//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Coming Back // by bats //------------------------------// The five mares cantered slowly into the Crystal Empire, sloughing off their coats and scarves and stowing them away in their saddlebags as the bitter cold gave way to the warmth and glow of the magical city. The warmth did not touch their moods as they contemplated the foreboding missive. “A military draft. Never thought I’d see the day.” Applejack shook her head sadly. A white hoof settled on her shoulder and she smiled at Rarity. “I reckon it makes sense, though. Princess Celestia can’t put all her eggs in our basket.” “That’s true,” Twilight mused, rubbing her chin with a hoof, “We can only hope we get Rainbow Dash back in time and honestly there’s no guarantee that having her back will actually be helpful.” “Of course it’ll be helpful, silly! Then the Elements of Harmony will work again!” Pinkie Pie said with a giggle, her mirth dying prematurely when she caught sight of the quiet contemplation on the purple mare’s face. “Will they though? The Elements broke with Rainbow Dash’s death, but we don’t know that her being alive again is going to fix them.” Twilight slowed in her steps, lost in thought. She glanced around when she found her friends had stopped a few paces in front and were watching her expectantly. She hurried to rejoin the group. “All we really know about what we’re doing is that Rainbow will be here and so will the Elements of Strife.” Rarity frowned in thought. She glanced around at her friends, biting her lip. “I…hate to be the one to bring this up, but…we know our dear Rainbow bears one of the Elements of Strife…” her gaze settled on Fluttershy, who had grown quiet and introspective since entering the warmth of the Empire, “And by all appearances the Element of War picked you. Perhaps it will be the same for the other Elements?” As Fluttershy opened her mouth Twilight was quick to halt the flow of the conversation. “That is a working theory, but without solid evidence that’s all it is. We cannot operate under the assumption that Fluttershy bears the Element of War, nor that the rest of us are to bear the other Elements of Strife.” She eyed the yellow mare closely while she spoke, pleased to see her friend’s clenched shoulders visibly loosen at her words. “For now, all we’re doing is collecting.” As they approached the outlying buildings of the city, two pegasi standing rigidly at attention came into view, positioned on either side of the road. Both wore midnight blue armor adorned with silver crescents. The stallion on the left cleared his throat. “Halt.” The mares stopped their forward progression, apprehension steeling over them. “Evening sirs,” Twilight chimed as brightly as she could muster, cantering towards the pony, “We’re here to visit Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.” “Papers.” The gruff voice of the guard offered no compassion, his stock position not wavering. Twilight stopped short in her approach, swallowing heavily. “Papers? What’re they talkin’ about, Twi’?” Applejack cantered slowly next to the purple unicorn, a bewildered eyebrow raised. The other three joined them, lining the narrow road. “No papers? It is a crime for of age ponies to be without either conscription orders or a letter of dismissal.” The pegasus broke his statuesque façade to eye his opposite number on the right side of the road. “We might have some draft dodgers here, Tusk.” Tusk grunted, beginning to stand. “Wait, hold on.” Twilight quickly rummaged through her saddlebag, floating five bundled sheets of parchment out in a gentle purple glow. “What about these?” She levitated the sheets in front of the guard where he could read them. After scanning through the first his expression softened. “Agents of Equestria? That’s Princess Celestia’s seal.... Alright, Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor are at the Crystal Palace.” The two pegasi saluted sharply and resumed their stoic vigil. Twilight returned the letters to her saddlebag and the five mares trotted quickly into the city, unease blanketing them. “This is rather unsettling. I’ve never felt so mistrusted in my life, not even from guards when visiting the royal palace.” Rarity’s white brow was fraught with worry. Twilight grunted, nodding slightly and scowling. “Equestria is preparing for war. The threat of changeling invasion was the closest we’ve been to actual wartime in recent history. From what I’ve read about times of conflict…this is just the beginning.” Twilight shuddered, her discomfort infectiously eliciting similar reactions from her friends. “Oh, why’d this have to happen? It’s not fair.” Pinkie pouted. “Life isn’t fair.” There was no cruelty in Fluttershy’s voice, just a hardened, bitter edge. Her simple declaration shocked everyone to silence and they continued the rest of their trek to the palace without speaking. The deserted city didn’t improve their mood; a lifelessness that forcefully reminded them of their first visit suffocating the atmosphere. They hurried into the castle. The