As dusk embraces Equestria,
The princess is contacted by a familiar face.
She reveals a piece from her past,
And the heroines are called back to action.

Chapter 2

Celestia’s Memories

As soon as Rainbow Dash and her friends reached Canterlot and entered the castle, they saw Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Spike, all waiting for them. Twilight motioned them to follow her to the royal chambers, where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were present. Upon entering, the blue pegasus saw an unusual sight; the chamber had a computer! On top of that, a familiar figure was sitting by it. It was Gale, a yellow-eyed pegasus with a crimson mane, the Wonderbolts operator.

Princess Celestia, alongside her sister, entered the room. Everyone in the chamber bowed before them. The sun princess told them to rise, to not be worried with formalities. She was aware of the attack on New Saddle and its devastating effects. Rainbow Dash tried to explain:

“We had no idea something like this would happen... We were acting spontaneously...”

“Given the circumstances, you did your best. However, I am concerned that it was no accident... or the work of the Diamond Dogs...”

The white alicorn did not answered to that. Instead, she turned her attention to Gale.

“Damage?” Gale asked somberly. “Near total. About 99% of the area is completely uninhabitable due to burned ground. It will take months, maybe years to fix that mess... Also, the casualties are bigger than we estimated.”

“The town of New Saddle had a population of 187 earth ponies. Roughly 40% of those citizens are dead. Even those who survived suffer from burns or other wounds, so the number of dead might increase if they won't receive quick medical attention.”

This information briefly put everypony in a state of grief. Firefly did not give in to the grim mood and started pacing around the room, angry.

“Who could be responsible for this if not the Diamond Dogs? The town’s mayor said he saw them, fleeing with gems in tow...”

“Excuse me, but somehow I can’t picture Diamond Dogs burning a town full of ponies to the ground. Yes, they are nothing but ruffians… still, they aren’t murderers.”

But because Firefly pressed her, the white unicorn told her about an adventure with three Diamond Dogs; how, despite initial problems, she managed to wrap them around her hoof and force them to do her bidding.

“Thanks to her excessive whining—” Applejack started, before seeing Rarity’s angry look on her face, “uh— Ah mean, eloquent persuasion, Rarity made them give ‘er a whole bunch of gems in exchange for leaving them.”

Firefly, unwittingly, started to laugh. She managed to calm herself down after a moment.

“That convinces me. The Diamond Dogs are wimps. They couldn’t set up the fire.”

“Besides, they would never wander so close to a pony settlement,” Lightning Bolt pointed out. “They usually stay within their territory.”

“So, we’re back to square one,” said Rainbow Dash. “Who could’ve done this…?”

All of a sudden, the computer gave out a signal that made most ponies jump in surprise. Gale quickly looked into it.

“Beyond Equestria... But I can’t pinpoint its location. I’ve never received this frequency before either... What should I do?”

Celestia remained silent for a moment. She had a feeling that whoever it was, that person might have some information regarding the attack on New Saddle.

A large monitor appeared from behind the wall. Pinkie Pie let out a mild “Wooo!” Twilight was especially amazed at seeing modern technology being in effect, even in the castle itself. For the first few seconds, the screen displayed nothing but static. It soon disappeared though, and a female voice was heard from the speakers, the figure initially hidden in the darkness.

“The answer is yes... and no,” the unicorn responded. “I managed to do one thing you were so afraid of. The Starlight you knew is long gone. I am now called...”

“It’s an alicorn!”
“Where... did she get those wings?”
“What’s going on here?”

The winged unicorn watched the confusion with satisfied grin on her face. Celestia, however, looked quite concerned, and perhaps, a little angry, too.

“Yes…” Aurora replied slowly. “Thanks to the wonders of science, advanced technology, the power of magic and my own determination. My dream had finally came true. And I would have gained them much sooner, had you stopped interfering with my experiments, Princess.”

“Your experiments were dangerous to both you and other ponies, Starlight. I had no choice, but to prevent you-”

A brief silence fell, while Rainbow Dash, Twilight and the other were looking at each other, trying to understand the situation.

“We have little time, Princess, so I’ll be brief,” Aurora continued. “I contacted you to let you know that my exile had come to an end.”

“Fifty long years… and not a day without planning my revenge against you. The wheels are set in motion. It has already begun…”

“So it was you!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “You were the one who attacked New Saddle! You dirty wretch!”

“Me? No, no, you are mistaken. I merely gave an order to burn the city down. What you saw was the work of my allies. They are a bit busy now, but you are bound to meet them sooner or later...”

