "Nightmare Moon? Really?" When they had set out to create the Mark II Lunar Armor, a great deal of thought had been put into its construction. Specifically what they and various advisers wanted it to be, and to do. Combat with an alicorn had never really been on anypony's list, as there were only three of them in existence. But to hear that their creation had fared as well as it had, in a role it'd never been suited for... well that was a different story. Lug Nut nodded while continuing to scan the note. "Overall, Sir, the prototype received high praise for its performance in the field under adverse conditions, including protection against magical-based attacks. Along with recommendations for areas of improvement based on pilot feedback. Increasing the field of peripheral vision on the helmet for use in flight. A method of quick-detachment. And... shoes that can act as conductors for pegasus magic, rather than insulators. Apparently they were abandoned for that particular reason." Toggle Bolt could feel his head spinning, but not necessarily in a bad way. Their project had not only survived use in a situation it'd never been intended for, but there were areas in which it could be improved even more!? "Well then," he began as he tried to maintain some measure of professionalism. "It looks like the team has more work to do. Today we start work on the Mark III Lunar Armor. Do we still have the notes and findings related to the Mark II? Stupid question, of course we do! Let's get them out and see about incorporating these enhancements into the design. We're going to be earning our salary today." Angel Bunny was... well he was a jerk of a rabbit, even he would admit it. But he was a jerk who had a strong interest in his own self preservation. His rabbit senses had detected a change in atmosphere that coincided with Fluttershy stepping through the cottage door by herself. A change in atmosphere that only the most primal of senses could serve to detect in the presence of a threat. This wasn't like the threat that'd come from Rarity to dropkick him. It wasn't even like the threat posed by Opal who would likely gobble him up if so ordered to do so. No, this was something much more pressing than that. This was the sort of change he hadn't felt tingling him up his little bunny spine since the last time the Espada had been in the immediate vicinity. But it wasn't here right now, and the only change to come to pass had been Fluttershy herself strolling back onto the property without a companion at her side. Which would ultimately mean... He didn't gulp nervously, but he did understand that, until he got a better feel for the totality of the situation at paw, he'd better shape up his routine. This wasn't the same Fluttershy he could so easily torment in an effort to toughen her up. This was a mare who had seen some right frightful stuff, and lived through it. He might've been a jerk of a rabbit, but he wasn't a stupid rabbit. He had a strong interest in his own self preservation. As best as Ulquiorra could tell, the post-Nightmare Moon festivities were in full swing in Ponyville at the moment, despite the amount of injuries and suffering that'd been incurred by its citizens during their efforts at holding the line against her. According to Pinkie Pie's explanation, this event was needed to let everyone know that it was finally done, and that Nightmare Moon was finally and truly dead. According to her, they needed this emotional catharsis to get everything out of their systems, in order to properly heal and move on in life, otherwise they risked eventually being consumed by lingering, unresolved negativity. At this point, he honestly didn't know just how much stock to put in her words. They were utterly nonsensical in their very nature. And yet... he couldn't rationalize what he was thinking, with what he was seeing. Numerous ponies, young and old alike, regardless of being injured or not, partaking in celebratory events of all shapes and concoctions, and all set into motion at sundown with the announcement from Princess Luna that Nightmare Moon was finally dead. There was music, and dancing, and singing, and games, and refreshments, and an atmosphere that felt so strange to be experiencing firsthand. How could they be so happy, in light of how many had died so recently? Or how many had incurred great physical and emotional suffering for their involvement in a futile fight they had no hope of ever winning? Or those who were missing and still unaccounted for, despite ongoing searches to try and locate them? It made absolutely no logical sense. And yet he was witnessing it all for himself. That last part was perhaps the most baffling to experience - his own presence during the festivities. Why he was here, he honestly didn't know. He didn't belong here; not for this anyway. Celebrations, particularly joyous celebrations, were... so very strange to experience. He hadn't been ordered to be present, nor was his being here even necessary. And yet here he was regardless, watching as others had fun in a manner that suggested none of them had a single care in the world. It was even more jarring when one stopped to consider he'd indirectly caused so much of the pain and suffering himself, through his own actions. He was the outsider looking in. Surrounded by a sea of smiling faces, as they experienced things he could never hope to comprehend, even if he invested enough effort to actually care about such. So why hadn't he left yet? For that, he had no answer. So help him, he