Upper Crust awoke with a start, jerking up with a shout. Her heart pounded against her chest, and for several seconds she could still see the image of Princess Luna encased in crystal.
But then her mind cleared, and her breathing slowed to a normal rhythm. The memory faded, and with it her fear, though it was replaced by a bitter sadness. She almost laid back down… but then realized that she wasn’t in her bed. Or rather, she was, just not her Ponyville bed. She was home… in Canterlot. Then she remembered going back to Jet.
She rubbed her head, feeling foolish. Why had she let him lull her to sleep? Then again the rest did seem to have done her good; she was still sore, but the aching was far less horrible than it had been before. She yawned, pushing her mane out of her eyes and sliding off the bed. Jet was nowhere to be found, though the disheveled nature of the sheets made it clear she’d not slept alone.
On instinct she raised her hoof to sniff at it, and got a small whiff of Jet’s cologne. It made her smile, and she couldn’t help taking another deep breath. She wanted to find him… he was probably below, making breakfast. She started for the door, but paused when she noticed the window. She hadn’t seen that view in so long. A quick peek wouldn’t be wasteful of her time, would it?
The view was delightfully nostalgic. Canterlot Castle in the distance, the pearly white streets and buildings, the green beauty of the nearby park. A true delight on the eyes. It was too bad she would have to leave it, possibly forever. She leaned against the windowsill and took in the sight, pleasure and morning laziness combining to give her a content feeling.
But then she caught movement. Her eyes shifted to the street below. Soldiers in golden armor were walking the roads, knocking on doors. She watched, fear growing in her chest. Her gaze locked on the home three buildings down from her own, where one of her neighbors came out to greet an officer. The two exchanged a few words, and then the stallion was being led into the street. A couple soldiers entered the house and soon came out with a mare and a colt. They were escorted to a large carriage, the kind usually reserved for mass cargo transport.
Upper Crust wanted to believe there was an evacuation going on due to the events of last night. She wanted to… but there was another, far worse possibility: this could be a round-up.
She pulled herself from the window and hurried down the stairs. She came to the kitchen where, true to her expectations, Jet Set was sitting at a table enjoying some breakfast. “Uppity,” he called with an excited grin. “Good morning, sleepyhead. I thought you’d be in bed ‘till noon!”
She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything the doorbell chimed.
“Wonder who that could be,” Jet said, starting to get up. Terror griped Upper Crust like a vice. Her husband glowed a soft green and found himself being slammed back down to his seat, eyes wide. “Uppity! What’s gotten…”
She shushed him and went as quickly and as quietly as she could to the front door. Hesitating for only a moment, she reared back to set her eye to the peephole. Through it she saw three Canterlot Guards, their shapes rounded strangely by the glass. They were stern-faced, appeared very impatient… and their eyes were red.
“Crud.” She turned and found Jet standing at the end of the hallway, looking not just a little confused. She rushed to him and began pushing him towards the study in the back of the house.
“Uppity, what is wrong with you?”
“We have to get out of here, now,” she hissed just as the guards began to knock loudly on the door. “We’ll go out the back.”
“But why?” he demanded, “Who is it?”
“Canterlot Guard,” she answered quickly, closing the door to the study and locking it.
He stared at her in frowning disbelief. His tone was dull as he asked, “Uppity, why are you trying to run from the Canterlot Guard?”
She shook him violently. “Because they’ve all been enslaved by Silma Ril, and if they get their hooves on us we’ll be next! Now come on.”
“Uppity, you can’t be serious about this,” he pressed. “Who's Silma Ril? Where are we going to go?”
“We’re not going anywhere,” she told him in a whisper, “but we have to get away from them first!”
“That makes no sense,” he pointed out, his voice filled with confusion.
She opened the door and stepped out onto their perfectly-cut back lawn. “Jet this is no time to argue. We have to…”
“Hold it right there, ma’am.” She froze, staring in alarm as one of the guards appeared from around the corner of the house. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to surprise you.”
She eyed him warily and saw that his eyes were red like the others. Before she could say anything Jet appeared beside her with a welcoming smile. “Well hello, officer! Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem,” the guard said even as two more guards rounded the corner behind him. Upper Crust glanced back to find a third coming up behind her. “However there is something very important going on. Princess Celestia has a major announcement and has made it mandatory for all citizens in Canterlot to come to the castle to hear it. If you would accompany us, we have a carriage waiting.”
