//------------------------------// // Chapter 63 // Story: Rekindled Embers // by applezombi //------------------------------// Chapter 63 Personal Journal, General North Wind, Knights Adamant Grand Master Nothing makes sense any longer. I thought the Radiants were the strongest of us.  The core. Could they truly have fallen so easily?  Or [there are several words here blotted in thick ink, completely unreadable] I won’t consider it.  Grand Master Fairy Light says she has her path to walk?  I have mine. I can’t say I’m not worried, though.  Steadfast is becoming increasingly erratic.  He’s unpredictable.  Off, somehow, in ways I’ve never seen before.  Sometimes he won’t return my messages for hours. Still, though, when he does provide guidance it is on-point as always. He’s asked for some of my airships and crew for a fresh assault on the old palace.  He’s planning something nasty, but I think it will work.  I don’t know all the details, but he assures me he has a way to deal with the threat of the one they call ‘alicorn’. I offered my Knights as well, but he refused.  JUST the airships. It’s getting harder to trust him.  Sometimes, in moments when I’m tired, or distracted, I hear something.  A voice.  It tells me to [there are several more words blotted out] Nevermind.  If circumstances were different I would go to the mind-healers among the Radiant.  But that’s not an option any longer. Saints keep us all safe.  I don’t know what’s coming. Old Canterlot, 1113 AF Emberglow was a bundle of nerves as she watched the three galloping figures approach the door. Her parents. Her parents. It had been so long.  And here she was, waiting.  Wearing armor with Discordant yellow bands painted on it.  Part of a force dedicated to pulling down everything they’d believed and lived for the past… “Hey, ma’am?  You okay?” There was an imperial soldier on the wall next to her, an earth pony with a dark blue coat and black mane.  He held a long rifle loosely in his hooves, pointed towards the distant Radiant airship. “Huh?” “You were hyperventilating, ma’am.” She was? Emberglow held her breath for a moment, trying to take back control. “It’s nothing,” Emberglow said.  “I’m fine.” “Whatever you say, ma’am.  The officers are always right.”  The soldier grinned sardonically. Emberglow snorted.  “Right.  As if that were true.” The walls rattled as the gates opened, and Emberglow nodded to the soldier.  “Good luck.”  She couldn’t put this off, no matter how much she wanted to hide.  Or flee. It seemed like most of the soldiers were crowded on the palace grounds.  Emberglow landed in their midst, each one waiting in readiness to be called on, either to reinforce the walls or a breach in case of attack. Though hopefully there wouldn’t be one. She moved towards the doors when a voice called out for her. “Emberglow!” Topaz Glitter wove her way through the crowd, coming up to Emberglow’s side. “Hey.  Got a sec?” The doors were nearly open, and Emberglow saw Bubblegum slip inside.  With her parents. “Not really,” Emberglow said.  She took one step forward. “This’ll be quick,” Topaz said, a hoof on her withers to stop her.  “Just… be careful, Emberglow.  Hope for the best, but if it doesn’t turn out that way…” Topaz’ expression was strained.  Emberglow gulped and nodded. “Even if it is bad, though, remember we’re with you.  Lofty, Rarity, Heartwing, Terminus.  And me.  We’ll be there for you no matter what.  Please keep that in mind.” The two-second pep talk didn’t have the reassuring effect Topaz probably intended, but Emberglow forced a smile anyways.  Then, with a nod, she approached the trio, waiting awkwardly just inside the gate as the doors closed behind them.  After a moment, a silent figure appeared at her side; the bodyguard, one of Rarity’s unicorns.  Kite… something.  Dancer? “Thank you,” Emberglow said softly, and the unicorn nodded.  Emberglow rushed up to Bubblegum. It was a lot easier than facing her parents. “How are you?  Did you get hurt, how are…” “Emberglow…” Her mother’s voice brought Emberglow up short, and she gulped back a sob. “M-mom.  Dad.  Hello.” Her parents stood there, staring at her.  Their eyes were wide.  Needle Point’s were full of tears.  Textile’s gaze wouldn’t hold still, darting all over the courtyard. Both were full of terror.  “Are you hurt?  Did anything happen?  Is everything okay?” Of course everything wasn’t okay.  Emberglow only spoke to fill the silence, to somehow maybe move past the awkwardness.  She hated herself a little for even suggesting that the current state of affairs even remotely approached ‘okay’. From behind her, Emberglow heard the sound of shuffling hooves.  She glanced, and Bubblegum stood waiting.  “Go show them to your tent.  Get something to eat or drink from the mess hall.  Relax, breathe, take some time.  Sort yourselves out.” “We’ll take care of things out here,” Topaz chimed in, from right beside her.  Topaz and Bubblegum glanced at each other, and Topaz nodded with a smile.  “And we’ll let you know as soon as we need you for something else.” “But… Rarity…” Emberglow tried limply.  “Rarity will be fine,” Bubblegum said.  “I think they mean well.  She’ll be safe.  Go.  Catch up with your parents.” “Okay.  Uh, this way, Mom, Dad.”  She started out across the camp, and her parents followed on wooden legs.  Kite Dancer, her silent bodyguard shadow, followed at a polite distance. They weren’t talking.  Why weren’t they talking?  They hadn’t said a word yet!  Emberglow’s mind drowned in the deluge of her own dark thoughts.  Her pulse thudded in her ears as she led the way to her tent. The tent where she shared a bed with Rarity.  Yet another piece of the conversation she would have to have. For real, this time. “C-Come on in.  We’re using tents right now; nopony wanted to move into the barracks for the various Orders, as even Princess Flurry figured we might not be here for long.  Only long enough to fix things, we think.  You know, the snow and stuff.” She was babbling, and she knew it. Delaying the inevitable. She shut her mouth and pulled back the flap, thanking whatever deities were watching that she’d cleaned up a little after her time with Rarity, only a short bit ago.  