Epilogue II
The Funeral
"We gather here today in remembrance of four lives given freely for the protection of countless more." The words sounded hollow and over thought, as if the speaker was less concerned with the words’ sincerity than the emotion they provoked. "We owe it to them not to stand in mourning, for they are in a better place now." Her eyes glanced over the gathered, clad in black. All was silence and memory, but tears were few. "We share in sorrow not that they have moved on, but that we are left behind. And so, instead, we remain behind in the knowledge that we shall someday be reunited with them."
Celestia, resplendent in her full glory, glanced to the small stage that had been set up in the Palace gardens. There, three ponies were waiting. A subtle nod brought the first forth.
Shining Armor's face was beleaguered with mixed emotion. He wore his radiant cuirass, but its usual glow appeared muffled even beneath the towering shine of the sun. His helmet was absent, exposing the bare glow of his horn. At his side he levitated a small, beautifully engraved urn. Swirls of gold mixed with the stone to create a lively design, the vivacity of which seemed almost out of place in the garden’s somber atmosphere.
The captain set the urn down at the edge of the stage, and then looked up slowly. "My name is Captain Shining Armor. I stand my vigil in remembrance of Lieutenant Mark Down." He had heard them a dozen times before—the traditional opening words of a guardspony’s last rites. Yet for the first time, the words bore weight. "Thinking back, it seems almost a lifetime ago that Mark and I met in training. I doubt I would have made it into the guard without his help; he knew far more about magic than I did." Shining smiled awkwardly. "After graduation, we served together whenever we had the chance. We fought shoulder to wing in the Zebrica campaign, and did so again in Bitaly later that same year. We busted crime rings and dragged out spies all across Equestria. But I would be doing him an injustice if I let his memory amount to just battle."
The guardspony glanced to a family of pegasi sitting on his far left, and gave them a short but meaningful nod. "Mark Down loved Equestria. He loved meeting ponies, and seeing places. He loved life. He told me once that protecting that was the reason he'd joined the guard. So that everypony else could enjoy it the same way that he did. And whenever he wasn't on duty protecting what he loved, he would lead me out into the world and show me it. We visited nearly every city in Equestria. We met beautiful mares, and ate expensive foods. In time we had gone so far together that we reached the top. I had no intention of taking the post I now hold without him at my side, as my right hoof. The thought of him not being there in days to come still shakes me to my core."
In the crowd, Cadance bore a faint smile, though Shining could see the sorrow buried under her face. She was being strong not for his sake, but for the young mare she held under a wing. Mark's younger sister, Run Down, was sobbing gently as she listened to the captain's words.
The words he had earlier composed, with no small assistance from his wife, were a struggle to pull forth. He furrowed his brow and summoned up the last of his resolve, determined to give his friend a worthy sendoff. "I could tell you stories until we were all gray maned and wrinkled, but I think that it’s most important to remember this about Mark: he died the way he lived, protecting what he loved. And I don't think he would have given that up for the world." He allowed the final thought to hang in the air for a moment before glancing around the crowd. "Do any others hold Mark in their memories?"
His eyes shot first to the other four Royal Guards in attendance. They shook their heads slowly, having no words to add to their captain’s. And so, calmly, he turned toward Mark's family. His sister Run was still too overwhelmed with emotion to speak, and his parents simply shook their heads. For a civilian ceremony, it might have been odd, but Shining could understand. They were nearly the only civilians present, and the mass of gathered guardsponies was certainly intimidating when one wanted to share personal memories. Recognizing the silence, Shining's magic claimed the urn at the front of the stage.
A flip of his head tossed it into the air. It soared upward with an intense momentum, seeming as though it would never stop. Before it reached its peak, however, the unicorn captain fired off another spell. A rose bolt collided with the marble urn, sending glowing ashes across the sky in a display like fireworks.
Celestia whispered gently from her seat at the foot of the stage. "As his soul goes on to better places, we return his body to the sky, that it might soar amongst his kin forever."
Shining spared her a glance as he made his way off the stage to rejoin the gathered mourners. Without word or signal, the next pony followed.
- - -
In Luna's eyes, Marathon's form was exposed and bare. The younger princess had never seen the diplomat without a flowing dress or at least a skirt. That day, though, she was garbed in a golden cuirass alone; her missing legs were plain to see below the winged scroll that was her cutie mark. She placed her urn at the forefront of the stage, and bluntly sat down behind it.
