Chapter Twelve: Pushing Forwards
~BlackRoseRaven
Luna and Twilight penned a letter to Princess Celestia explaining what had happened and what they had found in the evening, and Spike sent it off… and not ten minutes later, belched out a burst of fire and ash that transformed into a letter and fell to the ground. Celestia explained that she would be in attendance at the wedding of Rainbow Dash and Applejack, and in the meantime, to hold steady and fortify Ponyville. When she arrived for the wedding, she would pass all the information about the Velites on to Luna… assuming the wedding was still going forwards, that was.
Twilight had already spoken to the two about it, however, and while Applejack and Rainbow were both worried it wasn’t exactly a pleasant omen… many members of the Apple Family had already arrived, and there was a lot of celebrating at Sweet Apple Acres despite everything that was happening in Equestria, and particularly, around Ponyville. Neither of them thought they could halt the momentum the wedding was gaining… and Rainbow had confessed awkwardly that despite everything, neither of them really wanted to. If there truly were sinister times ahead… then for all the bad that was happening now, it could still be the one bright spot left before the long dark tunnel began.
The others could appreciate that… even Pinkamena in her own weird way, who asked rudely why it even mattered with how little anyone had liked Trixie before she had almost been beaten by both Twilight and Luna, making her rapidly flee and forcing a terrified Pinkie Pie to the surface, babbling apologies as she cowered away from the two.
Luna and Scrivener went home, feeling tired and a little out of sorts, and they had curled up together in their bedroom almost the moment they’d gotten home, but neither slept much. Instead, Scrivy quietly massaged Luna’s tired, drained body, helping her relax a little before she pulled him down and kissed him quietly… but then only curled herself over him, closing her eyes, the two breathing softly as they rested in silence that seemed all too ominous now, each wondering if every hiss, every scratch, every shudder from the forest was a Velite or some other abomination from the darkness, come to try and claim another victim, or mock them for being unable to save Trixie from their clutches.
And then, around four in the morning, Luna climbed to her hooves, took a deep breath as Scrivener glanced up at her, and then she threw her head back with an inarticulate yell that shook the entire cottage, the male wincing back before Luna shook her head out, her mane glimmering with starlight before she sighed and slumped a little, saying moodily: “Come, Scrivener Blooms. Enough sulking in bed, for the both of us. There is still work we can do… there are still pony’s lives to be saved. The war has not even yet begun, for this is but a prelude to the shadows that may yet fall, the awful things that may yet rise… and I will not allow it to grind me down into despair or make me feel like less of a pony than I truly am. We may not revel, but we will not drown in tears either.”
“Alright, Luna. I’ll put on some tea for us, then.” Scrivy said softly, climbing to his hooves, and then he smiled a bit when Luna shook her head and gave him a small smile. “Coffee it is, in that case. And something to eat.”
The female nodded, then followed the male out of the bedroom, lowering her head and saying moodily: “Truly, though… the Velites will suffer for what they have done, I assure thee of this, Scrivener Blooms. We shall make them suffer with our own hooves, you and I together.”
“Yes, Luna, as you’ve said… and while I can’t say I’m… entirely eager to go into battle with the Velites, I… I don’t know if it’s because of your emotions playing into mine, because maybe I was starting to like Trixie a little and thought that even she deserved better than what happened, or because… because of how I’ve changed a little, as you say…” Scrivener hesitated in the hall, glancing awkwardly over his shoulder at her. “I don’t want to, but at the same time, part of me looks forwards to it, even if I still don’t really know all that much about fighting.”
Luna softened at this, then she smiled a little and flicked her horn up… and quietly, Scrivy’s glasses floated out of the bedroom, slowly floating over to him before settling on his muzzle… and he smiled softly at her as she said quietly: “I cannot say… I am entirely displeased by it, in my selfish manner, Scrivener Blooms. But do a favor for me, will thou? Change not thyself for me, or for any other reason, and remember who thou art at heart. Nay, I say not that thou art only a poet, for I have always believed that thou has… something more, something greater inside. Thou art special, daydreamer… not a warrior as I am, perhaps, but… heroic, all the same.”
Scrivener smiled a little at her, gazing at her softly… and then he reached up and adjusted his glasses quietly before turning and heading towards the kitchen, not needing to say ‘thank you…’ and Luna smiled at his back, not needing to say ‘you’re welcome,’ for him to clearly hear it all the same.
