Ebon Mane dropped a bowl of broth onto the table in front of Josho. The obese stallion licked his lips, levitated a spoon, and prepared to dig in—
"Is Rainbow still up there?" Ebon asked.
Josho froze within inches of a scrumptious sip. He sighed out his nostrils and grumbled, "Yes, Mister Mane. She's still on the top deck."
"With the sword?"
"With the sword." Josho leaned in again to sip—
"How is that even possible?" Ebon thought aloud, rubbing his chin as he hobbled around the mess hall. A burning sunset lingered beyond the portholes. "I mean, what kind of a pony has an enchantment that powerful to communicate across such a long distance?"
"Apparently a sun goddess wise enough to rule a western kingdom full of sparkles and rainbows. Now, if you don't mind." He opened his muzzle again—
"It just... seems too good to be true, y'know?" Ebon remarked. "I mean, between all of the chaos dragons and changeling queens we run into..."
"Nnnnnnghhhhh..." Josho's eyes rolled.
"...I'm a little concerned if it's the real deal, ya feel me?" Ebon's muzzle scrunched in concern. "What if—like—it's some trick? What if it was Chrysalis and not Hurricane who planted that sword there for Rainbow to find it? What if the battle for Stratopolis never ended?!" He spun about with panicked eyes. "What if—" Three spoons flew into his mouth, shutting him up. "Mmmf-mfmmmmf-mmfmfmmf!"
"Drool on your own time, worrywort," Josho grumbled, leaning to finally enjoy some soup. "Mmmmf... I, for one, intend to relish the golden moment."
Ebon flung both hooves up and popped the utensils out of his mouth. "Well...!" He frowned. "The least you could to is say 'thanks for the meal,' you surplus sized hippop—" He stopped in mid-speech, then squinted across the mess hall. "Say... uhm... has anypony seen Eagle Eye lately?"
Elma reclined on the sofa located in the bottom deck's navigation room. A rumpled set of blankets were draped over the end. Choosing to remain a bit secluded, Elma was allowed to "bunk" in that particular space for the duration of the Noble Jury's journey to Alafreo. She was grateful for the peace and quiet, even though the engineering compartment loomed just a bulkhead away, rattling the ship's frame with a constant hum.
In the changeling's hooves was a book labeled "The Frozen Wastes: An Exploratory Description." Somehow, Floydien possessed the tome in his library. It was the first thing Elma pulled off the shelves when she spent the first night in the navigation room. The book was known far and wide by geographers and merchants on more than one continent.
"I've read this before..." Elma murmured to herself, almost in an inquistive fashion. Her green eyes curved and she gulped. "Or have I...?"
Silence.
She slapped the book shut with a sigh, then curled up against the blanketed couch. She pulled her legs in tightly, envisioning what it meant like to be a hatchling once more. Only...was she ever a hatchling?
"Did you lay me, Chrysalis?" She murmured to the walls "Or was it my mother... my other mother...?"
The changeling ultimately winced. She gripped her skull, moaned, and slid off the couch. On tired hooves, she wandered over to a map lying on the cartography table. She squinted at the illustration. Across from the Frozen Wastes, the continent east of Alafreo was a nebulous blob, mostly unknown to Ledomaritan and Xonan map-makers. She ran a hoof across the jagged fjords and mountainous peaks that represented her home. For the time being, it was just as strange looking to her as it was to the ponies of the western continent.
There was a knock on the door. With a slight gasp, Elma turned towards it. She gulped and said, "Yes? You m-may come in..."
Softly, the hatch turned and the door slid open with a metallic creak. A lavender shade entered, one hoof after another.
"Eagle Eye?" Elma blinked. "What brings you here?" She glanced up through the metal ceiling. "Usually you're spending dinner time with Ebon Mane."
"Funny you should say that," he said, attempting to smile. All that came out of him was a weak grimace.
The changeling squinted. "Eagle?" She leaned forward. "Is everything alright?"
"I... uhm..." Eagle Eye shifted slightly on his hooves. He avoided her gaze as he anxiously asked, "I was wondering if we could talk about you..."
"About me?" Elma blinked. "You mean... about Alafreo? About turtle culture? About the kingdoms east of my home? Belle's told me all about your career as a mercenary. No doubt someone as loyal as you would like to protect the Noble Jury against all obstacles—"
"Erm... no, Elma," Eagle Eye shook his head. "I was h-hoping that we could talk about the other you."
Elma's dragonfly wings twitched. She sat back on her haunches, took a courageous breath, and spoke in a firm tone. "Alright, Eagle Eye. What is it that you would like to know?"
Eagle Eye straightened his mane and meekly looked at her. "All that you have to give me..."