She stepped inside, and her parents followed.  “Um, this is my tent,” Emberglow began, then fell silent.  Her parents stood there, awkwardly, looking horrified.  Frozen. What did you think would happen? Emberglow had been expecting the voices much sooner, honestly.  But it was just as unwelcome now. They don’t just hate you.  They’re terrified of you.  And shouldn’t they be?  Look, you’ve ruined their lives. “So…” “Emberglow!” her mother wailed, finally, and closed the distance between them in a flash, crushing her in a hug.  Emberglow instantly began to weep, burying her face in Needle Point’s mane, breathing in the comforting scent of her mother.  It was the smell of home; of baking in the kitchen, of fabric and thread.  It was the smell of smiles and tears and comfort and heartbreak.  Emberglow held her and sobbed. “We didn’t know,” her father said, as he slowly moved to encircle both mares in his own embrace.  “We had no idea what happened.  You were declared missing in action.  We worried.  We prayed.  We felt so helpless.  Your mother never gave up hope we’d see you again.” “And we never thought, we never even imagined, that you would have… that you could have…” her mother trailed off.  Emberglow flinched.  She knew exactly what Needle Point was thinking. They’re not exactly proud of you now.  How could they be? “Is it safe to talk?” her father whispered, and Emberglow broke the embrace, pulling back a little in confusion.  She looked into Textile’s terrified expression, and the way his gaze darted between Emberglow… …and the mouth of the tent. “What do you mean?” “W-with… that right there,” he breathed.  Once again Textile’s eyes flickered to the tent flap. Suddenly it dawned on Emberglow.  He was afraid of her guard.  Kite Dancer was a unicorn. “Everything is fine, Dad,” she said.  “Kite Dancer is one of my guards.” “They don’t let you go anywhere without guards?” her mother gasped. “No, it’s not like that!” Emberglow protested.  “He’s not… my handler, Mom.  I’m…”  Her throat was dry.  Why was this conversation so hard?  “…I’m nobility now, in the Crystal Empire.”  She felt her face flush while she said it.  Why was it embarrassing to take pride in what she’d accomplished?  “I… well, I saved the life of their Princess, and they rewarded me for it.  So I guess that merits me bodyguards.” “Maybe you should start at the beginning, Emberglow,” Needle Point said uncomfortably.  “How did… all of this happen?” Emberglow opened her mouth, but paused. It was such a huge question.  A thousand little steps, a thousand moments of doubt, of revelation, of devastating truths.  When had it truly started? Was it at the Seminary, when she realized that in the eyes of some of her brothers and sisters she would never be equal because of her birth?  Or was it during her first assignment, when she realized the harm and violence her own people were bringing to others in the world? Was it Bubblegum, and realizing that not everypony fit well inside the mold the Diarchy prescribed for them?  Was it Brightblade, and the stark revelation of what zealotry looked like from the outside? Was it Gadget?  Was it that first kiss? So glad that my life could be a stepping stone on your way to freedom and happiness, Emberglow. “I always knew I was different,” she began in a whisper, ignoring the voice.  “From around the time I got my cutie mark.  Looking at mares.  At stallions.  Not feeling what I was supposed to be feeling when I saw them. Hearing the other foals talk about crushes.  Dating.” Emberglow didn’t know why she was starting here, of all places.  But she kept talking. “It wasn’t like it was for the others my age.  It didn’t help that I was already getting lost in books at that time.  I… I talked to a confessor about what I was feeling, and he confirmed it.  I would always be outside.  Other.  Different.  A mistake. “Maybe that’s why Knighthood held such an appeal for me,” she continued.  “I wouldn’t have to try to fit into a mold that wasn’t built for me.  I could be who I am…” Emberglow flinched. “Well, some of who I am, without feeling like such an outcast.” “You never told us,” Needle Point whispered.  “I had no idea you were… that you…” “I kept it hidden,” Emberglow said.  “I shoved it deep, and never let anypony see a hint. I had to. I’m sorry.  But I didn’t think it would matter if I told you or not; I was always going to be a Knight Radiant.  So I thought… what would it hurt if nopony knew but me?” There was pain in both of her parents’ eyes.  Needle Point looked like she was ready to cry. “You could have told us,” Needle said.  The sting of betrayal was clear in her voice.  “We could have helped.  It didn’t have to lead to…” She trailed off, her gaze moving around the tent, as if she were taking in the tent, the camp, and the ruins all about them. But Emberglow wasn’t about to let that stand.  Anger at her parents was an uncomfortable sensation for her, but she felt a spark of something deep in her gut.  “No.  It did have to lead to all of this,” Emberglow said.  There was some heat in her voice, and both her mother and father recoiled a little.  “I don’t even know where to start.  But I said as much in my radio message.  We’ve been lied to.  The Saints weren’t what we were taught.  There were unicorns among them.  The Diarchs?  Celestia and Luna?” Both older ponies cringed, but Emberglow charged on. “They were alicorns.  The very same kind of pony as Princess Flurry, who you saw on the way in.  Twilight Sparkle was born a unicorn, but then she became an alicorn, too.  They weren’t warriors, they were just normal ponies.  Like Rarity.” Time for the real artillery shell. “Rarity and I… we’re together.  Dating.  I know that sounds insane, but she’s nothing like the Book.  She’s a real mare.  I want you to meet her.  To shake her hoof, and to see just how kind and wonderful she is.  I want you both to love her too.” They stared at Emberglow.  