//------------------------------// // Dream // Story: Carry On // by Viking ZX //------------------------------// Dream “I’m sorry, Sky Bolt,” Steel said as he stared down at her, his expression stern. “I’ve gone over the numbers multiple times, and it just keeps coming down to one, inescapable conclusion.” “But … I—” “We can’t keep borrowing funds any longer, Sky Bolt.” Steel leaned back, shaking his head. “We spent so many bits. And on what? Nothing worked!” “But…” This is wrong. “But they did work!” Sky Bolt shouted back. “My airship, The Hummingbird, it—” “Stopped working at a critical moment and crashed to the ground, Sky Bolt,” Steel said, his voice growing hollow and distant. “Burned when your boilers detonated. With everyone inside.” He was fading now, growing dim and spectral. No, this isn’t right! “We all died,” Steel said, his eyes glowing now, no longer a cool blue but something icy and bright that seemed to stare into her soul. “And so will you!” “No!” Sky Bolt’s head jerked up, her eyes wide and her heart pounding, but there was no one there to hear her. Just the resounding echo of her own declaration as it bounced off of the workshop walls. She let out a sigh, her head sinking into her hooves as her body went limp across her workbench. “It was just another dream,” she said, letting out a groan as she rubbed her forehead with her hooves. Her head was pounding, a dull rhythm of pain that ebbed and flowed with each breath, and her mouth was dry, like she’d swallowed a mouthful of sand. She shifted her head on the desk, looking up towards the clock. Four-eighteen. Almost a full hour before she would have normally gotten up. She looked back down at her desk. At the completed, working array she’d finished just a few hours earlier. The urgency of the nightmare faded slightly, the throbbing in her head easing as she felt a twinge of satisfaction. She’d done it. She’d taken what Mint and Radiant had built and repurposed it into something more. Their design had been brilliant, visionary even, but it had been only applied to one purpose. What she’d built was …  well, she wasn’t quite sure exactly how far it would stretch. But it was definitely far more capable than the simple, straight connection that Radiant had built. Actually, she thought as she stood up, stretching her forelegs first and then her back legs, I think I can give myself more credit than that. Their design had used magic to bridge the gap, a spell of complex design. While her own creation …  She looked down at the complex array of crystalline lines that bridged the gap between the two crystals. Physical. A unicorn still had to enchant the crystals, but with what she’d just done, they might not be required after that. The ticking of the clock once again drew her attention and she stepped away from the workbench with its tantalizing project. She’d need to sit down and revisit her old armor enhancement ideas now. Switching over the enchanted crystals she’d already requested wouldn’t require too much additional work from the company they’d hired to procure them in the first place, but with this new array, some of the ideas she’d originally thrown away as too energy intensive… “Later,” she said, turning away from the workbench. There were other projects she could work on, projects that would give her a break. Like the cargo bay on The Hummingbird. “I’ve got an hour,” she said to herself as she flapped her wings, lifting her through the shop and towards the sleek curvature of The Hummingbird’s envelope. “Might as well get the rest of those benches installed.” An hour always flew by quickly when she was occupied with something, and for some reason, she didn’t really feel like trying to sit back and give herself time to think. *        *        * With a damp splat, the fried potato slice slid from her fork and rejoined its siblings on Sky Bolt’s plate, sliding down the pile before coming to a halt at the base. Sky Bolt sighed and dropped her fork, ears twitching as it clattered against her plate. “You alright?” “Hmm?” Sky Bolt looked up as Lieutenant Hunter slid his tray down across from her, his wings fanning as the ceramic weight lifted off them. “Are you alright, Sky?” he asked again. He tilted his Stetson back as he sat down, exposing the bright, green eyes about his frown. “You seem a bit out of it this morning.” “Oh, I’m fine,” Sky Bolt said, putting a weak smile on her face. She picked up her fork, stabbing it into her potatoes at random. “I’m just a little tired. That’s all.” Hunter nodded, but he didn’t take his eyes off of her as she took a bite. “Really,” she said, chewing. “I ‘s up late ‘rking ‘n some stuff f’ the ‘eeting ‘oday.” Hunter nodded, but he still didn’t look away. “Well, you look a little beat. Maybe we should take it easy during practice to—” “I’ll be fine.” Sky Bolt picked up another mouthful of food as Hunter’s gaze intensified. Then he shrugged and shook his head, his long straw-colored mane bouncing as his attention shifted toward to his food. “Alright,” he said, picking up a spoonful of oats. “But if it looks like you’re going to come a gutser today, I’m