mares found Shining Armor and Princess Cadance in the dining hall, talking quietly. The walls and floor, like the rest of the castle, were made of polished crystal that twinkled brightly in the light of the chandeliers. The married couple was seated at the long, cut stone table. A few attending crystal pony stallions in the same midnight blue armor as the border guards stood quietly against the walls. Twilight’s mood instantly brightened. “Shining! Cadance!” Turning in surprise, a smile broke across the white unicorn’s strong features. “Twilee! What are you doing here?” Cadance leapt out of her seat at the sight of the purple mare and galloped over, her steps transforming to a prance halfway across the room. Twilight joined her, their singsong voices intertwining. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” They collapsed into giggles. Applejack felt a pang of loss as the image of Rainbow Dash rolling her eyes flashed across her mind, but quickly dismissed it. “It’s nice to see you Twilight! What brings you and your friends here?” Cadance cantered back to the table, waving a hoof at an attending stallion. “Could you tell the kitchen to add five more?” The pony grunted in affirmation, leaving through a side door as the pink alicorn reclaimed her seat. The five mares gathered around the table, thankful to get off their hooves after the long day of hiking. “Well, we were just at the ruins of Granitekeep. It, uh, it wasn’t the most pleasant experience and we thought we’d take a day or two to recover here before we set off again.” Twilight watched her brother exchange a confused look with his wife. “You girls are welcome to stay in the castle until you set off again. I’m sorry, but I gotta ask…how’d you five manage to get out of being drafted? Very, very few dismissals have been given for healthy ponies.” Cadance’s mouth was pulled down in a small frown, a furtive glance cast around the table. Twilight’s brow knit. “Well, to be honest there wasn’t a draft when we left Ponyville, so technically we never had the opportunity to be drafted.” Shining’s cobalt eyes widened. “But we’ve been declared political agents of Equestria, so we’re all exempt.” The couple blinked, surprise mixing into the confusion. The lavender mare frowned. “…This is all rather sudden, isn’t it? When we left home, there were only rumors of increased recruitment. It’s only been a week…” “Well, Twilee, this has been coming down for a while now…But I guess you weren’t really a part of the debates.” The white stallion scratched his chin with a hoof, his confusion giving way to confidence. “The princesses have been going back and forth since about a week after the first bull arrived.” The five mares exchanged confused glances. Shining ran a hoof through his blue mane. “The last standing army Equestria had was a thousand years ago, since then there’s only been the royal guard. Before Nightmare Moon, the army had been under Princess Luna. Princess Celestia was worried helming the army might make Princess Luna fall back into…bad habits.” Twilight chewed her lip. “I suppose I can see where the princess is coming from, but Nightmare Moon wasn’t really Princess Luna and she was corrupted by jealousy, not power.” Shining Armor nodded gently. “That was Luna’s argument. Princess Celestia was also worried about her lack of familiarity with modern Equestria, but…well, most agreed that would be an asset.” He smiled sadly at his sister’s questioning face. “Princess Celestia has ruled over a peaceful country for a thousand years. Wartime is a relic for her. Princess Luna was not really aware of her time as Nightmare Moon, so in a lot of ways the time before Celestia’s rule is a recent memory for her. That’s something most of the advisors agreed would be advantageous in preparing for war.” “So it was decided Princess Luna would be in charge of the military?” “Yes, about six days ago. I’m still not sure exactly what happened; Princess Celestia had been rather adamant, but something changed her mind. That meeting, she seemed…spooked.” The conversation was interrupted by several attending ponies delivering their meal of steamed vegetables. They ate in silence for several minutes, the group of friends relishing a second hot meal and letting the aches of travel ease off. Levitating a fork to her mouth, Twilight paused and frowned. “So Shining…if everypony’s being drafted, what about you and Cadance?” His chewing slowed, a grimace crossing his strong features. Swallowing, he answered softly. “Well, Twilight…The Royal Guard is already part of the Equestrian military. I was made an officer before the draft started and as part of the royalty, Cadance has been involved since the start, too.” He read his sibling’s expression carefully, watching the deliberately controlled neutrality spread across her face. “We’re only here in the Crystal Empire for a few days to oversee the transition of governance and then we’re going to Canterlot.” Twilight’s voice was flat and even. “I see…” She inhaled slowly. “That makes sense…I don’t know why I’d think it would be