"My name is Private Marathon. I stand my vigil in remembrance of Morning Star." The diplomat spoke in soft tones, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to be overridden by the strength of memories. "I remember him as the perfect guardspony." She twisted the corners of her lips up into the slightest hint of a smile, pretending that the happiness of the memory could somehow counterbalance the strain of the event. "From the day I joined the guard, he was the one I always looked up to. Like any good guardspony he could be hard and serious, but life around him made our jobs a lot easier." She glanced to the other three Honor Guard who had remained both loyal and alive over the past weeks. "We remember him playing cards with us, drinking and laughing and sharing our time off together. And when he was on duty, he had our respect."
Marathon took a deep breath, and turned toward the Royal Guards and the civilians present. Her gaze swept over every present pony, save Luna herself. It wasn't a surprise. "In his own way, he was the soul of the Honor Guard. He kept us alive, and tied us back to remind us why we do what we do. When I joined seven years ago, he told me that the Honor Guard was like a family. And in that family, Star was our big brother. He looked out for us, worrying about not just if we were going into danger, but also about how we were feeling. He cared about us, and about keeping us safe. There's a saying, back from Commander Hurricane's time: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who guards the Guard? And the answer I will always remember is that he did."
The guardspony spread her wings, glancing once more to her peers on the highest branch of Equestria's Guard. "I say these words not only for myself, but by the agreement of my companions. Before we send our brother on his way, are there any who wish to remember him alongside us?" Marathon clearly expected nopony to step forward—she already had the agreement of the Honor Guard, and all of Morning Star's immediate family had preceded him in death. Therefore, when she moved toward his urn, she was caught off-guard by the tap of hooves approaching from the side of the stage.
The Honor Guard shared uncomfortable looks. Thunder Crack, as blunt as ever, furrowed his brow and wrinkled his muzzle into a cruel scowl. White Flag and the unicorn stallion she sat beside were more subtle, but their distaste for her involvement was no less present. Only Marathon maintained an even face, and even she did not show gratitude for the Princess' motion.
Luna saw them; that much was clear. She hesitated when her eyes met theirs, and one of her hooves took far too long in its progress toward a reasonable step. But the Princess would not be silent. She carried herself without assurance, but she carried herself nevertheless to Marathon's side. And there, she looked out at the crowd, avoiding the gazes of her harshest critics. Her words came slowly, forcing themselves out without the burden of her more comfortable archaic tongue. "I... remember Morning Star."
Thunder Crack actually had the gall to try and rise. The unicorn stallion sitting between him and White Flag wrapped a foreleg over his shoulder and very nearly tackled him back into a sitting position. No words were said, and very little noise was made. Some of the other mourners didn't even notice, but Luna did. Her eyes ran away quickly, as if to acknowledge a justified shame.
"I never truly learned his name. He had been assigned to me, and I considered him a burden rather than a friend. But he endured. He endured us at our– at my worst. He was with me for five years... he never once complained. And when danger came, he gave his life." The younger princess, suddenly aware that she had no final thought for her words, glanced awkwardly across the crowd and turned away.
- - -
Rainbow Dash, who sat at the far side of the stage holding the last of the urns, felt her heart crumble in sympathy. It overrode her distaste for the entire ceremony, and the butterflies that were dominating her stomach. Twilight had helped her prepare her own speech, but it was spilling out of her mind at a speed to rival her own flight. She struggled to focus on it so hard that she completely missed the shattering of Star's urn, the result of a single blast from the Honor Guard's unicorn mare.
Marathon flapped slowly off the stage, offering Rainbow a short pat on the shoulder as she passed. Rainbow gulped, nodded, and strode onto the stage. An urn filled with plain sand was her companion. It was the best substitute that could be found for the ashes of a body resting at the bottom of Grivridge.
His armor fit almost comfortably, despite having been sized for a stallion. She'd resisted at first; she still insisted she was done with the Guard. They told her that only a guardspony could stand vigil for another, and so she had agreed quietly to don the golden plate once more. They told her it was his. He had left it in Canterlot the last time he had worn it, five years earlier in Ponyville. The burns of lightning had deformed the golden plates that formed its chest slightly, but nevertheless clearly. Without even thinking, she knew they would fit perfectly over the spider-web of burns she had seen beneath his shirt. She discarded the thought only as a measure of respect for Luna.
