“Holy mother of Luna this is not good.” Lightning Dust reacted in an instant, swooping down and grabbing Upper Crust. She cried out as she fled, “Octavia, come on!” Upper Crust allowed herself to be carted off as she stared with wide, unbelieving eyes at the frozen Luna.
Nye ran from Rainbow Dash’s crystal to Luna’s and set his front hooves against it. “No no no, Luna, this can’t be happening!” Tears poured down his cheeks as his brother rushed to his side.
“Nye, come on, we have to go,” Jimmy insisted. He grabbed at Nye’s waist and tugged, but his brother violently threw him off.
“I will not leave them!” the younger Stone snarled without so much as looking at his twin. He pressed himself against the crystal as if it were the most precious thing in the world to him.
Octavia hesitated, taking a step into the clearing. “Jimmy… Jimmy, you have to…”
Jimmy picked himself up from the ground and cast a forlorn stare at her. He glanced back at Silma Ril, Mane Archon and Princess Celestia, then back at Nye. For a long time he stared at his brother with a wretched frown, listening to the sobs. At last he turned back to Octavia and shook his head: he would not leave Nye.
Octavia’s eyes shifted, moist and indecisive. She lingered for some time, but at last she turned and fled the garden, disappearing among the crystallized ponies.
Silma glanced down at Archon, who had a smug grin. “Do you not intend to give chase?”
He shook his head. “I think they serve our needs better if they escape. Survivors spread fear, and fear is our ally.”
She considered this before smiling, but only a little. “I approve. Perhaps you’ve not lost your touch after all.”
He rubbed his chest in a self-satisfied manner. “I didn’t trick Celestia into letting the Archons join her inner circle by being an idiot.”
She raised an eyebrow but did not comment, instead turning her attention to Luna. “Such a shame. I had hoped she might relinquish her knowledge before I enslaved her. Now I will have to wait until she is loyal to attain the Shades of Night.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he reminded her, “whether we have it now or later, our victory is secured.”
Celestia had been listening to this exchange, and with a timid air she spoke up. “My Empress… I am afraid my sister spoke the truth: she does not recall where she hid the stone.”
Silma and Archon’s heads turned to her in unison. Silma scrutinized Celestia with an ominous frown. “Were you not bound to my will I might assume that to be a joke, but that cannot be as you would never do anything I would disapprove of. Explain yourself.”
Celestia shifted from hoof to hoof for a moment before answering, her voice cautious. “When Luna hid the Shades of Night, she asked me to erase her memories of the act. I used the very spell you taught me. So you see, Your Eminence, she truly has forgotten the location of the stone.”
“What?!” Archon cried. He sneered and cast a livid glare at the crystallized Luna, her frozen smile appearing somewhat more self-satisfied. “You mean we went through all that trouble freeing her from exile on the moon for nothing? We might as well have left her there!”
“Calm yourself, Archon,” Silma instructed with a quiet, patient manner. “This is only a small delay. We will still obtain the Shades of Night.”
“How?” he demanded. “Can you bring her memory back?”
She shook her head. “No. If Celestia cast the spell I taught her correctly – and I have full faith in her magical aptitude – then there is no recovering Luna’s memories. However, she will soon be loyal to me once more. When she is properly obedient I shall merely send her to search for the stone.”
Archon considered this, tapping the box at his chest with a thoughtful frown. “I suppose you are correct. Who better to guess where she hid the stone than herself?”
“Precisely.” Silma glanced back at the enslaved Celestia. “Fear not, my little pony: I do not blame you for this error. You truly are not the same Celestia that you were then.”
Celestia beamed at these words as if they were the loftiest of praises. “Thank you, Your Eminence!”
“In the meantime,” Archon pressed, “we need to strengthen our position. Even if we have Celestia and Luna at our beck and call we would be hard-pressed to control Equestria by ourselves. I will begin by subjugating the soldiers below.”
Silma nodded her agreement. “That is good. We will need many loyal soldiers, and very soon: it will not be long before that upstart princess sitting on my throne learns what has happened. We must be prepared to strike the Crystal Empire before they can respond.”
“Agreed.” Archon glanced at Luna before turning to go. “You stay here and hasten Luna’s capitulation. I will see to rounding up some more slaves.”
Silma glanced back to Celestia. “Assist Archon.” Celestia set a hoof to her chest and bowed before following him.
For a time there was silence, the garden eerily quiet in the night. Silma took the opportunity to relish her victory, but she didn’t wait for too long: she had work to do. She turned to Luna... then noticed the two stallions who still remained.
