//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Secrets in The Night // Story: Legacy of the Sun // by IceColt //------------------------------// The creaking of the Golden Oak Library’s door hinges was a most welcome sound to Twilight. A sigh of both relief and exhaustion escaped her when she heaved her tired hooves over the threshold, finally completing her journey from Sweet Apple Acres. Although the path to the Apples’ farm wasn’t a particularly arduous trek, it had been more than enough to sap the last bit of strength that had remained in Twilight after this exhausting day. With Magister Stone Quill arriving in Ponyville, that mishap at the train station, Twilight’s inability to find the right documents, Trixie showing up completely out of the blue, and the rest of the afternoon being spent running all over Sweet Apple Acres to find even the smallest of hints about the location of the aforementioned documents, this day had kept Twilight on the tip of her hooves from start to finish. Now, however, it was finally over. Trixie had been dealt with, Applejack had told her that Pinkie was in the caring hooves of the Cakes, and, best of all, Twilight hadn’t seen Magister Stone Quill anywhere ever since she had directed him towards Pinkie, and subsequently the Cakes, for the information he desired. She did feel a bit bad about using the Cakes as a shield against Stone Quill’s attention, but Ponyville’s most successful confectioners surely would find a way to deal with the surly magister. She’d make it up to them after the Summer Sun Celebration. Yet for now, Twilight just wanted to sit down and relax. Though, wasn’t there something else she was supposed to do… ? A growl came from her stomach. Right, remembered Twilight. Food. She hadn’t eaten anything since picking up Magister Stone Quill from the train station, and her desperate search and subsequent resignation about failing to find anything had completely distracted her from other, more simple needs. Twilight’s stomach rumbled again, more demanding this time, now that it finally had its owner’s complete attention. Twilight groaned softly and put a hoof against her belly. Spirits, I’m starving! And there was only one way to do something about it. “Spike!” called Twilight over her shoulder as she closed the door. “Could you make me something to eat?” Silence. “Spike!” Still no answer. Twilight furrowed her brow and turned away from the door. “Spike, I really don’t have time for any games right now! If you’re hiding from me because Tri—” The words died on her lips when she finally paid attention to her surroundings. As it turned out, Spike was not hiding from anypony. He was in plain sight, standing right next to the large reading table in the middle of the room. Right now, however, he looked as if turning invisible on the spot would be a very welcome change to his situation. Wringing his claws, the young dragon was shifting softly on the spot as he intently avoided to look in Twilight’s direction. Somepony with a trained eye could even discern a slight blush under the young dragon’s purple scales. If the pony standing right next to Spike had such a trained eye, was anypony’s guess though. The dark blue pegasus mare, clad in the armor of the Night Watch, certainly didn’t seem to mind Spike’s behaviour. Or even notice, really. She remained perfectly still as she looked at Twilight with an unmoving expression. For a moment, no one said anything. Then Spike cleared his throat. “Um, hey, Twilight. We were just talking about you. This is...” The pegasus mare lowered her head in a bow. “Private Moonbeam of the Night Watch. At your service, Miss Sparkle.” Unsure how to react, Twilight reciprocated the gesture, although a bit clumsier. “Er, Twilight Sparkle. Of Golden Oak Library, I suppose.” She gave an uncertain chuckle. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Spike plant a claw on his face. Moonbeam ignored Twilight’s attempt at humour. “Yes, I have heard of you, Miss Sparkle. There are many stories in Canterlot about the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Most of them depict you as a pony with a most noble character.” “Oh.” A warm, tingly sensation bloomed in Twilight’s stomach at the unexpected praise. Though something had been off in Moonbeam’s expression when she had said that. Twilight wondered what it was... Then she remembered how she had yelled for Spike the moment she had entered the library. She also suddenly became acutely aware of the soft shadows under her eyes, her slightly disheveled