Both Needle Point and Textile, with shocked faces painted blatantly with denial, were utterly frozen. “I know it’s alien to you,” Emberglow said desperately.  She needed this.  More than anything she’d ever needed before.  “I’m not asking for you to change your minds.  Or… or to throw out everything you’ve ever known.  I’m just asking for a chance.  Please.” Silence.  Stares. “Please,” she repeated, impotently.  Words were futile devices.  Silence.  Stares. You’re a naïve foal. “Just tell me what I need to say,” Emberglow pleaded.  “What can I do, what can…” Somepony cleared her throat outside the tent, and Emberglow froze.  She knew that delicate voice.  Knew it almost as well as her own.  Rarity was here. Emberglow wasn’t ready. You’ll never be ready for this. There was no helping it.  They would have to meet her sometime.  But Rarity possessed a charm all her own.  A magical ability to draw ponies’ hearts to her.  Emberglow had felt it herself, from the moment she’d seen the mare.  Perhaps it was time to have a little faith. “Rarity?  Come in and meet my parents.” Rarity slipped inside the tent, her expression careful.  She brushed the snow off her mane, smiling brightly at the ponies inside. “I would be delighted, darling,” she said.  “Hello, you two.  My name is Rarity.” She was elegant and graceful, just as usual, and even in the circumstances Emberglow was in awe. “R-rarity,” she stammered, feeling small.  Inadequate.  “I’d like you to meet my parents.  Textile, and Needle Point.” “An absolute pleasure, both of you,” Rarity said, sincerity and genuine happiness in her voice.  “Emberglow has spoken of you both in such glowing terms that I have been looking forward to meeting you in pony.” “P-please,” Emberglow repeated a third time.  This had to go well.  This needed to go well.  She searched her parents’ faces, looking for… well, anything.  Any sort of reaction, any sort of positive change. But there was nothing good.  The same look of shock, the same look of horror.  Only now, their eyes kept flicking back and forth between Rarity’s face… and Rarity’s horn. “C-can’t you just give her a chance?” Emberglow whispered, even as the hope dwindled in her chest. But it was for nothing. It was her mother who began.  Needle Point dropped to her belly in a deep bow, and with a slight look of alarm Textile followed her. “Whoever you are,” her mother begged, her voice muffled by the canvas tent floor.  “Whatever you want, whatever you have done to our daughter, please stop.” “She was a good filly,” her father said, even as Emberglow’s eyes widened.  Her heart pounded, and she felt sick.  “She never questioned, and was always obedient.  She never rebelled, even a little.  I wouldn’t have minded if she had.  She was the most perfect daughter anypony could hope for.  And we just want her back.” “You could take us, instead.  With whatever enchantment you’ve used on our daughter.  But not her.  Not my Emberglow,” her mother pleaded. They’d talked about this, Emberglow thought.  Planned it a little.  Rehearsed.  They didn’t believe her.  They didn’t trust her.  Betrayal, fury, horror, embarrassment, all exploded in her chest. “I assure you, good ponies, that I have done nothing of the sort,” Rarity said calmly, only the slightest hitch in her voice betraying her own worry.  “Emberglow has made every choice that brought her here of her own free will.” “That’s impossible,” Textile shot back.  “You don’t know our daughter, if you think she’d ever betray us, betray her ponies and her country like this.  She’s a good mare, ma’am.  Please.  We just want her back.  We’ll do anything.” It was the betrayal that finally won out in Emberglow’s heart.  That and the fury. “You don’t… believe me?” she hissed.  “You don’t believe I’m capable of making my own decisions?  Of walking my own path?  Making up my own mind about what is true and what is a lie?  You don’t trust me that much?” “Of course we trust you, Emberglow,” her mother said.  “That’s how we know that your mind is not your own.” There was a buzzing in her ears, and a sharp, gasping, rhythmic sound.  Emberglow could have sworn she was seeing red. “Emberglow, you…” Rarity never finished what she was about to say.  Emberglow couldn’t stay here.  A million things to say, a million words, all of them full of fury.  No. If they weren’t going to listen, Emberglow wasn’t going to spare them any words. She rushed out of the tent, chased by the calls of all three ponies. You thought they would listen? She kept running, ignoring the shouts of surprised soldiers and Knights. You thought you could change something? She didn’t even know where she was going, she just had to be away. Their faith is their everything, you were a fool to think they’d be able to see past it. “Emberglow!  Emberglow, you stop running this instant!” Rarity’s clipped, impatient tone brought her to a halt.  “What?” Emberglow hissed as she spun, loud enough that soldiers and Knights nearby stopped and glanced over with concern. Rarity was being trailed by their two guards, who discretely took up positions close enough to protect them, but far enough away to not be obtrusive.  Rarity, however, closed the remaining distance between them in a dash, clutching Emberglow tight. “Oh, dearest, I am so sorry.” Rarity’s voice was soft, soft enough that only Emberglow could hear.  “I know you wanted that to go well.  I wish there was something, anything, I could do to make it better.” Rarity reached up with one hoof and wiped a tear from Emberglow’s cheek.  She hadn’t even known she’d been crying. “I… never expected this,” Emberglow sobbed out.  “Disbelief.  Anger.  Maybe even hatred.  But not… not what they said.” “They didn’t mean to be cruel,” Rarity whispered. “How do I convince them?” Emberglow begged.  “How do I make them see? Rarity, you are the best thing that ever happened to me.  I need them to understand that I chose you.  You’re not a spell, you’re not a trick, you’re not a—” “Darling,” Rarity interrupted.  “Emberglow. It might just take time.  You might just have to—" “I could give them what they want,” Emberglow said, in a sudden burst of inspiration.  