going to have to call a stop on it, alright?” “Yeah, fine.” She took another bite, her mind only halfway focused on Hunter’s words. So I’m a little tired, so what? I managed to make the array work and get some more stuff finished in the cargo bay. I can sleep later. “You’re sure you’re alright?” Hunter asked. “I don’t want to be too much of an earbasher, but you look a little ragged. “I just haven’t showered yet.” Another potato slipped off of her fork and she bit back a groan. I should have gotten eggs. “Well, if I were you, I’d take one before the meeting,” Hunter said. “You’ve got a serious case of bedmane on your right side.” “What?” Sky Bolt twisted her head up, running her hooves down the side of her face. Stray strands stuck out from her normally straight mane, pointing skyward like some sort of strange antenna. Her hoof stopped for a moment, something pulling against it, and she tugged it away to see a thick patch of grease marring the grey of her hoof. “You’ve got some on your right wing too,” Hunter said, gesturing with his fork. “Right by the joint.” “Horseapples,” Sky Bolt said as she spotted the offending patch of dirty-grey lubricant. “How does this stuff get everywhere so fast?” She shook her head, her ears folding flat against her head. “Alright, maybe I should take that shower.” “How’d you have a chance to get some in your mane anyway? Were you up early again?” She gave him a pointed look and he shrugged. “Steel mentioned it.” “Yeah, I was,” she admitted, staring down at her potatoes so she wouldn’t have to meet his eyes. “I woke up early, thought I’d get some stuff done.” “And how late were you up working last night?” Hunter asked. There was a creak in the bench. He was probably leaning towards her. “I … Not too late,” she said, the lie slipping from her teeth with surprising ease. It was her own business, wasn’t it? “I know I’m a little tired, but…” her words trailed off, a tightness forming in her chest. I just don’t feel like sleeping lately, she finished, her eyes still down on the potatoes. I don’t want to face … face those things. She pulled in a deep breath, pushing away the constraining feeling that had gripped her chest. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Hunter asked. There was a faint pounding in her ears now. she took another breath, closing her eyes. Then the strange feeling was gone, her chest slipping free as the pounding in her ears faded, vanished. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, standing. She slid her tray onto her back, ignoring the part of her that protested at nearly half the meal being uneaten. “I’m not that hungry. I think I’m going to head back to the barracks and clean up before the meeting.” “I’ll take your potatoes then,” Hunter said. Sky Bolt paused, staring at him with one hoof raised to move forward. “Really, I will,” he said. She shrugged, sliding the tray off her back and down next to him. “Knock yourself out,” she said. She turned for the door, trotting across the mostly empty cafeteria, fighting the feeling that she was going to start trembling at any moment. It’s lack of sleep, she told herself. You’ve been really focused over the last week or so, and it’s just catching up with you. You’ll just get some sleep tonight, and you’ll be fine tomorrow. Right? But even she could hear the lie in her own voice. *        *        * “Sky Bolt? Specialist Sky Bolt!” She jerked upright as the mention of her name finally hit her, her eyes darting from the small box in front of her towards Captain Song. The captain was staring at her, a stern expression on her face. “Sorry sir,” she said, trying to recover. “I was just thinking about my projects.” “Think later,” Steel said, frowning at her once before turning his attention back to the rest of the team. Two of them—Dawn and Sabra—were looking at her with unreadable expressions, while Nova had already turned his attention back to the captain. If Hunter had said anything or looked at her, she’d missed it while her attention had drifted. “Now that I have everypony’s attention,” Steel said, his gaze drifting around the common room table, “I’m afraid I have some unfortunate news.” He paused, took a deep breath. “Mint Tam and Blade Sunchaser escaped their cells last night.” There was a collective burst of disbelief from the various members of the team as the news sank home. Sky Bolt took a sharp breath as Nova began to speak up, his voice rising over the rest of the team. “Quiet!” Steel said, his hoof coming down on the edge of the table with a sharp crack that caught eveypony’s attention. “I was informed about the breakout this morning. According to the Night Guard, the two did not appear to be working together, and may have gone their separate ways as soon as they escaped. I have also been informed, and am informing each of you that the task of catching both Blade and Mint has fallen to the Night Guard. We will not be pursuing them.” “But—” Nova spoke up. “If we come across one of the pair,” Steel said, speaking over the unicorn, “then we are authorized as would be any other member of the Guard to capture them. However, the