mane, and her muddy hooves. She looked at Moonbeam, who right now seemed as far away from looking impressed as equinely possible. A moment later, Twilight’s cheeks felt very hot. “Oh.” If Moonbeam noticed Twilight’s embarrassment, she didn’t show it. The watchpony simply continued to look at her, maintaining her bland expression. A very uncomfortable silence began to spread between the three of them. Finally, Twilight cleared her throat and gave Moonbeam a shaky smile. “So, Miss Moonbeam. You’re here on your own? It’s unusual to see a pony from the Celestial Legions on their own.” There was a shift in Moonbeam’s expression, so small and fleeting that it was barely noticeable. Yet Twilight had learned well enough to read her own brother’s “guard face” to not let the sliver of annoyance that briefly danced in the watchpony’s eyes escape her attention. “Private Swift Wing was actually supposed to await your return with me. Yet certain circumstances… persuaded him to took other actions.” The unusual showing of an emotion from Moonbeam was enough of a surprise for Twilight to simply forget her abashment, but what really took her mind somewhere else were Moonbeams words. What kind of circumstances were it that could “persuade” a pony from the Royal Guard to leave his assigned post? Twilight did not know all that much about the Celestial Legions, but with her brother being the Captain of the Royal Guard, and spending a lot of her childhood inside Canterlot Castle, she knew that guardponies were rather stubborn when it came to remaining at their post. Yet before Twilight could ask, something behind her creaked. She turned around. A white pegasus, wearing the famous golden armor of Celestia’s personal legion, had just entered and was now closing the door behind him. After it clicked shut, he looked up – and was greeted by Twilight, Spike, and Moonbeam looking at him. He paused and blinked. “Um… I’m back?” Although being confronted with an unexpected pony for several times now this evening, Twilight still was too occupied with regathering her thoughts for another time to be able to respond in a timely manner. Fortunately, Moonbeam did not share her troubles. “You are late, Private Swift Wing.” Swift Wing gave a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Miss Fluttershy’s cottage was more remote than I anticipated.” At the mentioning of Fluttershy’s name, Twilight raised her eyebrows. She looked at Spike. “Fluttershy was looking for you,” pressed Spike through gritted teeth as quietly as possible, trying to not interrupt the two legionnaires’ exchange. “But when I told her that you had gone to Sweet Apple Acres, it didn’t seem urgent anymore.” Twilight nodded. Applejack had told her that Pinkie was being taken care of now by the Cakes, and that must’ve been what Fluttershy had also wanted to tell her. Once she had heard that Twilight was at Sweet Apple Acres, she probably had figured that Twilight had already heard everything from Applejack, and that therefore was no need to keep looking for her. While Spike was getting Twilight up to speed, Moonbeam continued to pierce Swift Wing with a markedly emotionless stare. “I see. Since the remoteness of the cottage is the only reason you name for your lateness, I’m assuming that there were no assaults from any criminals that you had to fight off?” Swift Wing blinked. “Um… I suppose?” “Then I suppose,” replied Moonbeam as she walked around Twilight and Spike, not taking her eyes from Swift Wing for a second, “that there was no real point to you accompanying Miss Fluttershy to her home.” Swift Wing lifted a hoof in a placating gesture. “Hey now, Moonbeam, just relax. I only wanted to make sure that Miss Fluttershy safely got home—” “While you were under direct orders to remain here,” Moonbeam cut him off as she continued to walk towards him. “And I can’t recall Miss Fluttershy asking for your company either.” “She still was thankful for it,” objected Swift Wing, although in a rather soft voice. “And with that burglar running around, isn’t it better to be safe than sorry?” Moonbeam’s hoof crashed down right in front of Swift Wing, cutting him off and making him flinch. Moonbeam’s countenance was still perfectly even, but her voice had now adopted an icy edge to it. “Right, because a Bearer of an Element of Harmony would need protection from somepony that breaks into a library. Does that sound like an argumentation the Captains would accept as satisfactory?” “Um…” “Don’t answer that.” While Moonbeam continued to reproof Swift