What her mother had always wanted.  What she’d longed for ever since Lucky Break had been taken from them.  Taken and killed, Emberglow reminded herself.  “A grandfoal.” “Emberglow, I don’t think—” “Don’t you see, Rarity?” Emberglow pleaded.  It made sense to her, now; a sudden epiphany.  Even amidst her grief, her panic, her confusion, the idea sparked like a flash of brilliance. “See what, Emberglow?” Rarity said warily.  “I’m not sure you’re—” “We give them a grandfoal!  You and me!  They can’t hate a foal, and then they’ll—” “Emberglow.” There was something off in Rarity’s voice, and it brought Emberglow up short.  She peered closely at her marefriend. “What’s wrong?” “Emberglow,” Rarity repeated, fervently and slowly.  “I need you to listen to me very carefully.  You’re not making sense.” “I’m making plenty of sense,” Emberglow fired back, anger buzzing in her head.  “I’ll prove to them that this is real!  I know the spell! I’ll make them love you, if…” The realization of what she was saying suddenly dawned on her, and Rarity nodded, a sad smile on her muzzle. “Precisely, darling.  You’re upset, you’re shaken, and you’re not dealing with it well.  I am willing to have a foal with you, Emberglow, but I will not bring a child into the world just to prove a point.  Or to spite your parents.” You didn’t even think of the foal, did you? The voice of Emberglow’s guilt pounded in her head, and she let out an audible whimper. “And because you’re upset,” Rarity continued, “you’re off balance.  You’ve been dealt a heavy blow, and you’re reeling.  Now is not the time to make hasty decisions, whatever they may be.” Tears continued to leak from her eyes.  “I know,” Emberglow whispered.  “I know.  But what else am I supposed to do?”  She turned away.  Shame burned in her, and she didn’t want Rarity to see it in her eyes.  “I have to convince them.  I need to, Rarity.  They can’t keep hating you and fearing you!  They’re my parents!” “I know…” Rarity’s voice was gentle as she encircled Emberglow in a hug, pulling her close. “…it’s going to be hard for you to accept.  But your parents need to walk their own path.  They’ll get there someday, I’m sure of it!” Emberglow didn’t want to be hugged right now.  Or comforted.  She wanted to do a thousand things.  She wanted a foal with Rarity, true.  And not just for shameful reasons.  She wanted to go charging back to her parents and demand they get over themselves, demand they listen.  She wanted to never see them again.  She wanted to see them right now, to apologize, to beg them to… Rarity seemed to notice Emberglow’s turmoil, because she stepped back, planting a soft kiss on Emberglow’s cheek. “Take some time, get some air, and then come find me at the command tent.  Princess Flurry and Heartwing have negotiated to allow the Radiant contingent into the compound, and I’m helping to sort out logistics.  Plus, it keeps them all off balance every time they see this radiant face.” Her smile was dazzling, and Emberglow managed a smirk.  She leaned over and gave Rarity a kiss of her own. “Thank you.  Thank you for…for being patient with me.”  Emberglow took a step away.  “I need a moment.  Let me… clear my head and then we’ll catch up.” “Stay safe, darling.  You carry my heart with you,” Rarity said, and turned back towards the command tent. Trick Shot followed Rarity, while Kite Dancer stood at attention by Emberglow, waiting for her own decision.  Emberglow set off without a destination in mind, moving without thinking.  She galloped, hoping the frantic pace would clear her mind. Her hooves had carried her on a familiar path.  She was right in front of the Shrine of the Generous.  There was a moment of panic in Emberglow when she saw the guards in front of the familiar doors.  The first one was one of the new Knights, a middle-aged pegasus mare in white armor with Fluttershy’s cutie mark.  She watched Emberglow closely, warily but without hostility, a spear held loosely in her hooves.  The second was a short earth pony mare with gray fur and a fiery mane.  She was wearing Radiant armor, and bore a sheathed sword. The sight of two Diarchy Knights made Emberglow pull up short, wings spread and one hoof raised, as if ready to fight.  But both mares just stood there, patiently. “Please, don’t be afraid,” the Radiant said, voice calm.  “Are you hurt?  Do you need healing?” Emberglow’s mind raced.  The mare was vaguely familiar; probably one of the rotating cast of teachers who had instructed Radiants during her time here. “What are you doing here?” “Please,” the mare held up a hoof.  “You are safe here.  Take a deep breath.” Emberglow was panting hard.  “I’m part of negotiations.  I came with Lady Ambrosia.  We’re here to treat the wounded of all sides; we have Lady R-rarity and Princess Flurry’s permission.”  There was a note of awe in her voice as she said Rarity’s name.  “The Radiants are neutral in all conflict now.”  The mare stepped forward, carefully.  “Again, are you hurt?  We offer healing to all.  For free.  No matter what color armor you wear.” “I’m not wounded,” Emberglow said.  It wasn’t quite true.  Her mind raged and spun.  But she felt like she had to say something. “Perhaps just a place to sit and be at peace?” the mare offered.  “This was your home, once, wasn’t it?  I remember teaching you search and rescue tactics as a Squire.” That was it.  It had only been a few lessons, optional classes.  The spells had been useful. “I… I don’t need…” Emberglow didn’t want to be around her old Order right now.  The sisters she had left behind when she’d started her new life.  That, and the look of compassion and understanding on the Knight’s face was unbearable.  She had to stop herself from turning to flee again. “Why?” Emberglow asked finally, without any explanation, but the mare seemed to understand. “Lady Fairy Light says we’re walking a middle path.  Between two sides of a war.  And it’s the only way for us to have true peace someday,”she said.  “I believe her.” There was such conviction in her voice, a passion and faith, that Emberglow’s mind stilled for a second. “On your airship.  