They had their coffee, and quietly talked about Trixie, and the Velite threat, and the coming darkness… but it was calm, sometimes happy, sometimes tinged with sorrow, but never to an extreme. They talked through things with one another, staying close, gazing softly into each other’s eyes, sharing their coffee and small treats, and eventually found themselves wandering out to other topics… Pinkamena’s twisted psyche, and how good Fluttershy was with Scarlet Sage despite her own upbringing, and Twilight Sparkle and everything to do with her.
They talked until morning… and then Luna and Scrivener headed outside, the winged unicorn lowering the moon… and both of them looking up quietly to watch the sun begin to rise before they headed quietly into the Everfree Forest. And both could feel the anxiousness of the forest in the air, the way it too was being affected by these dark times… and while some might mistake it as hostility, by now Luna and Scrivy knew the woods well enough to understand that its residents were just as terrified of what was going on as the populace of Ponyville.
On the path through the forest, they encountered a wounded manticore… and it snarled at them, but was in no shape to fight, its flank torn open deep enough for the bones to show and something stuck in the creature’s side. Luna and Scrivener exchanged a look, and Luna had then simply closed her eyes and lowered her horn as it gave a low thrum, the manticore’s growls becoming whimpers, then weak snores as it had slumped… and Scrivy had walked forwards and carefully yanked the large, rusted knife stuck in the creature’s side free and examined it before Luna had healed the beast, and the two had continued on their way.
The winged unicorn had recognized the seal on the knife, which Scrivy carried in a simple sheath at his side Luna had put together through the creative use of leaves and magic. It was from the old Equestrian Regiment, meaning it was probably almost as old as Luna… explaining the decayed state of the weapon. A sign that the Velites were in the area… but the rest of the journey to Ponyville was quiet, even if there was sometimes the sensation of lurking eyes.
They spent the day helping fortify Ponyville, beneath the pall of grey clouds and a light but steady rainfall: Twilight had discovered where the Velites had slipped in through, and sealed the breach in the fencing at the far side of Ponyville already. Guards were now being posted at all hours and there was a volunteer infantry ready to work and fight.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack both signed up for their fair share of the duty as well before their wedding and promised that afterwards, after the Apple clan had dispersed back across Equestria, and Rainbow’s friends had returned to their homes – mostly Cloudsdale and Canterlot – they would be happy to offer up part of Sweet Apple Acres as a training area for the infantry. They both wanted to help… and they were both more afraid of the costs of neglecting their responsibilities than they were of putting off their wedding.
But Twilight had reassured them, and with Luna and Scrivener helping out, they were able to fortify Ponyville all the faster and prepare the volunteers and others all the better with Luna’s knowledge of the Velites. In the afternoon, she marched up and down a line of assembled infantry, surveying them grimly beneath the steady hiss of falling rain, obviously not happy with what they had to work with, liking less the few old weapons they had and the fact that the only unicorn in town capable of impressive magic was Twilight Sparkle, now that Trixie was gone.
They were peace-loving ponies who had lived in comfort and happiness, thrust into dark times… and unlike the ponies of the time that Luna had come from, few ponies here had dreamed of battling dragons, or fighting monsters. They were an almost-soporific people, whose greatest dreams as foals had been to earn what they now called ‘cutie marks’ instead of emblems, who lived day-in, day-out, under the benevolent rule of Celestia, believing in harmony and goodwill to all, entitled to peace and the comforts that came with it. It would be difficult to reshape them into fighters and mages… not impossible, considering what six special ponies had already done, what Twilight Sparkle, and when pushed, even Trixie had shown herself capable of… but difficult, all the same.
She had run them through rough paces, and they had tired and started complaining quickly in the rainy weather: she had them spar with each other, and most of them just nervously stood there, awkwardly pawing at one another until Luna lost her temper, stormed over to a nearby Pegasus, and flipped him neatly upside-down and slammed him onto his back with a splash of mud before twisting his upper leg around, making him squeal as she shouted for them to put some muscle in it, which had at least gotten them trying to shove each other to the ground. But it was difficult going… and worst of all was trying to get the unicorns to learn that they were capable of much greater feats of magic than making household objects float around.