“Oh,” Jet replied with an uncertain frown. “I hope everything’s alright. Can’t my wife and I have a few minutes to prepare? We’d like to look our best.”
“No time,” the officer said. “We need you to come with us now.”
“But…”
The guard set a hoof to Jet’s shoulder, his face becoming stern. “Now.”
Upper Crust reacted without thinking, delivering a one-legged buck to the soldier behind her. Her hoof connected with his face, and he dropped like a rag doll. An instant later a spell shot from her horn; it was a small white ball that flew right over Jet’s shoulder and erupted in a blinding flash. Jet and the three guards all cried out and covered their eyes.
A second later and Upper Crust was among the guards. She jumped past Jet, cracking her hoof across the skull of the nearest guard as she landed. She then turned and delivered two rapid one-legged bucks against the second guard, once against the knees to make him fall and one against the face. The third guard was just beginning to recover his vision when she fired a red-hot beam at the ground under him. The resulting blast made him rear back from the heat, and she slammed a hoof into his exposed underbelly.
The four guards were all down, leaving Upper Crust amongst them and breathing hard from the excitement.
“H-holy horseshoes…” Jet whispered, eyes big as saucers. “Uppity… where did you learn to do that?”
She sat to stare at her front hooves with equal astonishment. “I… I can’t believe I pulled that off.” She would have to thank Twilight for teaching her a few of those spells… if she ever saw her again.
“What’s going on back there?”
Upper Crust’s moment of self-directed awe faded quickly as she realized the trouble they were now in. She grabbed Jet and jerked him out of the yard and into an alley. “Come on, we have to get to the lower districts!”
“That’s a little low-class, don’t you think?”
She ignored his comment as she emerged in the next street, open air just ahead of her as they were now at the edge of the city. She slid to a stop and saw a group of guards nearby. She ran, Jet Set right behind her, and they pursued. Fear filled her, but there was also determination. It was an entirely new feeling for her, taking charge like this and thinking on her own. On the one hoof she rather liked the feeling it gave her. On the other she would much rather that feeling coming from a far less dangerous activity!
She slid to a stop as some pegasus guards landed a few house ahead of them. “Halt! Don’t make us take you by force! We promise you and your husband won’t be hurt.”
“No, but we won’t be us, either,” she fired back.
“Come on, you two, play nice,” a guard called from behind.
Upper Crust and Jet Set were back to back, surrounded by guards. She ground her teeth in frustration, knowing she’d never be able to take on so many at once. Her eyes frantically searched for an escape, but the only way was to drop off the sheer side of the city on her right. That certainly wasn’t an option, though falling to her death would be a much better fate than losing her free will.
Then she caught sight of something below, and her special talent kicked in.
“Umm… Uppity?” Jet called over her shoulder, “I don’t really know what’s going on, but now might be a good time for a-“ She grabbed him and, using magic to give him a boost, tossed him over the edge. “-plaAAUGH!”
She leapt over the rails, ignoring the surprised shouts of the guards. Jet, screaming in terror, was falling just ahead of her. He fell about fifty feet… then landed atop the cushion-like surface of a passing airship's blimp. A second later and she landed right beside him.
“In the name of all that is Celestia, don’t ever do that to me again!” Jet screamed, mane akimbo and eyes filled with fresh terror.
Upper Crust ignored him, looking up in time to see four pegasi guards flying down to them. Thinking fast, she grabbed hold of her husband and dropped them both to their bellies. “Hold on!” She grabbed one of the ropes that secured the ship’s blimp with her teeth and, once the guards were close enough, zapped a small red beam against the canvass.
A hole ripped in the blimp, and helium erupted out like a geyser right into the guards’ faces. They flapped wildly in response and lost all control of their flight. Two swerved sideways and ended up smacking the wall, dropping like rocks to the city below. A third plummeted forward and punching through the canvass, the sound of smashing wood making it clear he’d crashed into the deck below. The fourth guard successfully maneuvered and escaped the erupting helium, but he was so busy with that he was unable to dodge Upper Crust’s beam attack. It cut into his wing and sent him spiraling off wildly.
Finally free of pursuers, she wrapped a hoof around the securing rope to give her sore teeth a break. Jet was clutching her like a baby to his mother. “Oh Celestia we’re gonna die, we are so gonna die!”