You came with two ponies.  My parents,” Emberglow said. The mare nodded. “How did they seem?” “Frightened.  Numb,” the mare said, and Emberglow flinched.  “But strong, a-and very worried about you,” she added hastily.  “Anypony could tell how proud they are of their Knight daughter.  They kept their composure throughout the ordeal.” “Did they seem… ashamed of me?” The word passed out of Emberglow’s throat like over sandpaper. “No,” the mare said.  “Just scared for you.”  She smiled gently.  “You won’t find any judgment from me for the path you walk, Lady Emberglow.  We all understand, now, why somepony would choose to leave.  There is no shame.” “But you didn’t choose to leave yourself.” Emberglow said.  Of course her name was known to these ponies. “No.  Many of us don’t think we can shape the future from the outside,” she said. There was a part of Emberglow which understood.  Even agreed.  For a moment she imagined what it might be like, standing side by side with her sisters.  She’d never had much time to grow with her fellow Radiants, to get to know them, to stand beside them in battle over and over.  But then Mercy Song’s face floated in her mind. “No.  I couldn’t,” Emberglow breathed. The mare nodded with understanding. “That’s fine.  Again, no judgment here,” she said.  “But I wonder if you’d be willing to talk to our leader?  She wants to meet you, Emberglow.” “Your leader?” There was a sharpness to Emberglow’s voice.  If it was Mercy, she wanted nothing to do with it. “Lady Ambrosia,” the guard said.  “I’ll go get her, if you like.  You can talk out here, in the open.  She has some things she’d like to ask you, and to share with you.” A meeting in public, with an unarmed Radiant?  What could go wrong? You thought that when you were talking to Mercy Song, didn’t you? Did she want to trust?  Or did she want to doubt? The silent presence of one of her guards did help her decide, though her heart was pounding. “Yes.  I’ll speak with Lady Ambrosia.” “Good!” the mare said.  “One moment, please.”  She disappeared inside the Shrine of the Generous, closing the door behind her.  Despite her earlier offer of entrance, Emberglow felt like there was something symbolic in the closed door.  Like she wasn’t welcome any longer in this holy place. If one could call it such, still. She tried not to stare at the other Knight, but the watchful guard wasn’t making things any less awkward with her silence.  She stood at attention, spear pointed up but held ready, and Emberglow got the impression that she’d be ready to strike with it if Emberglow made the slightest threatening move.  Yet another piece of evidence that this wasn’t her home any longer. The wait wasn’t long, but the act of waiting was aggravating.  It felt like every second they spent waiting, doing nothing, was a waste.  Emberglow knew that Princess Flurry and Heartwing were working on a plan to storm the capital and search for the Element of Magic, but they hadn’t announced anything yet. Finally the mare in question emerged, followed by the guard mare from earlier. Ambrosia was old enough that her face was pitted with wrinkles.  Her tri-toned blue mane was fading to gray, but she still carried herself with dignity and strength.  Her aged eyes looked Emberglow up and down, and she got the distinct impression that the Radiant leader was somehow weighing her soul. “Knight Emberglow,” she said, formally.  Emberglow merely nodded.  She’d heard of Lady Ambrosia when she’d joined the Radiants.  Second in command of the entire order, Lady Fairy Light’s right hoof, with a reputation for being a shrewd judge of character.  In the past, she might have saluted.  But she was Radiant no longer, and Mercy had evaporated most of her good will towards her former order. “How can I help our guests?” she asked back, just as formally. “I wish to talk with you, nothing more,” Ambrosia said.  “Truly.  I am in possession of information that may be useful to you.”  She paused, frowning.  “Information that, perhaps, should never have been kept from you, Emberglow. I hope, that after our gesture of goodwill, you’ll be willing to at least hear me out.” “Gesture of goodwill?” Emberglow hissed.  The mare from earlier flinched at her tone, but Ambrosia remained calm.  “Which gesture was that?  When Mercy Song chased after me, just wanting to talk?  A chase that ended with Brightblade killing two of my friends and torturing me.  Again.” She wasn’t exactly in the mood for negotiation right now. “Mercy was operating outside of my orders,” Ambrosia said with a frown.  “And Lady Fairy’s.  She was working at Sir Steadfast’s behest.”  Ambrosia’s contempt was clear in the downturn of her voice.  “She has been reprimanded, and her hooves walk the correct path now.” “Doesn’t bring the lives back, does it?” Emberglow said. Ambrosia flinched.  “No, it does not.  Nor do my apologies.  But you have them anyway.” The two mares stared at each other, and Emberglow became aware of the sounds of the camp around them.  Business as usual, moving this way and that, ignorant of the turmoil in her head. She didn’t want any apologies. “Tell me what you want me to know, so we can part ways,” Emberglow said, sounding just as tired as she felt.  “I’m busy.” You are not.  You’re fleeing from the guilt and shame of what you just asked of Rarity. “To the point, then?  Very well.  You remember the two visions each of us receives when we swear our oaths, correct, Emberglow?” Emberglow remembered them well.  Two visions, one held in common with the other Radiants, one unique.  She now knew her unique vision had pointed her way, had warned her of her coming losses, and had foreshadowed the Element of Honesty. “The one we all hold in common warns us of the one ruling from the shadows,” Ambrosia continued.  “The Diarchy’s true leaders, their zealous protectors, also their greatest threat.  We have known this for decades.  Centuries.  We’ve worked to keep ourselves free of their manipulation for all that time, perhaps so that we could guide our ponies, turn them away from the worst zealotry the Inquisitors have to offer.”  