Canterlot
Below Canterlot Castle
Within the walls of Canterlot Castle, far from the areas accessible to the public and beyond the corridors patrolled by the guards, Princess Twilight Sparkle and Selene Sentinel slowly descended into the depths of Mount Canterhorn. Every couple of metres that the pair walked, a new pair of torches ignited to illuminate the path ahead.
Compared to most of the castle, this area had been a relatively new construction, undertaken by a select few ponies. While the project wasn't a secret from Equestria, it served as a personal sanctuary for the longer-lived members of Equestria and a memorial for those whose journey had come to an end.
Turning a final corner, Twilight came to a stop in front of a large double door. Six marks are present on the door. A cloud with a tricolored lightning bolt, a trio of red apples, a trio of butterflies, a trio of balloons, a trio of diamonds, and finally, at the centre of the door, lay her own cutie mark: a single six-pointed purple star.
Igniting her horn, the star began to turn, and the sound of heavy mechanical locks moving out of the secure positions filled the corridor. Finally, the door swung open.
The hall beyond was illuminated not by torches, but by the morning light shining through five large stained glass windows, each depicting one of Twilight's oldest and dearest friends. No matter when a pony arrived or how long they stayed, they would always be bathed in the calming light of dawn, unless Luna had altered the enchantments to illuminate the hall with moonlight.
The hall was filled with many marvels of art, priceless treasures, and seemingly worthless knick knacks, from life-sized statues and animated works of art to preserved books and articles of threadbare clothing. Every item here had one thing in common: they were each placed here by one of the five immortal Alicorns. Each item represented something that no amount of gold could replace - the treasured memory of a departed friend departed, but never forgotten.
The Hall of Harmony, sanctum of Equestrias immortals, and it was now time for Twilight to leave a new treasure. Emerging from her saddlebag was a clear glass egg. Inside, there was a spool of dark green thread attached to a sewing needle, perfectly recreating her late wife's cutie mark. As she walked past the statues immortalising her first friends, she noticed that one of them was alive and patiently waiting for the polite moment to speak. She should have known Fluttershy would be waiting for her.
Any creature who spent time near the wilds of the Everfree knew about Equestria's resident Draconequus. Some even knew that the Draconequus was a combination of two creatures: the original Draconequus, Discord, and a pony named Fluttershy. No creature knew that the Draconequus could split themselves back into their original selves, not even the Draconeqai themselves, as far as Twilight knew.
The morning after Darning Weave, Twilight's late wife, passed away, Twilight was brought out of her stupor when both Discord and Fluttershy arrived with fresh pastries, tea, and popping candy ice cream, as it happened ice cream was exactly what Twilight needed.
Once Twilight got over the initial shock of seeing two Draconequi, she was only slightly startled by the appearance of her old friend. Although the former Pegasus still had a butter-yellow fur coat, it was clear that she was still a Draconequus. Her body was long and flexible, resembling that of a serpent. Her right wing was webbed like that of a Thestral, and a large pink rabbit ear poked out from her signature long pink mane, which was mirrored by a pony ear.
What Twilight found most peculiar was the semi-permanent nature of Fluttershy's limbs. While the serpentine Draconequus hasn't been seen with hind legs, Twilight knew better than to assume their capabilities. On occasion, Fluttershy possessed forelegs, one resembling that of a lion and the other a Hippogriffs.
While the former Pegasus usually floated around without any forelimbs, whenever she settled down for some tea or found an animal to fuss over, her forelimbs would appear. She didn't even snap her talons or claws like Discord did. Instead, she channelled magic from the deer-like horns protruding from either side of her head.
Trotting past the Draconequus, Twilight made her way to the section dedicated to those who inherited the Spirit of Generosity. She found a suitable area and summoned a cushion on which she placed the memento.
"Thank you, Darning Weave, for choosing to share your life with me. I will always cherish the memories we made together, and thank you for giving me the greatest gift I never realised I desired. While your soul will never know the peace of Elysium, I again thank you for the sacrifice you and all those who came before you have made. I promise once again to never stop sharing my generosity with all the creatures of Equestria and beyond. Goodbye, my love, until the next life," Twilight whispered.
She felt a warm wing drape over her haunches as Silent Sentinel moved in to comfort her. A tear fell unbidden down her cheek, but her attention was drawn to the yellow Draconequus who added her own token to the memorial. Perched on top of the egg was an infamous wizard's hat. The cloth matched Darning's coat and once was a stylish accessory to a Nightmare Night costume. However, Darning didn't discover until it was too late that the hat had undergone additional upgrades. Upgrades which would have made the hat fit “nicely” with Twilight's first Grand Galloping Gala costume, which had been burned by Rarity before said Gala.
