//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: Homecoming // Story: A Head Full of Clay // by Squinty Mudmane //------------------------------// The shadows parted, revealing the familiar interior of the Ponyville library. A few sheaves of paper on a nearby table fluttered lazily in the rush of displaced air caused by the sudden materialization of ten ponies and one baby dragon. Scootaloo blinked several times in rapid succession and rubbed her right ear with a hoof until the ringing sound in her ears faded. “I think I prefer flying,” Rainbow Dash muttered quietly, evidently experiencing similar distress from the teleportation. “Your discomfort is noted, Rainbow Dash,” Princess Luna replied dryly. “However, I must speak with my sister right away about what has transpired, and I imagine most of you preferred to return home quickly, perhaps to have words in private?” “We are very grateful for all your help, your Majesty,” Rarity said with a gracious bow of her head. “If there is anything we can do in return…” Luna nodded curtly. “I will need to question your sisters further about what they found, but that can wait until later.” “Question us? We’re not in trouble, are we? I mean, more than what we’re already in?” Sweetie Belle asked fretfully. Scootaloo looked over at Apple Bloom, who was continuously throwing nervous glances up at her big sister. The pegasus suspected that getting chewed out by the Night Princess herself probably would not be half as terrifying for the earth filly as getting chewed out by Applejack. Luna gave Sweetie Belle a little smile and shook her head. “No, child, you are not. However, there are some elements about your discovery that I would like clarified. And for you in particular, there are matters which should be discussed in more detail.” The unicorn filly seemed only marginally reassured by this, but she merely nodded quietly. Luna straightened up and looked around the room at the other ponies. “Very well, then, if there is nothing else…?” “Princess, wait!” Applejack blushed imperceptibly as everyone looked at her. “Ah jus’ wanna apologize fer bein’ snappy with ya earlier. It was downright rude of me, an’ Ah’m mighty sorry.” Luna regarded the farmpony with an even stare for a moment before smiling. “Your apology is accepted, Applejack. I know you were merely worried about your sister, so I shan’t hold that against you. She is most fortunate to have you.” Applejack bowed her head a bit. “Thanks, yer Princessness.” Luna nodded once and unfurled her wings, thick darkness enveloping her. As suddenly as they had all appeared in the library, the Princess disappeared from it again. Applejack was the first to break the quiet that reigned in the aftermath of Luna’s departure. “Soo… yeah, if y’all will excuse us, me an’ AB are gonna go home an’ have a lil’ chat. Be seein’ ya, girls.” The farmpony gave a little wave of her hoof and headed for the library door, looking over her shoulder briefly. “Come on, AB,” she called out, not unkindly. Apple Bloom glumly trotted after her sister. In Scootaloo’s eyes, she seemed more like a pony heading to her own doom than one going home. “Guess we’ll talk later,” she said to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, offering them a half-hearted smile as she disappeared out through the door. “Sweetie Belle, dearest, are you ready to head back to the Boutique with me?” Rarity asked her sister once the Apples were gone, giving the unicorn filly’s mane an affectionate brush with her hoof. “I hate to sound dramatic, but we… we need to talk.” The fashionista glanced briefly at Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who both nodded encouragingly at her. Sweetie Belle swallowed a bit and nodded, getting up on her hooves and following her sister out the door. “Bye, Scoots,” she muttered as she passed Scootaloo. The pegasus filly wanted to give her some sort of encouragement to walk home on, but the best her tired mind could come up with was an equally muted “Bye”. “I’m not going to like this, am I?” Sweetie Belle asked Rarity as they exited the library, but Scootaloo never got to hear the reply as the mannered fashion designer closed the door after her. “You don’t think Applejack is going to be too angry with Apple Bloom, do you?” Scootaloo asked the remaining four ponies and solitary baby dragon, feeling somewhat worried on behalf of the farmfilly. “I mean, she did seem really pissed earlier.” “Hah! You have no idea,” Dash replied with a grin. “She had a bigger rage-face than a manticore with a thorn in its paw. I thought she was going to—Oh.” She trailed off awkwardly under the reproachful look Twilight gave her. “I mean, uhm, probably not?” “Don’t you worry about that, Scootie! Didn’t you see the way the left corner of her mouth was tugged slightly upwards when she and Apple Bloom left?” Pinkie Pie asked in a happy voice, unperturbed by any bumbling blue pegasi. “Huh?” Scootaloo asked, confused. “That smile was pretty much a ‘I’m still kind of upset about what you did, but I am much, much, much happier that you’re back home now. I may let you stew for a little, but I still totally love you!’