She shook her head.  “We have been ineffective.  Lady Fairy decided it was time for more direct intervention.” “So… neutrality,” Emberglow said.  “But why now?  After… after hundreds of years of atrocities.  Did the guilt get to be too much?” You know a great deal about guilt, don’t you? “By ourselves we could not do much.  We were waiting for the Day of Hope.  We were waiting for the gift that you brought us, Emberglow.” “You mean Rarity?” Emberglow asked, and the other mare flinched at the name.  “Not Lady Rarity, or Saint Rarity, just Rarity.  A wonderful mare, kind and gentle and beautiful and mortal.  She won’t solve your problems, Lady Ambrosia.  We’re here because of something else.” “The cold,” Ambrosia whispered, looking up at the sky.  There was no snow at the moment, but the flurries from the last fall still drifted along the ground.  The gray skies up above spoke of more to come in the near future, though.  “There is something unnatural about the cold.  That’s why you’re here.  Your princess mentioned as much.” “We think we can fix it,” Emberglow admitted.  “We can do that much.”  She didn’t mention the Element of Magic.  She didn’t know how much Lady Ambrosia had been told. “We wish you all the blessings of the Saints in that endeavor, and then a swift trip home,” Ambrosia said.  “At which point we hope to begin negotiations for peace.  A difficult thing to do when you have a hostile, occupying force within one of our most sacred spaces.” Emberglow noted the tension in her voice, the stiff anger in her limbs.  The two mares stared at each other, before the older Knight relented, looking away with a sigh. “But that’s not why we’re here.  I asked you about your vision.” “I was told,” Emberglow said slowly, “that it was secret.” “The Oracle remembers, Emberglow.  We keep track of our sisters, and try to help our sisters meet their destinies as best as we can.”  She paused, eyes unfocused with thought.  “It is not unknown for the Oracle to converse with a squire, like she did with you.  But it is very rare.  Usually her prophecies are delivered as some sort of verse. “Of course, we had our eye on you long before then,” Ambrosia said.  “Let me share with you one of our prophecies.  Fairy Light’s, actually.” She cleared her throat and recited.  “The glow of hope lights the torch of revolution. Flickering flames become the bonfire that rewrites history. The phoenix takes wing on flames of love and loss.  For years, she and I spoke of it. What did it mean?  Fairy was convinced that the revolution was the rebalancing of power between the Orders.  That the Day of Hope meant a chance to rewrite history, to chart a new course for ponies everywhere and be free of the cruelty and deception our society is built on.  When we heard your name, Emberglow?  Fairy was convinced that her prophecy spoke of you.  That you would be the mare to begin the Day of Hope.” Emberglow stared at the mare.  What was she even talking about? “Which leads to another thing I must apologize for,” Ambrosia said.  “When Fairy Light was so convinced, I counseled that we should leave you ignorant of her vision.  To allow you to grow and learn, without the burden of prophecy dogging your hoofsteps.  And as a result, you became snapped up in Steadfast’s machinations.  Had it not been for me, you never would have lost your faith.  You never would have had to suffer so.” Every hair of Emberglow’s mane stood on end.  She took a hoofstep back.  Then another. “Please,” Ambrosia said.  “Do not run.  We have so much to discuss.” “Do we?” Emberglow snarled.  For the second time today fury and indignation completely washed over her thoughts.  “I don’t have anything to say to you.  You think I’m some kind of, what, savior?  The only reason I was able to wake up Rarity is because I walked the path I did!  Your Day of Hope never would have come if Steadfast hadn’t sent me to Manehatten.  And the Day of Hope was never what you thought it was!  It wasn’t about returning the Discordant to the fold, it was about Rarity waking up!” Ambrosia opened her mouth to interject, but Emberglow‘s anger and frustration flowed out of her mouth before she could hold it back. “I’m glad it didn’t turn out differently.  I’m glad you didn’t intervene.  Because if you had, I never would have found Rarity.  And I’d never have her in my life.  How does that make you feel?  I’m sleeping with your beloved Saint!” Emberglow could feel her cheeks heat up as she hissed out that last sentence, but she wouldn’t take it back.  The shocked expression on Ambrosia’s face filled her with a sense of petty vindication. It didn’t last long, though, before Emberglow felt a stab of shame.  There was nothing to be gained by riling this mare up.  She was better than this.  She sighed and ducked her head. “Just tell me what you want from me, Ambrosia.”  Years of training meant it was difficult to say the name of such a high-ranking officer without an honorific, but Emberglow forced herself to say it, even though her voice itself was still polite.  “So we can move on.” “We want you back. You never should have left us,” Ambrosia said.  “And I blame myself that you did.  We should have guided you more directly instead of letting Steadfast do so.”  There was anger in her voice when she spoke of Emberglow’s old mentor. “You knew what he was?” Emberglow guessed, and Ambrosia cringed, but nodded.  “You did.  And you still let things play out.” “We Radiants have always been slow to act, always eager to maintain the status quo,” Ambrosia said.  “To not upset anypony, to not rock the boat.  Lady Fairy has finally chosen to change that trajectory.” “Well, you’re far too late for me,” Emberglow said, feeling the weight of the words’ finality keenly.  “You want me to come back into the fold?  Too bad.  It’s not going to happen.”  She motioned to the yellow bands on her armor.  “I’m proud of these.  I’m proud of my friendship with Heartwing, and with the others.  And I’m not very comfortable being a part of something that was propped up by lies and deceptions for centuries.” Ambrosia nodded.  