“Shut up, Jet, we’re not going to die,” she snapped, eyes locked on the ground that was coming up to meet their ship. Truth was she couldn’t be confident about that, but it was too late now, so she just held on tight and prayed. She caught a glimpse of something long and purple out of the corner of her eye, and she glanced over just in time to spot the massive snake’s body before it was covered up by the rising buildings.
Whoever was piloting the ship managed to get it between buildings and over a street. It hit the ground with a resounding crash, and both Upper Crust and Jet Set went sprawling through the air. On instinct she tucked herself in, and when she hit the hard ground she was rolling across the stones. She ended up sliding painfully on her back, and when she at last stopped her hind legs were touching her shoulders.
She let them drop and lay there for a second, wincing at the pain. But there was no time to think on that; guards were almost certain to come investigate the crash site. She climbed to her hooves, standing tall and observing the wrecked ship. She really hoped whoever had been in there was okay.
“W-who…who are you?”
She cast a scathing glance down to see Jet lying on his belly and staring up at her with big, amazed eyes. His awed expression, the excitement of the chase and the thrill of the fight had stirred something within her. Pride, determination and drive filled her mind and made her feel… capable. No, not just capable: responsible. It was an entirely new sensation, and she didn’t want it to go away.
“I was chosen by Princess Luna,” she replied firmly, turning back to the wreckage. “She wanted me to be a hero, even though I never was one. Well I’m tired of watching the others do all the work. It’s time I did what I was always supposed to.”
“U… U-Uppity?”
"That’s right, Jet,” she answered firmly, a new purpose guiding her words, “I am your wife, Upper Crust… and I am going to fight to get Luna back.”
She left him lying there, rushing to the crashed ship. She climbed atop it and began to search, and soon found a big white-coated stallion climbing out of the wreckage. He was dazed and bleeding in a few places. “Are you alright?” she asked, brushing his shiny black mane out of his eyes to get a look at them.
“I… I think so…” he replied, his eyes both angered and confused at once.
“Was there anypony else with you?”
“What…? No. No, it was just me.”
“Then come on,” she snapped, dragging him out of the wreckage. “You need to get out of here.”
Jet was waiting at the edge of the ship. “Uppity… what are you planning to do?”
“Evacuate,” she told him, helping the pilot to the street. “Everypony we can reach. I have to warn them, Jet!”
He stared at her, shifting uncertainly. “But… but just last night you wanted to leave for the Crystal Empire.”
“Last night I was tired, traumatized and terrified,” she countered. “I couldn’t think. Today I am alert and aware and ready to fight! That starts with evacuating Canterlot: the more we help escape, the smaller Silma's army will be!”
Jet rubbed his head, temporarily at a loss for words. “Is… Is your life always this exciting now?”
“No,” she answered, looking about at the crowd that was beginning to gather around the crash site. “No, this is pretty new. But I can get used to it.”
The twins stood close by, watching as Silma Ril worked her magic. She stood before Luna’s crystal, eyes closed and horn glowing brightly as the two great gemstones hovered on either side of her. Neither of them said anything, but the tension in their minds was clear.
Jimmy didn’t want to be here for this. He’d rather be anywhere but here, even living with his old stallion again. But Silma had ‘requested’ their presence, and they both knew better than to say no.
The first crack resounded through the warm afternoon air. Jimmy glanced aside to see that it was Fluttershy’s crystal, a long line stretching across her face. A few more cracks began to form, and soon all the Element Bearers’ crystals were breaking. Jimmy’s chest went tight at the thought of what he was about to witness.
A large chunk of crystal fell, releasing part of Fluttershy’s left side. Her wing, having been stuck in a flight position for the entire night, stretched and flapped a few times. Seconds later the rest of the crystal broke apart. She dropped to her knees, breathing heavily.
“Fluttershy?” Nye called, taking a tentative step towards her, “are you… okay?”
Her eyes opened to gaze at them, and Jimmy’s heart stopped at their red color. She smiled sweetly and carefully got to her hooves. “Of course I am. Never felt better.”
Jimmy fought not to sag or show any other negativity towards the situation. He smiled, even though deep down he was feeling nothing but fresh horror. He glanced at the others, all of whom were slowly coming out of a daze and getting to their hooves. He spotted Rarity and approached with timid steps. “Rarity? How do you feel?”
Her eyes, red as rubies, flashed pleasantly at the sight of him. “Oh just wonderful, Jimmy. Thank you for asking.”
“Yes,” Twilight spoke, stepping beside her with a smile that made Jimmy shiver, “I think we’re all just fine.”