“Poor child, so arrogant and aggressive…” Aurora muttered. “You are yet to learn true fear…”

“Incident?!” Twilight shouted. “Your decision caused the death of other ponies! How can you not feel responsible for it? Have you got no remorse?”

“I wasn’t talking to you, puny unicorn,” Aurora scoffed. “Now then, Princess Celestia, there is another reason why I contacted you. I have a proposition. We can avoid further bloodshed with one, simple decision. All you need to do is surrender yourself to me and make no resistance. Trust me, Princess, it’s the best course of action for you. Otherwise...”

“Otherwise you won’t be the only pony who will be struck by my vengeance!” the blue alicorn proclaimed. “Your subjects will suffer again, and I’m sure that’s the last thing you want to happen… I know you, Princess. You are as soft and weak as the rest of them...”

Everypony, including Aurora, turned her sight to Luna now. The winged mare on the monitor seemed to be slightly surprised.

“So, the rumors were true... Princess Luna had indeed returned... Tell me, Princess, do you feel comfortable around other ponies? Did you enjoy the reunion with your sister? Or perhaps your subjects are still afraid of you?”

“Tricks? I’m merely stating the facts... Anyway, my business is with your older sister. So tell me, Princess Celestia, what do you say to my proposition? Do you accept my conditions?”

The princess stared into Aurora’s face. Gale had an uneasy feeling. Applejack felt a cold shiver running down her spine. Even Twilight and Princess Luna felt the rising tension. There was something between Princess Celestia and that mysterious winged unicorn…

“Do you need a while to come up with a decision?” Aurora mocked her. “I can give you twenty four hours to give me an answer…”

She looked like she was about to end the transmission, but then Princess Celestia spoke to her with a stoic voice.

“My ponies did not fight in and win the previous war so that I would throw away the peace they were fighting for so easily,” Celestia answered. “I will not let you destroy it.”

“That’s a grave mistake, Princess! By rejecting my offer, you have done the exact same thing you wish to prevent. It is too late to undo your choice, now. You haven’t changed one bit. Leaving me alive was another mistake of yours. Maybe if you’d killed me instead of banishing… But you were always weak. Now you will pay dearly for that weakness. My soldiers will soon reach Equestria. There will be no escape from the Exiles.”

Some sort of burning hatred was present in the blue alicorn’s voice, as she stretched her wings and said:

“Heed my words, Princess Celestia. I hope you realize the gravity of your decision, because you will regret it. There will come a day when your precious subjects will be all but dead, you will lose everything dear to you and you will find yourself at my hooves! Powerless and helpless! You will be begging me for mercy!”

Aurora’s words were like a personal insult to her. Celestia extended her left wing to stop her from getting closer.

The night princess calmed down as Celestia shifted her sight back to Aurora. She spoke with an adamant voice.

“Do not think that empty words and threats can intimidate us, Aurora. If you are as powerful as you say, prove it.”

Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Gale and everypony present in the chamber were waiting with anxiety on their faces. It seemed as if the two alicorns had their eyes locked onto each others faces, trying to predict their thoughts. Seconds languished.

“Very well, then. I accept your challenge. And I give you my word: your precious Canterlot will fall! And on the ashes of your defeat, a new era of prosperity for Equestria will begin!”

“Oh yeah? You can only talk, missy!” Rainbow Dash suddenly exclaimed. “Why don’t you get over here and show us what you got?”

She couldn't stand for Aurora’s aggressive way of talking to the Princess anymore. The other ponies felt the same way. It was as if she could allow herself for everything, just because she was away from Equestria.

“Such impatience… Fear not, your time will come soon enough… Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow looked at her, dumbfounded. How did she knew her name? Aurora let out another chuckle.

“Why are you so surprised? I know all about you, Princess of the Skies. You and your companions are strong and worthy opponents, but even you will be powerless against me and my army… as you will find out.”

“I expect a valiant resistance from your soldiers, Princess… and I hope you won’t have to watch them suffer too long… it would only be your fault. We will speak again.”

The blue alicorn’s face disappeared from the screen and large, green letters that said: END TRANSMISSION appeared instead. Gale turned the monitor off. After hearing all these sudden revelations, the ponies started discussing various issues about Aurora.

“What nerve!” Rarity exclaimed. “How could she talk to the Princess like that?”