Nye was pacing before Luna’s crystal, lips curled in a tight frown. It seemed he was trying to think of some way to free her, which was of course a preposterous idea. A few feet away was his brother Jimmy, sitting in the grass with head bowed and eyes glazed over in a hopeless stupor. Neither of them paid her any mind. In fact it almost seemed as if they’d forgotten her presence.
Silma studied them, wondering at their behavior. The others had fled in appropriate terror, but these two remained. Silma had an idea of why; she could never be loyal to any pony, but that did not mean she didn’t appreciate it when given.
She sat in the grass and coughed in an attempt to catch their attention. When that failed she decided to be more direct. “Why do you stay here?” They both responded, albeit in different ways; Nye jerked about to face her, as if expecting an attack, but Jimmy merely blinked and slowly raised his head to observe her.
“I refuse to leave my friends!” Nye snapped, pawing the grass threateningly. “You can do what you want to me, but I refuse to abandon them!”
Silma set a hoof to her lips, smiling thoughtfully. Her eyes drifted to Jimmy. “And you?”
Jimmy didn’t bother to stand. His handsome face remained soft and miserable as he glanced at Nye. His answer was so quiet she almost didn’t hear it. “I won’t leave my brother behind.”
“Such loyalty.” She nodded, confident in her decision. “You two will do nicely.”
“Will do?” Nye repeated, his anger fading to confusion, “Will do for what?”
“Yes.” Jimmy stood, suddenly appearing much more alert, “What do you have planned for us, and why would we ever help you?”
“You are loyal to Luna, are you not?” Silma asked. She stood and began to circle the brothers, a confident smile upon her lips. “Soon Luna will be subservient to me. I might just let the two of you keep your minds, if you would but remain loyal to her.”
Nye and Jimmy gave one another surprised looks. “Why would you offer to do that?” Jimmy asked.
She eyed them as she continued her circling. “I suppose there is no harm in admitting it: I need followers. Not the kind my crystals produce,” she tapped Luna’s prison lightly, “but real followers. The ponies I’ve enslaved are blindly loyal, and would gladly sacrifice their lives if I told them to. But such loyalty comes at the price of free will.”
Nye considered this, and after a second his eyes lit up in understanding. “You need ponies who can think for themselves.”
“Very good, young stallion.” She nodded with a pleased grin. “It is not enough that I have slaves who blindly follow orders: I also need ponies to guide them. As incredible as my powers might be, even I cannot be everywhere at once. You two could help me.”
“I don’t think so,” Jimmy declared with a sneer.
“You will be loyal one way or another,” she reminded him, tapping Luna’s crystal again. “I’m offering you a chance to keep your free will and identity. It will also put you in a position of power, for you will each be in command of armies of slaves! All I ask is that you remain loyal to my dear Luna, who will soon need officers to deliver her commands.”
Jimmy gazed up at her, his jaw slack with disbelief. After a few seconds he closed his mouth with an audible click of his teeth, face determined. “If that’s what-”
“I’ll do it.”
Jimmy literally choked on his words. He turned to gape at his brother, who stood tall before Silma. Nye, face firm and eyes hard, nodded to her. “I will always be loyal to Luna, no matter what. I never want to leave her. If that means serving you, so be it.”
“Nye… are you serious?” Jimmy set his hooves to his brother’s shoulders and looked him in the eye. Nye shot him a determined glare that made him lean back in astonishment.
“I’m serious, Jimmy,” he replied. “This is the only way I get to stay with Luna and Rainbow. It doesn’t matter who’s ultimately in charge as long as I’m with them.”
“Well said,” Silma declared.
Her eye fell upon Jimmy, who stepped away from his brother with a resigned sigh. He turned to her and nodded. “If Nye's in, so am I. I have to look after him.”
Silma grinned, but there was something wicked about the way she was bearing her teeth. “Very good. Of course, the two of you understand that I have no reason to trust either of you just yet. Let me be perfectly clear: at the first sign of betrayal I will be more than happy to burn you both into a pile of dust – literally, and in full view of the public.”
The twins’ eyes grew wide, and they shared a mutual stare of quiet alarm.
Jimmy recovered first. “Well. It’s either that or be a mindless slave.”
Nye nodded. “As long as we just stick to serving Luna?”
Jimmy hesitated, shooting a wayward glance at Silma. She was watching them with the sharpness of a hawk, and it clearly made him nervous. “Umm… what about our friends?”
