//------------------------------// // 24. In the royal city // Story: Wings of Tomorrow ~ Lament of the World // by Keeper of Jericho //------------------------------// Wings of Tomorrow Lament of the World 24. In the royal city The boardroom in the royal palace of Cantropolis had seen a lot of usage in recent times, and now was no different. For the umpteenth time in less than a month the head of the royal guard was seated around the round table in the centre of the room. The three royal admirals sat in their chairs, their attention focussed on their superior, grand admiral Derpy Hooves. The grey pegasus was staring at a great number of papers that had been spread over the table, and her face looked grim. “The plans of the invasion, at long last,” she said, while inspecting a map of Equestria that had been included with the documents taken from Shining Armour’s office. The grand admiral looked up, and her gaze met Rainbow Dash’s, who sat across her at the table. “Thanks to your utterly insane plan, we now know the plans of the enemy. I think congratulations are in order, admiral Rainbow Dash.” The cyan admiral huffed. “I can’t take all the credit. I just came up with the idea. Other ponies carried it out, and paid the price for it, too,” Rainbow Dash replied quietly. “We lost some good ponies in Canterlot…” Amethyst Star looked at her fellow admiral with a rare hint of compassion and sympathy. “We won’t let their sacrifice be in vain, Rainbow Dash, you know this,” she said, her voice surprisingly gentle, surprising the cyan pegasus. Amethyst Star so rarely spoke to her with anything other than annoyance or frustration. It brought a hint of a smile to Rainbow Dash’s lips. “Yeah, I know we will. We owe it to them now to not let things go to Tartarus,” she said, after which her attention shifted back to Derpy. “Easier said than done, though. I’ve skimmed through those papers on my way back here, and from the looks of it, getting the plans seems to have been the easiest part.” “I’m afraid admiral Rainbow Dash is right,” Desert Heat agreed. The lone stallion in the room was holding one of the documents Rainbow Dash had brought with her from Canterlot in his hooves, and his eyes scanned the contents with ever increasing concern. With a sigh he put the paper back down on the table and looked at Derpy. “Shining Armour has mobilized nearly all forces the Republic has at their disposal for this attack. With this many soldiers against us, they won’t even need all the artillery and heavy weaponry they’re bringing with them.” “And it gets worse,” Rainbow Dash added. “The attack is less than two weeks away. We’ll be hard pressed to come up with a battle plan and mobilise our own forces in time. Not to mention that us stealing their plans will probably alter their strategy a bit. They might even attack sooner because of it.” The three admirals looked expectantly at their superior, waiting for her to voice her thoughts on the matter. Derpy looked grim, though not overly worried. “You can put your worries for a swift attack at ease, Rainbow Dash. I’ve already had word from our informant in Canterlot that the theft of the plans hasn’t changed the day of the attack,” she said. “Well, that’s a silver lining at least,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “I’d hate for all of the effort to get these papers to be in vain simply because we ran out of time.” “Regardless, Rainbow Dash’s other point remains valid,” Amethyst Star spoke up, and Rainbow Dash looked at her as if the unicorn had suddenly grown a second head. “Sparkler’s saying I made a valid point? ” she thought to herself, with mild amusement. “Either she hit her head, or I should tell Derpy that her daughter might have been replaced by a Republican spy. ” Inwardly, she laughed at her private joke. “There is a chance that the Republic will change its strategy now that their plans have become known, or perhaps what we hold here is nothing but a fake to mislead us,” the unicorn admiral continued, completely unaware of Rainbow Dash’s inner musings. Derpy shook her head. “These plans have been confirmed as the real deal by our informant in Canterlot,” she explained, granting the three admirals some relief. “However, she also confirmed that Shining Armour indeed mentioned that he was prepared for such an event in which the Republic’s plans became known before the attack, however small the chance of such a thing happening was.” “Then again, we expected this much from the start,” Desert Heat said. “Shining Armour is many things, but a fool was never one of them. The stallion is a military genius if there ever was one, with backup plans for even his backup plans. That he had one in case one of us was mad enough to try and steal his plans comes as no surprise.” He looked around the table, and saw Derpy give a nod of agreement. “It will not do to worry about all the aces the Republic has in their sleeves,” the grand admiral said calmly. “We would be chasing shadows, and lose sight of what’s really important.” She used her hoof to tap on the map of Equestria on the table a few times. “For now, the defence of Stalliongrad has top priority. That’s where they’ll strike, and that’s where we must stand our ground and drive them back. If Stalliongrad falls, the way to Cantropolis lays wide-open, so we must prevent this at all costs.” “That does seem like the smartest thing to do for now,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “Still, I think we should keep an ace up our sleeves ourselves, just in case.” “And we will,” Derpy assured her, after which the grey pegasus began to gather the documents scattered around the table. “But nothing can be decided until I’ve studied these plans thoroughly. This meeting is postponed until I’ve done so,” she announced once she was done. “I will send summons for you all later this evening once I’m done.” Derpy glanced at her daughter. “Admiral Amethyst Star, you will bring me a full report on the state of our forces,” she