"My name is Priv..." The syllable dragged itself out, but she could not bring herself to use the title. She shook her head, dislodging the last of her practiced speech, and started again in her own words. They would not be eloquent or beautiful, but they would be honest and heartfelt. "My name is Rainbow Dash, and I stand vigil for Corporal Dead Reckoning." Nopony commented that she had broken from tradition. She had earned respect enough for that. She sucked down a breath of warm August air and began to speak. "I didn't know Deadeye long. We only met two weeks ago. But I knew him. He was my partner." She glanced to where her five friends had gathered, in support for her rather than sorrow of their own. "He was my friend."
She pictured the quirky smile that wrapped across his jaw, deformed on the far left by the ancient scars of a griffon's talons. "Reckoning was an adventurer. It was his special talent, and what he always wanted out of life. That's what drew him to the guard, and why he wouldn't quit, no matter what." The words were close to what she had prepared, but they were also her own. "He lost his eye, and he got old, and he even started to lose his mind, but even with all that, I don't think I've ever known somepony so alive."
For just a moment, she thought she could see him standing there in the jungle. He slapped the back of his own head, and his eye popped out. She had gasped, and he had laughed, harder and heartier than ponies a third of his age. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that to me, Deadeye wasn't really a guardspony. He was a great pony, who just sort of was a guard too. But I don't remember him for how he fought, or how he stood stiff. What I remember most about him was that he cared. I barely knew him for a week, but in that time, he was open to me like we'd known each other forever. And I guess that's why it hurts so much that he's gone."
Rainbow looked out over the crowd. Her friends wore somber expressions, but they hadn't known him. It was the Honor Guard who shared the greatest sympathy with Rainbow's words. They nodded slowly, admiring her reflection on their lost friend. She spoke up again. "I guess that's what I wanted to say. Does anyone else... er, is there anyone else who wants to remember Dead Reckoning?"
The Honor Guard shared a glance amongst themselves, but none moved to step forward. The rest didn't move. Rainbow quickly spared a look toward Reckoning's brother, though she expected nothing. He had wanted nothing to do with his brother in life. The appearance of both he and his family was the result of obligation, and nothing more. After the moment for response had passed, the mare cupped Reckoning's urn in one foreleg, and shot up into the air.
The mourners watched in silence as the rainbow blur shot into the sunny sky. No sooner had she been lost to the sky, though, than she ducked down again. Her rapidly beating wings sent her toward the ground far faster than the marble urn. Mere feet from the ground, Rainbow turned and drew back her hind legs in tandem. On that clear sunny day, all across Equestria, ponies saw a bolt of lightning fly upward into a cloudless sky from the peak of the Mountain of Dawn. The sand that served as a replacement for honest ashes scattered on the winds to the far corners of the world. Without a word, Rainbow returned to the ground. She could conjure no more fitting memorial for her friend.
She skipped the stage altogether, landing at the edge of the stage, and walking slowly out to the crowd. For the first time in her life, she was glad when nopony applauded. It would have seemed unfair.
- - -
Far away from where the young mare landed, a cloaked and hooded mare sat behind a statue of Commander Hurricane, rearing up in stone armor. She had stood strong through the whole ceremony, as still as the statue that concealed her from view. When Celestia moved back to the stage, carrying the fourth and final urn, though, the mare suddenly collapsed as if beneath a great weight.
Unaware of the observer, Princess Celestia's gilded hooves tapped gently across the stage, and she set down the urn softly. "I am Celestia, and I stand my vigil in remembrance of the Commander."
The mare's voice was nothing more than a whisper, yet she spoke just the same. "My name is Lieutenant Soldier On, and I stand my vigil in remembrance of the Commander."
The monarch sat down slowly, and looked directly at the broken remnant of her Honor Guard. "What does a name really mean?" Soldier On heard the eloquence in the words, but she also detected their artifice. "I do not call my defender Steel Lining now, any more than I would in his life. It was not truly his name; only a label he endured, as he endured so much more." Celestia glanced to the sky. "Too much."
There was a motion in the crowd, but it went ignored. Instead, Soldier On nodded, remembering the pains that the Commander had endured. Cuts and scrapes where dragon claws and changeling horns and so much more had torn his flesh and spilt his blood. Yet the fact that made him great was that he had endured. The wounds always proved shallow, in time. Only one scar had ever truly clung to him.
