//------------------------------// // The Return // Story: Holy Knights of Equestria // by Dashguy //------------------------------// Rarity gave herself a final look in the mirror. She was a gorgeous young woman. Her long, violet hair went down her shoulders, curling at the end of her back and bangs; a single strand hanging between her sapphire blue eyes, their colors heightened by her perfect, milky-white skin. She wore metal boots, knee protectors and gloves, a black pair of pants that heightened her curvaceous figure and a white silk shirt. On her waist, she carried a rapier. Satisfied, Rarity set to leave her room in the barracks, but when she opened the door, she found a single white lily at her feet. Without a word or even a glance to the sides, Rarity picked up the flower and closed the door behind her. As she walked down the hallways of the barracks, Rarity did her best to ignore the pointed looks of her fellow knights and their murmurs. She left the barracks and reached the stable, where she chose a mare with a brown coat and a darker mane as her mount. With a gentle whip of the reins, Rarity began her trip to Ponyville. As the city of Canterlot became smaller behind her, Rarity extended her hand and, in the blink of an eye, the flower in her grasp turned into a small cloud of ashes that disappeared into the wind. She let out an exhausted sigh and focused back on the road before her. “Are you okay, Twilight?” Applejack asked between breaths. Twilight nodded. She wordlessly pulled a small black sphere engraved with a rune from a slot on her belt and, holding it high for a second, threw it against the ground. The sphere shattered into a million pieces and unleashed a flash of white light that enveloped the three of them for an instant before fading away. Applejack blinked perplexed. “What was that?” “An incantation sphere,” Twilight answered. “They are artifacts created to assist Holy Knights in their missions. They contain different kinds of spells, most of them of a one-time use. The one I used right now was a healing sphere.” She gently patted Spike on the head, the wound on the back of his neck having healed completely and called him softly, “Spike? Are you okay?” There was a moment of silence before Spike looked up at her. “I-It’s over…?” he asked timidly. Twilight smiled and nodded. “Yes. We took down the tyrant dragon. You have nothing to fear.” Spike sniffed and pressed his head against her chest. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” he said, with a sob in his voice. “I was so scared I couldn’t do a thing…” “There, there,” Twilight said as she hugged him tightly. “The tyrant dragon caught us both by surprise, and it was all thanks to the experience I gained from sparring with you, Spike, that I managed to fight back.” “You mean it?” Spike asked, looking at her with hopeful eyes. Twilight nodded firmly. “I do.” She scratched Spike behind his right ear, eliciting a childish giggle from him, before picking him up and placing him inside the hood of her long coat. Using her staff for support, Twilight stood up. She looked at Applejack and said, “I owe you thanks too, Applejack, as well as an apology. You could handle yourself in a fight and you saved our lives.” Applejack tipped her hat and smiled. “Right back at ya, sugarcube. If I had tried to fight that dragon by myself I wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale.” Once again, Applejack extended her hand with a smile and, once again, Twilight accepted it with a smile of her own. “Say,” Applejack tilted her head towards the corpse of the tyrant dragon. “What are we goin’ to do with that?” “We definitely can’t leave it there,” Twilight said. “For one, it will attract the wyverns.” She pulled two more incantation spheres from her belt, holding them between her thumb, index and middle fingers. “Good thing I came prepared.” The three of them approached the corpse, when Applejack suddenly asked, “Mind if I take somethin’ first?” Twilight blinked puzzled, but nodded. “Sure.” “Thanks.” Applejack stepped towards jaws of the tyrant dragon and began examining its teeth. A moment later, she set her eyes on one of the smaller fangs. Taking half a step backwards, Applejack breathed in and then snapped the fang in half with a well-placed roundhouse kick. “Whoa,” Spike muttered in awe. Twilight could only nod in agreement. Applejack picked up the fang piece the size of a cantaloupe with a satisfied smile. “Here’s hopin’ this will be enough to calm down Mayor May’s nerves,” she commented while pocketing it. “Right,” Twilight said with a bemused smile. “Now it’s my turn.” Holding the incantation spheres in front of her, she began to chant. The spheres began glowing with ethereal light and Applejack quickly moved behind Twilight, just in case. Twilight finished her chanting with two words, “Microscopic! Containment Seal!” The two spheres