task of tracking down these two fugitives is not ours.” He paused for a moment, his eyes running over the team. Sky Bolt snuck a quick look at Hunter, taking advantage of the break in the captain’s words. Blade had been the pegasus’s friend. He was staring down at the table, his expression unreadable. “I was also informed,” Steel said, his voice growing slightly quieter, “that the investigation into the ERS events was reaching the conclusion that Mint, not Radiant, was the mastermind behind the golem designs we faced.” Sky Bolt felt her breath catch in her throat at his words, visions of the rampaging golems flashing across her mind. She tried to take a breath, but her chest wouldn’t expand. “Mint?” she gasped, almost sighing in relief as air flowed into her lungs. Steel nodded. “The notebook Hunter found had her signature on the designs. Radiant might have taken things too far, but it appears the initial idea was Mint’s. Now she’s loose, and those ideas of hers are still in her head. Princess Luna assured me that her known assets have been confiscated, and the Guard is already circulating pictures of both her and Blade, but be aware. Radiant was suffering from extreme psychosis brought about by her experimentation with crystal enchanting. It’s likely that Mint was as well. Possibly worse. For the next week, just keep your guard up. There’s no telling what she might do now that she’s out.” “So why aren’t we going after her, boss?” Hunter asked, leaning forward. “We ran her down once.” The fact that he hadn’t mentioned going after Blade wasn’t lost on Sky Bolt. Judging from the captain’s expression, it hadn’t escaped him either. “Because the Princesses want us here, in Canterlot, getting ready for our next op,” Steel said. “And before you ask, that is our current assignment. We’re to prepare for our next mission.” “Which would be what, exactly?” Dawn asked, her prim composure already restored. “Preparing for winter,” Steel said. “Which brings me to my next item of business: winter operational training.” He glanced around the table, checking for any responses. His gaze seemed to linger longest on Hunter slightly longer than it had on anypony else, but neither of the pair said anything. “With winter coming on,” the captain continued, “we’re going to change up our normal training regime to compensate. Operational tactics in winter and extreme cold conditions are quite different from what we’ve been training in. Despite the late appearance of fall, once the weather moves towards cold, we’re going to need to adjust for it. We’ll be borrowing cold weather survival tactics from the Rangers, modifying our equipment so that it can work in extreme conditions, and practicing squad tactics for winter operations.” “You make it sound like we’ll be heading up north,” Nova said, leaning forward. “I can’t say for certain,” Steel said, his response smooth and oiled. “All I can say is that we’re going to be ready if we need to go up north.” Steel’s words began to fade into the background as Sky Bolt looked back down at the box sitting in front of her. Mint was the one behind the golems? she thought, her chest feeling tight again. “Specialist?” Steel’s voice cut across her thoughts and she jerked her head up. “I know you’re excited to show off whatever it is you’ve been working on for the last few days,” he said. “But if that box is going to be a distraction…” “Sorry,” Sky Bolt said, her cheeks burning. Nova was giving her an amused look from across the table. “It won’t happen again. What did you need?” “I asked you if you could take a look at our equipment and make sure that its ready for cold conditions.” The captain frowned. “Are you sure you’re alright? You seem a little distracted.” Thankfully, Nova didn’t take the bait, although Sky Bolt saw his ears twitch at the open line. “I’m fine,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ll check our equipment later today. The armor should be fine, although there might be a few modifications I need to make. The Hummingbird will be fine if I reroute the thermal energy from the—” “Later, Spec, if it’s all the same to you,” Steel said, and Sky Bolt felt her cheeks burn again as she halted her runaway spree of words. “Although now might be a good time for you to explain to us what you have under that box that’s got you so excited.” “Now?” “Now,” Steel said, nodding as he sat down. “Alright…” She rose from her seat, eyes darting down to her parchment and taking in the few notes she’d scrawled before the meeting. “Well, first of all,” she said, sinking into a rhythm as all eyes turned towards her, “I should have the damage to most of our armor fixed within the next two days, so you’ll be able to start training with it again.” Steel gave her an approving nod and she smiled, feeling the old excitement rise again. “Helmets should be arriving later today as well, so once I get the last little touch here—” she tapped the box with her hoof, “—finished up, the armor will be complete at last.” “And what is the last touch?” Sabra asked, his quiet voice startling her—and the rest of the group—as he spoke up. “Well,” Sky