The traitor's eyes jumped to the crowd as a red pegasus in a heavy black coat leaned forward in interest. A scowl spread across the mare's face. Red Ink and his usurping father had no right to bear witness to the Commander's memorial.
Celestia paid no attention to Red Ink's minor motion. Her gentle words continued, unabated. "The Commander was a stallion who saw only the prize, and paid no mind to the cost. He was a guardspony because his own life was not of value. He kept few friends–only those who could help him in his task. Family would have been a burden, and so he passed on it entirely."
Soldier On caught a subtle motion from within the small cluster of young mares that composed the Elements of Harmony. The soldier had been a mother, once; she knew what pain looked like even from afar. To approach and offer comfort was beyond her, and so she wished peace only from afar, even as her ears continued to listen to her closest friend's eulogy.
"Few knew him by his face, and even fewer knew him by his name. Yet each and every one of us owes no small part of the peace we enjoy to this one stallion, who paid for so much of it not with his death, but with his life." Celestia lowered her head to stare at the urn for a few spare moments before continuing. "Without family, his memory is shared only amongst the few of us who have gathered here today. I urge you to hold on to that memory, as we move on from this place and this moment." She glanced across the crowd of listeners she was aware of, gazing into each of their eyes. "Do any of you wish to share in his memory?"
After far more than a moment's silence, Tsar Watchful Eye rose. Soldier On's scowl grew deeper yet as she watched the small alicorn summit the steps to stand beside a mare twice his height. Celestia gave him a knowing, comforting glance, but he seemed to spurn the gesture.
"In Stalliongrad, we have a word for a pony who makes sacrifices to help others. In Equiish, that word is 'hero'. I met the stallion I knew as сталь кромка more than twenty years ago, and the first thing I saw in him was that he was a hero. In those days, the dragons had darkened the sky with scales and fire. His arrival was the first ray of hope my home had enjoyed in months. I would have lost my wife and my sons, were it not for his presence."
"How dare you speak of family?" Soldier On's hoof pressed down on the statue of Hurricane so hard, the stone began to crack. Only the noise drew away her forceful hoof, fearing that it would draw attention to her presence.
The Tsar paced slowly, and then sat down on the very edge of the stage beside the urn. "I had wished in those days to call him my friend. He resisted, because in his mind to be a friend was to give up time he could have spent helping others. He had no family, and so I offered to share mine with him. He was a mentor to my sons, a protector to my family, and a friend to me." The Tsar bowed his head. "I will remember him fondly, and well."
After a moment of silence, clearly offering the stage to another speaker, the Tsar retreated. Only a moment later, five ponies took to the stage. The four remaining Honor Guard gathered around their new Captain. It brought Soldier On a bit of pride to see the pain with which Red Ink moved¬–the result of the scar she had left across his chest. Though it was concealed by a thick black sash, it was present just the same. The satisfaction was not enough, though, to offset her anger that Ink was standing in her place.
Red Ink took the Commander's urn between his hooves, and then glanced briefly toward Celestia. She nodded, and a golden glow wrapped around her horn. The pegasus shot into the air, trailing smoke as he carried his predecessor into the clouds. It took longer for Ink to climb than it had Rainbow, but the journey was short nevertheless. Nearly stolen from view by the glare of the sun, Red Ink's silhouette dropped the urn. Celestia's magic grew suddenly stronger, bearing threat and focus together into a brilliant spear.
Having found her last closure with the Honor Guard and Canterlot, Soldier On turned and left, feeling a chapter of her life drawing to a close with each and every step.
- - -
After it was done, they gathered around small tables, chatting and sparing each other brief and meaningless glances. One table sat five miserable ponies. The sixth of their number, Twilight Sparkle, had gone to her brother, confident that Rainbow would be taken care of in the company of four other friends. Each of the four struggled to find some words that might magically solve her problems. The exercise was painful, heavy, and in Rainbow Dash's eyes, completely unfair. She stared down at a plate of greens, and then forced her head up enough to look to her friends.
At least one noticed. "How ya' holdin' up, Sugarcube?"
"Fine," Rainbow lied.
Rarity patted her friend on the shoulder. "Your friend, Mr. Reckoning, sounded like a delightful fellow."
"Yeah." The simple word was as dead as he was. "He was."
Trying to cheer up her friend more bluntly, Pinkie Pie's voice joined her friends. "That lightning trick was pretty awesome!"
"He taught me it."