“What I wanna know is, where did she get those wings from?” Firefly asked. “As far as I know, there are only three alicorns, and all of them are princesses…”

“And you are correct, Twilight,” Princess Celestia spoke. “Aurora has just declared war against me… as well as Equestria. It was her that I saw in my vision… and her army, too. She cannot be underestimated...”

Celestia looked at every pony gathered in the chamber. They were staring into her and wanted some answers regarding the aggressive speech they just heard. The beautiful ruler of Equestria briefly closed her eyes before she motioned Twilight, Luna, Rainbow and her friends, as well as Gale, to come closer.

“Indeed, I know her. Or should I say, I thought I knew her. I find it hard to believe how much she changed… You see, Aurora was not always an alicorn… It all started over fifty years ago…”

“At that time, Canterlot was already famous for its School for Gifted Unicorns. Young students of magic came from all over Equestria to study under watchful eyes of the best teachers and examiners. Of so many students, one in particular got my attention. It was a filly, wearing blue coat and a purple mane. Her name was Starlight. Despite her young age, she already had a surprisingly large knowledge of magic, as well as great talent for magic spells. Looking back at it now, she was a lot like you, Twilight… But you possess personality traits that she lacked.”

“You will. But to come back… Although Starlight was not my personal apprentice, I decided to keep an eye on her and watch her progress. I even personally congratulated her on her first year graduation. We had formed a bond of friendship, and I even asked her if she would like to come and visit me sometimes, if she was in need of council or help. She agreed, saying she hoped to learn some things that interested her.”

The other ponies exchanged glances. The Princess resumed her tale a moment later.

“For the first few years, everything was normal. We were exchanging our opinions, I was giving her various advices… Yet, one such meeting, on the fourth year, changed everything…”

“Come in, Starlight. I have been expecting you,” Celestia’s voice responded.

The princess were sitting on a rug near a fireplace. She was reading some parchments. Upon seeing the guest, she welcomed her with a smile.

“I… just wanted to talk to you about something, Princess,” Starlight started sheepishly. “I hope I’m not disturbing you...”

“You know that I always have time for you, child,” Celestia calmed her down. “You are among the most talented students in the school. I predict a great future ahead of you.”

Starlight blushed, making big eyes. She never expected such kind words from the ruler of Equestria.

“We… today, on History of Magic, we had a lecture about alicorns,” Starlight confessed.

“That there used to be a lot of them, here, in Equestria. But, a long time ago, some terrible disaster happened, and most of them perished. The teacher didn’t want to tell us any details, saying it could be too horrific for us. But I really want to know what happened back then. Can you tell me about it, Princess?”

“If you are that much curious, then I see no reason to not tell you. Truth be told, there used to be a lot of alicorns in Equestria in old times. They were just as common as earth ponies, pegasi or unicorns. However, when Discord ruled Equestria over one thousand years ago, he begun to fear them. With their combined power, they could threaten his lordship. That is why he brought a terrible disease upon Equestria. A lot of ponies and most of the alicorns died due to it… in the end, only me and my younger sister, Princess Luna, survived. When we later learned about and discovered the Elements of Harmony, we used their power to defeat Discord and turned him to stone, ending his reign.”

For a while, Starlight stared at Celestia with a gaped mouth. She had no idea that the ruler of Equestria could have lived over a thousand years! Finally, she asked:

The princess said those words calmly, even though her voice was trembling a little. Starlight still wanted to know something more about alicorns, and the princess tried to explain everything in a simple manner. Judging from her words, not a single alicorn was born since Discord had been defeated. At one point, the unicorn filly asked:

“But, Princess, does that mean you and your sister are the only alicorns that remain alive? That’s so sad… I wish I could help you somehow. I wish they would be back in Equestria, so that you and your sister would not feel lonely…”

“You have good intentions, Starlight. But I’ll have you know that if a pony was born an alicorn, it meant a great responsibility. Besides, we have a much longer lifespan than most ponies… I used to have many friends, but most of them are gone now. A long life is not always made of benefits…”

“Even so. I wish for alicorns to live among other ponies of Equestria again. Please, Princess, tell me… If no more of them can be born, then is there at least a way for a regular pony to become an alicorn?”

“Well… There are some ways… But I can’t tell them to you. Not just yet. There will come a time for everything, Starlight.”

“Have you been suspecting anything back then, Sister? Did you knew that…?”

“Did I knew I was speaking with a pony that will one day become an alicorn? A pony that one day will swear revenge against me?”

Celestia’s question created an awkward silence for a few seconds before she finished:

“No. I didn’t know. She was just a child. How could I ever suspect her about anything? Instead, I thought she simply had a hunger for knowledge.”