Nye delivered a sharp poke to his brother’s chest. “That kind of thinking’s gonna turn you into a cinder.” He turned to Luna with adoring eyes. “They abandoned our Princess, whom they only just promised to stand behind! They aren’t our friends anymore.”
Jimmy gasped. “You really believe that?”
The younger Stone shot a very serious glower at him, which said enough.
“So?” Silma pressed, her horn glowing red in preparation.
Jimmy studied his brother for several seconds. It was clear that Nye was set to this course. At last he turned to her and, with as much firmness as he could muster, answered. “We’re in.”
Octavia ran for all she was worth, struggling to catch up with the speedy pegasus. “Lightning!” she cried, “Lightning, stop!”
At last her call was heeded, Lightning slowing in the hallway just before a large balcony. She dropped to the white tiled floor, depositing a very quiet Upper Crust. Octavia at last caught up, panting a little from the exertion. “Thank you! Where do you think you’re going?”
Lightning flew higher and gestured for the window. “Out of here. You saw what just happened! Both Equestria’s princesses couldn’t stop Silma, and neither could the Elements of Harmony!”
“But we can’t just run away,” Octavia insisted. “We have to come up with a plan!”
“A plan?!” Lightning threw up her hooves in frustration. “It’s over, Octavia! We lost. All our best options just got turned to crystal, and by this time tomorrow every last one of them will be in the enemy’s camp. What are we supposed to do about that?!”
Octavia hesitated, genuine fear numbing her thought processes. “I… I don’t know! B-but there has to be something. We can’t give up!”
“Watch me.”
“Lightning!” Octavia reared back as she cried the name. “We are supposed to back up the Element Bearers! We are Luna’s team, hoof-picked for jobs like this. How can you just fly away?”
“Luna’s team?” Lightning countered, “We’ve lost half our numbers! Jimmy and Nye sacrificed themselves like idiots, and Fine’s a shivering mass of wimp in his bed. The three of us alone can’t defeat Silma and Archon, and to top it off now we’ll have to take on Celestia, Luna and all six of the Element Bearers! We don’t stand a chance, Octavia!”
“Bu… but…” Octavia struggled for some sort of argument, but she was still in a state of shock over what had just happened. “I… we… but what are we going to do?!”
“I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do,” Lightning snapped, “I’m getting Keen, and out of here!”
“Lightning!” Too late, she was gone.
Octavia watched her go, her mind frantic. What to do, what to do?! Her breath coming in short gasps, she struggled for some sort of solution. She glanced at Upper Crust, who kept a firm face and appeared to be strongly considering the situation. “Upper Crust! You’ll help, won’t you?”
Upper Crust gave her a serious look, lips set in an angry frown. “I’m sorry, Octavia, but no matter what scenarios run through my mind – and there have been many – I just can’t see us winning.”
Octavia dropped to her haunches, head bowed. “But we can’t just let this happen,” she whispered.
Upper Crust walked up to her friend and embraced her, startling the distraught mare. “There’s nothing we can do.”
Octavia’s mind was blank. All she could feel was sorrow and misery, and for once she just wanted to let it out. So she did; she broke down in tears, clutching Upper Crust tightly. Her friend didn’t bother to speak, to whisper comforting words. What comfort could there be in a situation like this?
She just cried and cried, thinking about all who were gone. Rarity, whom she’d never share tea with again. Twilight, who somehow always made her feel good about herself. Nye, who kept her smiling even at the worst times. Jimmy, who was there to help no matter what. They were all going to be slaves to that monster, and there was nothing she could do about it.
At last the tears stopped, though the two mares held on for a little longer. When they at last separated Octavia saw that Upper Crust had been crying, too, though she still had that firm look about her. “I-I’m sorry,” Octavia muttered, wiping her eyes, “I haven’t broke down like that in so long…”
“Equestria as we know it is about to end,” Upper Crust reminded her with a miserable sniff. “If there’s a better time to let it go, I can’t think of it.”
Octavia nodded, keeping her head low. “So… what are you going to do?”
Upper Crust stood up and turned to gaze down at the city below. “I’m going to find my husband and make for the Crystal Empire. I don’t know if we’ll be safe there, but I need to at least get Jet out of here.” She glanced at Octavia with worry in her eyes. “What about you?”
“I… I don’t know,” she admitted.
Upper Crust turned and set a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “If I were you, I’d gather up my family and head to Nildia. Equestria’s gonna have a lot of refugees after this; you’d be better off getting ahead of the masses.”