ordered. “I need to know everything: how many capable ponies we have, who is sick and injured and when they’ll be recovered enough to be able to fight, the amount of ships in repair, the state of our provisions, the whole mess.” The unicorn admiral nodded and gave a dutiful salute. “It shall be done, grand admiral Hooves, ma’am.” “Good. Have it delivered to me at the earliest opportunity,” Derpy replied, after which she shifted her attention to the sole stallion in the room. “Admiral Desert Heat, go to steward Morning Red and inform him of what we know so far. Stalliongrad must be warned and put under martial law at the earliest opportunity. Only the steward has the authority to do so.” Desert Heat nodded, and repeated Amethyst Star’s dutiful salute. “Consider it done, ma’am.” “And as for you, admiral Rainbow Dash…” the grey pegasus began, turning to the last admiral in the room. The mare in question gave a wide grin, eager to receive her own orders. “You’ll stay here with me for a moment, there is something we need to discuss,” Derpy continued, causing Rainbow Dash’s grin to falter. The disappointment on the cyan pegasus’ face was clear, but Derpy paid it no heed. Instead, she addressed the other two admirals again. “That will be all for now,” she said. “You are dismissed.” Amethyst Star and Desert Heat nodded and left the room. Derpy watched them go, and only when they had closed the doors behind them did she avert her gaze. Her single golden eye was now looking at Rainbow Dash, who was getting somewhat nervous. Derpy didn’t say anything yet, though, and merely walked to one of the windows of the boardroom, from where she looked out over the palace grounds. “Eh, grand admiral, am I in trouble, ma’am?” Rainbow Dash asked tentatively, after a few minutes had passed and Derpy still hadn’t said anything. The grey mare let out a soft chuckle and glanced over her shoulder at her fellow pegasus. “Far from it, Rainbow Dash. I just wanted to have a word with you,” Derpy replied, her voice softer and gentler than it had been mere moments before during the meeting. “About the guests you’ve brought with you.” That Derpy addressed her with only her name and not her rank told Rainbow Dash that this was an informal talk between friends, and not between two high ranking officers of the royal guard. Rainbow Dash relaxed. “What about them?” she asked. “You’re not mad at me for taking a detour to pick them up, are you? I mean, I know it was an unneeded risk, but…” Derpy held up her hoof to silence her. “I’m not. We need all help we can get, and I have to admit it was a nice surprise to see some familiar faces from Ponyville again,” she replied, and her lips formed a fall smile. Derpy’s single eye gazed into nothing, caught in a brief moment of nostalgia. Then the grand admiral shook her head and smiled ruefully. “Part of me just wishes you’d gone and grabbed the Elements of Harmony, since you were detouring anyway. Celestia knows we could use those.” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Eh, will you believe me when I say that I really didn’t think of that? When I asked them to come along with me, I did so because I wanted their support for during the oncoming fight. I forgot that they could offer so much more than just that,” she answered. “Besides, we talked about this before, Derpy. You know what the High Chancellor said: the Elements aren’t weapons of war.” “True,” Derpy admitted. “And speaking of which, the moment I saw Fluttershy and the others disembark from your ship, I understood why you asked me to arrange an audience with the High Chancellor. You’ll be happy to hear that the Chancellor will see them at nine o’clock this evening.” The pegasus gave Rainbow Dash a conspiratorial grin. “I didn’t tell her who she’ll be receiving, though. Didn’t want to ruin your surprise.” Rainbow Dash laughed. “I appreciate that. Twilight and the others don’t know yet who they’ll be meeting either, so I guess the surprise will be mutual,” she grinned. “Without a doubt,” Derpy agreed. The grey mare paused for a moment, and then gave Rainbow Dash a curious look with her single eye. “I must admit that I was a bit surprised that they recognised me, you know. I am by no means an unknown figure, but it felt as if they recognised me from somewhere other than Republican wanted posters.” “What’s so surprising about that?” the other pegasus wondered aloud. “We all lived in the same village in our previous life, and each of them remembers those times. So of course they recognised you as if they knew you. As if they could forget Ponyville’s clumsy but loveable mail mare.” Derpy smiled faintly at the compliment, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, she focussed on the other thing her fellow pegasus had mentioned. “They all remember their previous lives, you say?” she asked, and Rainbow Dash gave a confirmative nod. “You should definitely mention this to the High Chancellor. It seems there are more anomalies than we assumed, though I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad sign.” “Eh, all this time stuff just makes my head hurt. It was hard enough to grow up with an extra set of memories in my head,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Twilight’s interested in it, though. I’m sure the High Chancellor will tell her what she knows, but knowing the egghead, she’ll want to look into it further and study all she can.” She paused and tapped her chin thoughtfully, before throwing a questioning glance at Derpy. “Speaking of which, can you grant her all access to the palace archives?” “I see no reason to say no,” Derpy replied with a shrug. “I remember Twilight Sparkle’s quite studious and thorough. Who knows, she might even find something useful in those dusty old tomes that could help us.” The grand admiral walked back to the table and sat down on her chair. “I’ve been meaning to ask this as well: did your friends have any plans concerning what they are going to do now that they’re