~~~~~Ponyville, The next day~~~~~
Cloud Chaser cracked open her eye to see the slightly smiling face of her younger sibling, Flitter. Sometimes Chaser wondered just who momma had been bucking when she had the two of them, given how different they were in both looks and personality. They’d never had a proper father figure as fillies, but that hadn’t been too big of a problem - not for Chaser anyway. Mom had been, and still was, the epitome of the free-spirited pegasi. She hadn’t really been terribly concerned about things like fidelity or whose foals she had. She wanted foals, so she darn well went out and made herself some foals.
It had helped that Mom was also one of the most talented cloud-wranglers in Equestria, as evidenced by the fact that she now ran the Cloudsdale cloud-production line. Even if she constantly referred to her job as ‘squaresville’ she had been a damn good mom. Lucky for me, I take after momma. Poor Flitter never seems to know what to do around her. That was because Flitter was... well, career minded was the nicest term. She busted her flank, kept her nose to the grindstone, and had a hard time unbending for anything. She’d wanted the Weather Manager position pretty badly when Dash had left, but for some reason the job had fallen to... Chaser. Flitter hadn’t taken that very well at first.
“You okay, sis?” Flitter asked in a quiet sort of voice, as Chaser pushed herself up from the cloud she’d collapsed upon some umpteenth hours ago when the storm had finally been finished. She winced a little and rubbed at her head, nodding at her sister. Nothing worse than a headache and a need to eat. Much to her astonishment, Flitter was smiling. “You did good work out there. I didn’t think you could pull a shift like that.” She actually looked impressed. Flitter. Impressed. With her. About work.
Chaser took a moment to glance around the sky to make certain it wasn’t falling before giving Flitter a shy sort of grin. “Neither did I. Course, now I want to eat Sugarcube Corner and chase it with a bottle of aspirin.” She winced again - the headache wasn’t really that bad, but the bright shining sun wasn’t helping her any. “What time is it? Scratch that, what day is it?” she asked, grabbing a hoof full of cloud and rubbing it up against her forehead for the brief feel of cool precipitation rubbing up against her.
“It’s the second day of the festival, and you’ve just missed breakfast. I’m afraid Sugarcube Corner has been ransacked by all the festival goers,” Flitter informed her with a cheerful chirrup. “Although I’m certain if you asked Pinkie, she’d put something together," she continued with a little headshake and an amused sort of smile while Chaser let out a groan. Great, just great. If she wanted breakfast, she was going to have to deal with the pink party pony while she had a headache. Not that Chaser didn’t love Pinkie to bits, but she had no concept of the term ‘volume control’.
Oh well, at least Sugarcube would have coffee even if they didn’t have anything else. “I don’t suppose you could grab me my painkillers?” Chaser asked in her very best pleading tone, putting on her puppydog eyes. Flitter made a big show of looking thoughtful... before producing a little glass bottle with one wing and a sly grin. “Oh, thank Celestia,” Chaser whispered as Flitter tossed her the bottle and produced a glass of water to go with it. Three pills later, Chaser slowly started to work the stiffness out of her wings. “Ergh...”
“Oh, hush,” Flitter said with rolled eyes. “You’ll be fine.” Flitter hopped down off the puffball of a cloud she’d been lounging on and, well.. flitted over to her. “I’ve got a message for you from the mayor. She wants to thank you for making sure the park didn’t get flooded out, and that the weather team is to fully stand down for the rest of the week to enjoy the festival.” Flitter tilted her head as Chaser finally worked the life into her wings, flapping them repeatedly to get both the magic and blood flowing again. “Oh, and some mare named Tia wanted you to know she was expecting to see you at the feast tonight.”
Chaser’s flapping wings went into a minor tizzy, and she nearly fell off her cloud - clutching to the side of it as she tumbled. “Ack!” she said brilliantly, dragging her flank back up to the cloud while Flitter giggled herself silly. “Shut up!” Chaser growled at her sister, glad that her reflexes were still as sharp as ever. I’d better get out of here before she starts asking questions. Chaser flared out her wings and took to the skies. “Welp, I’d better go get started then!” she yelled back at Flitter - who was still bucking giggling like there was something she knew that Chaser didn’t know.