“R-Rainbow?” Jimmy glanced aside to see Nye approaching his mare-friend. There was no way to hide his nervousness and fear. “Rainbow… you know who I am?”
Rainbow observed him for a moment with a studious frown, and then suddenly engulfed Nye in a hug. “Of course I remember you, Nye! Why the hay would I forget?”
Nye’s lips trembled up into a smile as he returned her embrace. “Oh thank… Silma.” He said the name with no small difficulty. Jimmy winced and glanced at the self-proclaimed Empress, but if she’d noticed the falter she made no indication, her eyes sharp and locked on Luna.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Nye confessed. “I didn’t know if you’d recall me, or remember what we are together.”
“Come on, stop trying to embarrass me,” she instructed, stepping back to whack him on the shoulder playfully. “You’re such a mare, Nye.” He only laughed.
Jimmy watched the interaction with a sickening feeling. He understood this brother’s satisfaction at this moment, though he didn’t like it one bit. But they both knew that the real odds of saving everypony were small. When they’d confirmed this to one another Nye had made one statement that Jimmy found disturbing: as long as Rainbow still cared for him, he would at least try to be content. Jimmy couldn’t really blame his brother, but the sentiment seemed very defeatist for somepony who’d been so confident the night before.
“Wha’s wrong, Jim?” Applejack asked, her seemingly genuine worry offsetting the red shine of her eyes.
“Nothing…” he responded, fighting to ignore his sadness. “I’m just… hoping everything turns out okay.”
“Don’t you worry, Jimmy,” Pinkie said, “with Silma in charge everything’s going to go wonderfully.” He glanced at her and for a moment had to stare; her usually bushy mane had become straight. Were her colors a little less bright now? She smiled at him, but it wasn’t the big happy grin of Pinkie. It was something softer, something with a meaning he couldn’t quite grasp. He’d seen that kind of smile before. He didn’t know from who, but it was familiar and it gave him the creeps.
Twilight walked up to Silma, who’s focus remained set upon Luna. The other Element Bearers followed close behind. “Empress, thank you for helping us see things more clearly. We are all so very sorry for our behavior! Please, whatever it is you need, we are at your command.”
Then, to Jimmy’s disgust and terror, all six of them bowed low before the alicorn. He glanced at his brother, who’s white face seemed to go an extra shade of pale, and wondered if he didn’t have the same expression. He glanced back to see his friends still bowed and awaiting Silma’s response. The sight gave him an intense urge to vomit.
“Your offering of servitude pleases me,” Silma told them even as she refused to look at them. “I hold nothing against you, my little ponies: you were fooled by the wiles of a once-treacherous princess. I would be delighted to call upon you all as my elite guard.”
Jimmy turned his head away in shame as they cheered this response.
“What would you have us do?” Twilight asked with an eagerness so fawning it made Jimmy wince. “Anything, Empress, just give the order. Please, we long to prove ourselves!” The others sounded out their agreement.
“I understand, young ones,” Silma answered, a small smile on her lips as her horn’s glow began to fade, “but please, give me a moment. I must accept the loyalty of one more lost child.”
And then there was a crack in Luna’s crystal. Slowly, a small piece at time, the crystal began to break apart and turn to dust around her. A hoof came free, then a wing, then her tail. It took much longer than the others had, but at last the Princess of the Night was freed from her prison. Her wings flapped and she shook to remove dust from her coat. She let out a deep, relaxed breath and opened her eyes to reveal that now familiar red glow.
Nye let out a weak, agonized sound. Jimmy glanced at him to see his brother on his knees, tears in his eyes, and slowly bent down to whisper to him. “Get up, Nye. Remember, no weakness!”
“I know.” The misery in Nye’s voice was like a knife in the heart. “I know… I’m t-trying…”
“Silma,” Luna spoke, her voice firm and confident as she dropped into a deep bow, “Empress and teacher, please forgive me my transgressions. I beg of you to be merciful and understanding of I, your rebellious and foolish student.”
“My Luna,” Silma answered, her voice filled with compassion as she went to stand right before the princess. “My dear, sweet little Luna. Always the shadow, never the light.” She reached a hoof under Luna’s chin, making her look up to her. “You were frustrated, you were lost. You had to follow your sister’s shadow, whether you liked it or not. I understand the dilemma you faced at the time. If anything, your act of betrayal is my own fault, for I did not see the treachery in Celestia’s heart, or the power she held over you. You are forgiven, my student, as I have forgiven her.”