floated out of her hands and over the corpse of the tyrant dragon, where they fused with a blinding flash of light. Applejack shielded her eyes, and when she opened them a second later, she saw the corpse of the tyrant dragon had vanished, leaving a large pile of rocks behind. “Where did it go…?” she asked puzzled. “Right here,” Twilight answered, holding a translucent sphere between her thumb and index fingers. Applejack squinted, and then her eyes widened in surprise. Inside the sphere was the corpse of the tyrant dragon, reduced to the size of a bug. “Well, I’ll be…” “For a magician, certain creature parts are a valuable resource,” Twilight said as she attached the sphere to her belt. “Now we need to clean the debris.” “Leave it to me,” Applejack said confidently. She cracked her knuckles and, without warning, slammed her right palm against the ground. “Crushing Palm!” she called loudly, releasing a shockwave across the ground that turned the debris into dust in the blink of an eye. Spike whistled impressed and Twilight made a mental note of asking Applejack about her magic. “And that takes care of that,” Applejack said triumphantly. “What’s next?” “We should go check on the caravan that was coming this way,” Twilight said. “I don’t think the Mayor would like it if our battle scared them away from the Summer Sun Celebration.” Applejack nodded. “This is bullshit!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Her voice was a mixture of anger and incredulity. She was a short girl with fair skin, cerise eyes and long, messy rainbow colored hair sprawled over her shoulders and forehead. She wore brown leather boots and pants, a white short top and fingerless gloves. Her well-toned arms and abs contrasted noticeably with the soft features of her face, creating a beauty that would surely draw her fair share of looks if she went jogging down the road. Standing straight in front of her, on the opposite side of a desk, Shining Armor glared with a frown. He was a tall and handsome young man, of cerulean eyes and long, darker blue hair that fell over his shoulders. His armor was impeccably polished and the purple, golden-trimmed cape he wore gave him a look befitting of a prince. “Language,” he said sternly. Rainbow Dash felt her anger recede under the intensity of Shining Armor’s glare and he continued, his tone firm and commanding, “I’ve already made my decision, Dash.” Rainbow Dash gulped. “B-But—!” Just then, the door to Shining Armor’s office opened and a lovely young woman stepped in. She was a sight of beauty with her flawless pale skin and violet eyes. Her long hair, of a rich violet hue with a single golden streak, reached down her waist, curling at the tips. She wore sandals and a pure white sundress which, when haloed by the light of the sun, revealed a dark, haze-edged impression of her voluptuous figure against the fabric. It was as if the tension in the atmosphere vanished in her presence. Both, Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor’s expressions softened upon seeing her. “Cady!” “Duchess Cadance.” Cadance smiled. “Oh my, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” “Not at all,” Shining Armor said, raising a hand. “I’m simply informing Rainbow Dash here about—” “Cady!” Rainbow Dash swiftly interjected. “I asked Shiny for the day off to spend the Summer Sun Celebration with my little sister and he said yes, but now he’s taking it back!” Cadance turned to Shining Armor and quirked an eyebrow. “Shiny?” “Last night, she got into a bar fight with a fellow Holy Knight and caused considerable damage to the establishment,” Shining Armor explained. Cadance now looked at Rainbow and quirked both eyebrows. “Rainbow?” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Lightning Dust started it.” Shining Armor sighed. “Yes, I am well aware of the chain of events that lead to the altercation,” he elaborated. “And that’s precisely the reason she’s now stationed at Fort Macintosh and you are here, merely getting one month of extra duties starting from today.” “But I promised my little sister,” Rainbow Dash pleaded. “You should have thought about it before reacting the way you did,” Shining Armor said chidingly. “Alright, alright,” Cadance said placatingly, stepping between the two of them. “Let’s try to find a way to solve this issue, shall we?” Under the curious gaze of both, Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor, Cadance daintily folded her arms, a thoughtful expression across her face. There was a moment of silence before she snapped her fingers and said, “Why don’t you send her to bodyguard Queen Celestia at the Summer Sun Celebration, Shiny? That way she could see her little sister while working.