-smile!” “You can read all that from a twitch of her mouth?” Twilight asked after a moment’s silence. “Well, duh! You really should pay more attention to the itty-bitty details sometimes, Twilight!” Pinkie replied cheerfully. Twilight made an incredulous expression while Spike did his best not to snigger too loudly. “Don’t worry, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said with a little smile. “Applejack was just scared. We all were.” “Yeah, I guess I can imagine,” Scootaloo muttered as the guilt hammer hit her with full force. “Did, uh… did my dad…?” “He seemed cool when I spoke to him,” Rainbow Dash replied airily. “I mean, sure, he was worried as well, and he did ask me to do my very best to find you, which I guess is fair considering what—Uh…” Dash became quiet for a moment. “We should probably get you back to him now,” she said soberly, before brightening up in a little grin again. “Hey, want me to keep you company? I’ll go with you and talk to him.” Scootaloo smiled widely and nodded. It was not that she was afraid of seeing her dad again. She felt confident that, while he might be upset, she could make him understand and accept why she had gone off the way she had. Based on what Rainbow Dash had said, though, it would not be the only thing to speak with him about. “Do you mind if I tag along?” Fluttershy asked timidly. “I don’t mean to impose, but my cottage is on the way there, and—” “Sure. Yeah, that’d be great, actually,” Scootaloo replied, smiling. She did have a few things to say to the yellow pegasus as well, things which had been nagging her since she saw Fluttershy again. Things involving a turtle—Or is he a tortoise?—on a doorstep. “I’m going to write down and catalogue what we found while it’s still fresh in my mind. Who knows when we, or anypony at all, will see the golems again,” Twilight said, already levitating pen and paper over. “Ugh, boring!” Pinkie Pie groaned with an appropriate tongue-out-of-mouth grimace. “I’ll be at Sugarcube Corner planning out a welcome-home party for the fillies!” she announced, bouncing up the stairs of the library. “Uh, Pinks? The door is over here,” Dash pointed out with a little smirk. “I know!” Pinkie Pie replied cheerfully as she continued up the stairs and into Twilight’s room, leaving the rest looking rather perplexed. “What is she—” Fluttershy began. “The balcony!” Twilight cried a moment before there was an excited “Wheeee!” from above them. A moment later and Scootaloo saw Pinkie Pie through the window, bouncing away happily. “That pony…” Twilight muttered, shaking her head. “Spike, could you make sure the balcony door is closed and locked?” The dragon nodded and headed up the stairs. “See you later, girls,” Twilight said with a slightly tired smile at the other three ponies. “…And that’s why I, personally, in my humble expert opinion, think that Spitfire is both way cooler and a way better flier than both Soarin and Fleetfoot.” Rainbow Dash had just concluded a lengthy tirade about the pros and cons of every single member of the Wonderbolts, and Scootaloo had to do her best to suppress a grin. They had been walking for twenty minutes at most, but in that brief time span, it had become abundantly clear that Rainbow Dash, in her own way, was every bit as much a fangirl of the Wonderbolts as Scootaloo was of her. The filly idly wondered if Rainbow Dash kept a photo wall in her room as well, decorated with pictures and cutouts of Spitfire. Judging by the way Rainbow Dash seemed able to go on endlessly about the “undeniable levels of awesome” that the air acrobats supposedly oozed like sweat after a long flight—an analogy by Rainbow Dash that Scootaloo felt sounded perhaps a bit less awesome than Dash had no doubt intended—it certainly did not seem all that unlikely. Fluttershy had listened quietly with the patient smile of someone well familiar with an old friend’s quirks, emitting the occasional “M-hm”, “Really?” and “Oh my goodness” when appropriate. Scootaloo had been too busy trying not to laugh and had found it difficult to respond to the veiled prompts during the very brief lulls in Rainbow Dash’s praise. “But, you know, that’s just my opinion,” Rainbow Dash admitted with a little shrug. “What do you think, ’Shy?” “Oh, uhm, me?” Fluttershy stammered, suddenly finding her usual responses insufficient. “Yeah, you. Who do you think the best Wonderbolt is?” Dash pressed. “Well, uh… I think Spitfire is very pretty, and…” the timid pegasus began, but she stopped when Rainbow Dash let out a groan of exasperation. “Oh, come on, ’Shy, you’ve been hanging out with Rarity too much! Looks don’t mean squat unless you’ve got it working with everything else. You gotta have style, agility, strength and a whole lot of guts, too!” “Well, Spitfire has all of those as well, right?” Fluttershy pointed out good-naturedly. “Well… yeah!” Dash rolled her eyes and looked at Scootaloo. “What about you, Scoots? Who do you think is best?” “Well…” Scootaloo thought hard, but in truth, she had never actually seen any of the Wonderbolts anywhere apart from on photos or in the newspaper. Whenever Scootaloo thought of the Wonderbolts, they were really all synonymous with a single pony who did not need the blue uniform to look the part. “I’m not sure who of the current Wonderbolts is my favourite. I haven’t seen enough of them to know. But I know that if you were one, it’d definitely be you, Rainbow.” Dash let out a guffaw and pounded her chest once. “Hah! Well, I’m definitely all of those things as well, that’s for damn sure.” “Language,” Fluttershy muttered. “Oh sheesh, I’m new at this, give me a break,” Dash complained. “I think I’ll live,” Scootaloo chuckled, shaking her head a bit before looking at the yellow pegasus. “So, uh, Fluttershy, listen, I’m sorry about yelling at you a few days ago. I don’t think I ever got around to apologizing, but I felt really bad about it.” Fluttershy gave her a reassuring smile. “Oh, it’s all right, Scootaloo. I know you had a lot of other things on your mind back then.” “I was just really frustrated, that’s all.” “About Rainbow Dash?” “You knew back then as well, huh?” “Oh yes. Or, well, I suspected, anyway.” “Right. Well, yeah, I was.” “I’m standing right here, you know,” Dash muttered somewhat indignantly. “Really? I almost forgot,” Scootaloo replied with a smirk at the pouting pegasus. Dash let out a little snort. “Anyway,” Scootaloo turned back to Fluttershy, pawing a bit at the ground with a hoof, “you and me, we’re cool, right?” Fluttershy let out a soft little laughter and smiled warmly. “Yes, Scootaloo, we’re cool.” They continued on down the road leading out of Ponyville for a couple more minutes until they reached Fluttershy’s cottage. The yellow pegasus hugged them both and bade them farewell, and a few moments later, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were alone on the road. “Just you and me now, eh?” Dash said with a little grin, giving Scootaloo’s shoulder a playful nudge. “You wanna go say hi to your old pony now?” Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, let’s. Hopefully he won’t be too upset.” “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back in case he is.” They walked in silence for a bit, which Scootaloo found a bit strange. Not so much that there was silence, but that Rainbow Dash was walking. Most of the times Scootaloo saw the blue pegasus in the company of others, she was hovering or gliding at least a few feet in the air. Scootaloo was uncertain whether Dash’s walking now was a deliberate choice or not, but it was a nice gesture nonetheless. “Hey, Rainbow?” “Yeah, Scoots?” “Thanks for coming after me.” “Anytime, kid. Like I said, I’ve got your back.” “Always?” “Always.” Scootaloo knocked firmly on the door and stood back next to Rainbow Dash. The familiar tock tock tock preceded the opening of the door, revealing Gusting Ember with a pipe wedged in the right corner of his mouth. The wooden pipe slowly travelled all the way to the opposite corner, puffing out a little wisp of smoke. He looked over at Rainbow Dash. “Well, that took you long enough,” he said. Dash let out a little snort. “You’re welcome, by the way.” “Dad!” Scootaloo smiled and embraced her father tightly. The stallion finally lit up in a smile of his own and hugged her back. “Glad to see you’re back safe and sound, Scoots. You’re just in time, too; I was just about to put dinner over. Now you get to help me make it while you tell me