“Thank you, Your Eminence, thank you!” The joy in Luna’s expression, even as she remained bowed before Silma’s hooves, filled Jimmy with such loathing as he’d not felt in all his life.
“You are most welcome,” Silma stepped back, her kind expression replaced with one that could only be defined as frigid. “Arise, Luna. I have a very important task for you.”
“Yes, my teacher,” Luna answered with fawning obedience. Jimmy cringed and glanced at Nye, whose face was rigid and emotionless. His brother’s gaze was locked on Luna, and Jimmy could see the fury in his eyes. He understood perfectly: if appearances weren’t the only thing keeping them alive, Jimmy might have been screaming.
“Silma.” All eyes turned to the edge of the clearing, where Mane Archon appeared. He approached, head high and an official, solemn grimace on his face. “I see you’ve finished converting the infidels.” There was a certain sarcasm in his tone that didn’t match his expression at all.
“Archon,” Silma greeted coolly. She turned to the others present, her gaze firm. “Listen and obey, my little ponies: this is Mane Archon, my ally and partner in this new age. You will obey and serve him loyally as you would me, is that understood?”
They all voiced their agreement, making Archon smile with wicked pleasure. “Ah, I miss the sound of loyalty,” he confessed. “I look forward to abusing this power you’ve given me.”
“Where is Celestia?” Silma pressed. “I have a task for her.”
“I left her in charge of rounding up the mindless masses,” he replied. “I felt the citizens would be more compliant if they were ordered into servitude by their former leader… not that it matters, considering they will be trapped by the time they hear the announcement.”
“I see.” Silma nodded her stern approval. “How goes the collection of citizens?”
“We ran into a small problem,” Archon confessed, his tone dark. “According to the Guard’s officers, one of the ponies we let escape last night has sounded the alarm in the lower levels. The response has been sluggish, but it would seem she is triggering a mass exodus from the city. We won’t be able to collect as many minions as we’d originally hoped.”
Jimmy barely managed to avoid a smile at this news. Who could it have been? Octavia, perhaps? Maybe Lightning. Regardless it was a sign that the others were at least trying to do something about the situation. Perhaps Nye was right and something could still be done… but he didn’t dare show his pleasure at the idea.
“The peasant rabble does not concern me,” Silma announced with confidence. “What of the soldiers? Have we captured the barracks?”
“They fought well throughout the night,” Archon replied, “but after Celestia remembered to raise the sun she was able to convince the soldiers to lay down their arms and surrender.”
Silma at last smiled. “Perfect. I will make the barracks my first visit, but even with the intense power of the Stones, it will take at least a week to convert so many ponies at a time. We will need to act accordingly.”
Archon nodded, face as stern as ever. “What did you have in mind?”
“I will focus my attention on converting a small number of soldiers,” she told him. “That should take only a few hours. Once that is done I will send Celestia with a small unit to the Crystal Empire to catch the so-called Princess of Love by surprise. Once Cadance is here I’ll work on converting her, as well.”
Archon considered this for a moment, a dubious frown on his lips as he tapped the box hanging from his neck.. “Are you certain you want to send Celestia to do that? You said it yourself that those enslaved by your magic are less… capable as a result.”
“Alicorns are not so heavily affected in that regard,” Silma answered. “A minor flaw in the spell that often proves more an advantage than one might expect. I have faith that Celestia can handle herself.”
“Fair enough,” Archon said, “but I thought you wanted to kill Cadenza?”
Silma’s lips pursed to give her a dour expression. “I do hate that wanton wench for sitting on my throne… but an alicorn always makes for a good addition to our forces. Perhaps I could leave her to you as a gift.”
Archon grinned wickedly, and Jimmy fought not to think on what the bastard might be intending. He wanted to find some way to warn the Empire… but how? He glanced at Nye, who appeared to be in a desperate fight to keep his lips closed as his livid eyes shot daggers at Silma. Jimmy bumped his brother’s leg with a hoof, earning him a scathing glance. But Nye took the hint and let out a deep, calming breath.
“Luna.” Silma turned to her, and the princess stood erect in preparation for her orders. “Have you any thoughts on where the Shades of Night might be hidden?”
Luna’s face flushed with anxiety and fear, but she was able to answer. “I am sorry, Empress, but I cannot recall. If Your Eminence would permit a guess, I would suggest searching the moon.”
