//------------------------------// // Only the Beginning // Story: Dominant Species // by DarkPhoenix //------------------------------// Chapter 12: Only the Beginning Twilight dragged herself back into the barracks, heading for her cot there. It was difficult to lift a single hoof and place it in front of her. Midnight had worked them extra hard today. It seemed a fire had been lit under the thestral, one she was fanning over onto them.. Finally reaching her cot, she collapsed into it and the thing shuddered, letting out a groan. As much as she never thought this would happen, she’d gotten used to sleeping on the thing. It was far more comfortable than she’d anticipated. Either that, or it had grown on her. There was a sense of security, and belonging, the kind she got from sleeping in a room full of not only her friends, but other guards as well. Midnight hadn’t been lying when she said that she was going to push each of them. Everyday it felt like she was going to break. Each night, she went to bed more tired than the day before, something she didn’t think was possible. Her muscles were sore, she was bruised from hoof to hoof combat training, weapons training, and more. Yet she was enjoying herself. Sure the captain grated on her nerves every now and then, with all the constant pushing and yelling to do better, go faster, be stronger. But no matter how much she yelled, Midnight also demonstrated that she cared. She put them through hell and back, yet she was right there next to them the entire time. Twilight had grown used to the exercise, and even found the monotony relaxing. Her friends were all in about the same shape she was: exhausted. After dinner, they had taken to simply retiring to wherever they were sleeping that night, and just laying down. Nopony had much energy to talk. Twilight only really knew how the others were doing because of their team-building exercises. Being cooped up in a room with Spellflare most afternoons, she rarely saw her friends. Even Rarity was training in a different room with a different teacher. As much as she was actually enjoying things, it was still strenuous. She needed a break, just a day where she could rest and recuperate. Midnight had said that their training had a time limit of one month, which was quickly drawing closer. Twilight could last a few more days. She smiled as she imagined sleeping in on her first day off. One by one, her friends came into the room as well. Their cots were tucked into a corner of the barracks room for mares. It had taken some getting used to; sleeping in a large room with other ponies, showering in a large room with other ponies, eating in a large room with other ponies. Twilight knew that while she was okay with it, she was still a scholar at heart. Just once, she wanted to be able to go somewhere and be alone, even if it was only for an hour. Of course, the training had its upsides. She could feel herself getting in shape. Most of her body fat was gone, and her muscles were getting stronger. She could run farther and faster than ever before. She was truly in the best shape of her life. Even then, though, she still wasn’t in the same shape as a pony like Applejack, or Rainbow Dash, had been in before they started training. Beyond that, she was learning so much. Not just spells, which were always interesting to her, but about combat in general. There wasn’t much focus on large scale tactics, instead they were learning about the language used by the guard, and how to work together as a squad with her friends. As she lay in the bed, the sound of somepony entering the room reached her ears. Not all that unusual, so she paid it no mind. However, when said pony called out her name, she started paying attention. She looked over and saw Midnight standing by the corner that their cots were setup in. The thestral got the attention of her friends as well. Sitting up on the cot, her joints and muscles protesting at the movement, she regarded the captain. “What is it?” she asked. “I wanted to let you all know that I’ve come to a decision. Starting tomorrow morning, your training is over.” That brought a round of odd looks between them all. It had only been three and a half weeks, not the month that Midnight had originally said they’d take. Midnight continued speaking. “I know it seems early, but you six have surpassed my expectations. You pushed yourselves harder than I thought possible. At this point, I don’t think there’s anything more you have to gain by staying here.” Her gaze narrowed slightly. “However, don’t think that this means you can slack off. It’s now up to each of you to continue to practice and improve.” Her features softened after that. “I also want you to know that I am proud of you all. I know it hasn’t been easy, or that any of you wanted to do this, but still you did it. Without too much complaining,” she chuckled. “Take tomorrow, see your families again. Rest and recuperate. I suspect that you won’t get another chance to do so for awhile. You’ll be leaving the next day, possibly the day after, but no later than that.” “So soon?” Rarity asked with a sigh of resignation. “We can’t rest any longer than that?” Midnight shook her head. “Time is of the essence. You already have a plan in place, right?” She glanced over at Twilight. The unicorn pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. She had made up a plan just before the training had started, though it hadn’t been approved by Cadance or anypony else. “Well, I might have something.” “Then there you go. The servants can take care of gathering supplies, so there’s no need for you to worry about it.” Her eyes roamed over each of them. “I know you’d like to rest, to spend time with your families. But time is the thing we are shortest on. So say your goodbyes. When this is all over, you can spend as much time with them as you want. So the sooner you kick this dragon’s ass off this world, the sooner you get to hold them and never let go.” She paused for a moment, a look of regret coming to her eyes. The more time Twilight spent around Midnight, the more she was convinced the captain had lost someone close to her and was blaming herself for it still. Several nights ago, she’d learned the truth, how the pony Midnight loved had been killed in a skirmish against the gryphons. “Tonight, you sleep in the barracks, here. Tomorrow is for whatever you want to do. Rest easy.” She finished with a small nod and left the room. Twilight and her friends, excited over the prospect of getting to spend a day with everypony else, chatted animatedly with each other. Already making plans for a day to spend together. Their families had visited them while they were training, but they’d either been too tired to talk for long, or too busy. It felt like forever since she’d really gotten to see Spike and Cadance, and Berry Fields. Swift Bloom’s daughter was not only an orphan, but had no other family to take her in. Cadance’s search of family