Octavia sniffed and glanced up at her friend. Upper Crust gazed at her with sad eyes, but her jaw was set and she appeared determined. It was something that a year ago she would never have expected, and it amazed her. “You’re an entirely different mare from the one I met outside the Crystal Empire,” she noted with a weak smile.
Upper Crusted’s expression didn’t change, but she nodded her acceptance. “I think we’re all a little more than we once were... though that didn’t change the end result.”
Yes… yes, they were all a little different, weren’t they? Upper Crust was confident and focused; hardly the cowering, indecisive pony from before. And Octavia had to admit that she had grown a little, too, so that she was more accepting of her new friends. She’d always been something of a loner up till now, hadn’t she?
Then, abruptly, she knew somepony they were forgetting. “I need to get to Fine Crime.”
Upper Crust tilted her head. “Fine? What for?”
Octavia stood, more confident now that she had something resembling a goal… even if it was a depressing one. “Fine is the one who chose us for this team, not Luna. The end results… well, ignoring them we owe Fine a debt. I can’t leave him alone in Ponyville.”
Upper Crust smiled in understanding. “You’re right, he does deserve better. But,” she added seriously, “my top priority is my husband.”
“I understand,” Octavia agreed. “We’ll get out of here together, and then go our separate ways.”
Upper Crust nodded, and together they went in search of a stairwell. “I guess this means Luna’s team has been dissolved,” Upper Crust noted with a guilty expression.
But Octavia shook her head. “No… no I don’t think so. We’ll come together again, I’m sure of it.”
“That would be nice,” Upper Crust admitted, “but I won’t be getting my hopes up.”
The door opened to Luna’s private chambers, and the two stallions marched into the darkness. Jimmy eyed his brother, anger bubbling within him. He wanted to say something, but he just couldn’t find the words. He didn’t want to say anything he would regret, anyway. He took a moment to study the oval-shaped room; it was huge, with three large windows revealing the shimmering night sky. The full moon’s rays illuminated the space, making it easy to see. Artwork of night scenes decorated the walls, and a suit of armor stood to one side. Jimmy studied it for a moment and realized it was the armor of Night Mare Moon.
“Close the door, would you?” Nye asked as he began searching a large desk near the center window.
Jimmy glared at him, but did as he was asked. Keeping his mouth tightly shut, he went to search under the massive bed at the center of the room. Everypony liked to hide things under the bed, right?
“You’re mad.”
Jimmy paused to give his brother a sinister look. “Yes.”
“You shouldn’t be.”
He ground his teeth to keep from shouting, his body trembling. “You abandoned our friends and joined Silma Ril, and dragged me into it!”
“You didn’t have to stay behind,” Nye noted as he carefully rummaged through a drawer.
“Yes, I did!” Jimmy turned to him, barely able to keep from tackling his twin. “You stupid bastard, what don’t you understand?! I couldn’t leave you here! And now that witch and her friend are gonna be looking over our shoulders. Luna and Celestia, too! How am I supposed to get you out of here now?”
“You mean you only joined up to buy time to change my mind?” Nye asked, glancing at his brother in wide-eyed wonder.
“Yes!” Jimmy threw up his hooves in exasperation. “You think I want to work with that hateful alicorn?”
“Well,” Nye answered, his tone ever calm as he turned back to rummage through another drawer, “looks like we’re almost on the same page.”
“No, we are-” Jimmy paused, his brother’s words echoing in his head. “Wait… what do you mean?”
Nye suddenly pulled something out of the drawer and pounded it to the top of the desk with a victorious grin. “Gotcha!”
“Got what?” Jimmy asked, walking up to see what his brother had found. “Aren’t we supposed to be looking for clues as to where this stupid stone is?” When he got next to the desk he saw that Nye had found a large bottle, its liquid contents a dark blue not unlike Luna’s coat. “Wine? You’re getting excited over wine?”
“This is not wine,” Nye corrected, pulling a quill and some parchment from the same drawer. “I asked Luna to explain this to me a while back, after Twilight failed to recreate it. This is the potion she uses to instantly send letters to Fine Crime! She’s got one for me too, but we can’t use that, obviously.”
Jimmy considered this for a moment, then his eyes went wide. “Wait… you mean you can use this stuff to send notes to Fine?”
“I’m hoping so,” Nye answered. “The one Luna made for me to use only works for me. If we’re unlucky this one will only work for her. Only one way to find out.” He began writing a note, taking nearly a minute to scribble out something. He folded the parchment and, pulling out the bottle’s cork with his teeth, dropped into the blue liquid.
The letter dissolved within seconds, until there was not a trace of it left.