Whatever. It was a beautiful day, her headache was subsiding, and Chaser was determined to make the most of this festival thing. First things first though - coffee, food, and then tracking down Tia’s fine flank. Down beneath her, Ponyville had transformed into a veritable cornucopia of entertainment. Not just Ponyville either: the area surrounding the town and even the pegasi settlements above it had all gotten in on the action. Races were being held as they always were when pegasi got into the swing of things, and foals were strapped into specially made backpacks and taken for a spin around the sky.
As predicted, Sugarcube Corner was the site of a minor disaster area - wrappers and bags were strewn around waste baskets, and a quick glance inside the normally sweets-filled window proclaimed the place to have been utterly cleaned out.... with the sole exception of the shining silver coffee carafe that stood on the counter in all of its battered glory. Chaser winged her way to the door and gave it just enough of a nudge to slip inside. A bell cheerfully jangled above her head, and a slightly exhausted female voice proclaimed, “It’s going to be at least two more hours! Come back... Oh, Chaser!” Mrs. Cake smiled with a slightly renewed energy at her as she trotted in from the back room. “Thank Celestia, somepony sane. What can I get for you, dearie?”
Chaser grinned a little at the familiar use of her name. “Just the strongest cuppa you’ve got, and whatever’s edible.” She eyeballed Cup Cake dubiously. Sheesh, she looks like she just got run over by a stampede. The swirly-maned earth pony was already pouring her what looked like an extra-dark cup of the Cake’s famous brew, and with a sly wink slipped into the back room and produced a trio of steaming fresh muffins.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that - you’ve got the same look, you know,” Mrs. Cake gave off a gentle laugh, setting the plate of muffins on the countertop - a few pats of butter quickly following it. “We’re certainly not going to complain about the extra business, especially with Pinkie here to help.” Just the mention of Pinkie brought a sparkle of energy to the mare’s eyes that hadn’t been there since Pinkie had left for Canterlot. Mrs. Cake’s voice took on a wistful tone, even as Chaser began to gobble down the sweet carrot muffins. “I... don’t suppose you’d be willing to take a shot at convincing her to stay, would you Chaser? It’s... It’s not the same Ponyville without her.”
Chaser felt an ache in her heart at that moment, one powerful enough to distract her even from the delicious muffins that sat before her. She stalled by taking a deep pull of the coffee - as dark and strong as anything Zecora ever brewed up, and powerful enough to wake the dead. “I dunno, Cup,” she sighed softly, setting the mug down on the counter, the store feeling echoingly empty for a brief moment. “I suppose I can try and talk to her but...” she shook her head slowly, remembering the tearful farewells of just a few weeks before. “I don’t want to guilt her, yanno? It was hard enough for them to decide to leave in the first place.”
Cup nodded sadly, “I know what you mean - It was hard for all of us when... Oh, good morning!” She said quickly, as the door’s bell jingle-jangled a moment later. “I’m afraid we don’t have very much available right now.” She said with an embarrassed grin, as Chaser turned around... to see a pony she’d never seen before. Hubba Hubba, what do we have here... Chaser’s mind thought with a bright grin. He was a little young, sure... But definitely old enough to enjoy a good party. Still, he reminded her of someone...
Maybe it was his coloring. Bright purple coat and a leaf green mane and tail that looked positively wild. He was a little lanky - kinda on the thin side, but there was definitely a good bit of muscle on him. His horn was a little on the stubby side, but plenty thick. He had bright green eyes and was grinning cheerfully. “Just a cup of coffee will be fine, Miss Cake. It’s gonna be a long day today.” He said in a... familiar voice. Had she met this colt somewhere before? He didn’t look much older than sixteen or so.