By the time evening came around, Luna was sitting miserably on the balcony of the library, looking up at the moon that she had just risen beyond the strings of grey cloud, and wondered silently if her release from exile had been destiny, a mistake on the part of this coming darkness, or just a stupid coincidence… and then she glanced over her shoulder as Scrivy emerged, dusty and worn as he smiled a little at her before kissing her cheek… and Luna turned to him silently, reached her hooves up to stroke over his face, then brush through his mane as she drew him into a longer, deeper kiss, starlight mane flickering slowly around them both as she remembered just what she was fighting for.
They flew home not long afterwards, Scrivener grimacing as he propelled himself on leathery wings, but all too well aware of why Luna wanted to avoid the forest path… and they touched down outside their home and went inside. Scrivy began to head to the kitchen, but Luna all but shoved him into the bedroom, muttering almost angrily about feelings and needs as she shoved him down onto their bedding… but afterwards, they found their way to the den, and she was much more relaxed as she rested quietly beside him and they drank coffee together as they had quietly talked about preparations.
The next day was much the same: they worked together all morning, then Luna tried to work with and train the volunteers, judging them moodily and constantly pushing them to do better, do better… and in the evening, helped an exhausted Twilight back to the library, where Fluttershy promised to force her to relax until the wedding tomorrow. Then they left, taking to the air and making their way back to their cabin, where they curled up in front of the fireplace and Luna wondered aloud if Applejack and Rainbow Dash would have the same kind of relationship they did… still-romantic, still-shiny-like-new even after more than a year together, and plenty exciting in plenty of ways.
Scrivy had smiled a little at this… and Luna had buried her face against the side of his neck for a little while, closing her eyes… and, just as he thought she’d actually dozed off, she murmured: “Nay, no one else is permitted to have a relationship such as ours, Scrivener Blooms. I shall have to sabotage them if so.”
The male had laughed despite himself at this, shaking his head slowly as she looked up, and their eyes met warmly… before he kissed her softly, and she blushed a little in that almost-shy way she always did when he was the one who initiated things instead of just giving in to her aggressive urges… and afterwards, they rested together and she stroked a hoof up and down through his mane, murmuring thoughtfully: “Perhaps ‘twould not be so bad if I could not have foals, if it meant every day could be like this. Romantic as red roses and hormonal as teenagers. ‘Tis fun, really.”
“You would think that. Why is it that you have to make jokes about things that literally only days before had you so upset you were acting like a little filly?” the male asked mildly, and she huffed a bit at him and shoved her hoof against his face, making him wince before he laughed when she stroked slowly down along the curve of his scars, smiling awkwardly as he glanced over at her and reached up to stroke under her muzzle gently. “Don’t change the subject.”
“Thou didst do it first.” Luna retorted, then she shoved at him lightly with a small smile before she leaned forwards and kissed the side of his neck quietly. “But ‘tis just my way of dealing with things… the irony of which is that I believe I learned it from thou, of all people. The way thou has always laughed off or danced around thy upbringing and past, even thy accomplishments… and thou dry, sarcastic wit which was almost enough to kill the Nightmare that had invaded thy mind.”
“Never going to let that go, are you?” Scrivy shook his head slowly, his eyes warm as they gazed over her softly. “You were the one who dealt with the other three, though… and if I didn’t have you in my life, to think about, to look forwards to, well… I probably would have given in to its temptations. Well. You know. If it hadn’t taken on the form of Twilight Sparkle.”
Luna rolled her eyes and shoved at him again, this time succeeding in knocking him sprawling even as he snorted in amusement before she shoved her hooves against his chest, half-pinning him as she gazed softly down at him and said quietly: “Thou has a way of making everything okay. No matter what else is going on in the world… thou hast a way that makes it all okay. ‘Tis impossible to truly describe… for I remember, even times when I was furious with thee or thou was upset with myself… a sense that all would still work out, nonetheless.”
“Maybe you’re the one who needs to go back to the mental health place for the psychiatric evaluation.” Scrivener said mildly, resting his head on a hoof, and Luna looked down at him for a moment before she jumped on him, the two wrestling and laughing as they shoved at each other, rolling back and forth on the bedding before Scrivener grinned as he managed to pin the winged unicorn for a moment, both of them looking surprised… before Scrivy squawked when Luna easily flipped him off onto his back, then rolled him over and leapt on top of him, making his limbs splay out with a wheeze as she pinned him flat with a bright, cheerful expression on her face.