here?” Again Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Eh, not really. We didn’t really talk about that sort of stuff, given that we were in a hurry to leave,” she replied. “I just kinda brought them with me because I know I’ll be in need of their moral support, but I didn’t really think of anything beyond that. I know that Twilight will be studying like crazy, though, since she couldn’t do that until now. You know, because she’s not Princess Celestia’s personal student in this life and all…” Derpy nodded slowly. “I understand, and I certainly won’t stop her from doing so. Like I said, the archives are at her disposal. As for the others, they’re of course welcome to stay here at the palace, given they are friends with one of the royal admirals, not to mention the High Chancellor herself,” she said. “Still, you know we could use every pony we can get. They don’t have to do anything they don’t want to, our situation isn’t desperate enough for forced enlistment in the guard, at least not yet. Regardless, though, try to find out if any of them are interested in doing more than just giving moral support, if you can, Rainbow Dash.” “Meh, I can do that,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I know Twilight will want to help out in whatever way she can, and if I know Applejack, she won’t take well to doing nothing, either. Not sure about Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, though. Not that I think they don’t want to help, it’s just that I’m not sure how they could. We don’t exactly have a big demand for fashion, parties or animal care.” “Maybe not, but nopony is limited to just one talent,” Derpy replied. “None of us have a cutie mark that stands for a talent in the art of war, and yet here you and I are, at the top of the Royal Guard.” “Point taken,” the other pegasus replied. “Don’t worry about it, Derpy. I’ll talk to them about it. Just not today, if you’re okay with that. I did kinda overwhelm them with my request to come with me, so I’ll let them get settled in a bit first. Not to mention they have an audience with the High Chancellor tonight.” “Fair enough,” Derpy said. “Where are they now, though?” “Unpacking in their rooms, I guess, unless they already left to do some exploring,” Rainbow Dash answered. “I sent Scoots to give them a tour of the palace grounds. I figured a familiar face would be best suited for that task, plus it makes her happy to be given orders.” The grand admiral smiled as she thought of Rainbow Dash’s personal esquire. “If her enthusiasm remains as big when she grows up as it is now, she could become a very valuable asset to the royal guard someday,” she said, and Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. Derpy glanced at the single clock that hung in the room, and saw that it was a few minutes past six in the evening. “I think I’ve about covered everything I had to say,” she announced. “You and your friends have your audience with the High Chancellor at nine o’clock, don’t forget it.” The golden-eyed pegasus scooped up the documents Rainbow Dash had brought from Canterlot, and tucked them firmly under her wing. “Now I have some invasion plans to study. Once I’m done, I’ll send forth summons for you and the others, so I can brief you on what I’ve learned. Until then, I suggest you take some time off, admiral Rainbow Dash. I doubt you’ve had a lot of sleep while on your mission, so catch up on it while you can.” The addition of her title before her name told Rainbow Dash that the friendly conversation was over, and that the two of them were back to being royal officers. “I’ll be sure to do so, grand admiral Hooves, ma’am,” she replied. The cyan pegasus gave her superior officer a respectful salute, and then left the room. --- “Well, I certainly can’t complain about our accommodations. Do remind me to thank Rainbow Dash next time I see her.” The words were spoken by Rarity, who was investigating her bed’s mattress by selflessly offering herself as a guinea pig by testing out its softness with her own body. To her utter delight, the bed in the palace room was every bit as comfortable as her own bed back in her estate in Canterlot. With a pleased sigh, Rarity sat up and let her gaze drift appreciatively through the room. Not even an hour ago she and her friends had disembarked from the Wonderbolt and arrived at the royal palace, where they had been escorted to the suites that had been prepared for them on the explicit order of royal admiral Rainbow Dash herself. The room was large and comfortable, reminding her a lot of the suite in Canterlot Castle where she had been allowed to stay in once, thanks to Twilight’s connection to Princess Celestia. Only this one was much larger, and rightly so, for she shared this room with two of her friends. “I think we all owe Rainbow Dash our thanks next time we see her, Rarity,” Twilight said with a smile. She was standing in front of one of the two bookcases in the room, her violet eyes attentively scanning the titles printed on the books’ spines. The purple unicorn briefly looked over her shoulder to glance at the third occupant of the room. “How about you Pinkie Pie, is everything to your liking?” “You betcha, Twilight!” came the reply, amidst a fit of giggles and excited squeals. This was probably because Pinkie Pie was using her bed as a makeshift trampoline, bouncing up and down without any sign of slowing down. “My bed is extra bouncy! It’s so much fun! Hey, you should all hop on your beds too, maybe they’re extra bouncy as well!” “I’d much rather not, if it’s all the same for you, Pinkie, dear,” Rarity answered. The white unicorn followed her friend’s repetitive vertical movements for a while, but quickly stopped because it made her dizzy. “It’s quite unladylike to use your bed as a trampoline, especially if it’s not yours. Added to this is the fact that beds are not made to be jumped on.” “They’re not?!” Pinkie exclaimed in surprise. The revelation somehow enabled the pink pony to stop her bouncing