Sadly, but not with surprise, as if she’d been expecting this.  “Then, if you will not be a part of us again, I would ask that you lend your voice to ours in calling for peace.  If you are friends with Sir Heartwing, your words carry weight.”  Ambrosia looked around the grounds of the palace, her eyes narrowed with worry.  “I hate that this sacred ground has become a place of war.  I understand why your people did what they did, but it should not be.  Not here.” “There are many kinds of ‘peace’. What is it you actually want?” Emberglow asked.  “For things to go back to the way they were?” “No,” Ambrosia shook her head.  “Lady Fairy speaks of the Knighthood as a family.  What she wants is for us to be that way again.”  She laughed; a humorless, shallow sound.  “She knows it’s naïve.  There’s too much history between us, too much spilled blood.  But maybe there’s a way for us to begin speaking to each other again, at least.  And if so?  Maybe we won’t fight any longer.” “What about the Mystics?  Sir Steadfast?” Ambrosia’s face darkened.  “Steadfast is a blight.  Representative of everything wrong with us.  The leadership of the Mystics is based on a flawed idea: that we cannot come to proper decisions without singular direction.  ‘First among equals’ is a lie, and the sooner the rest of the Knighthood realizes this the sooner we can start healing.” “But are you going to remove him from power?” Emberglow asked, and Ambrosia shook her head.  “We may have to, if there is to be peace.” “Can peace truly come from a place of violence?” Ambrosia countered, and this time Emberglow had to shake her head.  “I don’t know where this all ends, but—” “Lady Emberglow!” Both mares looked up to see an approaching Empire soldier, a Crystal pony with dark navy fur, rushed up, out of breath. “Lady Emberglow, you…” The guard paused, looking suspiciously at Ambrosia.  Ambrosia gave a dignified sigh, and a low bow in Emberglow’s direction. “It seems your own duties call.  I am sorry our conversation could not be more productive.  Know that you have a place among us.  All will be forgiven.” Her words made Emberglow stiffen. “There’s nothing to forgive,” Emberglow hissed back, and Ambrosia flinched, before bowing one more time and retreating back into the Shrine of the Generous.  Emberglow turned back to the soldier. “Come with me,” Emberglow said, guiding him away from the Shrine and its occupants.  She would have liked more time to process what was happening with all this.  To come to terms with what she was feeling, and maybe even talk to her parents again.  But time waited for nopony.  “What’s going on?” “More airships approaching, ma’am,” the soldier said.  “Heartwing needs you in the command tent.” Emberglow let the sudden, intense feeling of pressure wash over her.  She silently counted to ten, as her intrusive thoughts roared. One.  Two. This is it.  You and your friends are going to die. Three.  Four.  Five. You wasted your one chance to reconcile with your parents. Six.  Seven. Rarity thinks you’re pathetic. Eight.  Nine. Your former Sisters trusted you.  What use was their faith? Ten. “Lead the way, I’m ready,” she said, with confidence she didn’t feel. *   *   *   *   * The command tent was packed.  Rarity was there, of course, smiling brilliantly when Emberglow entered.  Lofty and Topaz were side-by-side.  Bubblegum was close to Princess Flurry, eyeing a white-armored pegasus stallion that Emberglow did not recognize.  Terminus and Heartwing stood together at the head of a long table, covered with scattered maps and reports.  There were also a dozen other Knights and Empire soldiers, waiting for orders. “Everypony,” Heartwing began, after a glance and a nod towards Princess Flurry.  “I know we summoned you in a hurry, but it seems like things aren’t as urgent yet as they could be. We’ve got three airships on the horizon, but all three appear to be holding position and not advancing any closer.  We’ve got our ponies on the wall on high alert, and spells and spyglasses trained on the ships to make sure they don’t approach any closer.  But for now, we have time to discuss strategy.” Heartwing paused, and then nodded to the white-armored pegasus.  “Sir Feather Bolt of the Angelic would like to address us first.  I’ve given him permission to do so, and then he may leave.”  Heartwing’s voice was patient, but with an edge of careful mistrust.  But the pegasus gave a low bow. “Thank you, Sir Heartwing.  I beg your patience, ponies.  And thank you for your patience and your wisdom, Princess Flurry Heart.” The stallion’s voice was even and light, the cadence of a trained politician.  Princess Flurry inclined her head, giving him permission to speak. “I understand that the Radiants and Angelic whom you have graciously allowed into these walls are a source of worry and mistrust for you all.  I wish it were not so, but this is the reality of the situation.  It is also true that we will not raise up arms to support your cause; we have sworn neutrality and nonviolence, unless we are attacked ourselves.  We may appear to be a liability, and for that we apologize. “However, the truth is many in the Diarchy, particularly the Mystics, likely view us as the enemy now.  While we will keep to our Oaths, we will also defend ourselves.  And we have no desire to see this sacred place fall under siege.  Or even worse, to become the site of a massacre.  As a former Mystic myself, I am aware of several of the plans and fail safes set up to defend or retake this place, if it were to ever fall into Discordant hooves.  I have passed that information on to Sir Heartwing as an act of goodwill.” He nodded to a stack of papers on the table. “One more thing.  If there is fighting here, please be aware that the Mothers have offered their healing freely to all.  The Shrine of the Generous, small though it be, will be a place of peace and recovery.  We ask that no violence come to those walls, and offer anypony, Empire, Discordant, or Diarchy, to come find rest and life there, without fee and without question.” Once again, he bowed low, this time to Heartwing. “If you have any questions for me or my Knights, please don’t hesitate to seek me out at the Shrine.  