Wing, Twilight suddenly felt a poke in her side and heard an urgent whisper. “Twilight.” Twilight looked beside her. Spike, who was prodding her with a claw, was looking up at her with a nervous expression. When she turned her head, Spike shot a hasty glance in Moonbeam’s and Swift Wing’s direction, but the two legionnaires were too preoccupied to notice what they were doing. Turning back to Twilight, Spike whispered: “Twilight, it’s Trixie. She—” “I know,” Twilight cut him off with a whisper of her own. “Applejack and I ran into her at Sweet Apple Acres.” Spike’s eyes went wide. “Applejack? But—” “Don’t worry, it’s all right. I took care of it.” “Took care of it? How?” Twilight opened her mouth, but then Moonbeam’s words reached her ears: “Now, I hope you think twice next time, before you leave the work all to your partner, Private Swift Wing.” “I’ll tell you later,” Twilight told Spike in a hasty whisper and quickly turned her head forward. She was just in time to regain her prior position before Moonbeam walked back to them, a chewed out Swift Wing following behind her. “I apologize for this miserable display, Miss Sparkle,” said Moonbeam when she stood in front of Twilight, bowing her head once more. “Please be assured that such a shameful lack of discipline will not be repeated.” Swift Wing mumbled something to him that sounded suspiciously like “hooflicker”, but when Moonbeam lifted her head to give him a sharp glare, he was already bowing. “I apologize as well, Miss Sparkle. My actions are disgrace to the Royal Guard and the whole of the Celestial Legions.” Twilight blushed and smiled sheepishly as she lifted a hoof to wave it dismissively. “Um, that’s alright, no harm done. Besides, I’m not the Magister, you don’t owe me any obedience.” Moonbeam lowered her head for a third time. “You’re too kind, Miss Sparkle.” “Unlike somepony else,” muttered Swift Wing under his breath. Without lifting her head, Moonbeam extended her wing and whacked the guardpony on the back of his head. “Ow!” “Speaking of the Magister,” said Moonbeam without giving Swift Wing any further attention, “is it safe to assume that he retired to his chambers at the inn already?” Twilight blinked. “Why are you asking me?” There was a pause when the two legionnaires exchanged a glance. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight could see Spike give a look of surprise. “Miss Sparkle, have you crossed paths with Magister Stone Quill at any point during this evening?” asked Moonbeam. “No, I haven’t.” Arching an eyebrow, Twilight let her eyes wander between Moonbeam and Swift Wing. “Why? Did something happen?” “This isn’t good,” murmured Moonbeam to herself. “Magister Stone Quill was looking for you, Miss Sparkle,” explained Swift Wing in her stead as Moonbeam began to wander off. “It seemed quite urgent. He ordered us to wait here for you and tell you to wait for his return, but… that has been quite some time ago.” Something in Twilight’s stomach began to writhe uncomfortably. Stone Quill had been looking for her? And he hadn’t found her? As much as Twilight preferred not running into her old tutor again, something about this didn’t feel right. She thought back to how easily Stone Quill had navigated the streets of Ponyville after leaving the train station. Considering how much of a perfectionist he was, he probably had learned the town map by heart before coming here. It just didn’t seem right that he would have trouble finding his way to Sweet Apple Acres. Unless, mused Inner Twilight, he didn’t want to find you. “Did Magister Stone Quill say why he was looking for me?” Swift Wing shook his head. “All he said was that he wanted to speak to you. The only thing we know—” A dull thump came from behind Twilight. “—is that he was looking at this book before he left.” Twilight turned around. Moonbeam stood at the large reading table, a book lying in front of her, shrouded in a cloud of dust by the forceful impact with the tabletop. The urge to chastise Moonbeam for treating this book so roughly stirred in Twilight, until she saw the title. “The Sun, The Moon, and The Tyranny - The Failings of our Self-Righteous Ruler?” “You are familiar with it?” asked Moonbeam. Twilight shook her head. “I never familiarized myself with the content much, I only read it once. It’s just somepony blaming Princess Celestia for everything that is going wrong in Equestria. They bring up some legitimate concerns, but they’re too fixated on “liberating Equestria from the demagogue's tyrannical rule” to provide any legitimate