She laughed, then leaned over him playfully, looking upside-down into his eyes as her mane tickled against his face as it defied logic and gravity, glimmering cheerfully with starlight as she exclaimed: “Excellent, Scrivener Blooms! Truly, thou art learning… and if there is such hope for thee, then perhaps there is hope for all those in Ponyville as well, and that infantile volunteer army.”
“You realize what the word ‘volunteer’ means, right?” Scrivy looked up at her mildly, and then he fidgeted a little and added flatly: “You’re squishing me, by the way.”
Luna looked at him meditatively, saying musingly: “That sounds very similar to what thou once said to me quite a long time ago now, my daydreamer… it reminds me of old times in Canterlot, when thou wert supposed to teach me the ways of modern speech, and stay with me so I had company and was not always at Celestia’s side, as much as we loved each other then… as much as we love each other even now.” She paused, looking down and laughing quietly, murmuring softly: “Although I suppose we don’t exactly show it quite as often in these dark and corrupted times, despite all we went through together…”
She stopped, then laughed softly as she finally slipped herself off Scrivener, glancing at him with a small smile. “’Tis odd, is it not? Perhaps because of the not-so-distant past… perhaps because times have merely changed, and we have been forced to change with them, growing more distant even as we yearn to grow closer. Or maybe… ‘tis simply my fault for no longer letting myself trust in my sister’s love.”
She gazed at him for a few moments as he looked back at her softly, then he nudged her gently with his shoulder and murmured: “I don’t think it’s your fault, Luna… I know that, little as you’ll admit it to anyone else, you did forgive Celestia for what happened a long time ago. Especially when we realized that this exile didn’t have to be a loss of freedom, but gaining it… and now we have a place where we can go to mingle with society that doesn’t hate us, and even invitations to a wedding today. I don’t think the problem is you… I think the problem is that Celestia… well… hasn’t forgiven herself. And hasn’t let herself believe that she hasn’t become… something awful.”
“Serves her right.” Luna said grouchily, and when Scrivener gave her an amused look, she sighed a little and rolled her eyes, muttering: “Alright, my daydreamer, alright. Perhaps I am too harsh in saying that. No, I understand what thou means… and I agree, I think. ‘Tis difficult, but… I do not wish for my sister to punish herself so. It hurts me, it does.”
“Then maybe you should actually say that to her. Might do a world of good.” Scrivener replied, quirking an eyebrow at her… but when she gave him an amused look, he rolled his irises and sighed a little, reaching up to adjust his glasses and muttering: “Yes, yes, I know. You, talking to Celestia, that’s going to happen sometime soon.”
Luna nodded, then she smiled a little and leaned over to kiss his cheek, murmuring softly: “But perhaps for thee, I can put mine dislike of such things aside. All for thee, thou understands, 'tis not because I actually worry about my sister or because I wish to ease her pain.”
“Of course Luna, of course.” Scrivener smiled at her despite himself, and the two curled quietly together as the night stretched on into morning, simply relaxing together quietly… and then Luna and Scrivener headed outside and made their way to the top of the jutting cliff so that the winged unicorn could lower the moon, but as she smiled at Scrivener, he could feel her emotions tickling through him, and in a strange way, her powers and magic, almost feeling electrified, making the same gestures as she did… and then trading a look and a laugh with her before they both smiled faintly as they gazed up to watch the sun rise.
They sat quietly on top of the cliff together for almost an hour, looking at the sky, feeling the wind whispering against their bodies, and then they both headed back to the cottage to prepare for the upcoming wedding. It would be a strange event, certainly: most of the Apple family would be there, while none of Rainbow Dash’s would… but instead, his semi-family of Wonderbolts would be in attendance, not to mention all the friends and admirers of the two from Ponyville.
As Luna prepared to leave – making sure both she and Scrivener were as neat as possible, helping him brush back his mane despite his protests, and then selecting cloaks that would be enough to conceal them from any guards that might linger in the area to try and protect Princess Celestia – Scrivener gathered the satchel bags, and the presents that he and Luna had put together for the newlyweds. Refusing to be outdone by anyone, during the days past, Luna had put together a lightweight, Wonderbolts-styled suit of Pegasus armor for Rainbow Dash, mostly just to see the look on his face when he realized that he had actually been given a suit of magical armor… and for Applejack, something a little more useful: a magically-enhanced satchel bag and a stone statue of a dragon that could send and receive letters, enchanted with the same spell as Celestia, Twilight, and Luna all used… or rather, Celestia did, and Spike and Sammy had both been taught.