couldn't explain his presence as he observed the nonsensical shenanigans of Ponyville during this late night event. He was playing host to... things... that he couldn't understand. Thoughts and sensations that were utterly confusing, bordering on downright baffling. Everything was so complicated right now. It had been that way ever since the infusion of magical energies he'd received from these ponies in the climactic moments of the fight with Nightmare Moon. Whatever the long term repercussions of such would be, he ultimately had no way of knowing. More or less par for the course for how his life had been for so long, especially after his arrival in Equestria. But now there was a lingering sense of uncertainly that was more noticeable, and more difficult to tune out. There was no way of knowing just how far the corrupting influence of these ponies had spread through him. What would become of his absorption of so much magical energy from so many ponies? Would these sensations eventually subside and fade away into nothingness? Would they serve to change him into something he presently wasn't, and reshape his state of character? Would he find himself thinking about things from a new perspective he'd never before utilized? Would he eventually find himself able to care about others? Would he eventually start to care? Would he actually smile? Would he find amusement in the antics of Pinkie Pie and end up laughing? Would he... would he actually feel inclined to participate when these ponies broke into a musical number!? "Hey." His thoughts relating to such and other apocalyptic hypothetical scenarios were swiftly interrupted by the realization that he wasn't presently alone. The twins, Flitter and Cloudchaser, had left the celebration and approached him. Of everyone who had taken part in the battle of Nightmare Moon, they had been lucky enough to escape with little more than black eyes, and horseshoe-shaped bruises on their hindquarters that their fur did wonders at concealing from the view of others. They had fluttered over to where he stood, before reaching out and taking hold of his arms, practically dragging his hands out of his pockets as he tried to make sense of what they were doing. He realized only too late that what they were doing, was leading him over to what looked like a forming conga line of dancing ponies. He blamed Discord for the circumstances he presently found himself in. In fact he blamed Discord very, very much. In his office, at the desk in the middle of the room, all Malar could really do at the moment was give a tired sigh as he stared down at the reports before him. The initial findings by the forensic accountant assigned to Canterlot General Hospital were... well they weren't good, he'd put it that way. Not that he'd actually been part of the investigation, but he had been supplied copies of the findings as they were made available. If he was reading this right, there was a great deal of white-collar corruption to be had at the hospital; enough to tie up the courts for years actually. How had things ever been allowed to get this bad? And that was just going by what'd been found in the official records. He honestly shuddered some at the thought of what might've been going on under the table, away from where any sort of paper trail existed. Loathe as he was to admit it, for all of his faults and negative character traits, Thrush appeared to be nothing more than a symptom of a much larger problem, rather than the source of the problem itself. He jumped at the sound of a metallic thud in front of him. It actually took a moment to realize it was just a tray of food being set down in front of him on his desk. Across from him, on the opposite side of the desk, was Nurse Goodwill with a similar tray of food. "What?" he asked, utterly confused. "You've been staring at those reports most of the day, Doc. You didn't show up for dinner in the mess hall, so I figured I'd bring dinner to you," she explained, before sliding her tray onto the other side of the desk across from him. Malar blinked as he looked between the reports, the tray of food, and finally the clock on the wall. Had he really been at it that long? His stomach growling indicated that he had been. So now was probably a good time to take a break and give his neck a rest. Setting aside the notes, he looked over the tray, idly noting the assortment of food before him looked like what he would normally pick from the offered menu the palace staff enjoyed. "Well then, thank you." Goodwill said nothing as she proceeded to pull up a spare chair, and sat down at the other end of the desk across from him. "So what've you found anyway?" she finally asked. "First, it's what the forensic accountant has found out, not me," he pointed out. "Second, based on preliminary reports, CGH is plagued by all manner of corruption and incompetence. They're in need of serious medical experts there; those who take their oaths seriously. Not these... entrepreneurs looking to line their pockets and bank accounts." "Oh..." Goodwill replied. "Are... you thinking about going there to work?" "Oh, merciful Faust no!" he stated quickly. "I'm past my prime for getting back into the game like that; it was rough enough operating on Rainbow Dash here. No, I think my place is here at the palace, where I can actually do some good in a hooves-on approach." He would be forgiven for not noticing the relaxed slouch that Goodwill's posture took in response, as it would be easy to miss if one hadn't been looking at just the