Bolt said, bracing her hooves against the side of the box. “When I first designed the armor we’re using, I had the idea of using an enchanted gemstone to amplify the user. In effect, we’d be ‘storing’ a spell in the crystal and then triggering it when it was needed.” “Thing is,” she continued as she ran her eyes around the table, “the cost is extremely prohibitive. It’s one of the reasons enchanted crystals never really caught on. Even enchanting a single gem with a strength enhancing spell like the one inside this box costs a fortune. The gem in this box took nearly a month worth of work to safely enchant, and the spell inside of it wears off in an hour or so once it’s been activated. Its generally much cheaper to just hire a unicorn who can cast the spell as needed.” “The only reason the captain agreed to my design in the first place is because we’re such a small group, and he could see the advantages that a single spell in the right moment could grant. But it was still a high cost. But…” she said, lifting up the box and revealing the array she’d spent so much time on. “With this, that’s not a concern anymore.” “What is that thing?” Hunter asked as he leaned forward with the rest of the group. Sky Bolt pushed the small device forward into the center of the table with one hoof, grinning at the teams reaction. It didn’t look like much. A single, small crystal about twice the length of her hoof sat at one side of a wooden plate, glowing a faint red. Thin slivers of crystal formed intricate designs and patterns that stretched from one side of the plate to the other, connecting the smaller crystal with a larger, faintly-white battery crystal on the other side. “It’s making my horn itch,” Nova said, frowning. Dawn’s eyes widened as she looked at him, and Nova shook his head. “Relax,” he said as the pink unicorn’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not spellcasting.” “Sorry,” Sky Bolt said, rapping her hoof on the table and getting the groups attention again. “Later versions should tone that down, this is just a proof-of-concept, so it’s probably making energy snarls all over the place.” She stared down at it for a moment. Maybe if I encase it in a shell of the same material the armor is … yeah… “Sky Bolt?” Dawn asked, a touch of concern in her voice. “Are you sure you’re alright?” “Hmm? Yeah! Sorry! I just had an idea on how to deal with that problem. Anyway, uh, where was I?” “The high cost of crystals,” Sabra supplied. “Right! Thanks!” Sky Bolt reached out and turned the array, tapping the smaller crystal with her hoof. “Anyway, originally this would have been one of the crystals for the armor. It would have clipped into that slot on the back and distributed its spell through the suit, granting an enchantment. In this case a strength enhancement. But after an hour or so, once that enchantment was spent, it’d be worthless, and the armor would require a new crystal.” “Now, what I’ve done is based off of what we saw with Radiant—and Mint’s—” she said, feeling her breath catch again, “—golems. With those, they had a complex ‘come-to-life’ spell on a primary crystal that made the golem function. But they also had a secondary crystal that acted as a battery, drawing ambient magic to fuel the primary crystal. They did it through magic, but what I’ve done here is build a series of pathways to mimic that spell, but in a broader sense—” “Sun above,” Nova said, his ears standing straight up in shock. “It’s self-replenishing now, isn’t it?” Dawn’s jaw dropped open next, and the rest of the team followed suit, giving Sky Bolt their astounded looks as they caught up with what Nova had already figured out. “You modified the enchantment so it can recharge itself.” “Well, essentially yes. But not quite,” she said, giving the battery crystal a soft tap. “I had an enchanter at Celestia’s school modify the matrix to allow a physical modifier that would resonate with the frequencies established in the structure in order to—” “In layman's terms, please?” Steel said, his expression the only impassive one left at the table. “Basically, like Nova said,” Sky Bolt said with a shrug. “Rather than a single use, the battery crystal will act as a sponge for ambient magic, recharging the enchantment over time.” Steel leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “Over how much time?” “I’m … not quite certain yet,” Sky Bolt admitted. “I  only managed to get this working yesterday, and it has the downside of significantly lowering the amount of time that the original enchantment persists by quite a bit, although as I refine it the design should improve … But it has the advantage of being something that can be triggered when needed as opposed to constantly in use. With a little trial and error, anypony should be able to activate an enchantment only when needed, then deactivate it when it isn’t needed so that the enchantment could recharge!” She sank back into her seat, energy seeping out of her as her pronouncement finished. “Sun above,” Nova said again, tapping the side of the array with one hoof. Even Steel looked impressed as he considered her words. “Sun