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. She nodded rapidly and said, “Yeah! I can do that!” “I have already assigned a Sapphire ranked Holy Knight to the task,” Shining Armor said. “But surely Her Majesty won’t mind having a second one assigned to protect her, will she?” Cadance leaned forward towards him, both hands behind her back and tilted her head with a pleading smile. “Just this once?” Shining Armor’s cheeks turned a nice shade of red. He cleared his throat and composed himself before saying, “Very well.” He looked at Rainbow Dash pointedly and added, “But don’t forget you will be on duty, okay?” “Yes!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pumping her right fist triumphantly. “Leave it to me, Cap’n!” Shining Armor nodded. “Good luck,” Cadance said. “And send Scootaloo my regards.” Rainbow Dash grinned appreciatively and saluted them both. “Captain, Duchess.” As soon as she left, Shining Armor let out a breath of exhaustion. He massaged the bridge of his nose. “Is something the matter, Shiny?” Cadance asked with concern. “I didn’t think this would stress you so much.” Shining Armor shook his head. “No, it’s just…can you believe I had to restrain Lightning Dust with my magic? I imagined she wouldn’t take it well, but I didn’t think it would reach that point.” Cadance wordlessly walked around the desk, approaching Shining Armor. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. Shining Armor swiftly returned the gesture, embracing her with his strong arms. The two of them stood like that, hugging in silence, for a while. “How are you doing, Cady?” Shining Armor asked. “It’s going to take more than a couple of nightmares to bring me down, you know,” Cadance replied confidently. “Besides, what do I have to fear when I have you with me?” Shining Armor tightened his embrace. “Always.” A sudden knock at the door interrupted them, followed by a voice calling from the other side, “Yo, Cap’n! Can I come in?” Shining Armor and Cadance broke their embrace. He cleared his throat and said, “Come in, Zephyr Breeze.” The door opened and a lanky, pale young man stepped in. He had darker cerise eyes, his blonde hair tied into a bun and a noticeable stubble covering the lower half of his face. Much like Rainbow Dash, he wore brown leather boots and pants, as well as a white tank top. “Hey Cap’n! Sis!” Zephyr greeted them with a wide grin. “Sorry for interrupting—” he chuckled knowingly. “But the guys told me Rainbow Dash was here.” Shining Armor exchanged a brief glance with Cadance. “I’m afraid you’re a bit late, Zephyr. She left a couple of minutes ago.” Zephyr sighed dramatically. “It’s almost like fate itself does not want us to meet! And just when I wanted to show her my new flair...” Shining Armor quirked an eyebrow. “Flair?” “Yeah! Watch this!” Zephyr cleared his throat, narrowed his eyes and said with his best threatening tone, “As a friend I have my flaws, but as an enemy I’m perfect.” Cadance closed her eyes and summoned all of her willpower to avoid cringing. Shining Armor opened his mouth, closed it and then opened it again to say, “That’s…quite something…alright.” “Thanks!” Zephyr said, oblivious. “I want to be ready for when I become a Holy Knight. You know, having the proper attitude and all.” “Zephyr,” Cadance said with a noticeable blush across her cheeks. “Don’t you think Rainbow Dash would prefer a man who could fight at her side and protect her back, rather than one who would try to avenge her after she fell in battle?” Zephyr blinked. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Huh, I guess you have a point there, Sis.” He shrugged. “But I still want to show Dash! So, if you excuse me, see ya later!” As soon as Zephyr left, Cadance let out a heavy sigh. “I swear if he spent all that time polishing his sword skills instead of daydreaming he would be a full-fledged Holy Knight apprentice by now,” she said while pinching the bridge of her nose. Shining Armor smiled sympathetically. As expected, the commotion from the battle with the tyrant dragon reached all the way to the caravan. Still, convincing the travelers that the problem had been taken care of and they could safely resume their trip to Ponyville turned out to be an easy task. “Such is the trust people have in Holy Knights,” Twilight thought. Spike was more than eager to carry Twilight and Applejack back to Ponyville and the trip felt considerably shorter. Upon Applejack’s request, they approached Ponyville from the western side and a huge farm fully surrounded by a wooden fence soon came into view. Spike did as told and landed on the nearby dirt road, several feet away from the entrance. Twilight teleported Applejack and herself off Spike’s back, and he suddenly transformed back into his child form without a prompt. “Did you run out of magic?” Spike asked. Twilight nodded. “Yeah.” “Are you okay, sugarcube?” Applejack asked with a frown of concern. “Don’t worry,” Twilight replied. “It’s just a matter of eating and resting to recover my reserves. And since we have instructions to remain in Ponyville