in mid-air, where she remained motionless for a few physics-defying moments before unceremoniously dropping back down on her bed. Twilight blinked a couple of times, then shook her head. “I did not just see that,” she muttered to herself, repeating the phrase a couple of times to ensure she believed her own lie. “I’m afraid not, darling,” Rarity said, and she gave Pinkie a kind smile. “A bed is not a trampoline, and as I said, a proper lady should never use it as such. Even in the privacy of our beds, we must carry ourselves with grace, after all. You see…” Before Rarity could lecture Pinkie about the finer points of ladylike etiquette, however, she was interrupted by the door opening. Applejack poked her head into the room, and smiled when her eyes settled on her friends. “Howdy, y’all, mind if we join you?” “Of course not, Applejack,” Twilight replied. “Come on in.” “Don’t mind if Ah do,” the orange mare replied, and she pushed the door open wider before trotting into the room. She was followed quickly by Fluttershy, who looked around the room nervously. “Um, we aren’t interrupting anything, are we? If so, I’m sorry, I’m sure we could come back another time, if that’s alright…” she muttered demurely, pawing nervously at the carpet with one of her hooves. “Don’t be ridiculous, Fluttershy, we always have time for friends,” Rarity admonished her kindly, and she gestured to the timid mare to come inside. “Do close the door behind you, though, if you would be so kind.” Fluttershy nodded, and did as requested. Meanwhile, Twilight left the bookcase alone for now and went over to be closer to her friends. “So, Applejack, since we were talking about it before you came in, we might as well ask you, too!” she said happily. “Is your room to your liking?” “It could’ve been a whole lot worse, at least,” Applejack replied with a shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a mighty fine room if Ah ever saw one, and Ah ain’t gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. It’s just all a tad too fancy for mah tastes.” She pointedly ignored Rarity’s outcries of protest while speaking. “The bed’s much too soft, Ah sank into it when Ah tried it out! Ah don’t get why them fancy castle ponies need so much fluff in their pillows and mattresses. Ain’t nothing wrong with the sturdy bed Ah have back home.” Rarity couldn’t help but let out an indignant huff. “Really now, Applejack, I hardly think that… mph!” She was interrupted, rather brusquely, by Twilight putting her hoof in her mouth. “… that you’ll have much trouble sleeping in a fluffy bed, right, Rarity?” the purple unicorn said, who didn’t think now was the best time for her two friends to get in another city-versus-countryside argument. When Rarity huffed again, Twilight glared at her fellow unicorn. “Right?!” Rarity sighed, but relented and gave a confirmative nod. “But of course, Twilight, I’m sure Applejack will be able to manage,” she said, once Twilight had removed her hoof from Rarity’s mouth. The white mare smiled apologetically at Applejack. “I apologise, darling, I shouldn’t criticize the kind of bed you prefer to sleep in.” “Shucks, don’t mention it sugarcube, no harm done,” the apple-farmer replied good-naturedly, after which she glanced at the sole pegasus in the room, who stood beside her. “Besides, Ah’m sure Flutters’ here likes our suite just fine, don’t ya, sugarcube?” Fluttershy was startled by being pulled into the conversation so suddenly, but nevertheless she nodded. “Oh, yes, it’s very… nice,” she said with her usual, quiet voice. When she glanced down at the floor and hid behind her mane a little, her friends realised something was up. “Fluttershy, darling, is everything alright?” Rarity asked, concern for her friend seeping through in her voice. “Oh, I’m fine,” Fluttershy quickly assured her assembled friends, once she saw the worried looks they were all giving her. “I’m just a bit worried about Angel Bunny and the rest of my little friends. I only just got back, and I already had to leave them on their own again…” “I’m sure they’ll manage, Fluttershy,” Twilight said warmly, trying to sound as certain and convincing as possible. She gently placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Remember, they did fine on their own during all those years you were absent. Angel will take care of them, as he did before.” “Yeah, don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Fluttershy!” Pinkie piped up, smiling widely in an effort to cheer her friend up. “He’ll be tossing carrots and vegetables at any meaniepants who is foolish enough to try and enter the holy sanctuary of all creatures great and small!” “The ‘holy sanctuary of all creatures great and small’?” Twilight repeated dryly, giving Pinkie a deadpan look. The pink earth pony remained completely unfazed by it, however. “Yuppers! The sanctuary where all animals in need are welcomed and cared for by the benevolent queen Fluttershy, and guarded by her valiant knight sir Angel Carrotlot!” she replied cheerfully, causing all of her friends except for Fluttershy to gape at her for a few moments. Rarity was the first to recover, and she shook her head to rid herself of the dumbfounded expression on her face. “Oh, she’s back to normal alright,” she muttered to herself, before focussing on her dear pegasus friend again. “In any case, Pinkie and Twilight are right, Fluttershy. You shouldn’t worry too much, I’m sure they will be fine without you for a little while longer.” “Plus, Ah asked Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom to keep an eye out for any trouble, just in case, so they’ve got somepony watching over them, Fluttershy,” Applejack added, giving Fluttershy an encouraging smile. Said smile faltered a bit when she noticed that the timid pegasus didn’t seem entirely convinced just yet. “You, ah, ehm… You don’t regret coming with us, do you, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked hesitatingly. She didn’t like the question, but she