When everything was ready and Scrivener had the saddlebags on, grumpily complaining about being used again as a pack mule, they made their way out of the cabin and into the Everfree Forest. Despite both being a little worried about what they might find on the trail, the only nasty thing they came across were a few Bitterweavers that were far out of their usual territory, and with a growl and a step forwards, Luna sent them scattering into the forest. Otherwise, their journey was thankfully without event… and as they passed into Ponyville, they found it was in high spirits, most of the town talking eagerly about the wedding.
Sure, not every pony was thrilled: once Rainbow Dash had been female, even if he had at some point started thinking of himself as male, despite his outer appearance. But slowly and surely, both Twilight and Luna had applied transfiguration, polymorph spells, and eventually permanency charms… even though Dash’s longing to be a male – no, not just that, to feel right, to feel like he was in the right body – had been so pure and strong that even his initial transformation had lasted more than twice as long as expected before he had reverted to a female.
But now, Rainbow Dash was, as Spike called him, Rainbow Dude: and he was happy. Did it matter that everypony else understood? No. Just like his relationship with Applejack, what he had come to accept and learn was that not everypony would get it… but what mattered was that his friends stood by him, and that he was happy where he was. That he and AJ had what they wanted, and were able to live together in peace, and take care of the ones they loved… like Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh, now that Granny Smith had passed on.
Luna smiled a little as they made their way through town, their hoods pushed back for now, heading towards the library… and both unsurprised to find Twilight standing in front of it, with a pretty star-shaped hairpin in her mane and a simple black peytral plate, but no other adornments. Rarity, however, was in a flowing, gorgeous purple-and-red satin dress, almost glittering with her fashion sense and beauty: before, she would also have accessorized to the max and likely worn a matching tiara, but ever since her slight-retreat from the material side of the world, she had learned to be a little modest… and it made her all the prettier.
Spike was dressed in a little black and white suit with a bowtie, small shoes on his feet and his dexterous claws in white gloves, looking a little frumpy at the fact that Twilight wasn’t nearly as dressed-up as anyone else… even Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie both had simple dresses on, of green and red respectively, and Pinkie glanced over her shoulder when Twilight halted in mid-speech, then smiled brightly at the two as they approached, waving a hoof warmly. “There you guys are! It’s really super-great to see you, it really is!”
“It’s good to be here, Pinkie Pie. I trust that Pinkamena will stay in reserve for this occasion?” Luna asked curiously, and Pinkie blushed but nodded a few times, and the winged unicorn smiled slightly at this. “Good. I suspect she is no fan of weddings, anyway.”
“Not one bit.” Pinkie said agreeably, and then she glanced back towards Twilight, adding quietly: “But it helps that my friends are around… it helps they’ve been treating her so well. I think she’s real confused… but I think she feels a little better about things these days, too.”
“I do hope so, her habits can be dreadful but in a way, I suppose she’s still you, Pinkie Pie… and I would not want to offend any part of you.” Rarity smiled over at her, then she turned her eyes towards Scrivener and Luna, asking curiously: “May I be so bold as to inquire what your wedding was like, Luna and Scrivener Blooms? It must have been a grand old affair, I only wish that my friends and I had been able to know the truth of things earlier so we could have perhaps attended and added our own good wishes.”
Twilight blushed a little at this, and Fluttershy said quickly, with a small smile: “Oh, no, Twilight, don’t look like that. We don’t blame you at all… I know that if anything, I admire you for what loyalty you showed your friends. It must have been so hard to keep that secret so long… and besides, I know that… we were all a little scared at first, of what had happened when we heard. We needed a little time to get over that… but I really wish that I could have been there, too.”
“Our wedding was nothing so grand, my friends, ‘twas merely Twilight in attendance… and Celestia, who wedded us. It was on that day Scrivener gave me the necklace that I wear… the object of my affections that I cherish.” She gazed softly over at the male, who looked back at her with a quiet smile. “’Twas on that day that we shared our lives with each other, and the same blood began to flow in our veins, and I first felt… truly at peace with the world.”
The others smiled, and then Spike cleared his throat and nudged Twilight, saying mildly: “I hate to interrupt, but don’t you guys all need to go and help set things up? I mean, I already heard the Apple family was celebrating and all.”