different.” She smiled wanly at her brother before leaning over and hugging him around his strong neck. “You be careful, BBBFF.” Shining hugged her back, nodding against her shoulder. She sat back and resumed dinner, a composed smile on her lips. Shining exchanged a relieved glance with Cadance before levitating his fork back to his mouth. Twilight’s mind was a battleground of terror for her brother, the single most important stallion in her heart, but she kept it hidden; she was putting herself in as much, if not more, danger than he was and it was not her place to try and stop him. Panicking would have only hurt him, so she bottled it up. No one caught the deception; the only pony who would have been able to see through her manufactured calm was currently dead. “So where are you five headed off to, Twilee?” Shining wiped his muzzle with a napkin. Their dinner plates had been cleared and cups of coffee had taken their place. The purple unicorn nervously eyed Pinkie Pie as she guzzled her mug. “Yeah, Twilight. You didn’t say where we’re going next, just that we’re taking a break here.” The pink mare waved a hoof at the white stallion standing ready by the wall. Twilight emphatically mouthed ‘decaf’ when Pinkie’s back was turned and sighed in relief when she got a slight nod in response. “Well, what Rainbow said was—” “What Rainbow said? As in Rainbow Dash?” Shining Armor’s wide eyes loomed into view as he bent over the table. “But, we were at her funeral!” Twilight rubbed her forehead with a hoof. “Ugh, did I really not tell my own brother about this? I’ve lost the right to tease you about the whole getting-married thing, haven’t I?” She kneaded her temples in small circles and filled in the couple on the events of the past few weeks. Shining Armor did not hide his fear as well as his sister had hidden hers. Finishing the retelling, Twilight addressed the whole group. “So Rainbow said the next Element is called the Breath of Fames and that it was in Bridleon.” “Bridleon? I don’t believe I’ve heard of that place.” Rarity tapped her chin, lips pursed. Twilight smirked. “That’s because Bridleon hasn’t been around for about fifteen-hundred years. It was a collection of cities in the southern end of the San Palomino Desert. The only thing that’s left anywhere near Bridleon is Saddle Arabia, and that’s quite a bit to the east.” “So we’ve gotta go to the middle of a desert? Ain’t that a touch dangerous?” Applejack frowned, glancing at Rarity. “We can take a train into Saddle Arabia, buy supplies, and go from there. Ponies have crossed deserts before; I packed some books on the area and desert travel in general. Shouldn’t be any more difficult than getting to Granitekeep from the train, it’ll just take a little longer.” Twilight nodded sharply, a smile on her face. “I’m not sure it’s the travel that’s gonna be dangerous, Twilee.” The white stallion’s eyes were drawn together, a slight tremble in his lower lip. “That wolf attack was a trap. All of these Elements of Strife might be trapped.” The lavender mare sighed. “I know that, Shining. We can’t be sure that there will be traps, but to pretend that it can’t happen again would be foolish.” She drooped in her chair, her shoulders sagging. “And on top of that, I’ve never heard of the Breath of Fames. I remember the name Fames, but I can’t place it.” Applejack cleared her throat. “What Element is it, anyway? Tyr’s Hoof was the Element of War and we had to fight somethin’, might be the same for this Breath stuff.” “Rainbow Dash didn’t say. She might not know; from what I’ve gathered talking to her, not all of the Element bearers were even aware of a connection between the Elements of Strife. We’re kind of in the dark right now, but I brought a lot of books.” Shining Armor smiled ruefully. “Why am I not surprised?” A wave of giggles passed over the table. “I’m glad I got to see you, Twilight.” He ruffled her indigo mane, a small smile on his face. “You’ve grown up so much. I just know you’re gonna do great things. Well, greater things.” Twilight threw her hooves around his neck. “You’ll do great things too, and you’ll always be my BBBFF.” “Always.” Conversation shifted to more light-hearted topics. As the evening wore on, all five were talking and laughing with their hosts. When the hour grew late enough, they were shown to guest suites, reflections of the lavish rooms in the castle in Canterlot rendered in crystal. Glad to be on actual beds again instead of sleeping bags, all five mares retired gratefully. Lying under the sheets, Twilight hugged a pillow to her chest with a smile on her lips. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, her thoughts on a cyan pegasus she hoped to see. Rainbow Dash’s galloping hoofbeats echoed through the dark tunnel, the sharp reports bounding up and down the narrow passage; every fourth clack of her hooves a solid discharge of stone against stone. She descended the switchback tunnels quickly, her augmented vision guiding the way. As the bore of the tunnel widened she took to the air on straight stretches, racing down into the heart of the mountain. The tiffany blue pegasus kept her enhanced sight extended as she plunged. The smooth hairpin turns were nearing an end, leading to more natural winding tunnels in a rapidly diminishing number of levels. As she grew closer, she tried to press her perception further on the path, but clarity remained elusive. A slight frown on her lips, she landed sideways against the end of a straight tunnel and pushed off swiftly, rocketing down the next leg. Eventually her fast descent ended. Flaring her wings wide, she gently alighted in front of the forked passage. “Hmm…” She mused, her magical senses probing both choices in front of her. The path to the right extended straight ahead an additional thirty feet before banking down and to the left. The leftward tunnel went ten feet before a straight drop. Try as she might, Rainbow Dash could not perceive past the turns in either choice. Where before she felt a beckoning pull towards the next Element of Strife across a vast distance, now she felt nothing. Her ability to probe was reduced to being able to see where she was going in the dark. “Well…Eeenie meenie minie moe.” Shrugging her shoulders, the blue mare picked the right path. The tunnels became irregular, meandering in dips and twists with many splits. Sometimes they broke way into small caverns, others were narrow enough she had to squeeze through, forcing into the next segment with a grunt. Many paths ended abruptly. She backtracked and tried new directions, the twisting labyrinth of tunnels a jumble of choices, none of which stood out as the better option. With a deepening frown, the pegasus’ concern of getting lost grew from unease to dread. At a point where she thought she was making some real progress, she climbed an incline and found herself back where she started at the initial fork. She sighed and leaned against the smooth stone wall, her wings drooping. With her senses constantly extended simply to see, it was immediately apparent when the thin purple band of magic brightened and grew sharp. ’Twilight must’ve fallen asleep.’ The mare straightened, a relieved smile on her face. She sat and crossed her hindlegs in front of the two passageways and traced the filament up to Twilight. The two mares appeared in the nothingness. “Hey, Twi’. D’ja get my message?” The pegasus stood and stretched her back, a pleased smirk on her lips. Twilight’s eyes were drawn to the Element of War, the stone shoe encasing the pony’s right forehoof before her attention returned to Rainbow’s beaming face. “Hi Rainbow. And yes, I did hear you. Oh, I’m so glad your plan worked; you look so much happier.” A sense of relaxation surrounded the sky blue mare. A portion of her cocky bravado that had been absent in Twilight’s recent interactions with her friend had returned and she couldn’t help but smile fondly. “Tell me what happened!” Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest and launched into the tale, a small, springing strut in her pacing steps. Her swagger had returned with the threat behind her, but Twilight noticed a marked change from older memories of the pegasus. She was playful in detailing her brush with violent asphyxiation, but there was no air of bragging as she described her escape. When she discussed Agmundr and the change he underwent from paranoid to receptive she slowed the pace of her recantation and was thoughtful, more focused on accuracy than getting through the story. The unicorn remembered many stories, even simple jokes the brash pegasus had ruined just by rushing through and skimming over crucial details. It was a small change, but it lightened the lavender mare’s spirit. Throughout Rainbow’s retelling, Twilight’s attention was consistently drawn to the healed scar. It looked even better on the mare than she had imagined it would. A bloom of confusion entered the unicorn’s mind when she discovered she was chewing on her bottom lip. Before she could really think about it, the pegasus grew somber and redrew her focus. “So I asked him what’d changed, you know? Why’d he decide to talk after bein’ happy to just throw bones at me for a while. He told me…he knew what happened with you girls and that wolf.” The mare sighed, a weariness settling back on her shoulders as she sat. “It, uh, wasn’t an accident that Fluttershy was the one who put the thing down.” Magenta eyes locked with violet. “The wolf could only be killed by someone worthy of bearing the hoof. Fluttershy is the new bearer.” A heavy silence gripped the void as the two friends stared into each other’s eyes, mourning in silence. Twilight shook her head slowly and asked in a quiet voice, “So then what happened?” Rainbow remained seated, going over the dictator’s fall from grace in life and his connection to the Bodhisattva. Part of Twilight was devastated that she had no way of interviewing the stallion; much of the details surrounding his life had been lost and it was fascinating to hear about. She listened carefully as the pegasus completed her tale, bringing the purple mare up to the present. “Wow.” As it escaped her