had to make sure. To her great relief, as well as that of her friends, Fluttershy gasped and quickly shook her head. “Oh no, not at all! I could never leave Rainbow Dash alone, especially since she was so kind and brave to tell us that she really needed us! I couldn’t!” she said hastily, and then her force and excitement died down a little again, and she was once more pawing nervously at the carpet. “I… um, I just can’t help but be worried…” Her friends looked at her with sympathy and understanding. “Well of course you do, they’re practically your family, somewhat,” Rarity replied, and she moved off of her bed to give Fluttershy a comforting hug. “And you mustn’t think you stand alone in your worry. Truth to be told, I’ve been thinking about Sweetie Belle and my parents quite a bit the past few days.” “Oh, Rarity, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply I was the only one who had something to worry about,” Fluttershy said, worried that she had been rude. “Nonsense, darling, you have nothing to apologise for,” Rarity assured the distressed pegasus, and she lifted Fluttershy’s chin up with her own hoof so her friend would look at her. Rarity smiled warmly at Fluttershy. “I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone. Why, I’m quite sure everypony in this room has somepony they’re worried about back home. That’s only natural, given the circumstances. But you mustn’t let it get you down. Rainbow Dash promised our families would be looked after, and we should trust her.” “Rarity’s right, sugarcube,” Applejack added. “Ah’m worried for mah folks back at Sweet Apple Acres too, but Ah try not to think about it too much. There ain’t anything Ah can do for them here, so it won’t do any good to get mah tail in a twist and chew mah hooves off while wonderin’ if they’re alright. They’re all adult ponies, and they all got somepony watchin’ their backs, so we should trust them to take care of themselves ‘till we get back.” Fluttershy was silent for a little while after that, but eventually she breathed deeply in and out and gave a shaky nod. “You’re right. I shouldn’t worry too much. Angel Bunny will watch over them, I’m sure,” she said, trying to sound as confident as possible. She looked up and smiled shyly at her friends. “Thank you, everypony, I suppose I needed to hear that…” “You’re always welcome, Fluttershy,” Twilight said warmly, speaking for all of her friends. She stepped forward and initiated a big group hug, the others following her example happily. They stayed like that for a little while, then broke apart again, and Twilight decided now was a good time to change the subject. “So… Here we are, in Cantropolis… Eh… Was I the only one who was surprised that Derpy’s the head of the royal guard?” “Heavens, no! That was quite the shock, I must admit,” Rarity replied. “Maybe even more so than when I learned how high up the hierarchy our dear Rainbow Dash was. I must admit, it took a while before I stopped thinking that my eyes were deceiving me.” “I know how you feel,” Twilight agreed. “I mean, and I don’t want to be rude, but this is Derpy Hooves we’re talking about. She’s a wonderful pony, and always has been, but… I never really took her for the military type. Let alone the ‘commander of the entire Kingdom’s forces’ kind of military type, you know?” “Darn tootin’,” Applejack said seriously. “Ah don’t quite get how a sweet mail mare with a clumsy streak gets to be in charge of all of them beefy guards, let alone our own Rainbow Dash. Ah never thought she had in it her. Though…” The orange mare paused for a moment and tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Ah do remember she vanished from Ponyville when Ah was just a filly, always kinda wondered where she ran off to… Never guessed it would’ve been to the royalists.” “She was Ponyville’s mail mare in this life, too?” Twilight asked, sounding surprised. “I never knew that. When I arrived in Ponyville she wasn’t there, and I’ve been living there for quite a few years by now, I was barely more than a filly myself. How long ago are we speaking, Applejack?” “Shucks, Twilight, been a long while, Ah really can’t tell you an exact date,” the farmer replied apologetically. “Must’ve been about ten years ago, ‘cause Ah remember Apple Bloom was still in her diapers when Derpy disappeared.” Applejack cast a questioning glance at Pinkie Pie and Rarity. “You lived in Ponyville by that time, too, sugarcubes, don’t you remember anythin’?” Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin with a comically serious expression on her face, digging deeply into her memory. “Hmm… I think it was in the year little Dinky was born, and that was the same year in which those Republican meanies nearly blew up all on Ponyville with their cannons. I don’t like those cannons you know, they shoot out cannonballs instead of parties, I mean, how weird is that?!” Rarity chose not to go in further on the subject of cannons, and instead focussed on something else Pinkie had mentioned. “Goodness, I nearly forgot about the raid on Ponyville ten years ago, since I was out of town when it happened. Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever saw Derpy again after that event,” she said thoughtfully. “Ah think that sounds about right,” Applejack agreed. One of her hooves vanished under her hat and rubbed her scalp as she racked her brain. “Ah can’t say Ah saw her again after that either, so that must’ve been when she hightailed it out of Ponyville. Can’t say for sure, ten years is a long time.” Well, if she’s been in the guard for ten years, then she’s had more than enough time to climb up the ranks and make her way to the top,” Twilight commented. “It sounds plausible, at least. Maybe Rainbow Dash could tell us more, we should ask her next time we see her.” After a short pause, she added: “Which kind of makes me wonder how long Rainbow Dash has been a royal guard. I don’t remember her having mentioned it yet. Less than ten years, at least, since ten years ago she would’ve been too young to enlist.” Fluttershy opened her mouth to ask what this raid on Ponyville had been all about, but was interrupted by somepony knocking on the door. Twilight excused herself and went over to answer the door. When she opened it, however, she was greeted by a surprisingly familiar face. Before her stood a young pegasus filly, dressed as a royal esquire. Her coat was orange, and her mane and tail purple. She looked up at Twilight with her greyish purple eyes, and a grin of recognition appeared on the filly’s face. “Hey, Twilight! Can I come in?” Twilight didn’t immediately reply, for she stared speechlessly at the young pegasus. Only when Rarity called out from behind her, asking who was at the door, did she snap out of it. The unicorn blinked a couple of times with her eyes, to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. “Scootaloo?” she asked uncertainly, once she was sure her eyes weren’t deceiving here. Twilight stepped aside to let the filly into the room, her eyes following the young pegasus as she walked past her. “W… what are you doing here?” she wondered aloud. Scootaloo looked over her shoulder and smiled at Twilight again. “Oh, Rainbow Dash told me that I should show you guys around the palace, if you want me to,” she replied. The filly walked over to the rest of the stunned ponies in the room. “Hi, Applejack, hi, Rarity! How are Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?” “Ah… ehm… They’re… fine?” Rarity answered hesitatingly, still startled by the unexpected appearance of the young pegasus. “That’s good to hear.” Scootaloo let out a relived sigh and sat down on her rump. Either she didn’t notice the surprise of the older ponies, or she chose to ignore it, for she didn’t comment on it. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear about them. It’s one of the few things Rainbow Dash couldn’t tell me about.” As she spoke, she waved at Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy in greeting. “I have to admit, when Rainbow Dash told me you had come back with her, I was kind of hoping Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had come with you,” Scootaloo continued, and she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I know it’s kind of silly, but it’s been so long, and I really wanted to see them again.” The filly perked up and grinned widely at them. “But now at least you girls can tell me everything that’s happened in Ponyville, right?” “O… of course, sugarcube…” Applejack replied slowly, still wary. “Um, Scootaloo, what are you doing here?” Twilight asked again, as she came over and joined the circle on the carpet. The orange pegasus gave Twilight a puzzled look, not understanding why Twilight was asking her the same question twice. “I told you, Twilight,” she answered. “Rainbow Dash wants me to show you around the palace.” “No, no, I meant: why are you here, in Cantropolis?” the purple unicorn clarified. She gave Scootaloo’s uniform a long look. “Are you in the royal guard?” “I’m here with my parents, they both serve in the royal guard, third division, under admiral Amethyst Star. Not me, though, I’m still too young,” Scootaloo replied, and she gave an annoyed huff when she said that last sentence. “Pardon me for asking, darling, but why are you wearing that uniform then?” Rarity wondered, making the filly glance down at the clothes she wore. “Oh, this?” she asked, tugging at her shirt. She looked up and smiled proudly at the assembled older ponies. “Rainbow Dash made me her personal esquire when she was promoted to the rank of admiral, so I get to wear the uniform of the esquires.” Scootaloo turned around and showed them her back, pointing at the cutie mark that was embroidered on it. “See? I even get to wear her cutie mark!” Twilight and the others smiled. It seemed that, no matter how Equestria changed or what life they lived, Scootaloo would always remain Rainbow Dash’s number one fan. “So, then, how long have you been living here?” Twilight asked. Scootaloo pondered the question for a little while. “Well, I was only a small filly when my parents moved here from Cloudsdale in order to join the royal guard, so I think it’s been about seven or eight years,” she then answered. “And did you ever go to Ponyville before moving?” Twilight pressed on. The young pegasus had said something a few moments ago that had caught the purple unicorn’s interest, and she wanted to make sure she hadn’t misheard. “Not that I remember,” the filly replied, shaking her head. Her answer caused Twilight to frown ponderously. “But if you’ve never been to Ponyville, then why did you ask about Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom? You couldn’t have met them,” she said. “Did Rainbow Dash tell you about them?” “Of course not, Twilight,” Scootaloo said, looking at the unicorn as if she was crazy. “I remember them from my other life.” Now this revelation did earn her a round of surprised cries. “Y… you remember that?!” Fluttershy asked. She hadn’t thought it was possible. So far, Twilight hadn’t mentioned anypony who remembered the old Equestria who wasn’t one of the Elements of Harmony or related to them in some way. And though Scootaloo had always adored Rainbow Dash, they weren’t family. “Eh, yeah… Is that wrong?” the pegasus filly replied, somewhat worried by the reactions she received. “I… I’m not the only one! Rainbow Dash always told me that she and the other admirals do, too! My parents don’t, though, so I never talked about it until I met Rainbow Dash again. I was kind of relieved when she told me that I wasn’t crazy.” Twilight, however, wasn’t listening anymore. She was tapping her head with her hoof, visibly frustrated by the questions this new revelation brought up. “This doesn’t make any sense!” she groaned, before sharply turning her attention to two of her friends. “Applejack, Rarity, did Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom ever give any indication that they remembered as well?” Both of her friends shook their heads. “Not that Ah remember, Twilight,” Applejack said, a tad worried when she noticed that the lavender mare looked about ready to start stomping on the floor because she didn’t understand. Judging from the look on her friends’ faces, she wasn’t the only one. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Twilight,” Scootaloo said with an innocent smile. “Nopony really understands why this happens. Well, except for the High Chancellor, or so Rainbow Dash said. You could ask her, Twilight, grand admiral Hooves arranged an audience with her for you tonight.” The mentioning of the High Chancellor seemed to calm Twilight down somewhat. “Yes, Rainbow Dash mentioned her before on our way here…” She cast a questioning glance at Scootaloo, nearly pressing her own face against the filly’s when she did so. “Did they tell you at what time this audience is?” Scootaloo grinned nervously and set a few paces back to put some distance between herself and the unicorn. “I don’t remember Rainbow Dash mentioning an hour. She did say it would be after supper, so that will be after eight o’clock at least.” Twilight looked at the only clock in the room. It was only seventeen minutes past six. She let out a long groan. Applejack walked over to her and gave her a strong pat on the back. “Chin up, Twilight, you’ll get them answers before you know it. Just be patient for a little while,” she said kindly. “In the meantime, why don’t y’all take little Scootaloo here up on her offer, and have her show us around? Get to know the place a bit?” Knowing she’d have to wait for her answers regardless, Twilight saw no reason to say no. She had no doubt there was a lot of interesting things to be seen in the palace, and she would certainly not mind being shown to them. So she agreed, much to Scootaloo’s delight. The filly was eager to carry out Rainbow Dash’s orders, but also secretly hoping she might perhaps get a tour guide cutie mark. --- Scootaloo had turned out to be a great guide, to the point where Twilight became so enthralled by the palace and whatever the filly could tell her that she was even a tad disappointed when the young pegasus said she had to end the tour to take them to the dining hall. There was nopony else there except the palace servants, and they took their supper with just the five of them. Scootaloo sat with them, grilling them for stories about Ponyville, asking how Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were faring, and if Cheerilee still was still teaching, amongst other things. The older mares happily indulged her, though it was mostly Rarity and Applejack speaking. They passed almost a full hour talking pleasantly like this, talking about and reliving old memories of both this and their previous lives. It could have gone on for even longer, perhaps, were it not that a few minutes before nine, Rainbow Dash chose to make her appearance. The admiral had ditched her battle gear in favour of her light grey suit, and she looked a tad more energetic than she had been when last her friends saw her. Only the fact that her mane looked even messier than usual betrayed that she had been sleeping. “I hope my esquire here gave you all a good show of the place,” she said, nodding with her head at Scootaloo, who had jumped up from her seat and saluted dutifully the moment Rainbow Dash had entered the room. “Complete satisfaction, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight assured her, smiling. She then gave her friend a puzzled glance. “What are you doing here, though? Aren’t you supposed to be in a meeting with the other admirals now?” “All in due time, egghead,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Derpy’s studying the invasion plans now, and we can’t decide anything until she’s done with that. She’ll call for me when she needs me.” She gestured at the beautiful clock that hung above the ornate doors of the dining hall. “In the meantime, we’ve got a High Chancellor to meet. So on your hooves, girls, we don’t want to keep her waiting.” Without bothering to wait if her friends were following her, Rainbow Dash turned around and walked to the exit of the hall. She stopped when she passed her esquire, who was still dutifully waiting for her next assignment. “You did a good job, squirt,” Rainbow Dash said with a proud smile, and Scootaloo basked in the praise. “You’re dismissed for the evening. I don’t think Derpy will take much longer, so I’ll probably be holding council ‘till late in the night once our audience with the Chancellor is finished. You don’t have to wait for me.” Scootaloo nodded, and gave a perfect salute. “Yes, admiral Rainbow Dash, ma’am!” she said, after which she said her goodbyes to Twilight and the others, and left the room. Rainbow Dash watched her go for a moment with a touched grin on her face, then she snapped out of it and walked out of the dining hall, her friends following in her wake. --- The walk to the High Chancellor’s quarters seemed to take forever, as far as Twilight was concerned, even though in reality it was only a few minutes. Perhaps the dark hallways, bathed only in moonlight, patrolled by the eerie, bat-winged Night Guards, had a hoof in making it feel like so much longer. Twilight caught herself being nervous, perhaps even anxious, and the feeling only grew stronger the longer they walked. Rainbow Dash led them to one of the highest floors in the palace, which Twilight remembered Scootaloo mentioning as off limits during her tour. No palace staff was allowed to enter this floor without supervision, and there weren’t even any guards stationed on the floor itself, only at the bottom of the stairs that led to the floor, to prevent anypony from entering. Twilight felt as if the five of them were about to made part of some great secret, something that could change all of Equestria were it to become known. The secrecy and security surrounding this place only made it seem more so, and it didn’t help to alleviate