“Yes!” Nye hoof-pumped. “That, bro, is what I call a success.”
“Waitaminute.” Jimmy turned to set his hooves on Nye’s shoulders, looking him right in the eye. “You mean the only reason you said all that in front of Silma, the only reason you agreed to join her, was so that you could be a spy and send notes to Fine?”
Nye blushed. "No, the original panic was very real. Other than that?" He grinned. “Didn’t think I had it in me, did ya?”
Jimmy let out a long breath. “Holy cow, Nye. I’m actually impressed.”
Nye rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah, I know, that’s probably the last time I’ll hear you say that in my lifetime.”
“No, seriously, that’s incredible,” his brother assured him. “You’re right, I didn’t think you had it in you!”
Nye grinned for a moment, but his expression grew serious very quickly. “We aren’t out of the woods yet: we still have to maintain the illusion of loyalty so we don’t end up all crispy.”
“Yeah,” Jimmy acknowledge with an anxious glance at the closed door, “there is that. But that’s not all; what if Fine never gets out of his slump?”
“He will,” Nye assured him. “Fine’s a tough guy, and Luna gave him something to help. He’ll recover, Jimmy, we’ve got to believe it. As long as we believe it, there’s a chance.”
“That’s not exactly logical, Nye.”
Now it was Nye’s turn to set his hooves to Jimmy’s shoulders. “Forget logic, Jimmy. Forget all the engineering lessons and if-then thinking and cold hard facts. What we need to get us out of this is faith that Fine will pull through, find our notes and come up with a plan. And then he’ll come to Canterlot with the mares and kick Silma’s butt!”
Jimmy stared at his brother in amazement. “Do you really believe that?”
Nye nodded, his face firm. “I have to. Fine was always the one with a plan. We’re scattered and broken, but if anyone can find a way to take advantage of the situation it’s Fine. He’s good, Jimmy. Scary good. I promise you, he’ll get back on his hooves, see the problem and puzzle together a solution within hours.”
Jimmy considered this for a moment, but just couldn’t gather his brother’s enthusiasm. “I dunno… but I guess right now we’ve no other option.”
Nye smiled and whacked a hoof against Jimmy’s shoulder playfully. “Don’t worry, bro. We haven’t lost quite yet.” And then, to Jimmy’s surprise, Nye engulfed him in a tight hug. “…and thanks, Jim. Thanks for sticking with me. I don’t think I can do this alone.”
Jimmy smiled, abruptly filled with that all-too familiar feeling of love as he returned the embrace. “Hey, what are brothers for?”
“No, Jim.” Nye shook his head, and Jimmy realized his brother was crying. “A year ago I never thought you’d have done it. It means more to me than you can imagine.”
“Hey, stop that.” Jimmy leaned back to give his twin a grin. “I’d never leave you behind, bro. You’re all I have.”
Nye sniffed dejectedly, head low and ears tucked. “Until you get your legacy back?”
Jimmy stared at his brother for a few seconds, startled by the statement. But then was it really so surprising? All his life he’d been after a single thing. It was only recently, while in Nildia, that he’d discovered the truth.
And the truth was: he didn’t need a legacy anymore. He need Nye… and Octavia, and Rarity, and Twilight. He needed his friends, and his brother. “There’s a lot more to you than you let on, bro,” he said at last, a weak smile on his lips, “but you’re not the only one who’s changed over the past year. Screw my legacy; without you I might as well be another Stickin Stone.”
Nye blinked, looking up at his brother as if he were doubting his ears. “Jim… you mean that?”
“Yeah,” he answered quietly, “yeah I do. Luna taught me a little lesson in friendship. I was the grade-A student between us, remember?”
Nye chuckled, eyes lighting up just a small fraction. “I remember. How could I forget, when father reminded us every day?”
Jimmy nodded, the memories of their school days flitting through his head. “I might have be smart one,” he admitted, “but without you I’d be like our old stallion. I can’t imagine a more miserable fate. So thanks, Nye. Thanks for rescuing me.”
Nye considered him for a moment, his head slowly rising to its full height. He smiled, his smug attitude coming back at last. “Well, I guess that means you owe me one.”
Jimmy made an exaggerated huffing sound. “Not anymore; it’s because of you I’m stuck here, risking my hide as Silma’s lackey! I think we’re even.”
Nye sighed deeply, as if he’d just lost a nice advantage. “Yeah, fair enough.”
Jimmy glanced around the bedroom with a stern expression. “Alright, it’s time we got to searching. At the very least we need to make it look like we were thorough.”