A sob escaped from Twilight's mouth. "She never figured out who vandalised her hat. She suspected it could have been you, me, or Jade Star, but she never figured out who, she still wore it though, after all “What archmage costume is complete without a hat?" After it disappeared the next morning, she practically turned the Castle of Friendship upside down. She would have done the same to Ponyville if I hadn't stopped her. "She would even check the castle every time she visited for the next ten years, and to think, you had it all this time?"
Tears now streamed down the alicorn's cheeks as the draconaquesse turned to address her.
"No, I only got it yesterday. I remembered that Darning never found it, so I decided to pop back and rescue it. We had a great time making that hat. When I thought of what to remember her with, nothing else came to mind. Just don't tell Dizzy that I created a time loop. He's terrible at planning ahead and might cause a paradox.
Twilight smiled, this was the purpose of the Hall of Harmony after all, a place to remember those who were lost and to remind herself that she would always find new friends, no matter what. While she had requested Silent Sentinel to accompany her so that she wouldn't be alone, being in the company of one of her first friends again made her feel just a little bit whole.
"I've decided to take a holiday, Fluttershy. I just need to get a few things in order. Would you be able to help me with a cover story?"
The Draconequesse nodded and smiled. If Twilight was starting to make plans other than burying herself in work, that had to be a good sign.
"Of course, Twilight. I'd love to! Dizzy and I won't be progressing to phase two for a little while, so anything to keep us busy is appreciated.
"Phase two?" Twilight wondered, did she even want to know? She trusted both of them, whether together or apart, not to cause any lasting trouble for Equestria. However, that didn't prevent a shiver from creeping up her spine. She decided she didn't want to know.
"Thanks, Shy. Now I just need to find a suitable replacement."
*Cough cough*
Noticing Silent Sentinel's obvious attempt to make herself known, Fluttershy continued.
"Of course, someone responsible, good at making plans, and keeping things in order."
Silent Sentinel all but preened. She stood at attention, waiting for the obvious request to come her way.
"Good point, Fluttershy," Twilight continued. "But I think you missed the most important aspect of all. They need to be experienced and known to the public."
Silent Sentinel leaned forward, waiting for her moment. "Sentinel," Twilight chuckled, "could you please look after Equestria for a little while?”
"Of course, Twilight, we would love to.”
“Along with Sunny.”
Silent Sentinel blinked.
“In all honesty, I was hoping to ask both of you to manage things. While I would prefer to leave things to you, there could be potential problems." Twilight winced. Since Silent Sentinel had "mysteriously" appeared and joined the guard, she had been a perfect soldier.
“Oh young princess? Pray tell how we might be lacking? Are we not regal enough? Is our mastery of the cosmos not satisfactory to you? Would you not prefer to gaze once more at our night skies' shifting canvas as it was meant to be?”
The perfect guardian, after all, how many creatures had been defending Equestria longer than herself? The answer was two.
"Luna, the nobility hates you.”
Luna, or more commonly known as Silent Sentinel, blinked in surprise. "And?"
She had a valid point, and Twilight acknowledged it. Despite the little voice in her head agreeing, she knew she needed to be diplomatic.
"They oversee many of the kingdom's operations. While we could replace them, it wouldn't be beneficial. As much as we hate to admit it, has there ever been an Equestrian Spymaster even half as efficient as a Blueblood?”
The three of them shivered. In the last 500 years, there had not been a single pleasant Blueblood. Any attempt to oust them from their position as the heads of Equestria's intelligence service had ended in embarrassment, with many things going wrong, and the Bluebloods being restored to their seat of office. The fact that most Bluebloods couldn't sell water during a drought, make a daffodil sandwich, or remember any instructions for longer than one minute, it was generally agreed that the least damaging position for them was in the Equestrian intelligence service.
"We see your point, Twilight Sparkle, and we agree, with a few caveats. Our sister will be the one dealing with the nobles. You must ensure that she agrees to leave all guard matters to me. Also, please make sure that she receives her own cake rations. "I'm having my coffee cakes imported from Saddle Arabia, and I will not allow that cake monster to have a single crumb of it."
Twilight chuckled to herself. "I will make sure your cake is safe. Thank you."
Several hours later, the three of them decided to leave the Hall of Harmony. As Silent Sentinel trotted through the doors, Fluttershy returned to her statue and disappeared, leaving behind a Pegasus statue rather than the Couatl Draconequus she had been a moment before. Twilight took one last look at the statue depicting Rarity, the first Element of Generosity.
“Thank you for everything, I can't wait to meet you again, whoever you may be.”