Mrs. Cake was having the same issue it seemed, but she shrugged and poured out a paper cup of coffee to go. The unfamiliar unicorn pulled a golden bit out of his saddlebags and tossed it onto the counter with his hoof. An odd gesture, since most unicorns never used physical movement once they reached his age. Chaser sipped at her coffee and craned her head to get a look at his Cutie Mark... a bright green, swirling flame around a scroll. Odd. “Thanks!” The young stallion chirruped, grabbing the coffee cup with a hoof and waving it a little at Chaser. “Bye Miss Cake, Bye Chaser!” he said, and was out the door before she could comment one way or another.
“A...Huh?” Chaser observed in her usual brilliant style, then eyeballed the coffee for a moment. Maybe she needed more caffeine. She downed the rest of the cuppa, and snatched the other two muffins from the plate. “She’s going to be at the feast tonight, right? She’s helping prepare the food?” Cup Cake nodded absently, still staring after the oddly familiar pony. “Okay. I’ll talk to her, but I don't make any promises Cup. I’m not going to put pressure on her.” Chaser privately didn’t think Pinkie was going to change her mind at this point, but... well, Cup was right - when it came right down to it, Ponyville just didn’t feel like Ponyville without Pinkie Pie.
“Thank you, Chaser.” She waved her off as Chaser began to produce her bits pouch. “On the house, dear. After the night you had, you deserve it. Now off with you! Go enjoy the festival.” Miss Cake winked at her before bustling back into the back rooms of the bakery. Chaser just shook her head and chuckled as she proceeded out of the door, scarfing another muffin as she went. Outside, Mr. Cake gave her a tip of his cap and a grin as he continued to broom up the loose wrappers.
Awright. Breakfast and Coffee - check! Time for step two - Tia! Of course, finding the unicorn might be a challenge in these crowds - so that meant it was time to take to the air! She flared out her wings and bent her hindlegs... “Good morrow, Chaser!” Only to fall over as the chipper voice startled her out of her launching routine, tumbling rump over head and hitting the ground with an ungraceful splat. “Oh dear... I’m sorry, did I startle you?” Tia’s face swam into view above Chaser’s head, and she was smiling quite happily. She giggled softly, a sound which Chaser immediately found intensely appealing. “You look silly. Come now, on your hooves.”
Tia tugged Chaser back up to a standing position without too much trouble, and brushed the dust off her coat. Huh... Something’s different about her. Chaser couldn’t quite put her hoof on it, but... Tia definitely looked less worried and tense. Which was a good thing - poor filly needed to loosen up more often. “I was just going to look for you,” Chaser grinned brightly. “I missed the whole first day of the festival, an’ I’m in a mood to live it up with my newest friend.”
Tia grinned right back. “Well, did you have anything in mind?” she asked... in a totally innocent sort of voice. Oh, I got plenty in mind... just don’t think that I oughta be listing those things in public. Chaser thought with a slow smile. Tia giggled, as if she had seen something. “Not those sorts of things. Silly,” Tia continued with a coy smile, as if she had just read Chaser’s mind. “Something to do with the festival. You can think about those other things later!” Tia’s voice dipped low, an approximation of the sexy and slinky tone of voice Chaser had used on her just last week. Yowza. She learns fast.
Chaser laughed softly and shook her head. “Well, why don’t we see what Vinyl is up to then? She always knows where the best parties are.” Tia nodded with enthusiasm, and before Chaser knew it they were already trotting side by side down towards the park, where all the musicians had set up. “So, you look happy as a filly in Bon Bon’s shop. What gives, Tia?” Chaser ventured, trying to find out what had finally popped her cork - so to speak.
Tia tossed her mane fetchingly, her eyes sparkling at Chaser. “I simply had a wonderful day yesterday, and I’m finding myself more and more comfortable here,” she said... but that wasn’t everything and Chaser knew it. It’s like.. she’d been fighting something in herself, and now she’s just going with it. There was something refreshing about her now - something... something Chaser couldn’t figure out. “What’s wrong, Chaser?” Tia asked, as Chaser realized she’d stopped moving - and was staring at Tia.