And ponies?  Please believe that I am praying for everypony’s lives.  All of us are.  If there is a path to peace through all of this, we beg you to take it.” The Knight moved to the tent entrance, hesitating at the flap. “I don’t know if it means anything to any of you, but I do wish the blessing of the Saints on your endeavors.  Please, be safe.” There was a long silence after he left, finally broken by the princess. “How much do we trust him and his ponies?” she asked. Heartwing frowned.  “I don’t want to.  But for three centuries I’ve followed my gut, especially when it comes to judging character.  And these Angelic…” He scowled.  “I hate that they’re using her mark.  But…” There was another long pause. “But if they are earnest,” Rarity continued for him, “then they are doing her honor, are they not?” Heartwing looked away with a grimace.  “I, for one, would rather trust than doubt,” Rarity concluded.  “And your instincts have been generally good, even if you’re second guessing them now.” “Be that as it may,” Princess Flurry cut in, “we’re not here to discuss the Radiant or the Angelic.  They are a problem, to be certain.  But so far they have kept the peace, and diligently kept their word of offering healing to all of our wounded.  Our strained resources are grateful, at the very least.  And they took the prisoners off our hooves.” “What?” Emberglow asked.  She thought about the Knights and the squires she’d done triage on.  While it was nice to know they were getting more help, the idea of them possibly being free inside the walls was… unsettling. “It was a part of our negotiations.  The prisoners will not leave the castle, but we won’t have to spend any more motes keeping them alive,” Heartwing said.  By his voice, he didn’t like the arrangement much either.  “We have enough of our own in their infirmary to keep an eye on things, but it’s still a tense situation.” “Made worse by the airships,” Lofty said, and Heartwing nodded grimly.  “Any clue who’s on board?” “Scouts that tried to get close were fired on,” Heartwing said.  “Havoc Sprint barely made it back with his wounds.  No other scout dared fly close after that.  But he reported seeing purple armor, and no other colors.” “Why wouldn’t they throw everything at us?” Lofty asked, brow furrowed. “Split attention?” Terminus suggested.  “They don’t want to commit too much when there’s other forces at the borders?” But Heartwing was already shaking his head.  “No.  This is something else.  There’s a plot going on.” He laid a hoof on the stack of papers that Feather Bolt had pointed out.  “If it’s only Mystics, then Steadfast certainly wants to keep something from the other Orders.” He looked over the table, searching for one particular piece of paper. “We don’t have much fresh intelligence out of the capital, but one thing our scant reports have in common is that there’s a communication breakdown between the Orders.  The Mystics are keeping their council to themselves, and the other Orders seem to be floundering, waiting for direction that isn’t coming.  I don’t know what it means, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth; any confusion among our enemies is a boon.” “Regardless,” the Princess said.  “We can’t think defensively.  Once we have a plan for how to deal with these three airships, we can start talking about finding the missing Element.  Heartwing and I have been preparing a spell to seek it out.  It’s a sound theory, based on some of my aunt’s research.” Emberglow wanted to hear more about this experimental spell, but Heartwing held up a hoof. “While I would love to have a nostalgic lecture about comparative magical theory, we do have to deal with the Mystics,” he said.  He thumped his hoof on the papers.  “Feather’s information has been valuable, even if I’m not sure I trust it fully.  There are a hoofful of contingencies the Mystics have in place to retake the palace if it falls, including pegasus strike teams, airship bombardment, tunnels into the grounds, weaponized weather, triggering landslides from above, and even experimental long-range enchanted mortars.  Following the diagram Feather gave me, I’ve already sent sapper teams to collapse the tunnels that we know of, as well as sending scout teams up the mountain to watch for saboteurs.  It should—” Heartwing cut off as there was a low rumble.  Emberglow thought it was the sound of an airship engine at first, until she remembered she was on land.  And land shouldn’t be trembling like that. “What did you say about landslides?” Lofty said into the silence that followed, and everypony’s eyes widened with horror. “Rarity!” Heartwing called.  “Summon your teams.  We’ll need shield spells, levitation for larger pieces of debris, and earthmoving spells!  Princess, stay here.  Bubblegum can better protect you when…” “Like Tartarus I’m staying in here!” the Princess shouted.  “I’m a stronger caster than half of Rarity’s team put together!” The two ancient ponies matched eyes, and Heartwing gave in with a small nod. “Topaz, go with Emberglow.  Round up the non-combatants and civilians, and report to the Shrine of the Generous.  They’ll be safest there.  Lofty, Terminus, with me.  I wouldn’t put it past them to try for the walls in the confusion.” The rumbling grew worse, the ground buzzing and humming with dire portent. Emberglow’s head filled with thoughts of her parents.  Protect the civilians, Heartwing had said.  It was like he’d known what she would be worried about.  She met his eyes, and he nodded. “Emberglow!” Topaz called, and snapped her out of her momentary panic. “You have your orders,” Heartwing said.  “Keep our ponies safe!” “Stay safe, darling,” Rarity called, leaning over to plant a desperate kiss right on her lips.  “I love you.” “Love you too, Rarity,” Emberglow whispered, then turned to meet Topaz’s worried eyes before heading for the tent flap at speed. Without another thought, Emberglow and Topaz rushed out into the chaos blossoming outside.