just what kind of crazy antics you and your friends have been up to this time.” “Really? But you always make the best food when you do it on your own—” Scootaloo began with her most ingratiating expression, but Ember shook his head. “Nice try, but no dice. Get to work on those carrots. Chop chop!” “Oh fine,” Scootaloo relented as she followed her father into the house, pausing to look over her shoulder at Rainbow Dash, who was still standing on the other side of the threshold. “You coming, Rainbow?” “Uh, well, I’m not sure I should… I mean…” she muttered awkwardly, scuffing a hoof at the ground. “Aw, quit your belly-aching and come on inside. For a supposed speedy daredevil, you’re being awfully shy and timid,” Ember grunted. Rainbow Dash bristled, flaring her nostrils. “Hey, I’m the fastest pegasus in all of—” “That right? Well, why don’t you prove it by showing me that you can peel those potatoes faster than Scootaloo can chop the carrots? Get on it,” Ember replied, gesturing at a small mountain of potatoes near the fireplace. Scootaloo could not help but laugh at Rainbow Dash’s gaping, somewhat dumbfounded expression. She took out a cutting board from one of the kitchen drawers and began to prepare the carrots on it. Dash rushed over and fumbled for the potato peeler in the drawer. “Hey, not fair, you got a head start!” Later, once dinner had been made, served and thoroughly enjoyed, Scootaloo finished telling about the events of the past few days, aided by Rainbow Dash’s perspective for the later parts, right up until the moment she and Dash had stepped through the door to Scootaloo’s home. “So Princess Luna herself not only took a personal hoof in your discovery, but she also wants your help to look further into it,” Ember mused. “Not bad for a school-age filly.” “It’s thanks to Rainbow Dash. She’s the one who found us,” Scootaloo said, beaming at the blue pegasus. “I know she did, honey. She said she would.” “Aw, shucks, I didn’t do much. Well, I did some, but Scoots is the real toughie here, not me,” Rainbow Dash replied, doing her best attempt at modesty. “Well, that’s a given,” Ember said with a wry smile. “But you were true to your word. I read you right, which I’m very happy about.” He glanced over at Scootaloo. “But next time you go off on a big trip like that, let me know in advance, right?” “Heh, right,” Scootaloo agreed, looking a bit embarrassed. “Deal.” Ember nodded, satisfied. “Still, it’s a big comfort for me to know you got a Daring Do-kind of pony looking out for you.” “Wait, you know Daring Do?” Rainbow Dash inquired with sudden interest, leaning across the table. “Damn skippy. Best book series I ever read. I take it you’ve read ’em too?” Ember gave the other pegasus a reassessing look. “Heck yeah! Daring Do and the Minotaur’s Maze is the absolute best of them!” “Hogwash! Daring Do and the Crystal Caverns blows it out of the water by a quarter mile!” “As if! The saw blade death trap and the fight scene with the minotaur is pure, undiluted awesomeness, and—” Scootaloo let out an inward groan and shook her head, smiling as she helped herself to another bowlful of the still warm soup while the other two pegasi continued to debate the merits of every Daring Do novel in existence late into the evening. Carousel Boutique had never felt more warm and welcoming than at this moment when Sweetie Belle and Rarity stepped inside, both feeling more weary and tired than they cared to say. Rarity closed the door behind them and levitated a couple of half-finished designs off the nearest couch. “Are you hungry, Sweetie? There are still some leftovers from yesterday. I’ve got… hay sandwiches,” Rarity said, cringing slightly, evidently embarrassed at the lack of ‘proper’ food to offer. Sweetie Belle could not help but giggle. Whenever she stayed with Rarity, her sister always made a point out of providing delicious and varied meals, frequently of far more exotic variety than what she got when at her parents’ house, where breakfast, lunch and dinner mostly consisted of pan-fried everything. “It’s okay, Rarey,” Sweetie Belle replied, smiling. “Well, maybe I’m a little hungry—” “Say no more! I shall be but a moment. You just wait right here.” Rarity disappeared into the kitchen and, sure enough, returned a few moments later with a pair of sandwiches that still looked moderately fresh. Truthfully, Sweetie Belle would have been happy to eat grass at that moment, realizing for the first time just how hungry she was. She wolfed down the sandwich at a rate that would have made