//------------------------------// // Lead Them Home // Story: That Which was Lost // by LadyRFC //------------------------------// “Twilight!” A round of loud applause broke over the crowd as the alicorn drifted down onto the speaking platform, Spike hugging her legs in relief. She looked over the crowd to see her friends safely skirting around the edge, heading towards the caves for a well earned rest. Lowering her voice as she went to stand by Chrysalis she asked, “How is Princess Lily?” Before the changling queen could answer, the princess in question also drifted down among them, barely a hair in her mane displaced. She gave Twilight and Chrysalis a sweet smile. Keeping her own voice love, she informed Twilight that Rarity and Discord were recovering in the caves with Sally attending to them all. Looking over at Chrysalis, she added, “Some of the troops had started to file inside the caves.” At the changling queen's tense and worried look, the princess hurried to say, “I circled round and entered the caves from the side and pushed them all back out. The hatchlings are safe.” The queen relaxed again and gave Lily a small smile. “Thank you,” she said, her voice deep with genuine gratitude. Twilight felt at peace for the moment, but knew this all needed to end. Keeping up appearances had been far harder and more dangerous than expected. It was time to end the festivities and lead the ponies back to the city, away from the armies immobilized in two separate parts of the forest. Walking up to the edge of the platform, she addressed the crowd. “I came here from Equestria to investigate some strange sightings at our borders,” she looked over at the queen and princess behind her with a smile. “But I'm happy to say, we have done more than answer a few questions about the lands beyond the desert with our visit.” She let her eyes flow over the crowd, earth ponies, unicorns, pegasus, changlings and dragons staring back at her. “We've made new friends. Friends we can learn from, laugh with and love for generations to come.” She let her gaze linger on individual ponies throughout the crowd, pulling them in. “Thank you. Each one of you for coming. We all look forward to many more years of peace and friendship with you all.” She took a few steps back and bowed her head briefly to a loud round of hoof stomping and cheers. A loud boom drew all eyes upward again, a sick feeling coiling in twilight's stomach. But it was only more fireworks all the colors of the rainbow. Except for red. Twilight smiled and finally relaxed her shoulders. Princess Lily then announced that the event was officially over and changlings would kindly escort ponies back to the city. “Due to the fog that has rolled in,” she improvised, “you will be taking a different route than when you arrived and will entire the city from the east side.” She gave them a brilliant smile. “Do not worry. Our own darkling clan will be guiding you safely the whole way.” Over the next few minutes the ponies began to filter away, like sand dropping through an hour glass. The changlings that had no fighting experience and had kept an eye on the crowds instead, lead the ponies home, creating a new path through the fog laden forest headed east. The dragons stayed where they were, not seeming to mind where they would stay for the night. “I am concerned about my father,” Princess Lily admitted as the two alicorns and changling queen waited for the last of the crowd to leave. “But rushing towards the palace right now would be rather foolish.” Chrysalis nodded. “We are all far too tired to do anything else for the moment. Our main objectives,” she glanced over at Timber, who was just settling his head down in the now open field for a nap, “have been completed.” She glanced around at the dark woods uneasily. “I don't suppose you can encase something as big as the caves in a shield, Twilight?” The alicorn tilted her head, gazing at the large caves. “I'm not sure. I've never made a shield that big before.” She sighed. “My brother is the expert in those. I never really learned.” “For now,” Lily broke in, “we all should see to the injured and do what we can.” She walked over towards the front of the stand again, the crowd of ponies completely gone, with only the dragons left to laze about on the grass. “Will you be comfortable here for the night?” Timber gave her a sleepy grin. “Oh yes,” his voice rumbled, “quite fine. Thank you, princess. Now you and your friends should also rest.” Giving him a bow, Lily turned around and joined the changling queen and Equestrian princess in entering the caves. –----- “I