solutions.” A crack in Moonbeam’s mask of stoicism revealed her disappointment at a lead gone cold, but Twilight was too occupied with her own thoughts to notice. Something about all of this felt off. It seemed like Stone Quill to take an interest in the writings of somepony dissatisfied with Princess Celestia’s rule, since he had always had a strange fixation on those that could be against the status quo. Yet why would he go search for Twilight after looking in this book? And why had he left his bodyguards behind? A sigh made Twilight pause her deliberations and look up. Her detached countenance vanished, Moonbeam now instead wore a grim expression. “Well, if that is all we have, then there’s only one option.” And without saying another word, Moonbeam began to walk towards the door. “Where’re you going?” asked Swift Wing. Without turning around or stopping, Moonbeam replied: “I’m going to search for the Magister.” “But he ordered us to—” “—to wait for Miss Sparkle, which we did. And now the very pony we were ordered to stay close to, by the Princesses no less, has gone missing. You can stay here if you want, but you should prepare a very good reason for why you didn’t do everything in your might to fulfill your orders, Private Swift Wing.” “... ugh, Spirits’ silence,” Swift Wing quietly cursed to himself as he began to follow Moonbeam. “Wait.” Moonbeam and Swift Wing stopped and turned around. Looking them straight into the eyes, Twilight stepped forward. “Let me accompany you.” Swift Wing lifted his eyebrows up in surprise, then looked at Moonbeam. She frowned. “We can’t involve a civilian in the affairs of the Celestial Legions, Miss Sparkle.” Twilight remained unflinching. “I am the Bearer of the Element of Magic and Princess Celestia’s personal student. I am hardly a normal civilian. Plus, as the pony responsible for the preparation of the Summer Sun Celebration, I have just as much an interest in seeing Magister Stone Quill safe as you.” For a moment, the librarian and the watchpony looked each other in the eyes, neither one blinking. Then, a third voice cautiously chimed in: “It could be useful to have a unicorn help us in finding a unicorn.” Moonbeam glanced at Swift Wing, who emphasized his words with a “why not?”-shrug. For a moment, Moonbeam seemed to want to dismiss the guardpony’s argument. Then, however, she gave a soft sigh. “Very well. Your help is appreciated, Miss Sparkle.” Twilight nodded. Immediately, Swift Wing gave a big grin. “Alright! Now that that’s all cleared up, I guess we need somepony to stay here, just in case the Magister does come back. I would volun—” “Ahem.” Swift Wing looked beside Twilight, where Spike stood. The young dragon lifted an eyebrow. “...nevermind.” “If we all have finally our priorities straight,” growled Moonbeam as she gave Swift Wing a particularly poisonous glare, “let’s not delay this any further.” Twilight nodded once more, before turning to Spike. “Take care, Spike. Don’t worry, we won’t be long.” Spiked waved a claw. “Just get going, I’ll be fine.” Her number one assistant’s markedly relaxed reaction elicited a smile from Twilight as she walked out the door with Swift Wing and Moonbeam. Yet as Twilight walked into the night with the two armored ponies, the smile disappeared from her lips and a deep crease appeared on her forehead. This whole situation became stranger by the second. Why had Magister Stone Quill not found her? Had he really become lost or had been kidnapped? Or, if neither the case and he never had intended to find Twilight, what was it that he wanted to do in Ponyville in the middle of the night, without his bodyguards? Just what was Stone Quill’s agenda? --- Rain Wing was, secret meetings with his conspirators aside, a very normal pony. He had been born in Ponyville, had gone to school here, worked on the local weather team, and had met his wife on the local market. He had gone to Cloudsdale, Canterlot, and Manehatten during his vacations, but never had the thought of moving away from Ponyville crossed his mind. Life was simple here and he liked that. Because he, too, was simple. Therefore, one could imagine that “overwhelmed” was almost too weak a word to describe how Rain Wing felt when he saw Princess Celestia standing right in front of him. For several seconds, Rain Wing’s mind simply paused. It was completely void of any thought, leaving its owner to just stand there with mouth agape and eyes wide in disbelief, to stare at the Princess of the Sun like she was a goddess come to life. Then again, was it that far a stretch to call a pony, who could move the sun and the moon by the sheer power of their will, a goddess?         