“I’m with ya,” Nye agreed, but paused to cast a questioning look at his brother. “Umm… what if we do find something?”
Jimmy considered the question for a moment, thinking on Silma and her very serious threat. He didn’t like the idea of being turned to ash… but they certainly had to slow her down in whatever way they could.
“Keep it to yourself.”
The streets of Canterlot’s upper class district were empty, the locals still enjoying their sleep. They were all ignorant to the disaster unfolding in the castle above them, even as the occasional bright flashes of magical combat illuminated the night sky. Getting out the castle had been a trick, and in the end it had required an outright fight and flight to escape Silma’s enslaved minions.
But they had managed it, and now Upper Crust was alone and running through the streets, her mind focused on a singular goal. She ignored the blood creeping down her cheek from the cut on her forehead. It didn’t matter that her body was bruised and battered or her mane was a tangled mess. All the things that once would have been so important didn’t even register in her mind.
Jet Set. He was all that mattered.
She at last reached their house. She rang the bell and banged on the wood furiously, not caring about decency. She called his name as loud as she could, determined to catch his attention. It seemed to take ages, but at last she saw the light in the hallway come on. A couple seconds later and the door swung open.
“Uppity?” Jet peered at her through tired eyes and he worked to tie his green robe. She was caught off guard by his disheveled appearance, made all the more clear by the unusual amount of facial hair he’d developed. “Do you know what time it is? Why didn’t you just use your key?”
She wasted no time, grabbing him and jerking him outside. “Hey, what are you-“
“Look!” She pushed him into the street and pointed over his shoulder at the castle in the distance. Right at that moment a series of yellow flashes burst through an entire floor of windows in rapid succession.
Jet blinked, squinted, shook his head. “What was that supposed to be?”
Upper Crust let out an angry growl and magically dragged her husband by his collar back into the house. He squirmed in protest and confusion. “Hey! Uppity, come on, stop it! What’s going on?!”
She released him and slammed the door before turning on him. “What’s going on is a national catastrophe. No, international. Global!”
He sat up and stared at her through eyes still clouded with sleep. “What? Does this have anything to do with that giant snake monster that just sitting there outside and doing nothing? ‘Cause if it is I’m going back to bed.”
She stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. “Jet… it doesn’t bother you?”
He waved a dismissive hoof. “Come on, Uppity, things like this happen all the time. Night Mare Moon, Discord’s return. Remember the Changeling invasion? Everypony panics every time, but then one of the Princesses steps in or the Elements of Harmony are used and everything’s all right again. So you’ll excuse me if I think you’re over-reacting.”
She dropped to her haunches. His words stung, though he could have no idea why. Very suddenly she wanted to break down and cry all over again. “Jet… you… you big... dumb, handsome idiot. This isn’t like the other times.”
He saw her distress and his annoyance melted into a soft smile. He walked over and wrapped his hooves about her shoulders. “Hey,” he whispered, “don’t worry. It’s going to be alright. You’ll see, soon Princess Celestia…”
She let out an angry snarl and shoved him so hard he fell to the floor. “Celestia is gone, Jet! Celestia, Luna, the Element-Bearers, they’ve all been defeated!”
He sat up and glared at her. “You’re panicking, Upper Crust. You have no way of knowing-“
“I was there, Jet!” she screamed, jumping into him. She had him pinned to the floor, her face so close their muzzles touched. “I watched Celestia obey the will of some power-mad alicorn like a slave. I saw Twilight Sparkle and her friends use the Elements of Harmony and fail to stop her. I had to sit there while Princess Luna – my Princess Luna! – got caught in a crystal prison just like you did back in the Empire. By this time tomorrow they’ll all be mindless slaves to Silma Ril’s will, and Canterlot’s going to go to hell in a handbasket!”
She glared down at him, huffing in anger and exhaustion. For some time he only stared right back, eyes wide and jaw slack. Any doubt he’d had was clearly gone now. After several seconds her anger faded to despair. She stepped back and sat, sagging as she began to cry once more. “W-we have… have to g-get out of C-C-Canterlot…” she whispered through her hiccups.
He remained on his back for several seconds, just staring at her. “Uppity… Celestia… was she really defeated?”
She just cried. It was all she could do. Her legs were sore from an entire night of running, her head throbbed, and her entire body ached from the desperate fight to escape. To top it all off she was so weary she thought she might collapse right there in the hall; it had to nearly dawn. She was mentally and physically exhausted.