lips, Twilight was expecting a smirk or a chuckle from her friend. Instead, she only nodded in agreement. “So that’s what happened. Now I’m goin’ through some tunnels, but I can’t tell which way is the right way and they’re all confusing and dead-end a lot. I kinda got lost and ended up back at the start.” She smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her neck with a hoof. “Any advice?” “Yes, actually. When you’re searching cave systems or old ruins, always go the same direction and backtrack when you hit a dead-end. So if you just take the right-most tunnel, back up and take the next rightmost when you can’t go any further, and so on, eventually you’ll explore every path possible.” The unicorn grinned at Rainbow’s mystified expression. “It’s how we went through the castle at Granitekeep, although that place was purposefully jumbled up to not make sense.” “Twilight…you are a lifesaver, you know that?” The unicorn giggled. “Well that’s gonna save me a lot of headaches…so what’s the Breath of Fames, anyway? Agmundr didn’t really know.” Twilight sighed, brushing a hoof across her bangs and looking down. “I’m not sure. I’ve been reading a lot of history books for different cultures from two thousand years ago, but there hasn’t been anything about the Breath of Fames. I can’t put my hoof on it, but I think I’ve heard the name Fames somewhere…” She tapped her chin slowly. “…I know about Bridleon, though. Did Agmundr say where in Bridleon?” The mare crossed her forelegs, her extended wings fluttering idly. “No, just a big city called Bridleon. He said his dad was trying to take it over, but that they couldn’t invade and sieging it didn’t do anything either.” Her brow furrowed as she settled back into a sitting position. “Then somethin’ big happened, right before he took power. When he sent some ponies to maybe work out a peace agreement, the whole place was turned into a desert. They found an old mare who would only say ‘Breath of Fames,’ so he didn’t even know if it’s a real thing.” “Interesting. That’ll make it a little easier to look things up, hopefully.” The celeste pegasus grinned. “Nothing quite so exciting’s happening on our end. We got to the Crystal Empire…there’s a draft now; everypony’s preparing for war. I got to see Shining and Cadance…” After a pause she shrugged. Rainbow smirked. “Calm and quiet is good. Believe me; I’d much rather have a day like that instead of all this skelepony fighting.” The unicorn giggled, hiding her mouth behind a hoof. “Fair point.” “So how about those letters? I know it’s probably been weeks now since everypony wrote them; just never had the time ya know?” As the lavender unicorn opened her mouth, Rainbow Dash interrupted her. “How long’s it been now, anyway? It was six weeks when I got the leaf…” Twilight cleared her throat. “Sixty days now and it’s night-time. Tomorrow’s the sixty-first.” The pegasus nodded. “That’s about what I thought it was, but it’s hard to keep track when there isn’t a sun and you don’t need to sleep or eat, you know?” The purple mare chuckled. “So whose letter should we do first?” “Well, Applejack’s letter was asking a lot of advice about Rarity and she quietly asked me this evening to give her a chance to write a new one.” The pair shared a none-so-innocent smirk. “She did say to tell you, ‘Howdy, RD, should have listened to you months ago. Miss you, featherbrain.’” The sky blue pegasus shook her head chuckling. “Well, tell her I said I’m always right and she should listen to me more often.” Twilight’s smile grew thin and she looked away. “…And Fluttershy said she wanted to write a new one, too. She said to thank you for what you said the other night and that she misses you.” “Well, I miss them, too. I miss all of you girls.” She smiled gently, her gaze turning inward. “It’s been really good to see you like this, Twi’. I don’t know that I could’ve made it through all of this without you.” She swept the unicorn into a hug. Nuzzling the side of Twilight’s face, she whispered, “You’re such an awesome friend, Twi’.” Twilight returned the hug gently, a small smile pressed into the greens, blues, and purples of fly-away mane. The hug went on longer than normal for such a gesture, but when it ended both ponies were left with the feeling that it was too brief. Rainbow Dash grinned at the unicorn and cleared her throat quietly. “So how about Rarity and Pinkie Pie?” “Okay. Let’s do Rarity first.” Twilight straightened, her face growing serious and focused as she recited the memorized letter. “Dearest Rainbow Dash, “After your passing, I had a realization. Of all our friends, you are the one I’ve known the least about and have spent the least amount of time with. It is not particularly surprising; you would agree with me that neither of us have much in common I would think. Me with my boutique and you with your weather duties and training often limited us to seeing each other as part of a group rather than individually. I always assumed we would have the chance to build our friendship further given time. Time used to be such an accepted