until Queen Celestia arrives, we can take our time to find an inn.” She looked in the direction of the Town Hall and added, “Hopefully there’s still one out there with available rooms.” “Say no more!” Applejack said with an enthusiastic grin. “You two are comin’ with me!” Twilight blinked twice. “Huh?” “If you need food and a room we’ve got to spare,” Applejack declared proudly. Twilight shook her head rapidly. “Oh, no, no—you’ve already done enough, Applejack, and I wouldn’t want to impose…” “Nonsense!” Applejack gently grabbed Spike and placed him inside the hood of Twilight’s coat before pushing her forwards and into the farm. The first thing Twilight and Spike noticed was the large, red barn standing right in the middle, with a smaller farmhouse not too far away from it. There were plenty of pastures and several pens filled with sheep, pigs, cows and chickens, as well as a field of carrots and one of corn, all of them surrounded by a staggeringly vast apple orchard, going as far as the eye could see. “Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!” Applejack declared with great fanfare. Twilight followed her from behind, as she and Spike took on their surroundings with awe. A sudden bark caught their attention and Twilight saw a brown and white dog rushing in their direction. Applejack spread her arms with a smile and the dog leaped into her embrace. It licked her face all over while wagging its tail energetically. “Easy there, Winona!” Applejack laughed. Holding the dog in her arms, she turned to Twilight and Spike and said, “Guys, this is my girl, Winona.” Winona barked as if greeting them. Twilight couldn’t help but smile. “She’s so cute.” “Applejack!” called a new voice. A trio of pretty teenage girls came running to meet them. The first, running a few steps ahead of the other two, had pleasantly tanned skin and amber colored eyes. Her long, bright red hair was tied into a ponytail with a large pink ribbon. She wore brown shoes, blue jean shorts and a yellow shirt. Twilight wondered if she could be Applejack’s sister. The second, right behind the first, had lightly tanned skin and violet eyes. She wore black shoes, green shorts and a black shirt. Her clothes, in combination with her short, messy purple hair, gave her a certain boyish charm. The third, doing her best to catch up to the other two, had fair skin, long, curly light purple hair and light green eyes. She wore sandals and a light purple sundress that went down to her knees, giving her a very feminine look. “Applejack, are you okay?” worriedly asked the redheaded girl. The other two watched in silence, with equally worried expressions. “What happened? Why did you take so long? Did the Holy Knights answer the Mayor’s letter?” Applejack gently patted the redheaded girl on the head. “Easy there, Applebloom. There’s nothin’ to worry ‘bout.” She tilted her head towards Twilight and added, “This is Twilight Sparkle, the Holy Knight that answered the call. And that’s her familiar, Spike, the Dragon Knight.” The three girls looked at the two of them with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. “Are they really the ones who will slay that dragon?” Applebloom asked, looking at Applejack with a slight frown. Applejack quirked an eyebrow and said, “Manners.” “R-Right!” Applebloom swiftly turned to Twilight and introduced herself, “I’m Applebloom! Nice to meetcha!” The second girl grinned confidently. “I’m Scootaloo!” The third girl curtsied. “I’m Sweetie Belle.” “It’s a pleasure, girls,” Twilight said with a smile. Leaning over her shoulder, Spike waved with a smile of his own. Applejack nodded satisfied. “Now, as for your question…” She glanced at Twilight with a mischievous smile across her lips before taking out the fragment of dragon fang from inside her pocket for all to see. “I believe they’ve already taken care of it.” The three girls gasped simultaneously, their eyes widening like plates as they leaned in closer to have a better look. “To be fair, we couldn’t have done it without Applejack’s help,” Twilight said. “R-Really!?” Applebloom asked, surprised. Twilight nodded. “She was the one who dealt the final blow.” Applejack tilted her hat, her cheeks reddening. “Aw, shucks. I told you it was only because you were with me.” “My sister is a dragon slayer!” Applebloom declared triumphantly. Scootaloo frowned and her cheeks puffed up; she folded her arms and turned her head away with a loud humph. “I bet Rainbow Dash could have taken care of that dragon all by herself!” Sweetie Belle quickly protested, “Rarity could have done it too!” “But not in ten seconds flat!” Applebloom folded her arms. “Talk all you want! My sister was the one who slew a dragon!” “But she still can’t beat my sis!” “She wouldn’t win against mine either!” The three girls glared intensely at each other and, for a moment, Twilight could swear she was about to witness