right time. "I'll tell you this, though," Malar continued as he picked up his fork, "Corners was lucky to get out of there when he did. I don't envy anypony there, with the coming storm. Whatever may come to pass, it's going to be very, very ugly..." "Princess Celestia." Celestia stopped in her tracks mid-stride down the hallway, her front right hoof not even making contact with the carpet yet. "Ulquiorra." She honestly didn't need this right now. She had just recently regained her regal form, she was still getting adjusted to the difference in perspective from her smaller body, she had a meeting she needed to attend, and she desperately wanted to swing by the kitchen and grab a snack to get her through what was undoubtedly going to be another calculated effort at sucking the life right out of her. "We need to talk." She honestly, really didn't need this right now... "How many pages of exposition am I looking at this time around?" Much to her own surprise, that seemed to actually throw Ulquiorra off, as he had to pause momentarily before being able to give an answer. "Three with the standard font." Now it was her turn to be thrown off, mentally stammering at the fact he actually had a response to such a question. All the while doing her best to wear the same serene, collected mask she'd cultivated over centuries. "Walk and talk," she instructed. She was going to get that snack one way or another. She needed that sugar boost to get her through this! "What was the basis for the shape of your dragon form?" Or... maybe she wasn't going to get that snack after all. "I'm... sorry? I don't think I understand your question." "The decision to become a dragon in the fight against Nightmare Moon, I can understand. If not for her regenerative capabilities, it would've been a sound strategy. But the form itself isn't understood. The presentation appears to be an eclectic blending of unrelated traits that have no rational basis in being present with others; including the presence of five articulated digits per limb, instead of the standard four if Spike is any indication of what the dragon species is like," Ulquiorra explained as he slowly stepped closer. "So one cannot help but wonder why such is the case. Was the form simply left to random chance as a result of the transformation process? And if that wasn't the case, then one cannot help but wonder what might've served as the guiding inspiration for the end result." She hadn't intended to, but she actually found herself flinching away from Ulquiorra as he spoke. She had to fight the instinctual desire to bring her wings forward to shield herself; something she hadn't found herself experiencing since the time she was a filly. There were times it was honestly easy to forget just how intimidating he could really be. "... It was something that I saw in a nightmare. Something truly horrifying that prevented me from properly resting for nights on end," she mumbled in explanation, her eyes focused more on the ground than anywhere else. "Something that, in a moment of weakness, conveyed an overwhelming degree of strength. Far more strength than I could ever hope to..." Try as she might, she couldn't manage to finish the sentence. Not with him looking at her in the manner he currently was. She could feel his gaze on her, even if she wasn't meeting it herself. "Then it's safe to conclude you saw it." She didn't know what "it" was precisely, but it was apparent that Ulquiorra had knowledge of what was being discussed. She could do little more than nod in response at this point, suddenly feeling as if she'd been caught in the act of doing something very wrong, and now having to face the consequences of her actions. The fact he wasn't talking at the moment just made it seem all the worse. The fact he turned and walked away with another word on the matter seemed to make it even more worse, if such a thing was possible. Suddenly she was no longer hungry for that snack. The "Nightmare Moon was dead as a damn door nail" party in Ponyville had been in full swing since sundown. Lots of food, lots of music, lots of dancing, and lots of physical rejoicing for everypony present in the hours that followed. "This feels really weird..." Most everypony present. In Rainbow Dash's case it was a different matter. She was nowhere near recovered enough to even be out here for all of the festivities; even she knew that was the case. Malar had argued hard against allowing her release for some late-night party, when what she needed most was rest. He might've thought she hadn't heard the discussion between him and Luna through the infirmary's double doors, but she'd picked up on more than enough to understand what the gist of the matter had been. Honestly, if Pinkie wasn't involved with the party and festivities, she might've sat the whole thing out. She was in no condition to be here for everything that'd been going on. Even just standing up under her own power was quite taxing right now. She'd spent more time simply sitting and observing, than doing anything else. It was a weird concept for her, and even weirder that she didn't find herself objecting to it. Just catching up with Scootaloo had been an effort in itself to pull off, and one that had required her to lay down for a good part of it. That'd all been some time ago. Now, however, she was on her way to Sweet Apple Acres for some additional celebratory events, courtesy of a ride atop Applejack's back as she trotted along. "I really shouldn't even be out here," Rainbow Dash pointed out