What followed was an awful, truly painful silence amongst the Bearers. All save Rainbow looked to one another, each wishing that they knew what to say. None did, and so instead, a paltry lunch was eaten and discomfort hung in the air like a fog.
Finally, in silent outrage and her oldest friend's suffering, Fluttershy leaned forward across the table and looked directly at Rainbow. "Uh, Rainbow, I just wanted to ask... if it's okay... do you want to talk about your dad?"
A brown hat swiveled toward the speaker. "Uh, Fluttershy, I don't think her pa has anythin' to do with this."
Rarity followed the motion. "I do have to ask what you mean."
"Yeah, Fluttershy." Determined not to be left out, Pinkie Pie spoke up. "What gives?"
"Oh, well, you see... it's just that when Rainbow and I were fillies growing up in Cloudsdale–"
Rainbow put a hoof down on the tabletop. She'd meant nothing by the action, but the plates on the surface jumped at the force. "My dad died in the Dragon Wars when I was a foal," Rainbow answered, spite leaking into her words. "Big deal. I got over it a long time ago."
"Now hold yer horses, Rainbow. Why 're ya gettin' all worked up about this?"
"I'm not!" she answered, with another slam of her hoof. Fluttershy's drink spilled, and the timid mare retreated from the edge of the table. Even in her awful state, the fright she had instilled earned her a slight condemnation from Applejack. Overborne with emotion, the mare clutched her mane and gritted her teeth. "Fine, whatever. I'm gonna sit alone for a bit."
Before they could answer, she turned around and strode away. There wasn't much distance, but in the somber quiet, nopony was willing to call after her. Abandoning them was liberating in its own way, though Rainbow knew in her heart that the feeling itself was twisted and wrong. She didn't care. She needed the space.
She trotted away from the other tables, toward a statue labeled 'Victory'. The marble mare standing with the fabric flag was quiet. That alone made her suitable company for Rainbow as she collapsed onto her flank and forced a trio of deep breaths into herself.
It wasn't long, however, before hooves approached. They beat the ground with a deep bass tone, likely coming from Applejack's powerful legs. She didn't bother with even so much as a glance backward. Perhaps this was why she was surprised when a strangely masculine, heavily accented voice greeted her.
"You are here to be getting space, I expect? I could not stand the politik either." The pony who spoke was an all-red pegasus who seemed to have packed too much muscle onto his naturally small frame. A heavy black coat with a lining of rough gray fur around its neck covered most of his body, with only tiny slits for his wings. "I am..." he hesitated before settling on a series of words. "...Red Ink."
"Rainbow Dash," the mare answered plainly. "What's with the pause?"
"I am imagining you do not want to hear about my rank. It is good. The Princess is... unhappy with me. That is why I am here, apart from others." Ink donned a devious but subtle smile. "My brother is reminding me that it is bad form to start an 'altar-cate-ion' with Shining Armor while at our mentor's funeral."
Rainbow's curiosity was piqued, despite her buried anger at the stallion in question. "What was he like?"
"The Commander?" A real, honest smile replaced the devious grin, though it quickly faded as the stallion remembered his loss. "He was... more than mentor. I had many tutors in my life who taught me to be educated. To be 'diplomat'. One even tried teaching Equiish." He laughed at his own broken language, and even Rainbow nearly smiled, but that emotion and the sound it accompanied were fleeting. "Mentor was not like them. He taught me to be a stallion. To fight. To sacrifice. He was... like father to me."
Without a word, Rainbow stood and walked away.
- - -
Shining Armor paced away from the Down family as they prepared to leave. His hooves carried him softly to his wife, who was sharing quiet, comforting words with the Tsar and his eldest son. She turned away from them when she noticed his approach. "Shining, how are you doing?"
"They're fine, Cadance. Run is doing–"
"No, Shining, how are you doing?"
The captain reacted to the question as though he had been physically struck. After a brief recoil, he set his eyes properly on the mare and smiled. "I'm fine, Cadance."
"If you're sure." She sounded unconvinced, but nevertheless chose to return her attention to Watchful Eye and Foresight. "Tsar, this is my husband-"
"We met a few weeks ago, Princess," Watchful Eye interrupted. "But I do appreciate your effort to introduce us. Captain Armor, I am glad that I find you in good health. My sons and I were very concerned when we read about your confrontations in the newspaper."