a three-way brawl. “Alright, that’s enough,” Applejack said sternly and the three of them quickly calmed down. “If you’ve got nothin’ better to do then take this fang piece to the Mayor and tell her our dragon troubles are over.” She handed the fragment of dragon fang to Applebloom, who held it over her head and declared, “Leave it to us! Let’s go girls!” And with that, Applebloom ran away. “I wanna hold it too!” Scootaloo shouted as she chased after her. “Wait for me!” Sweetie Belle cried out before going after the two of them. Winona swiftly followed the three girls while barking loudly. “And you can give a hand to Big Mac when you’re done!” Applejack chuckled. “Those two, their older sisters are Holy Knights who spend most of their time away from Ponyville, so they hang a lot ‘round here.” “I see,” Twilight said. “Shall we get goin’? My Big Bro and the rest of my kin are all busy with our stand, but I’ll introduce you to our Granny Smith.” They reached the farmhouse, where an elderly woman slept on a rocking chair on the porch. Her face was filled with wrinkles and her dull white hair neatly tied into a bun. She wore sandals with yellow socks up above her knees, a long, light green skirt and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Applejack gently patted Granny Smith’s shoulder. “Granny, wake up. We got guests.” Granny Smith blinked her eyes open and asked groggily, “Who did what…?” “Guests, Granny,” Applejack repeated. “This is Twilight Sparkle, the Holy Knight, and her familiar Spike, the Dragon Knight—” Granny Smith’s eyes widened. “Dragon!?” Her face twisted into a scowl and she performed a series of motions with her hands. “I’ll teach you to mess with my family! Twin Go—” “Whoa there, Granny!” Applejack swiftly took Granny Smith’s hands in her own. “Easy now, the dragon is history, the Holy Knights took care of it and there’s nothin’ to fear anymore!” There was a brief moment of silence before Granny Smith relaxed, her scowl replaced by a slight frown. She leaned back on her chair and muttered, “Hmph, ‘bout time they did somethin’…if I knew it would take ‘em so long enough…I would’ve done it…myself…” Her eyes closed and she began snoring loudly. Applejack let out a breath of relief and her lips curved into an apologetic smile. “Sorry ‘bout that, guys,” she said. “Granny has been quite stressed after the whole incident.” Twilight shook her head rapidly. “I-It’s okay,” she said. It wasn’t just Granny Smith’s sudden reaction, but the impressive surge of magic she felt coming from her wizened body what startled her. “At least she will now be able to sleep properly…” Applejack smiled. “Yeah.” The inside of the farmhouse was spacious, rustic and with a homely feel. Applejack took out her gloves, putting them inside the pocket of her coat before taking it off and hanging it on a nearby coat rack. Her orange button shirt was a short sleeved one, which revealed how well-toned her arms were, and with her back uncovered one could appreciate the fullness of her figure. Twilight followed her into the kitchen, where Applejack told them to take a seat on the nearby table. Twilight did as told, leaving her staff resting against her chair, and Spike hopped down from the inside of her hood to take the empty chair to her right. Applejack immediately got to work and, before they knew it, she had served them a large meat pie, homemade bread, a big glass jar of apple juice and a plate filled to the brim with apple fritters. “Sorry I can’t offer you more,” Applejack said apologetically. “But most of the food we prepared went to our stand for sellin'.” “Are you kidding me?” Twilight thought bewildered. “This is enough food for six people!” “Well, what are you waitin’ for?” Applejack asked with a smile. “Dig in!” “Thanks for the food!” Spike said cheerfully. With those words, he grabbed a slice of meat pie and began wolfing on it. Twilight followed his example, albeit in a demurely manner. “Hmm! Delishoush!” Spike said with his mouth full. “It’s really good!” Twilight added. Applejack grinned. “The meat pie is one of the many specialties of the Apple family.” She took a seat, leaned back on the chair and asked casually, “Say, what’s your rank, Twilight? Sapphire? Platinum?” Twilight swallowed a morsel and daintily wiped her mouth with a napkin before answering, “I’m only a Holy Knight apprentice. I haven’t even awakened my Power yet.” Applejack’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait what—seriously? And with all kind of stuff you can do?” “Well, to be fair, I’m the apprentice of Queen Celestia herself,” Twilight replied with a noticeable hint of pride in her voice. Applejack whistled impressed. “I’ll be! That explains it. I heard Her Highness is the most powerful magician in all of Equestria.” “Speaking about explaining things,” Twilight said. “Yours was an impressive display of earth magic, practically at the level of a full-fledged Holy Knight.” She leaned forward, rested both hands on the table and asked, “You have awakened a Power, haven’t you?” Applejack nodded. “My Power is called Creation,” she said. “Bet you already guessed I can control the earth with it.” “Oh?” Twilight tilted her head. “That’s the same name the members of the Giant tribe give to their Power.” “Eeyup!” Applejack said with a grin. “You see, me and my kin, we’re all descendants of Rockhoof.