above…” “So we won’t have to order anymore crystals after this initial set?” Steel asked, his eyes jumping to her. “Well, we’ll need to modify the ones we ordered as they come in,” Sky Bolt said. “And this design will give me a lot more freedom to try new designs we wouldn’t otherwise be capable of, so I might want to try some other enchantments. Additionally, since we’re modifying the crystals, there’s no telling how long they’d last under constant recharging. It might cause them to ‘burnout,’ but I have no way of telling until after I’ve been able to use a few.” “And how long will it take you to modify this for use with our current armor?” “Now that I’ve figured it out?” she said, a feeling of pure elation spreading through her. “A day or two.” She leaned back in her seat, crossing her forelegs and watching as the rest of the team digested her accomplishment. “And,” she said as Steel opened his mouth to speak, “if all goes well, I’ll be able to get a bunch of new enchantments. I’ve got some other ideas I could work with too, but for now, I’m just going to see about modifying what I have.” Again there was silence as the team stared at the device. Then at last, Nova spoke, his words cutting through the silence. “So let me make sure I’ve got this straight,” he said, looking up at her. “This thing recharges an enchanted crystal.” “Yep!” she said, her eyes darting to the astounded expressions surrounding her. “Come on guys, it’s cool, but not that impressive. It wasn’t that hard—well, it was, but once I had the concept—” “So you could conceivably put any sort of enchantment on that crystal, use it, and this device would replenish it?” Nova said, cutting her off. The laughing tone was gone from his voice, and she felt herself grow hesitant at the intense look he and the rest of the team were giving her. “Well,” she said, rubbing her shoulder. “It only works when it’s not in use, so you can’t charge it and expend it like the golems could, partially because of the complexities of using a physical—” “Doesn’t matter,” Nova said, cutting her off with a wave of his hoof. “It recharges an enchanted crystal! Sky Bolt, you said it yourself! The only reason almost nopony uses enchanted crystals is because of the cost in getting new ones made!” His statement hung in the air like a freed balloon at a foal’s party, the whole team staring as they tried to determine a course of action. “But...” Sky Bolt said as her own mind caught up with what Nova had just said. “There’s still the cost of making the crystal in the first place, and it could burn out after just a few—” “It doesn’t matter!” Nova said. “Even if it was after three uses, you just cut the cost by two-thirds!” “Sun and moon,” Hunter said, his voice soft. “You’re going to be rich.” “But—” “I believe what our vocally challenged cohorts are trying to elucidate, Sky Bolt,” Dawn said, even her normally proper voice sounding somewhat strained, “is that you have just invented a reason for crystal enchantments to no longer be the purview of wealthy tinkerers. You have, in effect, just given an entire industry the means by which to exist.” Sky Bolt felt her jaw drop as Dawn’s words hit home, and her eyes snapped back to the array she’d built so quickly she almost felt dizzy. In fact, she did feel dizzy. “Atten-tion!” Steel’s call to the team snapped her back to reality, and she rolled her head towards him, her mind still buzzing. What did I just do? she thought, staring at the small array. I just wanted to make sure that the armor was better than— The sound of her name brought her attention back to the captain as he looked at her. “Well,” he said with a dry chuckle, his expression still stern. “I doubt I can blame that little lapse in attention on a lack of sleep. You look like you took a solid blow to the head, Bolt.” “A solid gold blow, maybe,” Nova said. The rest of the group chuckled. “Quite,” Steel said, although the corner of his mouth did twitch upward. “Alright, this meeting is temporarily adjourned for the time being. Until otherwise ordered, under no circumstances do I want a single peep about what you’ve all just seen and heard here making its way past the team, understood? Not. One. Word.” The captain punctuated his words with a glare around the room that made her stomach clench. “Not one action, not one word. Clear?” He rapped his hoof against the table. “Yes sir!” came the chorused response, pulled from the teams mouths as much by reflex as by an innate sense of survival. “Lieutenant Hunter,” Steel said, turning to the tan pegasus, “keep the team close until I get back. Drills, exercises, something. Specialist Sky Bolt, follow me. Bring that device. In its box.” Sky Bolt slid from her seat and set the cardboard cover back over the top of the array. The rest of the team was still staring at her in mute amazement as she followed the captain out of the a barracks, her newest creation still on her back. “Where are we going, sir?” she asked as she caught up with the captain. His long stride was eating up the ground between the barracks and Canterlot Palace, and she gave her wings a flap, giving