Pinkie Pie proud, culminating the display of gluttony with a content belch. “Sweetie Belle!” Rarity gasped. “That is so unladylike!” She quickly devoured her own sandwich before letting out an even more impressive burp of her own. Sweetie Belle was so shocked at first that she almost forgot to laugh, but once it seized them both, neither could stop until they were practically rolling around on the floor, hiccupping and gasping for breath in between fits of almost hysterical giggling. Rarity turned her head to face Sweetie Belle once the laughter finally died down, smiling at her. “You know, when I promised I was going to be less of a control freak, I didn’t know this was what would come of it.” Sweetie Belle’s smiled faded a bit and she lowered her gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry, Rarey… I didn’t mean for it all to happen like it did.” “I know, Sweetie, I know,” Rarity assured her softly. “But you’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “We should talk about your… your magic, though.” Sweetie Belle looked over at her sister quietly. For the longest time, she had wondered why she struggled so much with magic. Now that the answer was within hoof’s reach, she suddenly felt unsure whether she wanted to know the answer at all. “Perhaps we should go somewhere more comfortable first, however. This floor isn’t exactly the softest surface I’ve experienced.” Once they were both safely ensconced in Rarity’s bed—Rarity with a cup of steaming tea, Sweetie Belle with one of hot cocoa—Sweetie Belle asked the question most pressing on her mind. “Back in that room with the black stone, Twilight said I’m a resonator. What does that mean?” Rarity took a deep breath, as if bracing herself. “It’s… well, it’s difficult to explain. I wasn’t really sure what it meant until I saw what you did in that room. To be honest, I’m still not fully certain, but I’ll try to explain as best as I can.” She gently stroked Sweetie Belle’s mane for a moment before continuing. “From what Twilight described, it’s a rare condition among unicorns that causes problems with their spellcasting.” “What kind of problems?” Sweetie Belle asked, feeling a leaden weight forming in the pit of her stomach. Rarity sighed a bit. “It varies. For some, it’s only mild instability in their magic. For others, it’s difficulty casting spells at all.” Sweetie Belle nodded slowly. She felt oddly light-headed, at odds with the weight she felt in the rest of her body. “What about the… ghosts, then?” “That’s the other part of it. A resonator can… hmm. Do you remember what Princess Luna said about an echo of a traumatic event?” “Yes?” “Apparently, bad deeds done with magic cause a lingering imprint where they were performed. I guess it’s a bit like a haunted house from one of those tacky ghost stories Daddy always used to tell.” “The ones where Mommy ends up giving him a swipe with the newspaper to make him quiet?” Sweetie Belle asked with a faint smile at the memory. Rarity let out a little chuckle and nodded. “Exactly so. Except in this case, you’re the one doing the swiping, so to speak. A resonator can purge the echo somehow. I admit, I don’t fully understand it, but if what Princess Luna said is true, then that is also how you destroyed that obelisk. Your… resonance, I guess we can call it? It reflected the ward’s magic back onto itself when it tried to attack you.” Sweetie Belle tilted her head thoughtfully. “I think I did that earlier as well, down in the cellar where we made Golem. Purged an echo, I mean. There were ghosts there, too.” She took a sip of her cocoa and looked up at Rarity. “Do you think I’ll ever get to do real magic?” Rarity was quiet for a bit before replying. “I don’t know, Sweetie. I’ve certainly seen you do some magic…” she said, touching her sharp-cut mane meaningfully. Sweetie Belle cringed a bit. “I mean magic that I choose to do. Not… accidents.” “I guess it depends on how strong your condition is,” Rarity said reluctantly. “I know it isn’t what you’d like to hear, but… well, I’m afraid that’s the only answer I can give. There has to be somepony who can help, though. Princess Luna certainly seemed to know about it. Perhaps we can talk to her if she comes back to see you like she said she would.” Sweetie Belle looked at the contents of her cup in silence for a few moments before turning her gaze back to her sister. “Why haven’t you grown your mane back yet? Can’t you or Twilight just fix it with a spell?” Rarity looked a bit surprised for a moment. “Well, yes, I suppose, but… Well, I