Chaser tried to figure out what to say and just... blanked out. “Nothin’s wrong, I...” She took in a deep breath and exhaled. “I guess it’s just good to see you finally settling in. You had me kinda worried there for a while.” Chaser felt a little smile tug at her lips, and saw Tia smiling right back. “I hate seeing ponies all twisted up like that. I dunno what got you back on your hooves but... I’m glad for it.”
Tia’s cheeks blushed a little and she gently extended a hoof - which Chaser took and squeezed. “Chaser... thank you for your concern. I know I have not precisely been... well, as social as I ought to have. You’ve all been so very kind to me, and I wish I knew how to repay that kindness.” Tia’s words flowed out with a surprising amount of energy. She wasn’t trying to force herself to be calm, nor were her emotions coming out like a leaky faucet.
Chaser smiled and pulled Tia up close, wrapping a hoof around her shoulder and giving her a hug. “Hah. No worries, Tia. Now come on, let’s find ourselves a party!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time the evening was approaching and the town began to surge towards the central pavilions for the feast, Chaser was quite certain that the happy days were here again. Unfortunately, said happy days apparently included getting dragged into helping with the feast preparations.. “Aw, c’mon Tia... I can’t cook my way out of a wet paper bag!” Chaser whined out, which apparently had zero effect on the grinning white unicorn who was dragging her to her doom.
“Hush. You don’t need to cook, you just need to help.” Tia had on a wicked grin, gently shoving her towards the cooking tents. “You can carry trays on those big, strong wings of yours, can’t you?” Tia said in her sly voice, obviously trying to rile Chaser up. It was working, but, sheesh, where did all of this come from? The assault of smells and sounds from the tent was nearly overwhelming as Tia tugged her inside. Dozens of cook-pots were bubbling and stewing, stoves roasted, and ovens baked. All around them a hundred different food items were being turned into dishes of delectable delight, and the whole sight made Chaser really, really hungry.
“CHASER!” came the bubblegum bright voice of a very familiar party-pony, quickly followed by the almost predictable impact of its originator tackling her to the ground. Tia just stared on in astonished amusement as Chaser grinned up at her oldest friend in the whole world. “Whassup featherbrain? You’re lookin as fly as ever,” Pinkie Pie said with a grin, giving Chaser a hoof noogie and then hugging her tightly around the neck.
Chaser hugged her tightly right back, and then shoved Pinkie playfully, sending her tumbling back with a bright giggle. “I’m just fine, cotton candy. It’s good to see you.” Chaser gave Pinkie a wink, which she got back. And then... then something decidedly weird happened. If it had been anypony else, Chaser wouldn’t have caught it... but one of the reasons she’d always loved Pinkie was that she was incapable of keeping secrets, which made her a prime source of fun town gossip - not the least of which was usually her own exploits.
Pinkie turned to Tia and her eyes widened a fraction. “Oh, hey there Pr-” And that was the moment. A single slip of the tongue, that Pinkie corrected in mid-word. “-Miss Tia! Are you friends with Chaser too!?” Pinkie gave off one of her trademark gasps - and grabbed Tia up in a big, spine cracking hug. “Ohmigosh I’m so happy! Chaser is such a wonderful pony and she never ever lets anypony down and she’s so talented with her tongue and-” Chaser felt her cheeks burn bright red and shoved a hoof into Pinkie’s mouth to keep her from getting into any further detail.
Unfortunately, even Pinkie’s habit of rattling on wasn’t enough to distract Chaser from the important bit of information Pinkie had unwittingly dropped. The ‘P-r’ sound was distinctive, and had been said with emphasis and a casual knowledge - as though Pinkie had been very used to calling Tia by some completely separate name. So... Pinkie knew her before she came to Ponyville. That was pretty dang clear just from how she was hugging her - but how did she know her? Tia had been as anti-social as ponies got before the combined efforts of Ditzy, herself, and Cheerilee had forced her out of that shell. Even then, she hadn’t been very comfortable with things until just this morning. The thought of her actually knowing Pinkie Pie went utterly against the grain.