records had turned up nothing, and nopony, left alive. The filly was now a ward of the state. For now, she was still staying in the castle, until a family could be arranged to take care of her. Though with the current pensive atmosphere of the Empire, nopony was stepping forward, so Cadance continued to fulfill the role of caretaker. Twilight had seen Berry once since the training began. The filly was returning to her normal life. Or, at least she was trying to. The death of her mother still weighed heavily on her, and she was still bitter. Though, she was no longer moping about in her room. That was something, at least. She’d not said anything about being angry when they met, but Twilight could tell that she still was. However, it was soon to be out of her hooves. As was almost anything else having to do with the Crystal Empire. She had other things to worry about, like trying to convince the disparate races of Equus to work together. Eventually the chatter died down and they fell asleep. Despite being so tired, Twilight’s mind was still working. Only having a day to spend with everypony before leaving... She wished it could be more, but Midnight was right. From what they could tell based on reports from the scouts watching Canterlot and the dragon, the creature was still asleep. However, dominated ponies were gathering there, so it was preparing for something. More surprising was the fact that species other than pony were there. Gryphons, Zebras, even some Minotaurs were seen mixing with the ponies. They really couldn’t afford to procrastinate; they needed to leave. Finally, she was able to fall asleep. In her dreams, she was walking down a long road, one that had many branching paths. Yet no matter how far she walked, or different paths she took, everything looked the same and there was no end. When she woke up the next morning, the dream quickly faded away. Instead, she was excited. Usually when she managed to roll herself off the cot, or stand up from the ground she slept on, her muscles ached and her joints were stiff. She’d go through a stretching routine, something Midnight had taught them all to cope with the stiffness. This morning, however, she felt great. Rarity and Applejack were nowhere to be found, and the others were still asleep. She didn’t worry about waking them, and instead left the barracks, heading up to the castle. For once, she was going to eat breakfast there, and be able to eat whatever she wanted. She nodded to the guards stationed by the large doors as she passed by.. One of the side effects of living in the barracks was that she had gotten to know, or at least recognize, a lot of the guards. The two Privates standing there nodded back, greeting her. “Morning, Twilight,” the one called Flash Sentry said. “Morning,” she responded. “Not training today?” She shook her head. “Not anymore, we’re done with that.” Flash’s partner, a mare named Steadfast, chuckled. “Good. We were getting tired of you all showing us up, training that hard.” Twilight smiled at the joke. “Well, now you’ll have a chance to catch up. But right now, I believe breakfast is waiting for me.” Flash bowed. “Then by all means, show that breakfast what a trained mare can do.” She giggled, walking past them and inside. Ever since the training started, she’d rarely been in here. The wondrous crystal columns, with their carvings, the curving staircase, it all looked the same. A couple servants were taking care of things, cleaning or just walking to wherever they were headed. The dining room was her destination, her mouth already drooling at the prospect of some not-so-wholesome food. Barracks food wasn’t bad, consisting of good vegetables and breads. It just wasn’t meant to taste good so much as stick with you, load you up with calories. The castle food was much tastier, so what if it was a little more fatty? She could stand to indulge for one day. Upon reaching the dining room, she found both Applejack and Rarity, as well as their families, and Cadance. The alicorn looked up at Twilight’s entry. “Twilight!” she exclaimed. “Glad to see you up and about.” She gestured to the seat next to her. Twilight hugged Cadance before taking the seat. “Thanks, Cadance. It feels good to not be running the track right now. Though... At the same time, it feels weird.” Cadance ran her eyes over Twilight’s body. “It’s because you’re used to it now, having it enforced on you for almost a month. Though I must say, it certainly shows. You’ve got quite a figure now.” The unicorn blushed. “Erm, thanks?” “It was a compliment, Twilight. I bet that Shining is in the Summer Lands, wishing he could be here to beat off all the stallions that will be coming after you with a stick.” The image of her brother standing between her and a horde of stallions made her giggle. “You’re right, I bet he is.” Shining’s death was still a sore point for the both of them. Twilight still missed him, and would everyday that she lived, but rather than bringing up pain when she thought of him, she could look back on the memories fondly. It seemed that Cadance was at the same point. A servant came over, asking what she’d like to eat. For whatever reason, she was in the mood for pancakes, so she ordered a large stack of them. The downside to expending so much energy each day lately was that she had needed to eat a lot to compensate. Now that she wouldn’t be quite as strenuously active, she’d need to watch what she ate. However, at least for today, she could splurge. “So tell me, Twilight. How was the training? We didn’t get much of a chance to speak the last time we saw each other.” “Exhausting,” she replied. “I learned a lot, though much of it was things that I never thought I would need to learn. Well, as a curiosity, perhaps, but never through need.” The raucous laughter of Applejack and her family drew Twilight’s attention towards them. Granny Smith was telling some story, something funny, apparently. Twilight continued speaking, leaning in close to Cadance and lowering her voice. “I’m still not sure if I can ever use this new knowledge. Shooting spells at a piece of wood is fine. But watching it be bisected, the two halves falling away from each other... I can all too easily imagine that being a pony. I don’t know if I can take a life. Not again.” Cadance put a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s a hard burden that you bear, Twilight. The fate of the world rests on your shoulders. I cannot imagine what it’s like.” She shook her head. “I don’t envy you, but know that I will always be here to support you. As will your friends, and Spike, and everypony else.” Her hoof rubbed Twilight’s shoulder gently. “I hope to Celestia and Luna both that you will never have to use what you learned against anyone, pony or not. But...” she trailed off a moment. “That day, during my speech. That day showed us that we’re not just dealing with the dragon, but its... army as well. You needed to be able to defend yourselves. And