am just sooooo proud of you, Twilight!” Discord squealed as soon as the alicorn was within his sight. The draconiquus was laying down with Fluttershy hovering worriedly between him and the various changlings and pegasus that had been injured. Sally flitted here and there, seeming to know where an injury was before being told, a roll of gauze ever in her jaws. The cavern floor, once light gayly by Discord's party lights, now seemed dulled out and tired from all the exhausted creatures littered across it. Applejack and Rainbow were already fast asleep, with the yawning from Blue Flame signally that he would be joining them in dreamland soon. Twilight smiled, stifling a yawn of her own. She walked over towards Discord and reached out to pat him on the head with her hoof. “You did an amazing job, Discord. I'm proud of you.” The draconiquus blushed, speechless for a moment. “Oh, well. It's – it's no big deal really.”He leaded his head back down on the ground, his eyes catching side of Spike behind her. He smiled faintly. “Good, the little dragon is fine then.” Twilight was confused for a moment before a light went off in her mind. “Were you...” she recalled Spike's kind gesture towards Discord back at the border and his reaction to the news of Spike's kidnapping, “worried about Spike?” The draconiquus blinked a few times before breaking out of his sleepy trance. “What? Of course, not!” He gave her an offended sniff. “A powerful draconiquus like me, worried about anypony? You must be joking.” Twilight only shook her head and looked around again. Rarity was just walking in with various rolls of bandages hovering over her head thanks to her magic. She looked about ready to collapse. A changling rushed over to her and quickly took the rolls, another leading her towards her friends for rest. She caught Twilight's eyes and smiled. “I'm glad you're safe,” she said, laying down and yawning, too tired to say anything more. As she quickly began to fall asleep, Twilight answered back softly, “I'm glad you are, too.” For a few moments there was quiet. Everypony was falling asleep, too tired to even think about the next day and any challenges that still awaited them. The silence felt strange after so much chaos. Twilight frowned. It was far too quiet. Her eyes grew wide as she looked around frantically. “Where's pinkie Pie?” she asked, perhaps a bit louder than she had originally intended. Nopony answered, many of her friends already asleep. Fluttershy alone came to her side, a worried look on her face. “I lost track of her awhile ago during the speeches...” she murmured softly, hovering in the air and looking around quickly for the pink powerhouse pony. “Are you looking for somepony?” a voice hissed. Twilight spun around to come face to face with Pinkie Pie. “Ah!” Twilight stepped back, surprised, causing her friend to giggle softly. “It's just me, silly,” Pikie reprimanded lightly. “I just got back.” She began to bounce over towards her sleeping friends. “Where were you?” Twilight hissed, feeling silly for nearly panicking. Pinkie gave her a grin. “Helping with the Night Night Committee. Duh!” “The,” Fluttershy tilted her head, confused, “Night Night Committee?” “Yep!” Pinkie answered with a bounce. “That was me,” she zipped over towards two small changlings that were probably around Applebloom's age, “and Suzy and Kail! We told everypony to have sweet dreams as they went back home and thanked them again for a lovely evening.” Twilight couldn't help but give a small laugh before collapsing near Discord. Letting out a sigh, she looked over at him and simply said, “I need to make a sheild large enough to protect this whole cave system. Ideas?” Discord cracked one eye open at her. “Why cover the whole thing? Just make a spell that shields only the cave openings.” “Make a spell?” She gave him a hopeless look. “You make it sound so easy.” Discord closed his eye, resuming his rest. “You're a princess now, Twilight. I'm sure a smart pony like you can manage.” Twilight let out a breath, wrinkling her nose. She wasn't a fan of the pressure her status brought, but she had to admit that new spells came to her rather easily these days. All she had to do was think about what she wanted. Usually. “Shields are such a pain to use though,” she muttered to herself as she closed her eyes and closed all the cave entrances in a purple haze. As she watched her friends, new and old, slip into a deep sleep, her own eyes drooping, she used every calming trick in the book to force herself not to worry about tomorrow. “Politics are a pain, too,” she sighed into the darkness.