Shining nodded gratefully, as was expected, though he knew that at least one of the Tsar's sons was the source of his own wounds in the first place. "We've nearly wrapped up the case. We've caught Masquerade, thanks to the Princess, so all that's left is to figure out who hired her."
"Be careful with her, Shining Armor. She can be dangerous even within a cage. She slipped between my hooves once in the past."
"We're taking every precaution, Tsar. Believe me when I say that I have no intention of having to fight her again."
Cadance spoke up rather suddenly. "Why don't we talk about something a bit more peaceful? Tsar, Foresight, how is Stalliongrad these days? I haven't been since I was just a filly."
"Just the same as it's been for a few thousand years," Foresight answered with a smile. "Nothing really changes at home. I confess I have much more interest in your new home, Princess. I'm something of a student of magical history, and I was fascinated to hear that the Crystal Empire had returned from the mists of the past."
"Well to be honest, with King Sombra out of the way, it isn't a true 'empire' anymore. Soon, we'll just be the Crystal Domain."
"And you shall have a seat on the Stable of Nobles," the Tsar observed. "Forgive me if I seem crude in this, but I had been hoping you might replace your father instead. Our meetings could do with your more gentle touch."
Shining nodded in agreement, recalling the horrors of that small room and the nobleponies within. Cadance laughed gently at the two stallions. "I'd be the first to admit my father can be overbearing, but he means well."
The Tsar spoke in firm agreement to the larger alicorn. "As, we must hope, do all the members of the Stable. Still, I confess to surprise in hearing that your 'empire' might well become the ninth domain of Equestria. Was Saddle Arabia not in pursuit of that position?"
"I may be mistaken," Foresight began, "but my understanding is that Saddle Arabia's southern lands are still contested by Warchief Khagan of the boars. I assume Princess Celestia does not wish to risk conflict and bloodshed by posing a formal claim to the land, even if the Tusk Rot has left the Boars in little position to fight a war. Tell me, Princess, am I right?"
Shining and Cadance whirled to find not one, but both ruling princesses of Equestria approaching in perfect silence. The elder met Foresight's gaze and offered him a slight nod. "It isn't simply a matter of whether we could defeat the boars with violence, though, my little pony. I have no intention to see bloodshed at all if I can avoid it. We have already seen the passing of too many guardsponies. But forgive my interruption."
"It's probably better that you did, Princess," Cadance answered. "We were growing dangerously close to discussing politics."
"'Tis better, then, that we save thee from such a cruel fate." Luna spoke in a straightforward tone, missing the subtle humor of the comment completely. "Tsar Eye, there are a few matters that I would discuss with you, if but a moment can be spared."
"Certainly, Princess," the Tsar answered.
As the pair of alicorns walked away, Cadance called out the larger mare. "What you said for Morning Star was beautiful, Princess."
"Nay, 'twas shameful. My words were meant for comfort, and yet instead they caused pain as they so often do. Perhaps someday I will learn silence." Luna strode away, leaving four ponies behind.
"Wow," Shining muttered. "Is she alright?"
"She will be in time, and with a few kind words. I do not look forward to the less kind words that I must share with others. It seems that my Honor Guard are unwilling to forgive her past, and their new leader has a matter of his own that we must address." A quick diplomatic smile graced her lips, trying to do away with grim subjects. "This is not the time for that sort of talk, though. I had merely come to see that you were handling the passing of your friends well."
With that, the eldest of all ponies walked away with her steady gait. Three remained behind.
They simply sat in silence for some time before Cadance once more broke the ice. "If it isn't too much trouble, Foresight, do you know what business your father has with Princess Luna? I don't mean to pry, really, but it seemed like something more than just the speech was bothering her."
"Well, let me answer the question you really mean to ask." Foresight turned toward the distant edge of the gathering, where Luna and Watchful Eye were quietly addressing one another. "I do not know what is bothering the Princess. It is not the funeral, however. Princess Luna did not have any attachment to the Commander in the way that Princess Celestia did. In point of fact, he despised her utterly, though I do not know why."
Shining was stunned by the admission. "Wait, the Commander-"
"Reflected his subordinates, only more so. I am not going to pretend he is a hero the way my father and brother do. Perhaps it is true that we would have lost the revolution without him, but he was just as much of a blunt instrument as Red Ink. Their only difference seemed to be that my brother seeks out conflict and derives enjoyment from it."