wanted to gauge the reaction to a short mane while I had the opportunity,” she said with a light shrug, taking a dainty sip from her teacup. “Reaction from who?” Sweetie Belle asked curiously. “Ah, doesn’t matter. It wasn’t what I hoped for, though, so I’ll most likely be growing it back tomorrow. Just as well, it simply didn’t look right in the mirror.” Sweetie Belle cuddled up with her back against Rarity, taking another sip of her cocoa. Now that she knew the truth behind her magic issues, she realized that she felt better off knowing after all. Whatever her condition might entail, at least she now knew why, even if the why was a far cry from what she had hoped. Still, as she sat in her sister’s embrace, in the warm, soft bed of Rarity’s room, Sweetie Belle felt the past few days of anxiety, fear and dread wash off her like dirt in a bath. She knew for absolute certain that no ghosts, bad echoes or evil could reach her so long as her sister was here, and with that comforting knowledge to bolster her, she slowly drifted off to sleep. The Apple sisters walked the winding dirt road to Sweet Apple Acres in silence, Applejack looking straight ahead towards the farm, Apple Bloom alternating between staring at the ground and glancing ruefully at her older sister. Finally, the filly could not stand the quiet anymore. “Ain’t ya gonna say somethin’?” she asked almost desperately. Her sister looked down at her for the first time since they had left the library. “Like what?” Applejack replied. “Like how Ah messed up, how Ah wasn’t truthful with ya, how Ah brought both mahself an’ mah friends in danger?” The farmpony raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. “Now why’d Ah need to go tellin’ ya what ya already know, AB?” Apple Bloom opened her mouth to reply, but found herself lacking words. Why indeed? “Lookie here, lil’ sis, we already went over this back in that there mountain,” Applejack continued before she could come up with an adequate reply. “We jus’ never got around ta finishin’ it.” It took Apple Bloom a moment to realize that they had veered off the road at some point and were instead heading up a grassy hill. Applejack seemed to be moving with a purpose, though, so the filly continued to follow her older sister. The top of the hill presented a wonderful view of almost the entirety of Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack sat down next to an old hollow wooden stump, and Apple Bloom followed suit after a moment’s hesitation. While it might to the untrained eye seem like the trees were randomly placed, the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres were in fact carefully and meticulously arranged so that all the different apple sorts could be easily distinguished and separated during a harvest. The afternoon autumn sun bathed everything in a golden glow. In a month or two, perhaps a few weeks at most, the pegasi would prepare for the onset of the winter season, and soon everything would be covered in ever-growing layers of snow until it was time for Winter Wrap Up. “Look, AB,” Applejack began, gesturing towards the orchards with a sweeping motion of her hoof. “Every apple tree the sun touches is our property.” Apple Bloom glanced up at her sister. “Erh, Ah know that, sis. Ah live ’ere, too.” “Dang it, AB, Ah was tryin’ ta make some poignant introduction,” Applejack said with a little smile for the first time in what seemed like forever. “Sorry, Ah guess?” Apple Bloom ventured. She was, if anything, even more confused about her sister’s behaviour now. “Well, Ah can skip ta the heart o’ the matter,” Applejack replied with a little shrug. “Here’s the thing: You, me, Big Mac an’ Granny Smith, we’re family. Ah know we got branches o’ the Apples all over Equestria, an’ they’re family too. Rainbow, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie an’ Fluttershy, they’re also a kind of family, but a different one. But us, we’re family-family, ya see? Ain’t none others like us in the whole wide world, an’ there ain’t nopony else Ah’d trade any of ya for.” Applejack looked down at Apple Bloom and gently put a hoof around her shoulder before continuing. “But that also means we only got one Apple Bloom, an’ if we lose her, there ain’t nopony else in all of Equestria to replace her.” Apple Bloom swallowed heavily to try and dislodge the lump she felt in her throat, but without much success. She listened quietly, still unable to formulate a reply. “It wasn’t even so much the deceit that tore at me. Ah won’t pretend Ah ain’t ever