sometimes, the best defence is a good offense.” Twilight sighed. “I know. Shiny talked enough about being a guard that some of it sank through to me. And somewhere, deep down, I knew that this quest would only ever end in violence. We’re gathering the races of Equus to fight the dragon. There’s no way this won’t end in violence. It’s just... For me to be taking an active part in it. Well, it’s surreal.” She set her hooves on the table. “But, I know what needs to be done. While I wouldn’t want to kill somepony, I understand now that I might have to... If... If the path to success means I have to kill another being, then...” Twilight took in a deep breath and let it out quickly. “Then I don’t see where I have a choice. And that’s what scares me.” “You always have a choice, Twilight. It may seem like you don’t, but it’s there. As for the fighting, my advice would be to not get worked up about it. We don’t even know if you’ll ever have to. Should the time come that you must, however, I know that you’ll do the right thing. Just promise me that when you have to make that choice, you’ll remember Equestria, and why you’re doing this. We’re counting on you.” Twilight hugged her sister. “Thank you, Cadance. It feels good, knowing that you believe in me.” “Anytime, Twilight. “ They spoke of less consequential topics while they ate. Twilight’s pancakes were truly divine in her mouth, and she wasted no time in gobbling them down. She listened as Cadance caught her up on what had been going on overall with the Crystal Empire, and got involved as Applejack told a story about their training involving a messed up spell. The results had been quite entertaining. One by one, the others joined them. First Pinkie, then Fluttershy, and finally Rainbow wandered in for breakfast. The members of their families also showed up, and soon the entire table was filled with happy ponies. Even Twilight’s mood had improved when Spike came in. The dragon let out a surprised yelp as he was lifted up and zoomed across the room, right into Twilight’s waiting arms. As she hugged him, he glared at her. “Really, Twilight?” She nodded. “Really. I missed you.” With a long-suffering sigh, he hugged her back. The smile on his face told her that he enjoyed it, though. As the seats next to her were filled, he had to go sit down by the Crusaders. After breakfast, Cadance got Twilight’s attention. The alicorn led her into the throne room, where she sat atop her throne. “I have to start court in a few minutes, but before that, I wanted to tell you something.” Twilight sat on her haunches at the base of the dais. “Okay.” Cadance made herself comfortable before she began. “So much has changed in the last month. You and I both know that. However, there are things that will always stay the same, such as the love we have for each other. I wanted to give you this.” A piece of paper, wrapped in Cadance’s magical aura floated out from behind the throne. Twilight took it, looking at it. It was a photo, showing Twilight and her friends. They were hugging and smiling. “Where did you get this?” Cadance smiled. “Celestia sent it to me. I want to give it to you, now, as a reminder that no matter what, those five mares will be by your side. You share each other’s burdens, fears, and hopes. You six are the best, and closest, friends that I’ve ever seen. Rely on them to get you through the tough times, as they rely on you.” “Thank you, Cadance. This means a lot to me.” She’d lost all of her possessions, all of her photos and books and mementos, when Ponyville had been abandoned. Yet, she’d never mourned their loss, having been too busy mourning the loss of loved ones. It felt nice, though, to have something again. Something she could feel in her hooves, not just intangible memories. “One more thing,” Cadance said. She stomped a hoof on the floor. Within a moment,  a servant mare came over. “Yes, Princess?” the unicorn mare asked. She had a brown coat, with an orange and red mane, and a curious cutie mark of crossed cooking knives. “Twilight, I understand that you still need to gather supplies before you leave tomorrow. Write down what you need and give that list to Dark here. She’ll take care of gathering everything.” Twilight nodded. “I will. Thank you.” She turned to leave the throne room, the servant walking along next to her. “Dark? That’s an odd name,” she remarked. The mare smiled. “Oh, that’s just a nickname.” “Then, what’s your real name?” “Hmm, that is a question, isn’t it?” The smile stayed plastered on her face. “Maybe I’ll tell you. Someday. Anyway, when you have that list, come find me in the kitchens.” She trotted off down the hall, humming to herself. Twilight watched her go, wondering at her oddity. It was just after breakfast, and she still had the entire day to go. The sooner she got that list written, the sooner she could spend the day doing what she wanted to do. Winding through the halls soon after, she entered the War Room. The familiar round table was still there, as was the shelf of maps, which was what she wanted. She looked around until she found a map of Equus, pulling it off of the shelf it rested on and unrolling it, keeping it flat with books placed on the corners. Using the legend at the bottom of the map, she was able to calculate an approximate distance between the Crystal Empire, and the capital of the Gryphon Empire, which was simply labeled as ‘The Capital,’ due to its habit of changing names with each new Emperor naming it after himself. If memory served, and the Emperor hadn’t been killed and replaced in the last few months. The current Emperor was named Kader, so the capital was Kaderton. She wasn’t entirely sure what the travel situation was between the two Empires, but she felt it best to assume they’d be on hoof for at least part of the time. It would take them almost two weeks to walk between them, so she hoped they’d be able to take a train, or even an airship, for at least part of the way. However, for the supplies, she opted to assume they’d be just walking. That way they’d over pack and not risk running out of supplies before they reached their destination. Running some calculations in her head, she figured out how much to bring  per pony and per day for both food and water, assuming an average amount of energy usage. She wrote down what foods they would need, all non-perishables, as well as an amount of each. They would also need canteens. Those could be refilled along the path, but it was best to be prepared. Looking at the scroll she was writing on, the amounts were quickly adding up. They would need a cart to haul all of this, as it was more than they could carry. Quickly, she added in a cart to the list of supplies. Surely the servants would know to put the food and water into the cart. She considered her task done after she had checked over her figures twice more. Glancing at the clock, she realized with a start that she’d been in here for the better part of an