“Then that shall be your task,” Silma told her. “I will grant you a small army of servants, who you shall bring to the moon to commence the search.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Nye Stone.” Jimmy saw his brother flinch out of the corner of his eye as Silma turned her head to him. “From what you told me before, I imagine you know Luna very well.”
Nye bowed on shaky legs, eyes wide with fear. “Y-yes, Empress.”
“The moon is very large, of course, and Luna will need an officer to help her lead the servants.” Silma turned to him, tilting a little towards Luna. “Luna, would you vouch for this stallion?”
The princess gazed upon Nye, her expression regal and studious. Jimmy couldn’t help worrying; would she recall his brother in the same way Rainbow had? He had a distinct feeling that Nye was about to be severely judged by Luna’s reaction, and for some reason that scared him. He watched Nye, who was visibly shaking from fear, and wished he could comfort him in some way.
At last Luna answered. “Nye is my oldest and most dear friend,” she said, a pleasant smile coming to her lips. “I have absolute, unwavering faith in him. To have him join me in this quest would bring me much pleasure.”
Nye looked up at Luna with true happiness in his eyes. Jimmy felt it too… but he also felt a horrible fear in the back of his mind. Nye was going to the moon? If his ruse was discovered there, escape would be impossible!
“So be it,” Silma announced, “Nye Stone will join you as your chief officer. May he serve you loyally until the end of his days.” That last line was aimed directly at Nye, and judging by his solemn expression the hidden implications weren’t lost on him.
“T-thank you, Your Eminence,” Nye replied, taking another deep bow. “And to you, Luna.”
“My genuine pleasure,” Luna told him with a smile to match the sentiment.
Silma glanced back at Archon, who’d been listening to the conversation intently. “I believe you claimed to have need of an engineer, did you not?”
He nodded. “Indeed, I have a certain defensive weapon I’d like built on the castle’s tallest spire. It’s a little something I discovered during my travels, a technology the likes of which this world has never seen.”
Jimmy’s attention had been captured the instant he’d heard the word ‘engineer,’ knowing it could only relate to him. Sure enough Silma turned to face him. “Jimmy Stone, you will work with Archon to build this weapon of his.”
“As you wish,” he replied, bowing and wishing the tight feeling in his chest would go away.
“Know this, Mr. Stone,” Silma announced with a voice cold as ice, “my faith in you is far less than that which I have for your brother. Succeed at this and you will have taken the first step in a long path towards my trust.
Do not let me down.”
Ponyville was a whirlwind of activity; ponies gathering their things, some already leaving, others arguing over the point of it all. Octavia noted it and recognized the somepony must have called for an evacuation. Even so, she couldn’t get too worked up.
After spending all that night trying to get to Canterlot, she’d gone and devoted all day trying to get back. She hadn’t slept in almost two days and her body was terribly sore from the fight to escape the castle. She was as miserable as she could ever remember being, but she kept putting one hoof in front of the other. The sheer effort of walking seemed almost unbearable.
But she refused to stop. She would get to Fine first, and not until she had would she rest. She didn’t know why it was so incredibly important to her, she just knew it had to be done. Somehow, in some strange way, she felt that Fine would help her solve everything. Was it wishful thinking? Was she a little delusional from all that had happened? Maybe she’d already fallen asleep, and this was a vivid dream. Whatever the case was she kept going, watching her hooves take the slow, weary steps.
But then something was in her way. She blinked so very slowly. She wanted to reach up and brush her mane from her face, but feared doing so would unbalance and topple her. There was a noise in her head… somepony was talking to her. Though her head felt unbearably heavy she forced it up and tried to clear her vision and hearing. It took several seconds and a lot of effort.
“…ook terrible.” Lightning’s voice came into focus at about the same time as her face, which was full of worry. A small filly – Keen – had her hooves on Lightning’s ears for leverage as she peered over the pegasus’ mane at Octavia.
Octavia opened her mouth to speak, but her words didn’t come out quite right. She swallowed, her weariness making the act slow and methodical, and tried again. “...I’ve got to get to Fine’s place.” Her voice sounded terrible, even to her own ears.
Lightning’s frown spoke volumes about skepticism. “You look like you couldn’t walk another step.”
Octavia closed her eyes against the pounding in her head for a few seconds before answering in her ever-slow voice. “I have to get to him. We owe him.”
Lightning seemed at a loss for words. Keen, standing tall so she could get a better view over her adoptive mother’s head, asked, “Tavi, what’s wrong?”