been guilty o’ lyin’ as well. That sick bastard Discord played me like a banjo with that. It was the fear o' losin’ ya that was the worst. Ah don’t ever want to lose anypony if Ah can help it.” Applejack let out a sigh and gazed up at the sky. “But Ah know Ah can’t keep ya from goin’ off an’ doin’ yer own thing. Big Mac was right; it took me a trip to Manehatten to realize mah destiny was right here at the farm. Ah can’t demand ya stay within mah sights all the time an’ never do anythin’ dangerous. Heck, if Granny Smith hadn’t wandered into the Everfree Forest lookin’ for food back when she was a filly, our family might've never managed to settle down ’ere.” “What are ya tryin’ to say, exactly?” Apple Bloom finally asked. Her sister blinked, then let out a little chuckle. “Heh, guess Ah should’ve practiced mah speech a lil’ more. Well, mah point is jus’ this: Ah love ya ta bits, an’ no matter what stupid things ya do, Ah’ll still love ya ta bits tomorrow as well, ’cause that’s what family does. Ah can’t tell ya not ta go lookin’ for danger. Ah can only ask ya ta use yer noggin next time ya go off on some grand adventure.” Apple Bloom sniffled and wiped her muzzle, managing a little grin. “Oh, don’t worry, Ah ain’t goin’ off like that again for a long time.” Applejack smiled and tussled her sister’s mane. “Well, can’t say Ah’m displeased ta hear that, but don’t go makin’ hasty promises now. It sounded like Princess Luna was mighty keen on gettin’ to know everything about them golems ya found.” “Ah think Ah’ve had enough golems for a while now. Ah still can’t believe Golem was so… so…” “Everypony does weird stuff when they’re scared. Guess it ain’t no different for clay ponies,” Applejack said with a little shrug. “Which reminds me,” she added, eyes brightening up a little as she took off her hat and rummaged through it. “Ah found this back on that mountain trail. Ah think ya dropped it.” Apple Bloom stared in surprise at the pink ribbon her sister was holding up. “Mah bow! Ah thought it was lost for good!” “Not anymore, it ain’t,” Applejack replied, grinning. “Once we put a brush to that mane o’ yours, ya might even look presentable again.” Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow at her sister. “What, did ya go an’ turn into Rarity while Ah wasn’t lookin’?” “Why, I do declare that this is an insult most uncouth!” Applejack said in her most outrageously posh voice. “That was terrible!” Apple Bloom snorted in between fits of laughter. “Whatever do you meeeean? This is a perfectly—Oh darn it, Ah can’t keep this up,” Applejack chuckled, shaking her head. “Enough o’ that, ya ready ta head back now? We shouldn’t keep Big Mac an’ Granny Smith waitin’. They’ll be wantin’ ta know yer okay as well.” “Yeah, let’s go,” Apple Bloom agreed once the laughter had died down and her insides did not hurt as much. They headed down the hill towards the familiar and welcoming sight of the farmhouse. “Hey, sis. There’s jus’ one thing Ah’m wonderin’,” Apple Bloom said after a few moments of silence. “Yeah? What’s that?” Applejack replied curiously. “How did ya get to Manehatten back when ya were a filly? That’s the question that made me start lookin’ through all those travel books in the first place. Preparation for a trip of our own, which routes to take, all that.” “Me? Ah took the train, o’ course.” Apple Bloom’s faced changed between three different expressions in as many seconds, going from wide-eyed surprised to an incredulous grimace, finally settling on a slightly embarrassed half-smile. “Oh.” Celestia was in the middle of one of the less exciting aspects of rulership when Luna entered the throne room. An ink-spotted unicorn clerk was in the middle of providing a detailed review of the projected expenses for this year’s Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant, reading aloud from one of several scrolls. Luna, supremely unimpressed by the numbers and figures, strode past the clerk without offering him a second glance and ascended the steps of Celestia’s throne. Celestia gave the clerk an apologetic little smile. “I’m sorry, Abercus, but we’ll have to finish this later. I believe my sister has urgent news for me.” The clerk, savvy enough in court matters to know when to insist on an extended audience and when to quietly back out, bowed quickly and left. “Sister?” Celestia inquired, but Luna shook her head. The Sun Princess nodded in understanding and rose from her seat. “My sister and I will retire to my study for now,” she told the Royal Guards standing at