hour. Her friends were surely wondering where she went off to. The next thing would be to deliver the scroll to Dark down in the kitchens. Putting the map back on the shelf, she left the War Room. Fortunately, she remembered where the kitchens were from the first night they were here and had gone there after talking to Cadance. When she entered the kitchens, there were several ponies working there, cooking, chopping, and stirring various ingredients for just as varied dishes. She spotted the mare she was looking for over at the stove, stirring something and dancing to a song that only she could hear. “Excuse me,” Twilight said. The mare turned to look at her. “Oh, got that list for me already?” Twilight nodded. “Here.” She floated the scroll over. Dark took it in her own magic, looking it over as she unrolled it. “We have all of this on hoof. When would you like it by?” “We’re leaving tomorrow morning, though I’m not entirely sure when.” “Well, I can get it ready tonight, that way it’ll be waiting for you. I’ll let the princess know where it is.” “Thank you, Dark.” She waved a hoof in the air. “No problem.” She set the scroll on a table, going back to her pot on the stove. “You going to tell me about your name?” Twilight asked. Without even turning around, Dark replied. “Now where would be the fun in that? It’s more fun for me to let you figure it out.” Twilight could hear the smile on the mare’s face. She shook her head bemusedly as she left the kitchens, thoughts of what she would do for the rest of the day swirling in her mind. She could go back to the library and try and get some last minute studying done on fighting styles and tactics. Yet, as she looked down the hall, towards that vast repository of knowledge, she felt something for the first time ever in her life. She didn’t really want to go study. She stood for a moment, conflicted. This was a new feeling, never had she needed to choose without outside stimuli or factors. Maybe she could learn yet even more things, perhaps help her friends in the future. Yet she’d not had any time to spend with them in the past month, and she wasn’t sure being on the road together with them would count. Her thoughts then turned to Spike. The one being she would not hesitate to give her life for so that he could have a better future. She couldn’t bear to see him get hurt, so he would stay behind. Many times she had left him behind in the library while she and her friends took care of a problem. On more than one occasion, she knew that she’d been overreacting. This time, however, her fears were justified. Travelling around the world was no place for Spike.. This was the last day before she would leave. She’d gone away from her friends and family before on trips and quests before, yet none of those carried the same weight as the one she currently faced. None of the times she’d left before, had she ever felt like she might not be coming back. There was an element of danger to the quests that she undertook as an Element of Harmony. Always there something at stake. Yet during none of them had lives been lost. Already, hundreds of ponies were dead, and their quest hadn’t even started. To Twilight, it didn’t bode well about the things to come. More than studying, she wanted to spend her last day with her family. She wanted to see them one last time. Still looking towards the library, she shook her head and went the opposite direction, towards the main area of the castle, and where her friends would hopefully be. Fortunately, finding her friends didn’t take very long. She caught sight of Pinkie hopping out the main doors. Wherever that mare was going, the others would most likely be. Following her friend, she exited the castle and called out to her. Pinkie stopped bouncing and turned around. “Twilight, there you are! We were looking for you.” “You were?” Pinkie nodded her head vigorously. “Uh huh! See, we had this idea of wanting to spend today together with everypony else as one big super-huge group, but Cadance couldn’t come because she has Princess-y duties, and Midnight said that she needed to get some work done as well, but everypony else is in, so we tried to decide what we wanted to do and Rarity wanted to go to a spa while Rainbow wanted to be lazy and nopony could agree on anything until it was Spike who suggested we all just be together today and go outside, so then once that was agreed upon, we realized that you were missing so we tried to track you down, but Cadance said that you were probably busy, so I went to find you to make you un-busy so you could become busy again with us, but I couldn’t find you, and then my tail started twitching and my right ear flopped three times, so I knew that you were going to find me, which meant that I should head outside, and then as I was coming down the stairs, you did find me and called out to me, and now here we are!” She threw her forelegs wide open. If she had taken a breath, Twilight had missed it. More and more she was becoming convinced that Pinkie could somehow inhale and speak at the same time. It took Twilight a minute to sort through all that information and extract the relevant bits. However, she came to the conclusion that she’d guessed right by looking for her friends. “Um, right. Well, lead on.” She followed Pinkie down the stairs and into the city. The ponies they passed by no longer looked furtive. But there was still an undercurrent of tension in the city even though nearly a month had gone by with no more incidents. They weren’t quite back to normal, but they were at least exchanging pleasantries in the streets. Pinkie led her to a park in the middle of the city. There, under a grove of trees were the rest of her friends along with their families. Several blankets had been spread out, and two baskets were sitting nearby. The Crusaders and Spike were already running around the trees, laughing.  Mr. and Mrs. Cake had their foals in the grass, playing with them. Rainbow Dash was lying on a tree branch, while Applejack and Rarity were sitting on one of the blankets. Fluttershy was up in the branches of another tree, seeming to be conversing with a bird. Big Mac and Granny Smith occupied another blanket, while Discord lay in a lounge chair, watching. Even Berry Fields was there, laying in the grass and watching the clouds float overhead. Upon seeing them approaching, Applejack waved a hoof in the air. “Ya found her, Pinkie!” “Yeppers!” the mare responded, bouncing over to the Cake’s foals and joining them in laughter. Twilight sat down next to Applejack. Spike darted past, being chased by a trio of giggling fillies. Everything around her looked so normal, as if they had all decided to take a day off in Ponyville Park. “Twilight, darling,” Rarity said. “I simply must inquire as to where you went after breakfast.” “Oh, I had one last thing to do before we leave tomorrow. Just make a quick list of supplies and give it to one of the servants.” “Tomorrow?” Applejack asked. She looked over at Granny Smith and Big Mac. “I was kinda hoping we’d have another day.” “Cadance seems to want us to leave tomorrow, and while I haven’t spoken to her, I suspect so does Midnight,” Twilight said. Pinkie ran past, the foals on her back, holding on and shrieking with laughter. “And I agree.” “Why?” Her friends around her went silent, looking at her. Fluttershy stopped talking to the bird and looked down at Twilight from above, while Pinkie put down the foals and came over. Twilight indicated everypony around them with a hoof. “Because Midnight’s right. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can come back home to everypony who’s waiting for us. The sooner that you can see Applebloom and Sweetie Belle again.” She paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath. “The soon we get this done, the sooner all of our families will be safe. No reason to delay and endanger everypony even more.” She thought back to that first day on the training field, when Midnight had told them to pick one pony and fight for him or her. Both Applejack and Rarity had picked their younger sisters, while Twilight had chosen her honorary younger brother, Spike. She wasn’t fighting to safeguard the world, though she felt that burden all the same. Instead, she was fighting to ensure that Spike had a world to wake up to tomorrow.   “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Applejack admitted. “Though that doesn’t make leaving any easier.” “Indeed, it does not,” Rarity agreed. “I know that Sweetie Belle and I don’t always see eye to eye, but after all that’s happened, I don’t want to leave her. “No, it doesn’t,” Twilight said. “But I think that we shouldn’t stick around here anyway. We just don’t know how much longer we have before the dragon wakes up. Nor do we know how long this is going to take.” “But surely you have an idea,” Rarity asked. Twilight shook her head. “None at all. I still don’t even know if this is possible at all, much less how long it’ll take. Just looking at travel time alone, we’re looking at months there. Plus however long it takes to convince the leaders of each country to join with Equestria.” She’d thought a lot about this all month. Celestia was asking a lot of them. Of everything that the Elements of Harmony have ever done as a group, this was far and away their biggest and lengthiest task. Twilight had hope that some of the leaders would be able to listen to reason, like the Zebras. However, she knew that others, like the Changelings, would be far more reluctant, if they even listened in the first place. Asking for something like cooperation between the races was akin to trying to walk up a greased-up Canterlot Mountain blindfolded and with only one leg. While Equestria was generally seen as good, and the word of Celestia and Luna carried a lot of weight, there was bad blood between other races. The Gryphons and Minotaurs were almost constantly trading aggression. The Zebras were more isolationist, eschewing the other countries. The dragons kept to themselves, mostly, and made it clear that they didn’t get involved in the affairs of the other races, to an almost xenophobic degree. As for the Changelings, no one trusted them and they knew it. The more she’d thought about it, the more she thought that uniting everyone under one banner would be impossible. They would try, of course, but in the end, they may just have to make do with one or two allies. Yet even if they got those allies, would so few make a difference against something as powerful as the dragon? Would even a united Equus be able to make a difference? She felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked over to see Applejack. “It’s okay, sugarcube. We’ll get it done.” The farmer must have been able to see the worry on her face. “Thanks, Applejack.” Those hopeless thoughts would lead her nowhere. Besides that, today wasn’t a day to get mired in thoughts like that. Applejack dug through one of the baskets, pulling out a frisbee. “Come on Twi, I bet you’ll drop it before I do.” Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “You’re on.” “No magic,” she said, getting up and heading out into the open area. Following her friend, Twilight looked over at the assembled ponies. The Crusaders had evidently talked Berry into joining them for something, though she wasn’t sure what. It was nice to see the filly getting outside. She needed some happiness and companionship in her life right now. Much of the day passed in a state of bliss. They played and laughed and had fun together. Cadance even managed to join them for lunch, being dragged into a game of hide-and-seek by the fillies. It was amusing to see the bubblegum pink princess trying to hide amongst all the green of the park. To Twilight, it felt like the weight on her shoulders had been lifted for a time. She was happy, she felt happy, for almost the first time since this whole thing had started. For just one day, she could forget about the troubles and sorrows. For one day, she could pretend that things were back to normal. The good mood followed them back to the castle as they retired for dinner. Similar to the night when they had all been reunited, a feast had been prepared. Large platters of food sat in the middle of the table, and plates were swapped just as often as stories around the table. Twilight was listening to Granny Smith tell a story about when she’d caught Applejack in a rather compromising situation in the barn. Laughter was a common occurrence as the elderly mare, with a glint in her eye, spared no detail. Applejack was red in the face and doing her best to hide in her chair with her hat pulled down low. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Midnight enter the dining room. At first, she thought the thestral was here to actually join them. However, that wasn’t the case, as she walked up to Cadance and whispered in her ear for a moment, before leaving again. Twilight caught Cadance’s eye, raising an eyebrow. The alicorn just held up a hoof, indicating her to be patient. With a nod, Twilight went back to the conversation. Granny Smith had just gotten to the part where Applejack was dancing around in the dress, holding a rake. It was only when dinner was over that Twilight learned what Midnight had wanted. Cadance stood up from her chair. “The Captain has requested that we meet her in the war room after dinner is over,” she announced. With that one statement, the good mood at the table evaporated. Everypony was reminded of what was going to happen tomorrow morning. Suddenly, the weight that was free from their shoulders came crashing back down. Almost as one, the entire table hunched over, just a little bit. Twilight stood up from her chair. Dinner was just as finished as the good mood. There was no reason to put things off. The others appeared to be of like mind, as her friends all stood up as well. Trailing behind Cadance, they left the dining room and their