"...and once we arrive, I guess it'll be up to me and whoever else volunteers to go ahead and scout the place out." Rainbow Dash leaned against the wooden railing of the top deck. She casually cradled the Sword of Solstice across her lower body as she stared up at the dimly-glowing skystone above. "I mean, Alafreo's the only home that Elma Boreal knows. But... she's been through a lot, y'know. She might be better off staying with us."
"Do I detect a hint of concern in your voice?"
"Well, sure, Your Highness. Elma saved Pilate's life and helped clear the cobwebs out of Kera's mind. And all of this after her entire friggin' world collapsed. It'd be a darn shame not to pay her back in a way she deserves it."
"If being on board the Noble Jury is not the life for her, then surely she will tell you."
"That's just it. I dunno if she does have the strength to tell us."
"Didn't you just say that this is the changeling who saved two of your best friends, and through purely courageous and selfless means?"
Rainbow gave a long sigh. Her lips curved a little bit. "I guess it's kinda stupid, huh?" She gulped. "After all this time, to assume that my friends can't hold their own." She ran her hoof through her windswept mane. "I wouldn't be as far east as I am now if it weren't for them."
"If you ask me, Rainbow Dash, Elma Boreal has proven that she has integrity and strength. If nothing else, she deserves your faith."
"True... true..."
"I believe what you're planning about Alafreo is a wise thing. Elma will convey to you her feelings in the end."
"I guess I'm just afraid that... that..."
"Yes...?"
Rainbow exhaled, then muttered. "That some way, some how, Lerris will happen again..."
Celestia answered much sooner than Rainbow had anticipated. "It is understandable for you to be so paranoid. What happened along the warfront was truly terrible indeed. I wish it had not ended up that way, but for all of our strength and power we cannot change the past."
"No. No, we can't."
"And yet, not all is hopeless in your journey. Did you not experience quite fortuitous circumstances back in Stratopolis?"
"Well... at least a half-dozen of Seclorum's company died, including Aatxe. And then you had the Lounge members that—"
"Terrible tragedies indeed. But was it all for naught?"
Rainbow bit her lip. Ultimately, she murmured, "We destroyed the city... we freed hundreds of changelings..."
"Tens of thousands, I would venture to say, Rainbow."
"All in a blink..." Rainbow shook her head. "And... like... are they actually doing okay over in Equestria?"
"Absolutely," Celestia said. "Granted, there've been a few dramatic cases, with shape-shifters who thought they biologically belonged to certain families. But even they—for the most part—have begun adjusting to the new knowledge. Most households have even considered adopting the newly discovered citizens into their fold."
"No way..."
"Why not? After all, every one of us seeks the betterment of others. Of the changeling citizens discovered in Equestria, at least a quarter of them had replaced actual, living breathing ponies. But ever since they became cognizant of their situation, they volunteered whatever residual information remained in their minds. Over the past few days, Luna has sent companies of the royal guard to secret places hidden throughout the kingdom. Already, they have found more than half of the replaced citizens—frozen by Chrysalis' former broods into magically-induced sleep."
"Wow, that's... th-that's pretty great, Your Highness." Rainbow Dash smiled. "So everypony's getting along back there?"
"I would whole-heartedly agree."
"I guess... eh..." Rainbow shrugged. "I've seen so many places and dealth wish so much nasty stuff." She gulped. "Guess it's a bit hard to believe that a place as harmonic as Equestria still exists. But, hey, that's home..."
"And harmony exists with you, Rainbow Dash."
"Hrmmm..." Rainbow fidgeted, staring past the sword and into the wooden surface of the Noble Jury's top deck. "Both you and I know I haven't exactly been doing things harmoni—"
"Harmony exists inside of you," Celestia's voice said. "You are doing great things. You are doing good things. If I cannot convince you of that, then ask any of the friends and allies whom you've earned along your journey."
"Right..." Rainbow nodded, her eyes a bit misty. "I think I'll do that."
The sword started flickering.
With a gasp, Rainbow sat up straight. She craned her head and peered beyond the ship's stern. The sun was going below the horizon.
"Princess Celestia..." She gulped. "The Sun. I'm afraid—"
"I know, Rainbow Dash," Celestia said. "Alas, it is Luna's duty."
"Right..." Rainbow nodded. "I know..."
"Still, fear not. The Sun will rise again. We now have quite the many opportunities to commune."
"Yeah..." Rainbow nodded again, smiling this time. "The Sun will rise again..."
"Sleep well, Rainbow Dash." Celestia's voice grew more and more distorted. "Dream harmoniously... as y-you d-d-d-deserv-v-v-e—"
Her voice cut off.
Rainbow's hears drooped. As carefully as she could, she hugged the sword and its hilt to her chest.
From the open cockpit, Floydien turned his antler'd head and hollered back, "Done with the glow glow?!"
Rainbow Dash nodded. "Done with the glow glow." She tightened her jaws and stood up. "For now."