But there could be no rest. “We have to go to the Crystal Empire,” she whispered, struggling to get back to her hooves. “We might find refuge there…”
She took a step, slipped and dropped on top of him. Jet, though it was clear by his eyes that he was still trying to grasp the situation, wrapped his hooves around her in a comforting embrace. “Uppity, what have you been through? You’re in no condition to go anywhere.”
She didn’t try to escape, but she shook her head against his chest. “No, Jet… I have to get you out of here. I’ve lost so much tonight, I won’t lose you too.”
“Tomorrow,” he insisted, burying his muzzle in her mane affectionately. “You have to rest, Uppity. Let me look after you for a while.”
She wanted to sleep, she really did. Just slip into unconsciousness and forget everything that had happened. He was so very comfortable. His smell, that delightful aroma she’d missed for so long, came upon her and began to lull her. She knew she shouldn’t, but it was just so tempting.
“We’ll figure something out,” he whispered into her ear as she began to fade. “I promise, Uppity, we’ll get through this.”
Lightning flew through the sky, her eyes on the horizon. The sun should have come up by now, but instead the night persisted. Surely the ponies of Equestria were beginning to realize that something was wrong. There was no time to worry about that, though; her mind was locked on finding Keen.
She was flying fast and hard, but not as fast as she once could. With every flap of her wings she felt that familiar, painful jerk in her muscles. She was pressing the old wound, but months of experimenting had taught her what she could and couldn’t do, and she was being careful. No matter how desperate she was to grab her adopted child and escape, it wouldn’t do to lose her ability to fly.
The great beast’s serpentine body stretched in the distance as far as the horizon. She’d been watching it throughout the return trip, searching for an end to it, but as far as she could see there was none. Not for the first time she had to question where the monster had been hiding all this time.
At last Ponyville appeared in the distance. She scoured the town with a practiced eye and could see some of the locals gazing up at the sky. Good, then at least they weren’t totally unaware. She slowed and began to descend, making her way straight to the small house she’d rented a few months back. She landed in the grass before the front door and entered swiftly.
It was a neat place. Lightning herself had never been a tidy pony, but since she’d adopted Keen she’d made an effort to put on a good showing, if only for the social worker. She passed through the small rooms, making her way to the back where Keen should be. She didn’t waste any time thinking about what to say or do, preferring to go right into Keen’s room.
The tiny filly, her long white mane and tail seeming bright in the dark, was sitting on her bed and staring up at the moon through her window. She turned to Lightning, worry etched on her tiny face. “Mom…?”
Lightning paused and felt at her chest for a moment; why did hearing that word make her heart melt every time? “Y-yeah, Keen, it’s me,” she answered, a silly smile on her lips.
Keen looked back at the window, missing the moment of weakness. “…the sun’s late.”
Lightning frowned and went to sit by the bed. She followed Keen’s gaze to the moon, it’s light seeming unusually bright. “I know.”
“Did something happen to the Sun Princess?”
A pang ran through Lightning at that question. She looked down at Keen, so tiny and childlike, and wondered what she was supposed to say. The filly had handled so much already, perhaps it would be cruel to tell her the truth.
But Keen spoke before she could come up with a proper lie. “She’s in trouble.”
Lightning, still struggling to find a cover story, decided to play innocent. “Why would you think that?”
“’Cause you wanna lie.”
Lightning’s jaw dropped. She stared dumbstruck at Keen, but the filly wouldn’t look at her. She just kept gazing up at the moon. After a while Keen spoke again. “You get quiet, Mom. You think. That means something bad happened, and you don't wanna tell me.”
The pegasus bowed her head, a wave of misery sweeping over her. “I’m that obvious, huh?”
Keen turned to her, sliding over to sit just before Lightning. “Look,” she said, and when Lightning did she saw a faint glow from Keen’s horn. “I caught moonlight. Uncle Fine taught me.”
Lightning sniffed, rubbing her nose. She smiled at this tiny attempt to cheer her, even though she felt like weeping. “He did, did he?”
Keen lowered her head, her eyes sad but calm. “Can the Moon Princess help?”
“I don’t think so,” her adoptive mother whispered.
“Uncle Fine? Twilight?”
Lightning couldn’t answer. She couldn’t even look Keen in the eye. For a long time there was a silence between them as she thought on the night’s failures, and what she could possibly do. But what was there to do save run?
Keen clapped her hooves and took a long, deep breath. “When a pony dies, if the pony was really good, the pony will meet her mom.”