families behind. It was a silent group that arrived at the war room. Inside the room was Midnight, along with another pony. This one was an earth pony stallion. His coat was a light green in color, reminding Twilight of Lyra Heartstring’s coat. His mane and tail were both cropped short and a light blue in color. He was wearing a tattered looking shirt stained in several places by various things Twilight couldn’t identify. When they were all inside, Midnight spoke up. “I know that you all want to be with your families right now, and shortly you will be. However, something important has come to my attention.” She looked at Cadance. “How were you proposing that the Elements get to and from their destinations?” The alicorn seemed taken aback by the question. “Um, well. Equestria’s train system still works. They can take a train to the borders of each country. From there, it will have to be whatever transportation system is available. Though that varies between the countries.” Twilight spoke up. “I’ve already requested a wagon and enough supplies to get us to the Gryphon Empire entirely by hoof. It’ll be waiting on us in the morning.” Midnight indicated the stallion next to her. “This is Captain Swashbuckle. I believe he can help us.” The stallion nodded his head. “The captain here, has an airship.” Twilight’s eyes went wide. Airships were still fairly new in Equestria. Hot air balloons had been around for awhile now, but it was only recently that somepony thought about taking one of those, making the balloon bigger, and sealing it up with a lighter-than-air gas. Since the balloon was bigger, so too was the area for passengers. A steam engine powered turbines on the back of it, allowing it to move, while a rudder steered it much like a ship. Most airships were still experimental, though they were quickly gaining favor as a way to transport both ponies and supplies quickly. Since they could fly, they could simply head straight for a destination and not have to wind around things like a train or road did. To have an airship to ferry them about would be a major advantage. “How big is this airship?” Cadance asked. “Can it ferry seven passengers?” Swashbuckle nodded. “Aye, it can. She’s the best airship in Equestria,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice. “I can ferry about those seven, plus all the cargo ya want.” His accent was curious, Twilight didn’t think she’d ever heard it before. It was rough, putting emphasis on unusual words. “And how did you come to be in the Empire?” “Well, we were stationed in Canterlot, ferrying cargo for whoever hired us. It was only good fortune that we were in Baltimare the night Canterlot was destroyed. We were supposed to be back that day, but a leak in the boiler kept us grounded. When we heard what had happened, we stayed put. At least, until word reached us about you, Princess. “Figuring we’d make ourselves useful instead of sitting around on our arses, we hopped on over here. For the last two weeks, we’ve been making runs back into Equestria, getting supplies.” “I thought we could hire him and his crew to help us,” Midnight said. “However, that needs authorization from you, Princess.” “The Gryphon’s Folly will get you wherever you need to go in a jiffy.” Cadance looked across the table at Swashbuckle. “What are you asking for in return?” He smiled at her. “Our usual fee. Plus free supplies for the trip.” He paused a moment, seeming to think. “Oh, and I’m thinking a nice bonus when this whole thing is over. If what this cutie is telling me about the voyage is true, then consider it a hazard pay bonus.” Twilight could see Midnight’s left eye twitch when Swashbuckle called her ‘cutie,’ but she didn’t say anything. “You do understand that we are in a state of crisis,” Cadance said, “and that I can’t just open my coffers to you. What is your usual fee, anyway?” “A hundred and fifty bits, a day. However, seeing as to how I’m fairly certain nopony knows how long this will take, let’s just say five thousand bits up front. The rest can be figured out afterwards.” Cadance sighed, looking down at the table. “Twilight? What do you think?” “Me?” she replied, not expecting to be called out. “Well, an airship would certainly be the fastest way to get around. Having it would be helpful, certainly.” “How can it be the fastest way?” Rainbow asked. “I’m certainly a faster flyer than it.” “Aye, you may be,” Swashbuckle said. “But can ya fly for three days straight at a constant speed?” When the pegasus didn’t respond, he continued. “I didn’t think so.” “I don’t want to put any pressure on you, Cadance,” Twilight said. “But, given that time is the one thing we’re shortest on, can we afford to not take this opportunity?” The alicorn smiled. “No, I suppose we can’t.” She turned her attention back to Swashbuckle. “Very well. Talk to Midnight, she’ll help you get what supplies you need. As for your payment, you’ll get that tomorrow morning, which is when we leave.” The stallion bowed. “Very well, Princess. We’ll be ready. Whenever ya want to leave, we’re sitting just outside the refugee camp. Trust me, ya can’t miss us.” “Thank you, Captain. If you could please go wait outside, Midnight will be out shortly.” He nodded, turning around and leaving the room. As soon as he was gone and the door was closed, Cadance turned to Midnight. “I assume this was your idea.” “It was,” she confirmed. “I’d heard about the airship being around from some of the Crystal Guards, but hadn’t seen it myself. I approached Captain Swashbuckle about a job, something he was quite eager to take on after being without one for so long.” “Well, hopefully this won’t turn out to be too expensive. Is that all, Captain?” She shook her head. “No, there’s one more thing. You remember how we talked about Lieutenant Iron Hoof acting as an escort for the Element bearers?” Cadance didn’t respond immediately, a hoof coming to her chin as she thought. “Vaguely, yes. I believe I agreed to a single pony escort.” “Well, the Lieutenant will no longer be accompanying them.” “Why not? Is he alright?” Midnight nodded. “He’s fine, that’s not the issue.” “Well then, what is?” “The Lieutenant cannot accompany them, because I will be.” Midnight’s gaze was one of determination, her eyes narrowed as if she dared anypony to challenge her. “I get the feeling that you would go even if I said no. However, I’d like to hear your reasons for this.” The thestral’s eyes relaxed a fraction, and she started pacing a bit. Twilight recognized this from the training. She paced when she was explaining things. “Right now, the Lunar Guard is simply on a guarding action, while the Elements of Harmony are about to embark upon a quest that will decide the fate of the world. Tell me, Princess, which of those sounds like it’s more important?” “The quest, of course,” she replied. Midnight nodded. “Exactly. Which is why I’m going to accompany them. Something so important should never be left to my subordinates, no