“She’s just tired,” Lightning explained. She stepped to Octavia’s side and pressed against her. “Come on, Octavia, let me help you.” It took a lot of effort just to raise her leg high enough, but Octavia complied and set it around Lightning’s shoulder so she could lean on and use her for support. “Now why is it so important you see Fine?”
“I don’t know,” Octavia confessed, her voice barely a whisper. “I want to help him escape… I think part of me also hopes he can find a solution.”
“He has to get better, first,” Lightning noted, but not unkindly. “I don’t know if it’ll do any good, but I can understand you wanting to help him get out of here. I guess we all sort of owe him.”
Keen moved back to between Lightning’s wings so she could look Octavia over more closely. “Are you really okay?” she asked, frowning with anxious concern.
Octavia tried her best to smile for her, but doubted she was fooling the filly. “I’ll be fine, Keen. I just need some sleep, that’s all.”
Lightning studied her for a moment with a fretful eye, then let out a sigh. “Alright, then.” Next thing Octavia knew she was being lifted by her shoulders into the air.
If she weren’t so worn out Octavia might have cried out in alarm. Instead she just asked a dull, “What are you doing?”
“Flying you to Fine’s place, what’s it look like?”
Octavia bowed her head, too weary to say anything beyond a quiet “Thanks.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Lightning answered, her voice unusually soft. As they ascended and began flying just over the canopy of the Everfree Forest she said, “Look… I’m sorry. I feel real bad about ditching you and Upper Crust back there.” Octavia wanted to say something, but couldn’t conjure up the energy. “I sorta just… well, it’s my old problem. I think of a solution and rush in. I should have helped you two out of there. It was a bad move, and I’m really really sorry about it.
“I want to help Fine, too,” Lightning continued. “If it weren’t for him there’s no telling where I’d be. Dead, probably. Or still wandering around Equestria searching for meaning. My life sucked before he came along.”
Despite her weariness, Octavia found herself listening intently. She and Lightning never spent much time together, and even if she had she wasn’t certain the pegasus had spoken like this to anypony before. The words rang with importance, and she didn’t want to miss a single one. “Without Fine I wouldn’t have Keen. Without Keen, my life would be hell. Yeah, yeah…”
Octavia didn’t know what that last part about, but something told her Lightning was responding to Keen just then. A hug, perhaps? Lightning went on. “I know I haven’t been much of a team player. I haven’t given any of you guys reason to believe in me. When the going got tough I ran, just like how I ran from my failure at the Academy, and when I try to help I usually end up making things worse.
“But today I came to realize that I couldn’t just run. I’m sick of running. So I didn’t leave Ponyville, like I said I would. I stuck around, sounded the alarm. I’m helping them get away safe. I know it’s not much, but it’s better than running, right? I want to take responsibility for my mistakes, starting with how I left you two in the castle.
“So let me help. In whatever way I can, I’ll do it. I owe Fine my life and my kid, and I owe you an apology. So I’m sorry, Octavia. If you need me, come and find me: I’ll be around. I won’t leave Ponyville until everyone is safe and gone, and that includes you and Fine. …Octavia?”
“I’m not dead yet,” Octavia said, a weak smile on her lips.
“Well don’t you have anything to say?” Lightning asked in a fretful tone as they began to descend. Fine’s home, its tall roof poking up from the trees, was easy to spot. Lightning gently set Octavia down in the grass before landing in front of her, real worry on her face.
It required a lot of energy, but Octavia pulled it off: she embraced Lightning in a tight hug.
“I knew you wouldn’t abandon us,” she whispered. “I have faith in everyone on this team, Lightning. Myself, Jimmy, Nye. Upper Crust and Fine. Even you.” She stepped back to find Lightning speechless and wide-eyed, and couldn’t help giggling a little. “We’ve all gained something special by being in this team: I learned to trust all of you; Fine got a second chance at a normal life; Upper Crust gained confidence in herself; Jimmy learned to appreciate what he already has; Nye found a purpose of his own; and you found Keen.”
Keen poked her happy face up over Lightning’s at the mention of her name, causing Octavia’s smile to broaden. “I think this team can still do what it was founded to do,” she told Lightning. “We’re scattered and doing our own things, but you just watch: three days tops and we’ll be together again. The only thing missing is Fine, and once he’s back on his hooves everything will fall into place. We’ll need you in the end, Lightning. We all will.”