as best she could at the moment, "I'm supposed to be resting and whatnot." "Don' worry yer pretty li'l head, Sugarcube, you'll be gettin' plenty o' rest soon enough," Applejack assured her, never missing a step as she went along. But, with the thestral vision spell being utilized once again, seeing the path in the dark made it all quite easy to avoid any unforeseen hazards in the path that might've otherwise been easily sidestepped during the daylight hours. "Yer stayin' fer some proper Apple family hospitality, sleepin' in a real bed an' gettin' a proper breakfast in the mornin'. But first, we gotta meet up with the other girls fer somethin' special." Rainbow Dash said nothing in response, as she honestly didn't know what to say. Even if she did know what to say, she doubted it would make any difference. Instead she simply remained perched atop Applejack's back, letting him limbs hang limply as it was too much work to try and hold them up. Honestly, as weird as riding atop her friend's back was, it wasn't all that bad. If her trotting was a little more rhythmic, she could see herself being lulled to sleep in the dark of night, against the warmth of a friend. The rest of the journey passed in both darkness and silence, but Rainbow Dash could eventually see a point of light in the distance that was slowly getting bigger as they approached. As they got closer, it started to look like a flame dancing. And as they got closer still, she could slowly make out that it was a campfire. A campfire that the rest of their core group of friends were currently sitting around, and looking in their direction as they approached. Somehow, the fact they were watching just made her approach atop Applejack's back feel all the weirder. Downright embarrassing almost. "Hey," she greeted awkwardly from stop her perch. "This... isn't what it looks like." "It isn't? Because to me it looks like one friend helping out another," Pinkie stated. "Also, it looks like it'd be fun." Somehow, Rainbow Dash felt like she should've seen that one coming. She'd chalk that one up to being out of the game for so long, and spending so much time around Ulquiorra. Without another word, Applejack stepped closer to the group and sat down on her haunches, allowing Rainbow Dash to more easily disembark and sit down as well. "So... what're we doing out here? Roasting marshmallows? Ghost stories? Camping out under the stars?" "Maybe later on. At the moment we've thought of something far more pertinent and appropriate to engage in," Twilight replied. "Rarity, if you would be so kind as to do the honors." Rarity nodded and procured a plain, nondescript cardboard box from behind where she was sitting, and wordlessly levitated it over to where Rainbow Dash currently sat. Rainbow Dash sat up a little straighter, fiddling and fumbling with the folded tabs a bit with unsteady hooves before eventually opening the box to see what was inside. But once she did, she wasn't sure about just what she was seeing. She looked at the contents of the box, then back to Rarity. Then at the contents again, then back to Rarity again. "Is this-" "It is," Rarity interrupted, her voice firm as she spoke. "Would you care to do the honors of burning it?" "Wait, burning it?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Burning it," Rarity confirmed. "I want every trace of this abomination out of my home. Every sketch, every proof of concept, every individual article of clothing from each copy, I want it all gone! I want it reduced to nothing but ashes in the wind. I don't even want to hear the name of this abomination ever again!" Fluttershy was honestly surprised at just how intense Rarity's outburst had been, and just how much it'd taken out of her to deliver. By the time it'd concluded she was panting and slouching, looking as if she'd just taken part in an exhaustive race. All she could really do was rub her friend's back, before speaking up herself. "We were discussing the matter, and we reached a decision. Since you were the one who was harmed the worst by... what happened, for whatever reason that it did happen... it seemed only fair that you be the one who gets to put a proper end to all of this." Rainbow Dash sat very, very still as she looked at them, before slowly turning her attention back to the box before her. Where she continued to sit still, in a long stretch of silence that managed to make all of them uncomfortable, and starting to wonder if this was a bad idea. Slowly, she reached into the box with her front hooves, and withdrew a limp, black mask, and held it up to look at it in the light of the campfire as it reflected off the lenses of the eyes. "You hurt me. In fact you hurt me more than I can put into words," she growled as she frowned at the mask as if she was having a conversation with another pony, leaving the others uncertain just who or what was actually being addressed. Was it the visage? Or was it them? "But worse than that, you managed to hurt my friends too. You hurt them, and they didn't even realize it was happening until it was too late for anypony to stop it. You tricked them, twisted them for your own selfish purposes, made them think that they were actually doing good to help somepony else that they cared about. And then you just discarded them like they were trash when you no longer needed them! "But guess what, you stupid bitch. I'm still here, and they're still my friends. Now more than ever. And you're still nothing. I win, you lose. Now get out of my sight." One by one, the mask, and