“They’re a very loud, close family, even if they live all over Equestria… you go on ahead, I’ve got three little guests in here that I want to introduce to Scrivy and Luna right now so they don’t make a fuss in front of the guards or anything.” Twilight paused, smiling up at Scrivener and Luna. “I’m honestly not sure about my feelings about… Princess Celestia showing up for it. I mean, I know she has good intentions either way, but… I really hope she’s doing this for more reasons than just because it’s an easy way for her to pass information on to you two.”
“Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle. ‘Tis not in the nature of Celestia to do something without cause or merit… for as much as I wish to say that she is an emotionless, terrifying creature, we have seen vestiges of a beating heart, have we not?” Luna smiled a little, and then she said quietly: “If Celestia wanted only to pass on information, there would be no cloak and dagger of the wedding. Instead, she would simply come to my cottage, tell me what she wanted to, and then leave.”
Twilight looked a little soothed by this, nodding slowly… and then she smiled and nodded to the others as Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy said their goodbyes before heading down the road, leaving Scrivy and Luna standing and looking quietly at the violet unicorn and Spike as she lowered her head for a moment, then said quietly: “I wish Trixie was here. Weird how I miss her now that she’s gone… but I feel like I failed her a little.”
“Raise thy head, Twilight Sparkle… thou should feel no shame.” Luna said quietly but firmly, and Twilight blushed a little as she glanced up, Luna stepping closer and meeting her eyes. “All here know that were there something thou could have done… without hesitation, thou would have done it. The marks thou now wears upon thy face testify to this. But there was not… by the time any of us could have known, Trixie was gone, taken, and… that is that. We shall avenge her when the time is right… but for today, we must look instead towards life, not death. For today may be the last, brightest light before the darkness truly begins to settle over Equestria, and none know what will happen in these gloomy future times.”
The female smiled a bit, murmuring quietly: “I know. And I’ll try, Luna… I will. But… come on, I’m keeping my guests waiting.”
She laughed a little, turning and pushing the door open… and then Twilight walked inside as Spike followed quickly after her, and Luna and Scrivener both looked at each other before striding into the library after them… and looking down at three young fillies, who stared up at them with wide, amazed eyes as Twilight said calmly, her expression warming a little: “Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, I’d like you to meet Luna and Scrivener Blooms. You remember what I told you, r-”
And the three fillies immediately erupted into yells, Luna wincing a bit, then rearing back in shock as they ran forwards as fast as they could move in their frilly little dresses, bouncing around them excitedly as Scrivy and Luna instinctively pressed against one another, looking almost like two deer being circled by a pack of excited wolves as the fillies all rambled and yelled and cheered together.
Then one of them skidded to a halt in front of them, staring up with her orange-apple eyes, the earth pony’s blonde coat shimmer and red mane flowing back as the large pink bow on her head bounced. The unicorn filly skidded into her, making her rock to the side slightly as she stared up with the same expression, curling, stylized two-tone purple mane spilling over one shoulder and around her small horn as her light green eyes stared up at Luna, and then the last smacked into her side, the orange Pegasus giving a yelp and knocking the three scattering before she grinned lamely at them when they glared at her, embarrassment tingeing her cheeks almost the same color as her reddish-mauve mane as her purple eyes blinked a few times.
And a moment later, the three were back on their hooves, staring up in awe as Luna cleared her throat slowly, her starlight mane almost curling around her own body as if she was hugging herself, and Scrivy couldn’t help but grin at her… then wince a little himself when their eyes turned to him next, staring at him, studying him as he peered nervously back down before finally saying awkwardly: “Uh… it’s nice to meet you?”
“I’m Scootaloo!” the Pegasus said brightly, and then she laughed and bounced backwards, jumping around and kicking at the air in her excitement as she said warmly: “Wow, Rainbow told me all about you, Luna, how when you first met, you whooped the butt of some Pegasus guards in ten seconds flat!”
“I’m Sweetie Belle, and my big sister Rarity told me all about how you and Scrivener live in a pretty little cottage out in the Everfree Forest… that sounds like it must be an adventure every time you go to and from Ponyville!” the unicorn exclaimed, gazing up at them fawningly.
“And I’m Apple Bloom… my big sis told me all about you two, told me a lot of things, and said we were supposed to welcome you and not be scared of you and well, after seeing everything you did for Ponyville, how could we be afraid?” She looked up at them warmly, then bounced backwards and added excitedly: “And me and Scoot and Sweetie Belle are…”
“The Cutie Mark Crusaders!” They all leaned back, shouting this at the same time, and Luna and Scrivener both ducked their heads and winced a little as Twilight only smiled indulgently at the three.