Chaser was startled out of her thoughts as she found herself quickly dragged into the action by Pinkie, and Tia hadn’t seemed to notice anything odd yet. She was still giggling at some joke Pinkie had cracked as her horn lit up bright gold and began to perform any number of tasks under Pinkie’s direction. Chaser paused a moment at the sight of that glow, and rubbed at her chin... only to find herself quickly encumbered by a pair of large wobbly trays - which took flared out wings to steady. “Take these over to the green tent, and move your flank! You can lollygag when everypony else has been served,” said Pinkie with a cheeky grin, whispering. “And if you work hard, we can lollygag together featherbrain.”
Chaser felt her cheeks burn hotter than the sun and hurried out of the tent. She would repeat this task at least a dozen times with trays filled with Celestia only knew what. It wasn’t until a trip back that she paused in mid-step. Something was wrong - there was a sour, almost sharp smell on the air that had nothing to do with citrus. “Shhh!” went a voice - very, very quietly. Too quiet for anyone in the tents to hear... and she was the only one outside of the tents right now. “C’mon, get that thing over here- the cider vats are this way.”
Cider vats? Chaser thought for a moment, before spotting a pair of shuffling shadows moving past the cooking tent. She paused for a moment, then gave her wings a quiet test flap before taking to the air to follow. The figures - a pair of ponies - were hauling a pair of heavy looking barrels from shadow to shadow, dodging the occasional food delivering pony as they moved towards a small open field where a dozen large iron vats held bubbling apple cider. Even from this distance, Chaser could tell the vats weren’t even remotely guarded. They were being watched over by what looked like a trio of the Apple persuasion, but they were all busy refilling the pots or doing other chores like feeding the fires.
The two ponies were obviously wearing some kind of black outfits, as it was impossible to see their coloration or race even in the moonlight.... but they pretty obviously didn’t want to be seen. Why? What the heck was in those barrels? Chaser narrowed her eyes and swooped down... she couldn’t just attack them, they might run off and try again later. No, she needed to catch them in the act.
The pair quickly dashed into the clearing with the cider pots, looked at one another and nodded - now thrown into harsh relief by the flames that kept the pots hot, they were obviously a pair of unicorns. One ran off down the line of pots, while the other used her magic to pry open the barrel she carried, revealing it to be full of some kind of violet liquid. She quickly poured a measure of it into the pot, then started doing it to the next one. Oh no ya don’t! Chaser thought, and launched herself towards the malefactor.
Chaser would never be as fast as Rainbow Dash - she didn’t think anyone ever could be - but she did have one skill that had made her good enough to get a look from the Wonderbolts. No one - not one single pony in all of Equestria could accelerate like she could. From a nearly dead stop, she hit her top speed in the space of three-point-five seconds. By the time the unicorn heard her wings, she was already on top of her. The unicorn screamed in stunned surprise as Chaser spun in midflight and delivered a double-hoofed dropkick to her sternum, instantly disabling her.
Before the cask had even hit the ground, Chaser did a one-hundred and eighty degree hairpin turn and rocketed through the maze of pots and the like, finding the other villain. This one had enough time to try and grab Chaser with her magic - but it was no use. Momentum was on her side, and though her impact was not nearly as cool looking, it was just as effective as she crashed spectacularly into the unicorn, sending the pair of them tumbling into a pile of firewood.
“What Th’ HAY!?” A voice screamed behind her in that unmistakable Apple Family accent as Chaser wrestled the unicorn to the ground and pinned her hooves behind her back. “Cloud Chaser, ya’ll had better have a good explanati-” Big Macintosh’s voice came to a sudden halt, as his nose caught on the air and his eyes widened. “Buck me.” He whispered, the swear totally and completely out of character for him. His eyes went to the oozing purple liquid on the ground and his voice growled out. “Chaser... Keep that unicorn pinned. Ah’m getting mah sister.”