matter how good they are. A guarding action like this, even my lowliest Private can run it in his sleep. So the Lieutenant will be left in charge here in my wake.” “Yet you are a Captain of the Lunar Guard. You’re too important to risk, even on a mission like this.” With a rustle, Midnight set a few pieces of parchment on the table. “Then here you will find my official letter of resignation, as well as my final orders, naming Iron Hoof as my successor.” She slid the papers across the table where they came to a halt in front of Cadance. “As a private citizen, you can’t stop me from accompanying the Element bearers.” Cadance looked down at the papers on the table. Her magic enveloped them, lifting them up. Carefully, she read them over, the entire room silent as she did so. “You planned everything out,” she said. “I’m good at my job,” Midnight replied. After a moment, she continued. “You know I’m right. When everything’s on the line, we need the best. Right now, I’m the best.” Twilight couldn’t detect any trace of ego in her voice. She was simply stating a fact. “And how would you help the Elements on their quest, Midnight?” Twilight noted that Cadance didn’t use the thestral’s title, though she wasn’t sure what that meant. She and her friends were simply observers to this battle of wills. “I may just be one pony, but I will do my best to protect them. Unlike the Lieutenant, I’ve trained with them over the last month, so I’ve learned how they work and how they function as a team.” She indicated Twilight and her friends with a hoof. “Those six, their strength is in their friendship and how they work together. I can work with them without getting in the way.” Midnight walked up to the table, putting her forehooves on it. When her head was at the same level as Cadance’s, her eyes hardened. “We can’t afford to fail, so we need every advantage we can get.” “You understand that, if I agree to this, you will not be in command? Twilight is in command of the mission.” Twilight took a step back. “I am?” This was news to her. Cadance nodded. “You are. Somepony needs to be in charge of things overall. I can think of no better pony than you, Twilight.” “But... But I don’t know the first thing about something like this. How could I be expected to lead the mission?” Suddenly the weight on her shoulders tripled as panic started to set in. “What if I mess up? What if I do something wrong? The importance of this mission is too high, I can’t afford any mistakes. I can’t lead, it’s just not possible!” Something touched her shoulder, drawing her back to reality. “Calm down, sugarcube,” Applejack said. Everypony was staring at her. “But—” “Twilight Sparkle,” Cadance remanded. “Do not doubt your own abilities. You are a brilliant pony. But beyond that, you are logical and organized. I have faith in you, and so do your friends.” She could see her friends nodding. “We know you’ll do your best, Twi,” Rainbow said. “Indeed, darling. You’ve led us before during times of crisis, and each time we emerged victorious. Why should this one be any different?” Rarity asked. “And we’ll be there, um, so you can talk to us if you need to. If that’s okay with you, that is.” “I’ll also be there to advise you,” Midnight said. The thestral turned back to regard Cadance. “I’ll submit to Twilight’s leadership.” “It’s your mission, Twilight,” Cadance said. “I leave the decision up to you.” She thought about it. Certainly, having Midnight aboard would be useful. That captain was knowledgable, an excellent fighter, and a strategist. The skills she possessed would be invaluable to them. Twilight had to concur that the Lunar Guard was simply defending a single spot right now, with no offensive action planned. Based on the guardsponies she had met, then they would do fine without the captain around. “Cap-- Midnight, I accept your offer of joining the mission.” Twilight wasn’t sure whether to use the thestral’s title or not. That depended on what Cadance did with the papers on the table. Midnight nodded. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Princess, you already have my resignation and final orders.” A piece of paper, surrounded by Cadance’s arua, floated into the air. “You mean this resignation?” The paper caught fire, burning to ash in seconds. “I’m afraid I can’t accept it. The rest of these papers are satisfactory, except for one thing. Instead of becoming the new Captain, Lieutenant Iron Hoof should take on the position of Acting-Captain, until the current one comes back from her leave of absence.” Midnight smiled. “That can be arranged. I’ll fill out the necessary paperwork tonight. However, there’s one more thing. This concerns the Elements.” “What is it?” Cadance asked. The thestral went over to a large bag that was sitting in the corner. Twilight hadn’t noticed it when she came in. Gripping the bag, Midnight dragged it over to the table. Whatever was inside produced a metallic clink. “I have something for you all. Consider it a gift for completing training.” She opened the bag, pulling out a sword. “Here, this is for you, Twilight.” Twilight took the sword out of Midnight’s outstretched hooves with her magic, gazing at it through her lavender aura. It was just like the swords she had been training with, not quite as long as a regular sword, so more suitable to rapid directional change while being held in her magic. It even had a strap so she could wear it across her back. “Thank you,” she said. Truth be told, she wasn’t entirely sure about being given a weapon as a gift. To her, it seemed like another reminder that she might be fighting soon. Midnight dug back into the sack, pulling out two cloth straps, each one holding five knives. This she gave to Rarity. “It’s basic, but I think you can figure out how to personalize it.” The fashionista accepted the straps. Twilight could tell that they were meant to be worn crossed across the shoulders. “Thank you.” She smiled. Midnight had something for everypony. Applejack got a set of horseshoes, the ones for the back legs being weighted for powerful strikes, while the front ones had blades on them for quick jabs. Pinkie also got shoes, though hers were armored to protect her hooves, rather than bladed, which would mess with her fighting style. Rainbow got a pair of wingblades all her own, same as the ones she had used to practice with. Finally, Midnight pulled out a pair of saddlebags, giving them to Fluttershy. “Here. I know that you still won’t fight, so inside there’s everything a medic’s field kit would have.” Fluttershy strapped on the bags. “Thank you, Midnight.” “I know that I’ve already said this, but you six made me proud to train you. You worked hard and did everything I asked of you and more. If you approach the mission like you did the training, then that dragon is bucked.” Twilight heard a gasp at the captain’s language, though nopony said anything. “It will be an honor to fight alongside you.” “We’re lucky to have