Lightning remained silent for several seconds, her eyes moist. After a few seconds of lip-trembling, and a valiant effort at self control, she finally thrust a leg up to cover her face. “S-stop it, already… y-you’re gonna make m-me look sappy in front of m-my kid…”
Keen tilted her head, looking down at Lightning with worried eyes. “Mom…?”
The pegasus let out a weak cry. “D-don’t call me that now!” Then she whipped around to clutch the filly in a tight hug as tears began to flow. “W-why’d you have to call m-me that, Little Bolt? If R-Rainbow saw me n-now I’d never hear th-the end of it!”
Octavia sat heavily in the grass, weariness coming over her again. “I… I think I should get inside… get some sleep…”
“Oh, r-right,” Lightning whispered, setting Keen down and wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry, l-let me help…”
“That’s okay,” Octavia said, struggling back to her hooves. She started for the front door. “You need to help with the evacuation, right?”
She came to a pause as Keen trotted up to her. The filly stood in her way and looked up with eager, grinning eyes. “I’ll go with you!”
“Oh… I don’t know…” Octavia glanced at Lightning, not sure what to say.
Lightning, still trying to dry her eyes and stop her hiccups, waved a dismissive hoof. “I-if my Little Bolt wants to g-g-go. It’s probably safer than b-being around a bunch of p-panicky ponies trying to escape town.”
Well she was no help. Octavia looked down at Keen, whose expression was so bright. “But honey, I’m going to go straight to sleep, and Fine’s not going to be awake. You’ll be bored.”
Keen shook her head. “I wanna help Uncle Fine, too. He’s sick, right?”
Uncle Fine? She shot another glance at Lightning, who was beaming at her adopted filly. “Are you sure, Keen? You really will be very bored.”
“That’s okay,” she answered, her tone going from cheer to strained hope. “I’ll behave, and nap with you. Twilight n’ Uncle Fine showed me magic. I can practice.”
Octavia tried to think of something else to say, but then Lightning was there to whisper in her ear. “Let her come, Octy. She’s been worried sick about Fine, and she’s too good a kid to be any trouble.”
Octavia saw Lightning’s encouraging grin, then glanced down to find Keen sitting and gazing up at her with big, hopeful blue eyes. It was too much: those were the kind of eyes a mare just couldn’t say no to. “Alright, Keen, we’ll watch over Fine together.”
Keen instantly bounced to her hooves with a big grin. She tugged at Octavia’s hoof and, in her soft but eager voice, said, “I’ll help you! You won’t fall asleep ‘till we see Uncle Fine, promise.”
“Okay okay, I’m coming,” Octavia said, smiling at her eagerness.
“You go on ahead for a moment, Keen,” Lightning instructed, “I have one more thing to say to Octavia, k?”
“Yes ma’am!” Keen turned to run for the door, long mane and tail bouncing at her happy trot. Octavia was going to go open the door for her, but to her surprise the door glowed a dark blue and opened for the filly. She stared as Keen entered the house, the door slowly closing behind her. She was what, seven? And already moving large objects?
“She’s really good,” Octavia noted in wonder.
Lightning chuckled, eyes on the door and a proud smile on her lips. “Yeah, Twilight called her ‘prodigious,’ whatever that means.”
Octavia observed her friend, feeling as if she was seeing her for the first time. Lightning – headstrong, brutal, temperamental Lightning – had the quiet, warm glow of a proud mother. It was like looking at an entirely different pony.
Lightning turned to her, that warm smile still on her lips. “Thank you, Octavia. For believing in me, I mean. It means a lot more than you could know.”
Octavia returned the smile. “You’re welcome.”
But then Lightning jumped into the air. “That’s it, that’s all I wanted to say! I’ve got to get back to work before all this bonding turns me sappy again. You take care of Fine and Keen, I’ll handle Ponyville.”
“It’s a deal,” Octavia answered, chuckling at her friend’s attempt to hide a blush. Lightning did an encouraging hoof-pump before flying off over the trees, the canopy quickly covering her departure.
Octavia considered Lightning for a moment, realizing just how far she’d come since their team had been formed. She wished she could know what Upper Crust and the twins were up to right now. Were they out doing their own thing as well? Were they also shining at this moment of adversity? She wanted to think so. If that was the case then she could truly believe that this entire situation might be salvageable. All that would be needed was Fine.
And she realized that she did believe it. Somehow, she just knew that everything would be fine.
Certainly.