Ten minutes later, the cider vats were surrounded by thestrals wearing Night Guard armor who quickly took custody of the still struggling unicorn. Chaser had taken a seat near one of the unspoiled pots of the stuff and had helped herself to no few mugs of it under the careful eye of Big Macintosh. Four figures strode into the clearing a few moments later, and Chaser felt a lump descend into her throat.
Twilight Sparkle - Queen Twilight Sparkle, Chaser reminded herself, in all of her dark glory walked with a deliberate step that practically screamed ‘Displeased’ to anypony who had the sense to look at it. Right at her heels, Princess Luna and Applejack were in deep conversation with one another... and Tia was right with them, striding alongside Twilight with a look of fierce anger on her face. The four of them stopped by one of the casks still oozing purple liquid, with Princess Luna lifting a glob of it up with her own cerulean magic.
For a moment, the two Alicorns and Tia examined the stuff, before Tia said in a soft and heated voice. “Love poison. Very potent too.” Gone was the unsure and shy librarian - gone too was the chipper, if entirely too formal friend. Tia’s body language screamed ‘authority’ and ‘power’ with every inch of her body. Her voice was firm and her eyes as cold as a winter storm. “It will have taken several skilled alchemists quite some time to create this much of it. We will need to dispose of the tainted cider carefully - it will still taint whatever it touches, and we can hardly have somepony accidentally ingesting it some months down the line.”
Twilight nodded once. “I agree. Luna, go with Applejack and check all of the rest of the foodstuffs to make sure nothing else has been touched. Once you’re certain, make sure this cider is gotten rid of properly.” Luna and Applejack both bowed, and quickly trotted away towards the food tents. It was only after they had both gone that Twilight took in a deep breath and sighed, with Chaser watching curiously. Obviously, neither of them had noticed her here yet. “I should have seen this coming,” Twilight said in a tired and defeated voice. She slumped to the ground and her silver crown slipped off her head to bounce off the dirt. “What in Equestria did they hope to accomplish?”
Tia shook her head firmly and laid a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “None of us could have foreseen this, Twilight. Not even me. I had thought it would be months before the reactionaries would try something so foolish, and I never would have thought they’d try poisoning the entire town. As to what they were trying to do... I think it is obvious.” She gestured at the purple liquid. “Everypony in town would have drank the poison, and immediately fallen in abject love with the next pony they saw. The resulting wave of love energy might very well have sent the Changelings into a feeding frenzy... and there likely would be no few ponies turned into Changelings themselves.” Tia gave off a wry and cynical smile that belonged absolutely nowhere on her face. “Something would have had to be done about that.”
Twilight nodded her head, her face a study in sadness and anger, and for a moment - just for a moment - the mask of the Nightmare Queen fell away to reveal the pony who had once been Twilight Sparkle. Still worried about everypony’s well-being, still taking all of the responsibilities of the world on her narrow shoulders... it was easy to see, with the pair of them standing there together, how they would have been drawn to one another. “You’re right,” Twilight sighed, slowly lifting her crown back to her head. “but then, you’ve always been right about things like this.” She looked around once more, then her eyes darkened and the Nightmare was back. “I need to go question our prisoners. Find out who found them out, and report back to me. A suitable reward must be thought up for thwarting this villainy.”
Tia nodded once, and leaned up to give Twilight a gentle... almost motherly kiss on the cheek. “You have become much wiser than I had dreamed Twilight,” Tia said in an almost too-soft voice. “I am so very proud of you.” She continued, and Chaser felt her jaw drop. Just who in tartarus was the teacher here, and who the student? Twilight gave off a soft, rich sort of chuckle and Tia gave her a wry look. “That does not mean we are not going to have words about your behavior on some other date, young filly. But...” She paused, and smiled gently. “We are going to talk, right?”
Twilight nodded - a momentary flicker of happiness crossing her face, as she spoke softly. “Yes, we are. I promise you that.” She paused and kissed Tia’s cheek. “Thank you,” She said in a very soft tone of voice. “I had never realized how difficult this Princess thing was until I was forced to live it myself. I have no idea how you managed to do it for over three thousand years,” Twilight said with a soft giggle.