herself a little air and easing the chore of keeping up with him. “Right now?” he asked, giving her a faint glance. “We’re going right to the top. We’re going to meet with Princess Celestia.” *        *        * “I must admit, this is quite impressive,” Princess Celestia said. Her tall form bent down to look at the array on her desk, multi-hued mane drifting in unseen winds as she tilted her head from side to side. “And you showed it to nopony else before coming here?” “No,” Captain Song said with a shake of his head. “The moment what Sky Bolt here had done caught up with me, I brought it straight here. I’m not much of an economist, but I know a potential problem when I see one.” “Ah, Steel,” Celestia said with a shake of her head that sent a series of small rolls down her mane. “Ever the Guard.” She paused and looked down at array, and then her eyes swung up, staring straight into Sky Bolt’s. “Never fear, Sky Bolt,” she said, her voice soothing. “Despite Captain Song’s fears, what you have achieved here is something great. And you say this will work with any enchantment?” “I’m not … really sure, your highness,” Sky Bolt admitted. “I was just looking for a way to improve my designs, and then I got this idea…” “From the work of Mint and Radiant, I presume?” Celestia asked. Sky Bolt gave her a quick nod. “Well, yes, the principle behind it. But the design was all mine.” She looked over at Steel, but he was in full “superior” mode, his stance so solid a butler could have used him as a table. “Well,” Celestia said, her voice twinkling with amusement, almost like wind chimes, “I believe your teammates are correct. You are going to be a fabulously wealthy mare.” “But I—” “But for now,” Celestia said, cutting her off with a gentle smile, “your first order of business should be testing such a device and making sure that it works without any would-be competitors discovering this new invention of yours, correct?” Sky Bolt nodded, her head swimming, and Celestia nodded, straightening. “Then bringing this to my attention was your best option. As one of the heads of the Dusk Guard, I will classify any and all materials and research that goes into the developing of this new invention of yours. In addition, we may be able to ‘sponsor’ a company in your name, allowing us to fund your research—and thereby benefit the Dusk Guard without straining our budget—as a private, classified enterprise. What do you think?” Stunned, all Sky Bolt could do was nod. Celestia gave her another warm smile. “Excellent. I’ll leave a note for my sister when she arises. I’m sure she would love to see a demonstration of what you’ve created.” A yellow glow enveloped the array, and it floated across the desk towards her. “Now, if you don’t mind my saying so, you should get some sleep,” Celestia said as the array floated down onto Sky Bolt’s back, the cover sliding over it a moment later. “You look like you’ve hardly slept since that incident at the ERS building.” Sky Bolt felt her breath catch at the Princess’s words. “Again, congratulations my little pony,” Celestia said. “You’ve solved a problem that others have worked at for decades.” Then she let out a calm sigh, her eyes moving towards the clock. “I would like to speak more with you about your creation, but I still need to talk with your captain, and I have an appointment soon, so I hope you’ll forgive me cutting our meeting short.” “No, it’s fine,” Sky Bolt said, the last word squeaking somewhat as she fought to get air to her lungs. She gave the Princess a shaky bow and began to retreat out of the room, her chest growing tighter and tighter with every step. The two Guards by the door gave her quick glances as she walked out, but neither of them paid her any mind as she ducked around the nearest corner into an empty hallway. Golems. Sky Bolt gasped, fighting for breath as her lungs refused to work. The pounding in her head was back, growing in intensity. Golems all around her. Her legs began to shake as the pounding grew in intensity. She was trembling, shaking, fighting for breath. All around her, her friends were fighting to stay alive. Something moved for her. The pounding was swelling now, becoming a high pitched whine as she fought to get air into her chest. She felt herself fall to her elbows as her legs began trembling so hard she couldn’t stand. She had almost died. All her friends had almost died. And it would happen— “Excuse me, miss!?” The pounding vanished, the whine fading. She turned, her vision clearing. A concerned looking member of the palace staff was looking down at her. “Miss?” he said again. “Do you need help?” “No I’m—” Her lungs took a greedy breath of air. “I’m fine.” She pushed herself up, trying to ignore the last tremors of weakness moving through her, the faint edge of fear that was coiling in her stomach. “Are you sure, miss?” the stallion asked again. “I could fetch a nurse—” “No, no, I’m fine,” Sky Bolt said, giving him a weak smile. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all. I’ve been working a lot.” She began to walk away, ignoring the unicorn’s look of concern. I’m just a little tired.