“I wonder if her intentions were true,” Firefly growled. “She must have known that alicorns were stronger than other ponies. I mean, they have the greatest magical power.”

“Power alone is not enough,” Twilight remarked. “You need something else. But did she knew that or not…”

All ponies thought deeply for a short time until Princess Celestia resumed her tale.

“I guess we will never know. One thing became apparent to me, however. Something has changed. Since that day, Starlight wasn’t visiting me as often as she did. Instead, she spent most of her time in the library, reading various tomes about magic and alchemy. Some of them were clearly beyond her current educational level. Starlight had quite a lot of friends in the school, as they admired her magical talents. She started telling them that one day she will become an alicorn and will help populate Equestria with them again. While some of her friends thought it was just some blue sky thinking, other students believed her. I, for one, began observing her even closer. She must had some reason to speak of such things… She could actually discover some way to make it happen.”

Cloud Kicker’s curiosity reached its peak. She didn’t feel troubled, even though she interrupted the Princess herself. She apologized under Twilight’s stern look, but Celestia did not mind.

“For the time being, things were quite fine. But by the end of her last year in the school, Starlight decided to carry out an experiment that was supposed to create wings using the alchemy. She told me that personally.”

“I warned Starlight that such experiment can be very dangerous, and its effects are usually unknown. But she didn’t listen to me, and she was prepared to do it. Unfortunately, her concoction turned out to be very unstable, and it caused an explosion. As soon as the dust settled, I began hearing her moans of pain… Starlight had been severely wounded. It was terrifying… She was squirming on the floor, begging for help…”

“The doctors were called immediately, but before they took her, I noticed something on her right side. Something that horrified me greatly. Something was protruding from there… and it looked like a tiny wing…”

“But… How the hay was she supposed to conjoin them with her body?” Lightning Bolt asked. “Technology wasn’t as advanced as it is now… medical transplantations became possible only just recently…”

“True… but merging spells were already available back then, even though they were extremely difficult to master,” Gale joined in. “Princess, if I’m following you correctly, that unicorn attempted to create wings using alchemy, and then use a merging spell, in order to fuse those wings with her body, therefore becoming an alicorn.”

Celestia nodded silently, seeing how the rest of the ponies in the chamber were looking at each other in utter surprise.

“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” she said. “But Starlight was capable of doing it.”

“If that experiment was supposed to be her way of populating Equestria with alicorns, then it must have damaged her brain!” Firefly said loudly. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!”

“Even worse, this goes against natural order,” said Luna. “If any pony was to become an alicorn, they had to earn such gift first. It is very similar to the case of ponies getting their cutie marks; such process cannot be hastened. The pony must discover its own destiny, then do something that will benefit the others, while also proving its good intentions.”

“The doctors were working for months to try and heal Starlight. I had personally removed the mutated wing from her body using my own magic. Finally, when she woke up, Starlight wasn’t disappointed or dissatisfied one bit. More, it actually motivated her to continue her research, as it was proven that her way of creating wings worked. I warned her again about dwelling too deep into alchemy and asked to forget about them. She seemed to have listened to me… But, in reality, she was still researching and refining her method, keeping it a secret to everypony… except for her most loyal and trusted friends, whom she met in the school. Everything came out of the dark six months later…

Starlight turned half of her home, including her room and the basement, into a real laboratory. Day and day, she carried on her experiments, trying not to draw too much attention. Yet, one afternoon, the unicorn invited one of her friends to boast about her achievements. The earth pony that came was stunned by the sight or numerous flasks containing various fluids or some weird machinery placed here and there.

“Absolutely. I’ve spent the last few weeks perfecting my potion. If everything goes as planned, I will create the most real wings possible. Then I shall permanently fuse them with my body, using my magic and, at last, my dream will come true!”

The unicorn mare sounded very excited by that perspective. Her friends was more cautious.

“Not this time. I’m aware of my previous mistakes, and I won’t repeat them. When I succeed, it will be but a first step toward realizing my intention of populating Equestria with alicorns.”

“Perhaps, in the near future, I will be able to transmute not only wings… but unicorn horns as well. That way, anypony can be turned into an alicorn! After all, they are the strongest and most beautiful form a pony can take. I will be capable of merging these wings and horns to anypony who will desire to have so much power! It will solve many problems, and Princess Celestia will no longer feel lonely.”

“I don’t know anything about that,” Starlight shrugged, before looking deeply at him. “What’s with that look? I wouldn’t be telling you this if I wasn’t sure it’s going to work, right?”