attention at the foot of the throne. “We would like a tray of refreshments delivered outside the door in fifteen minutes.” Once they were in the modest yet cozy chamber that served as Celestia’s private study, Luna visibly relaxed and sat down on the silken carpet on the floor. After lighting the wood arrayed in the fireplace, Celestia sat down next to her sister, briefly touching necks with her in a gesture of affection before looking expectantly at her. “It’s over,” Luna finally said, her voice almost trembling with relief as she spoke the words. “And?” her sister prompted. “They are free. They had been toiling away beneath Silverpeak for a thousand years, Tia, but now they are free.” “Silverpeak…” Celestia echoed thoughtfully. “Yes, I guess that makes sense. What of Tincoat? Did you find out what happened to her?” “She perished trying to get past the defenses,” Luna replied heavily. “We found what I presume were her last words, but no sign of the body. It must have crumbled away a long time ago.” Celestia closed her eyes for a moment and nodded slightly. “It saddens me to hear that. I wish I could have done something, but at least she can be at peace now.” “Could you not have stopped her?” Luna asked, an edge of reproach in her voice. “Surely she could not have gone to Silverpeak completely unnoticed.” “I’m afraid so, Luna. Everything was chaos in the aftermath of our fight. The Royal City was in ruins, and I barely had the strength to do much more than raise the sun.” Luna’s expression fell a bit. “Yes, of course. I just wish—” Celestia gently touched her sister’s neck again with her own. “I know, Luna. The guards found out what she had done too late. Nothing could be done to help her. Just take heart in the knowledge that it wasn’t all in vain.” Luna nodded, though she did not seem entirely convinced. “What of the fillies?” Celestia asked in an attempt to divert her sister’s thoughts. “Did they truly make a golem?” “Yes, it would certainly seem that way. I am still not certain how they managed it, but I intend to question them about it later.” Luna regarded her sister for a moment. “You know what this means, don’t you? If three little fillies found the means to create golems…” Celestia nodded. “I know. We must find out how they did it and do what we can to keep that knowledge safe. The craft is too open to abuse to let it become public knowledge.” She let out a little sigh and shook her head. “What of the golems themselves?” “Resting, it would seem. The one that the fillies made said that they would come to us when they felt the time was right.” The Sun Princess nodded again. “It should not come as a surprise that they are wary. Do you think they can be left alone until they are ready?” “The wards that hid the entrance still endure. Nopony will find the golems unless they know where to look,” Luna affirmed. “There is one other thing I should add. One of the fillies, the sister of one of the Element Bearers, appears to be a resonator. She may be useful if given training. At the very least, I believe she deserves some guidance after what she did.” “Oh?” Celestia said in a tone of pleasant surprise. “This is news to me. I will pass on the word. Kettlepot will be happy to hear that.” There was a polite knocking on the door leading into the study. Celestia gave her sister a little smile. “Ah. Sounds like our refreshments have arrived. Would you care to indulge in a little meal together?” “I suppose it would be impolite of me to decline at this time,” Luna replied with an air of careful disinterest. Celestia got up and opened the door, returning a moment later with a tray of tea and various baked goods. She set the tray down between them, pouring cups of tea for them both before giving the array of pastry a thorough examination. “I suppose there has been no news about the journal’s placement in the Archives?” Luna asked after taking a sip of the steaming herbal beverage. Celestia shook her head. “Nothing concrete yet, but Shining Armour is personally overseeing the investigation and will forward all new findings directly to me. We will get to the bottom of this soon enough.” “I hope you are correct. I would like to put all this behind me for good.” “I believe what we have accomplished so far is cause enough for celebration,” Celestia said with a smile. “Don’t worry, Luna. It will only get better from now on.” Luna nodded. As she looked down at the tray to sample the sweets, her expression became one of exasperated despair and dismay. “You took all the glazed ones, you glutton!”