Lightning shifted, her ears perking up. She slowly looked up at Keen, who had her hooves together and her eyes closed as she continued. “A pony’s mom fills her with happiness, ‘cause a mom’s love is perfect. So always work to make Mom proud, and you’ll be forever happy, even if you lose.” She opened her eyes, which were filled with love, and smiled in her soft way. “Mom’s love defeats all evil. Mom always protects you, because Mom loves you.”
Lightning gazed at her little unicorn filly, the words echoing in her mind. “Little Bolt, where’d you hear that?”
“Uncle Fine taught me,” she answered. She walked to the edge of the bed and nuzzled her mother. “He called it a chant. He told me to say it when I’m scared or unhappy. I think you need it, too.”
Lightning smiled and returned the gesture. She was a mother now, wasn’t she? And Keen needed her to be strong, especially now. She was so proud of her precious little filly, trying to comfort her like this. It gave her the tiny boost she needed to snap out of her brief, unhappy daze. “Thanks, Keen. Since when did you spend so much time with Uncle Fine?”
Keen sat up straight and blushed. “Um… well… I don’t think I can tell.”
Lightning had a sudden suspicion, and raised her eyebrow at the filly expectantly.
Keen flinched. “W-well… he kinda… sorta… visits.” Her head sank a little. “At night.” And a little more. “While you sleep.”
Lightning stared at her, not sure how to respond to this news. “He does? Since when?”
“Umm… since you became my mom?” Keen ventured. “He worries, I think.”
Lightning was stunned. She always assumed Keen liked Fine because he’d helped rescue her from the changelings, but suddenly him being Uncle Fine made so much more sense. Had he felt guilty for not being able to save the others at the orphanage? For not figuring things out sooner? Or did he feel responsible for Keen, the only one they had rescued? And to think she’d assumed Keen was talking in her sleep!
“Is Uncle Fine in trouble?” Keen asked, her head still hanging low and a guilty look on her tiny face.
Another sharp pang to the heart. She knew what Keen was really thinking, but even so the answer was the same. Lightning reached out and pulled Keen to her in a tight hug. “Not because of you, Little Bolt. I’ll have to have a talk to him later about your bed time-“ If she ever saw him again. “-but I’m not mad at him, promise.”
Keen beamed and snuggled against Lightning’s chest. “Good. I was scared for him.”
There was a long comfortable silence between them. Lightning wished she could hold the tiny filly forever; nothing in the world made her happier than moments like these, and for just a moment she allowed herself to be content.
But it came crashing down when Keen spoke again. “What are you gonna do about the Sun Princess?”
Lightning sighed and looked her in the eyes, petting that pale mane. Sometimes she wondered if the small act wasn’t more comforting to her than to Keen. “We’re gonna go away for a while. We’ll go somewhere far away, somewhere safe from that big scary snake outside.”
“But what about Uncle Fine?” Keen asked, eyes big with worry. Damn those eyes for making her heart bleed!
“Uncle Fine’s dealing with something very important to him right now,” Lightning answered after a moment’s thought. “He can take care of himself.”
“But I’m worried,” the filly confessed with a tone to match her words. “Can we see him before we go?”
Lightning opened her mouth to reply, paused and shut it again. What to say? That her ‘uncle’ was cowering in his bed in a dark room, barely aware of the world around him? “I… I think we should leave him be, Keen.”
Keen bowed her head, her horn pressing against Lightning’s chest for a moment. Seeing that expression on her face was like a spear to Lightning’s heart. Keen looked up again, though. “What about our friends? Sweetie Belle, Airheart? Everypony in Ponyville. Are we gonna leave them, too?”
“We can’t stay, Keen.”
“Do they know what’s wrong?”
That made Lightning stop and think. Did they? Come to think of it, probably not.
Keen frowned, her small face determined. “I can see you, Mom.” Lightning blinked and stared down at the filly in mild surprise, but Keen spoke before she could respond. “We have to warn them, right? I don’t wanna leave without our friends. What will they do?”
Lightning thought her chest might burst from an excess of love. She clutched her child close, happy tears streaming down her cheeks. “Oh my precious Little Bolt, I am so proud of you! You’re right, you are so right!” Here she was planning on abandoning everything, and Keen was thinking of others first. To think Lightning was supposed to be the mature one! “I love you so much, Keen.”
“So we’ll help our friends?” Keen asked, an eager smile spreading across her face.
“Yes, yes we’ll help them all,” Lightning assured her, still holding on. “We’ll go straight away and guide everypony in Ponyville to safety, you and me!”
“And Uncle Fine?”
“Uncle Fine, too… if we can reach him.”