luxury. It was with a heavy heart that I had this realization about us. You are not a pony whose friendship should be treated idly. I treasure the friendships I have forged in our little assemblage; you girls are as much family to me as my actual blood relations. “I’m pleased beyond words to know you will be returning to us soon. Your leaving has left a hole with tremendous horseshoes to fill and conspiratorially I had believed it would have never be filled without you. I hope we may have the chance to rectify the lack of interaction between us, if only in the form of the occasional lunch that’s just the two of us. Perhaps you could regale me of stories about Cloudsdale? Our visit there was brief, but the city was fascinating and I can be a very good listener. I promise that I will not ask you to model any dresses for our one on one time. “With fond regards, Rarity.” Rainbow Dash sat quietly through the letter. She had closed her eyes and imagined the words coming from the white unicorn; Twilight’s gentle voice replaced by Rarity’s haughty diction. A wide grin on her face, she spoke softly, “I’m glad you thought of this, Twilight.” The unicorn’s smile was small and pleased. “So, uh, how should I answer?” The pegasus’ brow furrowed. “Should I just tell you what I wanna say, or…” “You could pretend you’re writing a letter yourself. I’ll memorize it and ‘read’ it back to them later.” Frowning in thought, the blue mare spoke slowly and carefully. “Dear Rarity, “It did seem like we’d have all the time in Equestria, didn’t it? I think it was a mistake how little we saw each other before all this happened and you can count on me to fix that. And it might not look it, but we got stuff in common besides a group of the same friends. Both of us are awesome at what we do and we’re proud of what talents we have and put a lot of effort into everything we do. Everything we’ve got we’ve earned with sweat. And just because we have different tastes doesn’t mean we both don’t care about lookin’ good. You’re an awesome friend Rarity and I’d like to know more about you, too. And I’m becoming a better listener just recently. “Congrats on you and AJ. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already told you what with her being so awful at lying, but she’s been crushing on you pretty hard for a few months. I’m happy for both of you, but try to keep the PDAs in check, alright? “Your friend, “Rainbow Dash. “How’d that sound, Twi’?” Twilight stayed silent for a few moments, her quick mind committing the message carefully. When she had it down, she opened her eyes. “That sounded perfect. A little longer than I expected from you, but you keep surprising me Rainbow.” Her blue ears fell flat on her head. “Oh…did you get it all? I can try again and not ramble so much.” Twilight giggled. “I got it all. It was the perfect length I think.” Rainbow grinned, running a hoof through her mane. “Ready for Pinkie Pie?” At the mare’s nod, the unicorn sat up straight and began her narration. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and began flying in lazy circles upside down, her forehooves crossed behind her head in a relaxed recline. “Dear Dashie, “Oh my gosh, I’m so glad I get to see you again! It hasn’t been the same in Ponyville without you. It’s so hard when things change and you don’t want them to, but I guess that’s always what happens, huh? “Everypony was heartbroken over you, Dashie. We’ve been through so much together and to think you wouldn’t be around anymore was too much. It hurt all of us, but especially Twilight. Hey, Twilight’s the one who’s gonna read this to you, isn’t she? Hi! I’m Twilight Sparkle, I like books and magic and Rainbow Dash is my bestest friend and I got so crazy after she died I was practically mooing!” Rainbow Dash was doing her best to stifle laughter, still flying in slow loops. Twilight’s voice quivered slightly, her muzzle bright red, but she promised she’d read her friend’s letters exactly. In a way it was comforting to be on the receiving end of a Pinkie Pie-Rainbow Dash prank. “Sorry, Twilight. Anyway, Dashie, I have a feeling something really good is gonna happen to you soon. Not gonna say it’s Pinkie Sense, but if I’m seeing things right it might as well be. When it happens, don’t worry what anypony else thinks. We’re all gonna be happy—especially Twilight, remember that, too!—so just go with it! I know you will anyway. Miss you bunches and bunches. “Before you left you said, ‘I love you all.’ Nopony had a chance to say we all love you, too.” Rainbow stopped her lazy recline, landing abruptly. Twilight swallowed hard, her voice wavering with emotion. She cleared her throat to continue. “With love, “Pinkie Pie.” It took a few tries for Rainbow Dash to get her throat to work. “That Pinkie Pie…” She shook her head. “How can she be so random and then choke me up like that? That mare’s got some freaky powers.” She ran a hoof through her mane, blinking rapidly. Twilight’s smile was small and pained. She spoke barely above a whisper. “She was right, you know. About everything. About how hurt we all were and,” she swallowed again, her throat thick and sluggish, “And how hurt I was. If you hadn’t found a way to talk to me…” She grimaced, her eyes clenched tight as she shook her head. “Hey…” A tiffany blue hoof caught Twilight’s face and gently brought her violet eyes to bear on rose. “It’s okay. Don’t cry, Twilight. When I died…” her eyes lost focus, drifting into memory, “My entire body wanted to move on. Every second I fought it hurt. But I couldn’t give in to it. I couldn’t leave you girls, not then not ever.” The purple unicorn sniffled and wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash’s mane. She returned the hug. “I’m sorry this happened Twi’. I don’t wanna see you sad. Please don’t be sad.” “I’m not sad,” she breathed, nuzzling Rainbow’s face gently, “I’m not sad because you’re here now. You’re here now and soon you’ll be back with all of us again.” The two mares sat in silence, holding each other. The close proximity was intoxicating; a reprieve from the aches of the past two months both ponies desperately needed. Reluctantly, they broke the embrace, sitting in the void and regarding each other fondly. “…What do you think Pinkie meant about all that ‘good thing happening’ stuff?” Twilight shrugged, a smile entering her face. “You know Pinkie Pie. Sometimes she’s like talking to a foal, other times she’s so mysterious and perceptive it’s like receiving a riddle from the princess. I have a feeling this is one of those second times.” The pegasus grinned, shaking her head. “And it’s really weird calling you ‘Dashie,’ by the way.” Rainbow chuckled. “It was weird hearing you say it.” “Think I’ll stick with ‘Rainbow.’” They shared a laugh, the lingering melancholy hanging over the pair lessening. As the laughter died away, the blue pegasus was left grinning at Twilight. “You ready for my letter back?” After a brief nod, she straightened, growing deliberate and thoughtful in her speech. “Dear Pinkie Pie, “I really needed that laugh. Twilight mooing. Priceless.” She grinned at the unicorn, who was sitting with a very reserved and dignified air that was only partially ruined by sticking her tongue out at the pegasus. “I’m sorry I’ve not been there for everypony, but I’ll be back as soon as I can. You girls hang in there. As for this good thing that’s supposed to happen, I once again have no idea what you’re talking about. Hope you’re right though; I could use all the good news I can get. “And it’s okay no one had the chance to say anything; I already knew. “Love, “Rainbow Dash. How was that, Twi’?” “Perfect, Rainbow.” Twilight grinned as she finished trapping the words in her mind. After a few minutes she broke the silence. “While we’re doing this, do you wanna keep going? I know I don’t have letters for the other two, but…” “Hey, if you can memorize what I’m saying I can keep talking. How ‘bout AJ? A real letter, I mean.” At Twilight’s smile she began. “Dear Applejack, “I know you’re writing a new letter since you finally got off your orange rump and did somethin’ about Rarity, but I miss teasing you and this is the perfect excuse. Just goes to show that I’m always right and you should listen to me more often. You better not get all prissy, though. Next Iron Pony, you are so eating my dust and I don’t wanna hear about how it messed up your mane, too. “Seriously, though, I’m really happy for you two. Rarity woulda been crazy to turn you down. With everything that’s happened and all the stuff I’ve done here, it’s strange to hear about romance and that sorta junk. But it’s a good kind of strange. It means things didn’t end. Things are gonna be okay, you know? Celestia keeps raising the sun, pegasi keep making the clouds, and the farmpony gets the mare. I can’t wait to get back to you girls, not because things will go back to the way they were, but because of what’s different now. It’s like I’m on a vacation. I’m gone for a while, but when I get back we have a chance to catch up all over again. Maybe that’s corny, but I’m so excited to do that with you, AJ. “You be sure to save a barrel of the good cider for me, okay? I had a shot of two-thousand-year-old whiskey and your stuff’s the only thing that’s gonna get the taste outta my mouth. Until then Fruitflank, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight couldn’t control the smile on her face as she memorized Rainbow Dash’s words. “This is fun, Rainbow.” The pegasus chuckled, grinning back. The happiness slowly slid off of the unicorn’s face as she continued speaking. “…Do you want to say something now for Fluttershy?” Their twin expressions were somber. The pegasus slowly nodded. “You’re gonna tell her she’s the bearer, right? Tell her what I’ve gotta say afterwards, ok?” At a nod, she cleared her throat. The words came even slower to her; dragged from her throat with strained effort. “Dear Fluttershy, “I’m sorry this happened. You’re my oldest friend and I’ve always been there through thick and thin for you and it hurts to not be there now. I know you’re a grown mare and don’t need my protection, but I would’ve given