Tia laughed, richly and deeply - even as Chaser’s brain totally and utterly broke down trying to process what had just been said. “You’ll figure it out, my most faithful student. Practice helps.” Tia winked up at Twilight, and a moment later Twilight vanished in a bright flash of violet and green energy - powerful enough to send a gust of wind straight into Chaser’s face, causing her to collapse rump over tail again as her entire mind raced faster than anypony else’s in history.
Celestia. Tia. Sunbeam. Of course, when it was thrown right into your face it all made perfect sense. The golden magic, the white coat, those piercing violet eyes. It was like one of those blacksmith puzzles that you just couldn't pull apart until you looked at it in a very specific way... and then it all came apart as if by pure magic. Tia’s origins, her powers, her crippling shyness and uncertainty, her utter naivete about the real world - it all added up to a perfect sum total.
And as Chaser stood up and saw Tia standing there, staring into the darkness with a look of sadness and loss upon her face, everything became crystal clear. The once mighty Princess Celestia had vanished... because Princess Celestia was no more. Somehow in the final confrontation with Twilight, she’d lost all of her powers and her wings, turning into a simple unicorn. Her destiny had been utterly changed with the once unconquerable sun now hidden behind the clouds, only the smallest rays of light able to shine forth. She had even lost her most faithful student to the darkness. Tia had endured the kinds of emotional torture that would have driven lesser ponies utterly mad. No wonder she was so skittish, so emotionally distraught and sad.
Chaser should have felt betrayed, she should have felt angry and upset at the lies and misdirection, she should have wanted to demand answers... and she just couldn’t bring herself to do any of that. She had to be honest with herself - it was one of her rules, right alongside being honest with others. The honest truth was... that Tia hadn’t asked for any of this - she hadn’t asked to have everything she’d ever known torn from her by circumstance and fate. She’d well and truly lost absolutely everything, and just the thought set an ache into Chaser’s heart. Of course she hadn’t told anypony who she had been... She wasn’t that pony any more.
To lose absolutely everything that defined who you were, to be forced to become somepony you’ve never been before... well, Chaser was pretty sure that would be enough to make anypony frightened and scared about their past. Chaser closed her eyes and felt the tears stream down her cheeks, and slowly a fierce flame of resolve blossomed in her heart. No. She wasn't going to shatter what peace and happiness Tia had found. She wasn’t going to let Tia suffer. She’d make this new life of hers one worth living - if anypony in the world deserved that, it was her.
Who cared who she’d been before? That was her friend out there, looking as though she wanted to break down and cry. That wasn’t right - that wasn’t fair. A good friend would go out and do something about that. So what about it, Cloud Chaser? Are you a good friend? Chaser scrubbed the tears off her cheeks and took a deep calming breath. Sometimes, honesty meant more than always telling the truth. Sometimes, it meant that you had to know when telling the truth was only going to cause more pain... sometimes, you had to hide the truth to protect the ones you loved.
“Hey Tia!” Chaser called out, and Tia turned around with a look of surprise on her face. “How’d you end up over here? Come to see the awesome pony who beat up the badguys and saved the town?” Chaser grinned arrogantly, giving a little flex. “Why the long face?” She commented a moment later, as if just noticing Tia’s distress. “C’mon, talk to Chaser.” She chided, wrapping her hoof around Tia’s shoulders and kissing her cheek softly. “No matter what - you can always talk to me.” she assured Tia with a bright wink and a cheerful smile, meaning every word she’d said.
Tia’s face slowly turned from sadness to happiness, and Chaser felt some kind of powerful glow in her chest at the sight. Somehow she knew, she needed to stick around this mare. Somehow Chaser knew all that mattered now was who her friend was on the inside, and as far as Chaser was concerned her name was Tia Sunbeam. I’m gonna stick close to you, Tia... And I’m gonna help make sure your new life is ten times as good as the old one was.
After all, what were friends for?