There was a pause, and then Apple Bloom added brightly: “But even though we ain’t blank-flanks anymore, we decided to keep our name… because it makes sense, don’t it? Now we’re not crusading after our cutie marks… but we’re crusading to do what we’re best at the very best of all the ponies in Equestria!”
The three began to babble excitedly at this, bouncing back and forth as Luna blinked slowly, her face twitching slightly and eyes wide as Scrivener sat back, still staring stupidly… and then Twilight finally cleared her throat and stepped forwards, and the three fillies halted in mid-bounce, the violet unicorn saying warmly: “That’s very good girls, I’m glad we were able to get this out of the way. Just remember, at the wedding, they’re Miss and Mister Poet, do you understand? Now go on, you three have plenty to do to help set up, if I remember right.”
“Okay Twilight! It was real swell meetin’ you two, I really look forwards to talking to you more!” Apple Bloom said warmly, glancing up at the two brightly as she bounced past them towards the open door.
“Yeah, I want to hear all about your adventures!” Scootaloo added enthusiastically, the Pegasus jumping forwards and performing an easy flip with the aid of her wings, landing on her rear hooves and posing with her front limbs raised as she grinned widely.
Then Sweetie Belle lowered her head and firmly pushed Scootaloo onwards, making the filly pout even as the unicorn said: “Yeah, I hope we all get to talk more… we’ve heard so much about you both! We’ll see you at the wedding!”
She smiled over her shoulder at them, then she and the Pegasus bounced out to join Apple Bloom before the three headed down the road… and Scrivy and Luna exchanged a look before Luna wheezed, and the two dropped their heads together with a loud thunk as she muttered: “I do not know if I wish for foals anymore, Scrivy. That was a more terrifying experience than when I battled Celestia in the skies beneath the scorching sun.”
“I think that was more terrifying than the time you threw me off a cliff. The… first time you threw me off a cliff, I mean.” Scrivener muttered, and Luna grunted as they both drew their heads back before lightly letting them bump together again, muzzles rubbing side-by-side… and then they both offered awkward smiles before pulling back, the two gazing over at Twilight as she looked at them with amusement and Spike crossed his arms. “Oh, what are you looking at, Sparkles?”
Twilight glowered at this, then she shook her head before laughing a little. “It’s just a strange sight, that’s all. Luna and Scrivener Blooms, cowed by some fillies. You know, I have to babysit those three every now and then. Does that make me braver than you two?”
“It makes thee braver than us both combined.” Luna grimaced and rolled her shoulders, then she nodded after a moment and muttered: “In any event, is it not time to head to the wedding, so we may mingle with the others?”
“Just about. Spike, why don’t you go on ahead?” Twilight smiled a little down at him, and the dragon looked up at her for a moment dumbly… and when the unicorn gave him a pointed, long look, he finally nodded slowly, raising a claw… then clearing his throat and simply heading for the door, jogging out and closing it behind them to leave them in silence before Twilight smiled faintly, saying quietly: “I have something I’d like to read you.”
With that, she glanced to the side… and Celestia’s white journal floated slowly over, the simple strap around it unbuckling quietly before she gazed down at it for a few moments, and then looked up at Luna as both she and Scrivener stepped a bit closer, before starting to read quietly… and what she read made both Scrivy and Luna close their eyes, touched, as Twilight’s voice was the only thing in the silence.
She finished… and the two looked at each other awkwardly… before Twilight smiled a little and glanced to the side, a roll of parchment floating silently over, folded neatly down as she murmured: “I transcribed it for you here.”
“I… I appreciate this.” Luna said finally, and the parchment floated silently over to her… before she smiled a little as she closed her eyes, her horn releasing a faint pulse as the paper glowed blue before bursting into ashes that swirled rapidly towards a window and vanished from sight. “Samael shall keep it safe for us. Thou hast my thanks, Twilight Sparkle. And Celestia… I shall thank her too, when the moment is right. I am glad to know that…”
She fell quiet… then shook her head slowly and murmured: “But let us move forwards, then. To the wedding.”
“To the wedding.” Scrivener echoed in agreement, and Twilight nodded slowly herself before she closed the journal back tight and put it aside, and the unicorn quietly walked forwards, following beside Luna as she turned and headed for the door.