Foresight turned back to the empty stage. "My father is a reformer and an idealist. My brother is a warrior. He shared both their traits. But I am, to use a blunt term, a bureaucrat, and we did not see eye to eye on many thing. I don't bother aspiring to greatness or fame. The silent gratitude that Stalliongrad continues to run day after day is enough for me. That, and my books. Which brings me back to Princess Cadance's question. Princess Luna is not troubled by her business with my father, but in all likelihood, she is simply borrowing a book from our libraries."
"Doesn't the Canterlot library have all the works she could ever need?" Shining asked.
"If she wanted something written within her the span of her reign, though I suspect she might simply remember such a thing. My father maintains Stalliongrad Castle, and thus he is in an informal sense the librarian of its library. It is home to many of the ancient scrolls and treatises of the ancient unicorn kingdom 'Unicornia', which predates the rule of the sisters. Sometimes father is even kind enough to allow me access to the old tomes and scrolls, though their age makes handling the parchment a risky endeavor."
"Wow." Cadance turned to her husband. "Sounds like Twilight's paradise."
"You mean the Bearer of Magic, Twilight Sparkle?"
"My sister," Shining explained.
"Ah. Well, I hate to disappoint you, but father has kept the vaults and libraries sealed since we claimed the castle. Most of the books are likely mundane, but there is dangerous magic to be found in the scrolls under the castle. Father's predecessor, Baron Frostbite, made use of it. We don't want to risk a rogue mage, so only father has access. As I said, he is kind when he permits me to read even simple scrolls. On that matter, actually, I have a request for you two."
"Uh," Shining turned to his wife, and she nodded briefly. "Go ahead?"
"Would you allow me to peruse the library of the Crystal Empire? I've been hoping to for years since it reappeared, but my time has been precious in Stalliongrad until recently."
"I don't see why you need to ask," Shining answered awkwardly.
"It's a public library," Cadance explained.
Foresight cocked his head in confusion before his eyes widened. "Even with Sombra's records? Or are those kept somewhere else?" He stopped, scratching the back of his head with a hoof. "I'm sorry, that most likely made me sound quite suspicious. My interest is in the climate magic that protects the capital from the snow. It could be very beneficial to Stalliongrad, as you can likely imagine."
"Of course," Shining answered, seeing the Stalliongradi diplomat and historian growing flustered and nervous under his own words. "Actually, you're welcome to join Cadance and I; we're heading north tonight."
"Really?" Foresight's nervousness tumbled away, replaced by subdued excitement. "Thank you very much. I'll inform my father and make arrangements." Cadance and Shining watched the pony wander off, as they found themselves recalling where they were, and why they had gathered there.
- - -
Rainbow sat in front of Discord, simply because he was far away from where anypony might come to speak with her. She didn't bother touching the statue, for she had no more desire to hear his voice than any of her own friends. She simply sat there, staring at the tortured look of the draconequus.
It didn't take long for her solitude to be interrupted again by a pair of soft but steady wings.
"Um, Rainbow, I just-"
"Fluttershy?" Rainbow let out a little growl as she rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings earlier, but–¬"
"Just stop." Rainbow turned back to Discord and sighed. "I'm sorry, 'Shy. I thought I was over him, but he just keeps coming back, doesn't he?"
The butter yellow pegasus sat down beside her friend and gave her a gentle hug. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. But it might help if you talked about it, instead of keeping it to yourself."
The mare rolled her eyes, but her reluctance was bested by the warm foreleg wrapped around her shoulders. "Well, when I was really little, we didn't know what had happened to him. He left before I had even turned one."
Fluttershy shared in Rainbow's sorrow. "That must have been awful. Do you remember anything about him?"
It took the braver of the two pegasi a moment to build up her courage. "All I remember of him is his voice, singing to me. Otherwise, all I've seen is pictures." The mare shrugged, trying to get rid of Fluttershy's foreleg and the memories all at once.
The Bearer of Kindness refused to allow it. "And then he ran away and joined the guard?"
"He was already a guardspony even before I was born. But he was supposed to have retired. When he left, Mom started telling me that it was just because of the war. That he'd come back some day." Rainbow's squinted for a moment, to keep her eyes as dry as possible. "When she was dying, she kept asking me and Papa if he'd come home."
Fluttershy did not interrupt with words, but her hug squeezed tighter as the story grew more difficult for Rainbow.