“Listen, I trust you. You are one of my closest friends. I trust you will keep everything you saw and heard here a secret until I will fuse the wings with my body. Can you promise me that? Will you promise not to tell anypony about it?”

Starlight kept piercing him with her sight until she finally backed away, smiling.

The more ponies heard from Princess Celestia, the more they couldn’t believe it. Was Aurora really crazy enough to use both her magical and alchemical skills to transform other ponies into alicorns? Were those her real intentions? What would she gain from that?

“Apparently,” said the princess. “But after barely a week, worried that Starlight could have become insane, the pony broke the silence. He told everything to one of the royal guards. In turn, he relayed everything to me. I appeared in Starlight’s house literally at the last minute. She was just about to merge the wings with her body…

Her sight met an earth pony, cowering behind the ruler of Equestria and her royal guards. She was staring at him with disbelief.

“Forgive me, Starlight, but… I couldn’t do otherwise. You’re losing it!”

“You fool!” the unicorn mare shouted. “You simply cannot understand my desires! All I want is to bring alicorns back to Equestria. What’s wrong with that?”

“The way you attempt to make it happen is wrong. That pony told us everything. You intent to create both wings and horns, and then start fusing other ponies with them. They will not become alicorns this way, Starlight. You cannot force them into becoming what they are not.”

“I’m not forcing anypony,” Starlight responded with a slightly calmer tone. “I just want to prove that my way is the fastest and most secure. Even if they won’t understand at first, that’s all right. I will convince them eventually.”

A shadow of anger was present on Princess Celestia’s face. The guards stepped back a bit; very rarely have they seen her in such state, almost never. When she glanced at the wings created by former student of her school, she noticed that, although they seemed real, they weren’t. They were artificial, created purely with alchemy. Something was missing.

“You too, Princess? You are against me, too?” the blue mare snorted. “I thought you will understand me. I am certain you want alicorns to live in Equestria once again.”

“Transplanting wings into unicorns or horns into pegasi will not make them alicorns”, Celestia argued. “One must earn such a gift, not create one.”

“I will not yield! I deserve to be just like you!” Starlight shouted. “I know that I possess great magical power, and these wings will only amplify it! I will show you that I am correct, Princess. Watch carefully! I will merge them with my body, and I shall become the first alicorn of many that will follow!”

Suddenly, the artificially created wings flew up to the room’s ceiling, being surrounded by a bright aura. To the surprise of the guards and Starlight’s dismay, her creation was engulfed in flames.

While she tried to use her own magic to prevent Princess Celestia from destroying the wings, the unicorn’s power was too small. She could only watch in powerless anger as the burned pieces were falling to the floor. Starlight slumped to the ground, unable to comprehend why the Princess, whom she adored so much, would do such a thing. Why would she destroy all her dreams in this one moment…

“I am very disappointed in you, Starlight. You intentions were just as artificial as these wings. Your experiments are becoming too dangerous, and you refuse to listen to me. You give me no choice. From this moment, you are banished from Equestria… for life.”

Starlight rose her sight, looking straight into white mare’s eyes. Her own were sparkling with tears.

Now all ponies were listening to the Princess even more carefully than before. It seemed that she was nearing the end of her story, even though a few unanswered questions still remained.

“Alongside the guards, I had taken Starlight to the Equestria’s border. There, she looked at me one last time and left without saying a word. But I had noticed something that spoke more than words: pure spite and hatred in her eyes. I could only hope that one day, she would forgive me… I did what I had to do. I did it for her own good. If left unchecked, her experiments would result in dire consequences. I had tried to keep this incident as a secret, so practically nopony noticed Starlight’s disappearance. At least I thought so… A few days later, one of the guards reported to me that over twenty ponies, living in different parts of Equestria, decided to leave our country without stating a reason. Upon doing a research, I’d learned that most of them were Starlight’s schoolmates. Somehow, they learned about her exile and decided to follow her.”

“Maybe…” Twilight started, “they decided to go with her because they believed her words and promises about improving the ponies’ fate when she would become an alicorn.”

“It’s certainly a possibility, Twilight,” said Celestia. “I thought the same back then. That’s why I ordered a search for those ponies. But they were never found. Those ponies disappeared. They were out of my range. Besides, a few days later, there was something that intrigued me more. One village, populated by earth ponies, was being oppressed by a unicorn wielding a magic necklace. A certain pegasus mare challenged and defeated her by absorbing its power. When I learned about it, I used my magic to transport that pony to me so that I could get to know her. She told me that she was orphaned as a little filly, so I had decided to adopt her. She became my niece, and in recognition for her recent accomplishment, I made her an alicorn. That mare earned the right to be one, unlike Starlight."