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Rockhoof? As in Rockhoof the Mighty?” Applejack nodded. “Who’s that?” asked Spike. Twilight threw him an unamused look. “Seriously, Spike? One third of the books in our library are history books, and every single one of them mentions Rockhoof in one way or another.” Spike folded his tiny arms and turned his nose upwards. “I can’t help I’m a visual type learner, Twilight.” Twilight rolled her eyes and muttered, “A fancy way of saying you only like looking at the pictures.” She shook her head. “Anyway, listen up. Far into the Equestrian Frozen North lives the Giant tribe. They are isolationists and extremely proud of both, their culture and their strength. But more impressive than their physical prowess is the Power that they all possess: Creation. It allows them to manipulate the earth as they see fit. The strongest and most skilled of them can bend mountains, twist steel like taffy and turn rocks into sand with merely a gesture.” She raised her index finger and continued, “Rockhoof was a Giant warrior who once stood at the pinnacle of his kin. Some of his greatest feats include slaying a seven-headed hydra and stopping an erupting volcano, both with his bare hands.” “Cool,” Spike said in awe. “Later in life he fell in love with a human woman and had children with her. In fact, it was none other than Starswirl the Bearded himself who used his magic to shrink Rockhoof so he and his wife, White Bloom, could consummate their love.” “Guess we can add history buff to your list of talents, eh?” Applejack said amused. “The Six Pillars are my favorite subject of Equestrian history!” Twilight gushed. “I’ve read the lineage of Rockhoof survived up to this day, but I never imagined I would ever meet his descendants!” “Well, it ain’t no secret, but we don’t go around tellin’ everybody ‘bout it either,” Applejack said. “I mean, it’s been far too long since Rockhoof passed away.” “And that’s what it makes it all more fascinating!” Twilight said excitedly. “Because while we do not know the exact nature of Powers and the means they are invoked by, research suggests they are drawn from the individual’s will, beliefs and experiences, which is why finding two people with similar powers is rare. On the other hand, children inheriting their Powers from one of their parents are a common occurrence.” She suddenly stood up. “You must be separated from Rockhoof by at least thirty generations, Applejack, yet your Power is undoubtedly the same as his! I need to know more! How and when did you awaken it? How many techniques do you know? I sensed some powerful magic from your grandmother, does she possess Creation too? How strong is she? Did her strength wane with her age? Did she teach you the techniques you know or are you self-taught? Does anybody else in your family have this Power? What about your little sister? Do you think she’s got the potential?” She held her head in her hands and screamed in frustration, “Why didn’t I bring some scrolls, ink and quills with me!?” “Is she always like this?” Applejack whispered to Spike. “Only when it comes to a topic of her interest,” Spike whispered back. “Which can be—uh, anything?” Twilight sat down. “S-Sorry,” she said awkwardly. “Don’t sweat it,” Applejack said casually. “And to answer your question, the only ones who can use Creation in my family right now are Granny Smith and I. From what she told me, it was quite the surprise when she awakened it; seems the last time for one of our kin was over a thousand years ago. I awakened mine five years ago while farmin’. Can’t speak ‘bout Applebloom when she gets older though, at her age I couldn’t lift a pebble.” Twilight nodded attentively. Applejack continued, “From what my aunts told me, Granny Smith used to be quite strong back in her young. Even now she’s got plenty of it left.” She scratched the back of her neck, a slight blush appearing across her cheeks. “And not to toot my own horn but, she said I’m on my way to be even stronger than her.” “Fascinating.” Twilight scratched her chin thoughtfully. “To think the magic of Rockhoof would resurface after all these years…” “As for techniques, my Auntie Applesauce has this really, really old book that supposedly got passed down my family for generations. Granny Smith learned from it and later taught me everythin’ I know.” Twilight gasped. “A book?! I’ve read Giants disdain writing and prefer to pass