you, Captain,” Twilight said. The thestral smiled. “I’m afraid that within the hour, I’ll be a Captain no more. When on leave of absence, I won’t retain my rank. So just call me Midnight.” “Okay, Midnight.” “Now, I have some paperwork and final preparations to attend to.” Midnight headed over to the door. “I’ll see you all at the palace steps at precisely seven in the morning.” She left the room then. Twilight could hear her talking to Swashbuckle outside, their voices fading down the hallway. Cadance faced them all. “I think we’re done here. Go spend this last night with your families.” The alicorn left the room as well. Twilight strapped the sword on her back. It felt unfamiliar there, a weight added to her. Hopefully, she’d never have to use the thing and thus have no reason to carry it around. “Cadance is right,” she said. “Come on.” Together, they left the room. By now, everypony would be out of the dining room. With nothing else to do, and with the sun having set, they’d head back up to the guest area of the palace. So that’s where they went. “I’m just going to drop my... sword, in my room.” It felt odd, saying that. She’d never owned a weapon before. “I’ll meet you in the common room.” Twilight opened the door to her room, heading inside and closing it behind her. Letting out a sigh, she leaned on the door. “Twilight?” A voice startled her. “What!?” she exclaimed, jumping. In the light of the moon coming through the window, she could see somepony sitting on her bed. Flicking on the lights, she saw that it was Berry. “Berry? What are you doing here all alone? Is everything okay?” “You gonna leave tomorrow?” the filly asked. Forgetting about the sword for the moment, Twilight walked over to her bed. “We are, sweetie.” “You gonna go fight the dragon?” “Yes, we are. But first, we’re going to travel the world and get others to help us.” Twilight tried to think of a way to distract the filly. “We’ve even got this airship to travel in.” “An airship?” Berry asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Twilight nodded. “Yeah, an airship. It’s like a ship that sails on the water, only this one sails through the air instead. They’re super cool. We got ourselves the only one in the entire Crystal Empire!” “Can I see it?” “Maybe in the morning. We’re leaving really early, but if you get up, you can accompany us to the airship. It’s sitting outside the city, by the train station.” Berry hugged Twilight. “I don’t want you to go.” The filly’s eyes were shimmering. “I miss my mommy, I don’t wanna lose my friend, too.” Twilight hugged the filly against her chest. “I know, sweetie. But I have to go. I promise you that I’ll come back to see you whenever I can.” It pained her to see the filly like this. Just when she was coming back into her own after losing her mom, now a pony that she looked up to and saw as her friend was leaving. “I wanna go with you,” she said. “Oh, Berry. I’m afraid that it’ll be dangerous where we’re going.” “I don’t care. I can be...” She struggled to find the right word. “Can be useful.” “I know you can. You’re a very brave filly. But we just can’t take you along. I’m sorry. You’ll have Cadance here, and the Crusaders.” Berry sniffled. “I still don’t want you to leave.” “Everything will be fine, Berry.” Twilight hugged her again. “We’ll defeat this dragon and come back.” She tried to think of some way to placate the filly. “Actually, there is something I need you to do for me while I’m gone.” “What is it?” she asked, looking up at her with wide eyes. “I need you to keep an eye on Cadance. She’s just as upset as you are about us leaving. I need you to make sure she’s happy. Can you do that for me? It’s very important.” The filly gave her an odd look, one that she couldn’t quite place. “I can do that,” she said. Twilight rubbed her head, mussing up her mane. “Good. I trust you to care for my sister while I’m gone.” Berry nodded. “Okay.” She hopped off the bed, going over to the door. “Goodbye, Twilight.” She struggled with the door for a moment before managing to open it and leave the room. Twilight watched her leave. There was something about that last look from the filly. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it made her feel nervous. Sighing once more, she took the sword off her back, leaning it up against the wall. As much as she liked Berry, she needed to leave. Hopefully, the filly would understand. She wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet, so she left her room, heading to the common room. When she got there, she found a large gathering of all her friends. Everypony was talking and laughing with each other. A card game was going on between Mr. Cake, Big Mac, Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack. “Oh there you are, Twilight Sparkle,” Discord said, floating over. “I was wondering if you had decided to bury yourself in books. A nice reminder before you leave.” “No, I simply had something to do real quick.” Looking around the room, she didn’t spy Berry anywhere. The filly must not feel like seeing them right now. “Did you forget to triple check your checklist?” “Ugh, no.” She pushed past him, going over to the couches. Rainbow and Fluttershy were there along with Mrs. Cake. The foals must have already been put to bed, and considering the apparent absence of Granny Smith, she had retired for the night as well. Twilight sat on the couch and listened in as Mrs. Cake told a story about how Pumpkin, her filly, had gotten stuck to the ceiling with a burst of magic, and how nothing could get her down. It was an amusing, lighthearted tale, just the sort of thing that was needed right now. She found herself getting absorbed in the story, even as Applejack let out a loud protest, a smirking Rarity scooping up all the chips in the pile. Just as they had all day in the park, they spent the night in each other’s company. Finally though, one by one, they left. As much as Twilight wanted to stay up and watch the conclusion to the card game, Rarity and Big Mac being the only ones left, and each with a substantial pile of chips, her eyes were having difficulty staying open. She stood, bid goodnight to her friends, and left the room. Inside her own room, she saw Spike curled up in her bed, asleep. With a smile, she climbed into the bed next to him. “Ugh, Twilight?” he said. “It’s just me, Spike. Go back to sleep.” She got under the covers, making herself comfortable. After a moment, she felt Spike curl up next to her. She draped a foreleg over him and kissed the top of his head. “Goodnight, Spike.” “Night, Twilight,” he responded, already falling back to sleep. Twilight hugged him close. She’d miss him while she was gone. Yet each day she got up and continued with the quest, it would be for him, to ensure that he stayed safe. What she was doing, she did for him. She sighed as she snuggles deeper beneath the covers. Tomorrow, once again, everything would change. She only hoped that she was prepared for anything.