“That’s cool and all, but that Starlight, Aurora or whatever her name is, did manage to gain wings, anyway. How did that happen?”

“Once I destroyed her original creation, I ordered the guards to search Starlight’s house for any notes or research writings left behind. Unfortunately, they didn’t find anything, which could mean that Starlight was somewhat prepared that somepony might betray her.”

Celestia went silent for a moment before revealing to the others that this time, Aurora’s wings weren’t made solely of artificial materials, but also contained missing ingredients that made them real.

“During her experiments, Starlight had her friends at her disposal. Perhaps some of them were prepared to sacrifice much for her… even their own life.”

Twilight felt her blood congealing in her veins. She guessed what it could mean.

“That’s terrible!” Luna exclaimed. “She was using other, living ponies in her experiments to create those wings?”

“Living… or those who died shortly beforehand,” Celestia said somberly. “She used their blood, flesh and bones to improve her creation. I never thought she would be capable of such atrocious acts…”

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, their friends and especially Gale were clearly shocked with that last reveal.

“There’s no way we’ll let her get away with that!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “All that talk about her making alicorns come back is a cock-and-bull story! She just wanted to have a fanatical army or some crazy cult!”

“Well, it could have been worse, Dashie,” Pinkie Pie spoke. “Good thing she’s not a mechanical alicorn from another world who wants to conquer Equestria and exterminate all ponies or use them for some wacky experiments in the name of science.”

“In any case, the situation is dire. Aurora is dangerous and the soldiers in her army are very loyal to her. She seeks an open confrontation with us. We need to defend ourselves.”

"That is the reason why Luna and I made a decision a few hours ago. The Equestrian Allied Forces shall be re-established,” Princess Celestia announced. “The same goes for every unit that we had available during the previous conflict. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity will also take leadership over their units. We can’t forget about pegasi squadrons, as they will be a vital help for us.”

The initial consternation of Twilight and her friends was gone now. They assured their Princess that they will do their absolute best. Rarity even stated that the old EAF standard needed a proper remodeling and offered to create a new one from scratch. Firefly seemed quite excited as well; the Princess’ decision could only mean the return of Mirage squadron. Blood began pulsating in her ears.

“Let those Exiles come here, and we’ll kick them back to where they came from!” she proclaimed boldly.

“Remember the most important rule in the war: never underestimate your adversary. Aurora might have some formidable forces at her disposal. Not to mention her 'allies.' We don’t know anything about them…”

“We can handle anyone,” said Rainbow Dash. “There’s nothing impossible for us as long as we’ll stick together.”

“I like your attitude, Dash. Then perhaps you’ll be glad to know we already arranged some quarters for your team. Come with me, I’ll take you there.”

Simultaneously, Twilight also left the royal chamber alongside her companions to go for a quick meeting with soldiers from their units before going to rest. Before splitting up, the ponies promised to stay in contact. Night already ruled the skies outside.

Gale led the seven pegasus ponies into a small building in the castle’s vicinity. Upon entering the main hall, which was usually referred to as Mission Control, Lightning Bolt gasped.

Inside was the most advanced equipment she ever saw in her life, including a computer with built-in frequency tracers. Using them, the pegasi could easily pinpoint the location of concentrated friendly units and to which region of Equestria should they go first if those units were in need of quick support. The white mare’s eyes were glittering with joy. Gale seemed satisfied as well.

“If you happen to have some free time, you can always use the training room to undergo some battle simulations. Our technology improved vastly since our alliance with griffins, eh?”

“They don’t know anything yet. If all goes well, we won’t need to drag them in.”

Once Gale left, Rainbow Dash went for a quick lookout around the base before ordering her friends to get some rest. All of them instantly went to bed. Only Derpy had problems with falling asleep.

“Don’t worry, Derpy. I’ll bet they are under Cheerilee’s care again. She must know what happened already,” Cloud Kicker whispered to her. “They will be fine.”

As Princess Luna flew outside into the dark to make sure not a single pony will suffer from nightmares, her older sister tried to sleep as well. But she knew best that Equestria and her subjects found themselves in dark times. These revelations and surprises they witnessed and heard today were just a taste of things to come.

Ace Combat: Wings of Unity

by PolishValsion

Chapter 2: Celestia's Memories