down their wisdom and techniques via oral tradition, but if White Bloom taught Rockhoof to write and read, then that book may be some kind of diary of his! Maybe a transcription or a magically preserved original! Either way we’re talking about an extremely valuable piece of Equestrian history! Did you read it, Applejack? Or at least saw it? How thick it was? What was the cover made of?” Applejack shared a brief look with Spike. He shrugged. “Sorry, never saw it myself,” she said with an apologetic smile. “Granny Smith was the one who read it. She said it was full of techniques and other stuff, but she only picked up what could help with the farm.” Twilight disappointment was visible, but it was quickly replaced by a frown of determination. “I’ve decided,” she declared. “Once the Summer Sun Celebration is over, I’m going to ask Queen Celestia for permission to research the history of the Apple family and the fluctuations of magic in their bloodline over the years.” “Well, shucks,” Applejack said. She tipped her hat and grinned. “You better get your ears ready then, ‘cause once Granny Smith gets to talk ‘bout the past she ain’t stoppin’ any time soon.” “Don’t worry,” Twilight assured with a grin of her own. “I’m good when it comes to long lectures.” As she walked down the hallways of the barracks, Rainbow Dash cheerfully returned the smiles and waves of her fellow knights, when one of them called her name from behind. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to see a lovely young woman clad in armor running towards her. “Hey, Angel Wings!” Angel Wings had fair skin, soft blue eyes and long brown hair neatly tied with a big red ribbon. A pair of bright bracelets hung on her left wrist, contrasting noticeably against the faded grey of her armor. “How are you doing girl?” Rainbow Dash asked. Angel Wings smiled. “Much better, thank you for asking.” Rainbow Dash frowned slightly and looked closely at Angel Wings’ face, up and down, left and right. After a brief moment of silence, her expression softened and she smiled approvingly. “The healers did a great work; you don’t have a single scratch on your face.” “Please don’t remind me,” Angel Wings said, her smile replaced by a fearful look. “Lady Red Heart was so angry just thinking about it gives me goosebumps…” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Yeah, I can imagine.” “Oh!” Angel Wings’ eyes widened in realization. “But what about you? The guys told me what happened while I was in the hospital. And I heard you were called into Captain Shining Armor’s office.” She bit her lower lip with a concerned look. “Is everything okay?” “Yeah, just a month of extra work starting from tomorrow,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug. She winked and added, “But you won’t have to worry about Lightning Dust bothering you anymore.” Angel Wings sighed. “You shouldn’t have done it Rainbow.” She then looked around them, leaned in and whispered, “But thank you.” Rainbow Dash playfully punched Angel Wings in the right shoulder. “Don’t mention it,” she said with a grin. Twilight let out a satisfied sigh. “I ate too much.” From inside the hood of her coat, Spike snored loudly. Applejack grinned. “Gotta say, you have a healthy appetite.” Twilight’s cheeks turned a nice shade of red. “A-Ah, yes, Queen Celestia said my magic reserves are my greatest quality and I need to consume a certain amount of calories in order to replenish them.” Applejack chuckled. She led them to a room on the second floor. It was small, with no windows and furnished with a bed, a single chair and a nightstand. “This is our guest room,” she said. “It ain’t much, but you will sleep soundly here. The bathroom is at the end of the hallway. I’ll come back for you after the sun goes down, okay?” Twilight nodded. “Thank you, Applejack.” “You’re welcome,” Applejack said before closing the door behind her. Twilight gently took out a curled up Spike from the inside of the hood of her coat and placed him on top of the bed. She removed her coat and armor, and left them along with her staff on the nearby chair before she lay on the bed herself. There was a moment of silence before she spoke, “Spike?” Spike half opened his eyes and said, “Hmm? What is it?” “You said you smelled something sweet back then, right before the tyrant dragon struck us.” “Yeah.” “What was it?” “Huh, I dunno. It wasn’t like anything I smelled before.” Twilight paused, and then asked again, “What would you compare it with? Food? Flowers? Perfume maybe?” “I’m not sure…perfume? It smelled nice. Nothing like a tyrant dragon. That was why I didn’t sense it coming.” “I see.” Twilight said nothing else and Spike closed his eyes. In less than ten seconds, he was snoring again. The mission had taken more twists and turns than Twilight had expected, but she decided it would be better to leave the pondering for another time and rest.