anything to protect you from this. But the truth is I couldn’t even if I was there; you were the only one that could save our friends. I’m the bearer of Inaction and you’re the bearer of War. “Sid, the goat who told me about Inaction, said that these Elements are a burden to the ponies that bear them and Agmundr told me about War. You’re not gonna be able to actually bear it until I’m alive again, but I want you to know what to expect. I can’t protect you from this, but I can prepare you for it. “The Elements of Strife go against a pony’s nature. Inaction makes me wanna give up all the time. It’s really hard, really really hard, to not sit down and stop moving forever. Every time I use it I have to fight it and it hurts. And if you use War, it’s gonna be the same. Agmundr told me how much he wanted to use it to help ponies. When he started, that was all he wanted. But after years and years he lost the fight and he hurt somepony he loved. It stopped working for him then, but it stayed in his mind and made him worse and worse. It took two thousand years after he died to be free of it.” She paused and sighed, slowly collecting her thoughts. In hitches, she resumed. “…I’d tell you to never use it once you can. I’d make you promise that you wouldn’t, either in person or through Twilight. But you and I both know you couldn’t keep that promise. For the same reason you did what you did with that wolf. It’s what made you the bearer. It’s also what makes you stronger than you realize. You’re so strong Fluttershy. I’ve always known that. You’re one of the strongest ponies I’ve ever met. It’s one of the reasons I always protected you. It wasn’t because you were weak; it was because you were so scared of how strong you could actually be. I wanted to save you from that…I dunno that I knew that until recently, but it’s the truth. You’re strong and nopony can take that away from you. But you’re also not alone. “Whenever I thought Inaction was too much and that I might give up, I’ve had Twilight there to help me. Just because it’s your burden doesn’t mean you’ve gotta take it on alone. It’s just what I told you before. You’ve got all of us to lean on if you need to and when you can take up the Element of War, I’ll be there again, too. You’ll never have to do this alone, Fluttershy. None of us do.” “I miss you, “Rainbow Dash.” A heavy silence fell over the void, broken only by a few quiet sniffles Twilight tried to hide. She cleared her throat when she had the words solidly in her mind. “…You really do continue to surprise me, Rainbow Dash.” “Too long, huh?” Twilight giggled despite her heavy heart. “You keep surprising me; I was the one that said all of that stuff and I have no clue what I just said to any of ‘em. You really memorized all of that?” The unicorn smiled coyly. “I might have cheated and cast a memory sharpening spell before going to sleep.” Rainbow Dash blinked a few times. A belly laugh shook her frame until she collapsed on her back, forehooves gripping her sides. Twilight lay down next to her, laughing more at the pegasus than the situation. They would eventually sober and the sky blue mare would leave to continue her journey through the dark, exchanging a grudging goodbye and lingering embrace with her lavender friend. But for the time being they laid next to each other in nothing, no words spoken, just helpless mirth driving away the outside world. For a little while they could just be two ponies laughing together. Rainbow Dash slowly floated down to the floor from her cross-legged levitation. She stood, stretching out her limbs and back with a small groan of relief. Wrenching her neck to the side with a satisfying crack, she smirked at the rightmost tunnel and took off at a steady trot. She worked through the twisting cave system quickly and orderly, heading to the right, doubling back at dead-ends, and pressing on. The limitation of her perception kept her from knowing if she was making progress, but the sense of being lost was not present following Twilight’s exploration method. She worked diligently, pressing through narrow passages, galloping or flying through wide stretches, and methodically probing the entire system. Tendrils of red magic bled into her body. As she pushed herself, dozens of micro tears formed in her muscles; her legs from hooves to shoulders or haunches from a steady gallop and straining through narrow holes, wings from rapid flight. The Element of War twisted through her body, stimulating her bloodstream, expanding arteries, increasing the efficiency of her cells; lactic acid was pulled out of limbs before the mare could feel fatigue and new proteins provided by the Bodhi Leaf were forced in to repair the damaged tissue as fast as they could form. When each tear closed, the fibers were left stronger, denser, less likely to tear. She pushed herself harder and harder, and her body protested less and less. The process of healing was so fast and seamless she wasn’t aware that anything was happening. Sleepless, never hungry, and now tireless, Rainbow Dash plunged ever downwards.