"Papa didn't want to get my hopes up. He warned me that dad might have died. But Gilda told me something different. She said he just didn't care, and that he'd probably run off to get away from the responsibility." The first of the tears leaked down Rainbow's face. "I almost believed her, until Papa got the letter. And then I finally thought I knew. Dad had died. He'd left Mom alone and died, and that was it. I was mad at him so much for that. It took me so long to get over it, but I finally did."
"And then all of this..." Fluttershy's thought ended in a tighter embrace still, bringing both her wings into the hug as well as her forelegs. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow."
"It was so much easier just thinking he had died. But to find out now that Gilda was right, and he was the Commander the entire time..." Rainbow shook her head as Fluttershy moved toward her again. "I'll survive," she muttered, in spite of Celestia's warnings. "I always do, right?" The words were accompanied by a small grin, meant more to cheer up her friend than to honestly indicate Rainbow's own well being. "Just give me a while to sit and I'll be fine, okay?"
"Okay, Rainbow. If that's what you want. It wasn't fair of him to keep that secret from you."
As the pegasi wandered off in their own directions, neither heard the silent laugh that issued forth from the statue they left behind.
"Oh, Rainbow Dash. The 'Commander' was really your father? You can't even begin to imagine the things I can do with that."
- - -
"My faithful student, is something wrong?"
Twilight Sparkle approached Celestia and then sat down on the grass in her black dress. Rarity might have screamed at the misuse of the fabric, but Twilight honestly intended to disintegrate the garment as soon as the funeral was done. It had been designed for Rainbow's funeral, and that came with too many awful memories to overcome.
"A lot of things are wrong, Princess."
Celestia's brow rose in concern, and she took a seat beside her student. Together, the two stared off at the statues of the garden as they spoke.
"Tell me what has been going on in your life, Twilight. How are your studies?"
Twilight looked up at Celestia, who tipped her head as if urging her to speak. "Well, if that's what you think we should talk about... My thesis is set up, though I haven't touched in a few weeks. I need to find a... well, this sounds awful, but a 'control group'."
"Meaning somepony who doesn't have any friends?" Celestia seemed contemplative for a moment, and then she spoke suddenly. "I'm sorry, Twilight. Please hold on a moment." The Princess closed her eyes, though a dim golden glow escaped from beneath their lids. Twilight had seen the process before, though never from so close. It lasted all of a minute, but when it stopped, Celestia seemed somewhat drained.
"The Summer Lands?" the student asked knowingly.
"Yes," Celestia nodded. "A guardspony from Los Pegasus. Please forgive the interruption. You had something you wanted to say?"
"I wanted to talk about Rainbow, Princess."
Celestia shuddered as if suppressing the urge to rise, but nevertheless managed to hesitantly nod, as if providing permission for Twilight to continue.
"She's been acting odd lately. Always wanting time alone. I know you said that her..." The words trailed off utterly, before a shake of her head restored Twilight's resolve. "You know. Anyway, you said that wouldn't be a concern for at least a few months. It might be something else that's bothering her, but that's the problem, Princess: I just can't figure anything out."
Hesitation filled Celestia's voice. "It may very well be something that happened in her journey, Twilight. Unless she tells you what is wrong, I don't think there is much that you or I can do to help."
Twilight's face scrunched up in the peculiar manner that denoted deep thought. It remained that way for all of five seconds before deflating in an exasperated groan. "I just wish there was something I could do to make things better. My magic doesn't seem like much use here."
Celestia extended a wing, wrapping it around her student's shoulders. "Perhaps there is something to be learned from this. Let me see..." The Princess paused in thought. "Dear Twilight Sparkle, today I learned an incredibly important lesson about friendship. I was worried about my sister, and I tried to do my best to fix everything with my magic. Unfortunately, sometimes magic isn't the right answer. Sometimes, it can make things worse, instead of better. I hurt somepony who hadn't done anything wrong, because I thought that I was strong enough to simply make the problem go away with a thought and a spell. Though things turned out well, they did so in spite of my magic, rather than because of it."
"But Princess, if Rainbow-"
Celestia's gold-shod hoof was elevated to produce silence. "Luna didn't need to come back. She would have been happy. Equestria would have survived. I had to have her back because I was selfish, and couldn't stand to be alone. Now she is here again, suffering for my sake. So, the lesson I learned is that magic isn't always the answer. Sometimes, the only magic that can solve our problems is friendship. For once, your faithful student, Princess Celestia."