Twilight’s nerves in the slightest. Who was this High Chancellor? Who was this mysterious pony whose identity had to be kept secret at all costs, to the point where not even the royal guard, save their highest officers, were allowed to see her? Who was this pony who seemed to understand these strange phenomena caused by the shift in time, something that no other living pony appeared to do? She studied the faces of her friends, to try and learn how they felt about all of this. Fluttershy looked as anxious and nervous as she did, but that was normal behaviour for her. Pinkie Pie was hopping along, completely unaffected by all the mysteriousness and secrecy surrounding this place. Rarity appeared mostly confused, no doubt wondering who this High Chancellor was they were being taken to see, at such a late hour no less. And Applejack, finally, seemed to be a tad annoyed with all the secrecy. It didn’t help that Rainbow Dash wasn’t very forthcoming with each of her answers to all of their questions. “Consarnit, Rainbow, why the hay do you have to be so secretive about this pony you’re takin’ us to meet?” Applejack asked, probably for the umpteenth time. “Ah don’t see why you can’t just tell us, especially since you’re implyin’ we know this pony.” The cyan pegasus rolled her eyes. “Keep your hat on, AJ, and just be patient,” Rainbow Dash answered. “I told you already: I can’t tell you because I’m not allowed to. Just sit tight, you’ll understand in a moment.” In the distance, she could make out the end of the hall, and the great gates that awaited there. “Look, we’re almost there, anyway.” Applejack grumbled something that probably wasn’t very polite, but she didn’t press the matter any further, content with knowing that the time of answers was about to be upon them. Soon enough the Elements of Harmony stood before the gates, and all but Rainbow Dash were awed by the sight. The doors were truly huge, many times the size of a pony, and seemed to be made of solid steel. Two alicorns were depicted on them, one on each door, reared up on their hind legs and facing each other, the outstretched hooves of their forelegs almost touching. Twilight noticed that they vaguely resembled the Royal Pony sisters. Rainbow Dash turned around and gave her friends a serious look. “Before we go inside, you guys have to promise me that you will keep everything you see and hear behind these doors a secret. Don’t talk about it with anypony, not even with me or any of us, unless you’re absolutely sure that we’re alone. If you have to mention the pony behind these doors, always refer to her as ‘High Chancellor’, and never, ever, speak her name. Promise me!” Her friends gulped, and Twilight felt the knot of anxiety in her stomach tighten when she saw how dead serious Rainbow Dash was. There wasn’t a single hint of tolerance or permissiveness in her voice. She meant what she said, every single word of it. “We promise, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said nervously. Beside her, each of her friends muttered their own pledge. Rainbow Dash wasn’t satisfied, however. “Pinkie promise,” she insisted. Again her five friends exchanged worried glances. Even Applejack and Pinkie pie seemed to get a tad nervous now. Nevertheless, they all sat back, and as one said the sacred, binding oath: “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”. Finally, Rainbow Dash seemed pleased, and she turned back to the doors. Only now did her friends notice that the gates had neither a keyhole nor a doorknob. The pegasus admiral placed one of her hooves on the gates, and called upon the power of her magicite shards. She let a small spark of lightning flow forth from her hooves and into the gates. The effect was instantaneous: suddenly, a plethora of magical runes lit up on the surface of the doors, after which they slowly swung open, the oiled hinges not making a single sound. Behind the gates was a small porch, with a single torch on the wall, and another set of doors. These, however, were made of wood like a normal door, and their size was no greater than usual either. Rainbow Dash walked up to them and knocked. “Your Highness? It is me, admiral Rainbow Dash,” she announced. “I have brought your guests.” There was a brief moment of silence, broken only when Twilight gasped upon hearing the words her friend had used to address the pony awaiting them. Then, finally, a reply came from behind the doors, spoken by a firm and familiar voice. “Ah, admiral Rainbow Dash. We have been expecting thee and thine,” the voice said. “We bid thee to enter, we wish to be kept waiting no longer.” The admiral opened one of the doors, and entered the room, mentioning for her friends to accompany her. Twilight followed, though she was barely aware of it. She entered a great and cosy room, one that reminded her very much of Princess Celestia’s private quarters back in Canterlot Castle. The room was littered with furniture, books, documents and instruments, all of which Twilight in normal circumstances would be very interested in in observing. But now she did not even grant them a glance. All her attention was drawn to the lone occupant of the room, who stood by the window, waiting for them. It was a mare, tall and regal, larger than any other pony, save for Princess Celestia herself. She had a coat coloured dark blue, and her mane and tail appeared as if the night sky itself had gotten stuck to her scalp, for they carried stars within them, and waved in a non-existent breeze. Twilight saw it, but could not believe it, and judging from their open jaws and wide eyes, neither could her friends. “It can’t be…” Twilight thought. “I… I watched her die! She… she can’t be here…” And yet, her eyes did not deceive her, nor had Twilight been mistaken when she had thought that she had recognised the mare’s voice. There was no mistaking who they were gazing upon. There, standing before the stunned Elements of Harmony, alive and well, was Princess Luna. End of chapter 24.