the other assorted articles of clothing were tossed onto the fire, the fabric slowly succumbing to the heat of the flames and being engulfed into embers, the air being filled with the acrid scent of burning material and papers, until the entire box was empty. For a while, nopony spoke, with the only audible sound being the crackling of the fire as the additional fuel was consumed and slowly reduced to nothing more than ash that was lost amongst the other assorted embers. Finally it was Rainbow Dash who broke the growing silence and tension. "It's done. It's over now. She can't hurt us anymore. Neither of them can..." she sighed, before slowly looking back at them. "It's been a big day, and I'm really tired. Can we just skip to the group hug or whatever we're gonna do? I'd kinda like to turn in now..." "Of course," Twilight agreed. Like the others, she knew full well about the extent of Rainbow Dash's present condition, and didn't want to put her at anymore risk of a setback in recovery than was absolutely necessary, if at all possible. One by one the others gathered and huddled around her, with the whole assembly looking more like a cuddle pile than a group hug. But right now that was neither here nor there. The only thing that really mattered was the fact they were all together. "Luna, I'm imploring you; whatever you do, do not say it!" "But I must, Celestia, I simply must!" Luna gushed with barely containable excitement. "Huzzah! I am finally the big sister!" All Celestia could do was sigh in response to Luna's enthusiasm. Of the two she had been the first to regain her regal form, which has resulted in her presently greatly-elevated stature. It had been a bizarre sort of dimorphism between the two of them, back when they were young fillies approaching their teenage years. She had been the older of the two, but had always been smaller than average for her age. Whereas Luna, despite being the youngest, had been blessed with a growth spurt that gifted her several inches of height at some point during their development. In their de-powered states, reduced to their normal forms as they had been, in was strange enough. Luna was still slightly taller than the average pony, whereas she actually had to tilt her head upward just to look somepony straight in the eyes. But now that Luna had been the first to regain her regal form, the difference in height was just so very much more. And Luna wasn't letting that difference go to waste either, as she currently reveled in the difference in stature. "Only in size, Luna, only in size," she reminded her. "What was that, my dear little sister? You will have to speak up, for I cannot hear you from all the way down there," Luna replied with a teasing grin. Celestia growled in annoyance. "I said that I'm going to kick your ass, you little brat!" Luna snorted in amusement. "I would like to see you try, my dear little sister. I would like to see you try..." "Mark my words, Luna, you will rue this day," Celestia warned her in turn. "Perhaps I will," Luna agreed and shrugged dismissively. She then proceeded to move over to where Celestia presently was, and pull her into a hug. "Perhaps I will." Celestia squirmed, but ultimately made no effort to try and break loose from the embrace. Honestly, it was nice being the one who was held, rather than the one who did the holding. Restful Hills Cemetery. It'd been the site of far, far too many funeral services as of recently, for far too many that'd been cut down far too early in their lives. Today was no different The only small consolation that could be drawn from such, was the fact that there would be no more victims of Nightmare Moon. That unfortunate enough to have their service today, were officially the final victims she would ever claim. But it could hardly be considered any measure of comfort to those presently grieving their loss. There were so many in attendance for the service. More than had been present for the service held for those who had been killed in the manticore attack. But as the afternoon stretched on, and the sun began to set, those in attendance slowly left to return to their own lives and obligations. All except for one who had remained behind, waiting for everypony else to leave before making their presence known and coming forward. That one was Ulquiorra, stepping out of the canopy of a large tree that'd been in the background. Like others, he had been present for the service, but his reasons were his own and not shared by the others. Although he had waited for the others to depart out of basic politeness, as making his presence known would've only served to make things worse for Bonbon than they already are. There was simply no point in such a course of action. Silently, he approached the scene of the fresh burial plots and stood before them, before approaching one in particular, and stopping to slip his right hand out of his pocket, and rest it atop the headstone. "Nope, sorry, I've got nothing new to report. But thanks for asking anyway." "I don't know what I'm doing wrong here. Taste this. Do you think this need more oregano?" "Would you care to stay for dinner? We made plenty." "When in my life am I ever gonna need to now how to diagram a thenteth?" "Thith math ith thupid!" "Could you help me with my homework, Mithter Thither? Please?" On, and on, and on they went. Without mercy. Without end. He had said it before, he would say it again; these ponies were a corrupting influence on him. "For whatever it may be worth to you now, I am sorry, Twist."