As the Princess stood there, engulfed by an aura of golden light, the title certainly seemed appropriate. Her pristine white coat, even as brightly illuminated as it was right now, did not reveal a single flaw or blemish. Not a single feather of her wings was crooked, and her facial features seemed as if chiseled out of marble by the most gifted of stone carvers. Her ethereal mane flowed through the air like a fleeting mist, every single strand of it shimmering in numerous hues, framing her well-proportioned countenance as she let her clear eyes wander through the room. Everything in the room seemed to hold its breath and bow down to the Princess, in awe of her presence. Rain Wing certainly would have bent his knee, had he the mental capacity for it right now. As it stood, all he could do was continue to stare at her. Until the Princess looked at him. Rain Wing could almost feel the impact of her gaze hitting his existence, burrowing deep into his soul. His body recoiled, before his brain hastily began to scavenge his memories for even the smallest hint about how he should react to avoid having the wrath of the sun descend down upon him. Such a desperate search for precautions proved to be unnecessary, however, when the Princess averted her eyes only a moment later. The relief of having been spared of judgement, at least for now, almost drained Rain Wing of every mental capacity again. Yet something else, be it simple curiosity or a primitive submissiveness towards a pony infinitely his greater, kept Rain Wing from freezing up again, and before he knew it, his eyes tentatively began to follow those of the Princess. As it turned out, Beaker, who still lay on the ground, was the next one to receive her attention. Beaker, however, didn’t show any sign of reaction, and in fact didn’t seem to have moved even a single inch since he had been struck down by the elderly stallion’s spell. An icy feeling flooded Rain Wing’s stomach. Oh Spirits, he’s not dead, is he? Whatever Beaker’s fate, the Princess did not seem particularly shaken by it. As with Rain Wing, she let her attention rest on the unmoving earth pony for only a moment, before looking elsewhere. This time, she turned to Rusty Trumpet. With the light radiating from the Princess, the marks the brief interrogation had left on Rusty, had become visible. His left eye was bruised and some parts around it had already begun to swell, and there was a bloody bruise on his temple, from which a few drops of blood had run down his cheek. Aside from that though, he seemed fine. Rain Wing gave a soft breath of relief. The Princess had arrived just in time to prevent any further harm to happen to his friend. If she had come even a moment later… Rain Wing shuddered just thinking about it. Like Rain Wing before, Rusty also seemed to be captured in a paralysis of awe, staring at the Princess with eyes wide and mouth open. Unlike Rain Wing, however, the stasis did not leave his body when the Princess looked at him. He simply continued to stare at her, disbelief and amazement locked in a fierce battle over the dominance of his countenance. If his gawking offended the Princess, she did not show it. Like with Beaker, her expression remained unchanged as she looked away. Finally, her gaze landed on the elderly stallion. Neither looking surprised nor dumbfounded, he instead returned the Princess’ look with an almost grim expression. Yet there was an odd quality to his gaze, though Rain Wing could not quite put his hoof on it. His grimness seemed almost resigned; like a stallion, who had only stubborn defiance left to defend his pride on his walk to the gallows. For a moment longer than at the others, the Princess let her eyes rest on the elderly stallion. As she exchanged a look with him, Rain Wing believed to something briefly gleam in her eyes. It looked like… disappointment? Resignation? Yet then the moment passed and the distant expression returned to the Princess’ face. Raising herself up, she looked down at the elderly stallion with eyes that seemed to be made out of ice. “Leave us, Stone Quill.” When the Princess spoke, her voice was cold and detached, cutting through the silence like a blade of steel. It sent a shiver down Rain Wing’s spine. The elderly stallion she had addressed as Stone Quill seemed far less impressed by it, or, if he was, didn’t show it. He merely narrowed his eyes in response, and for the briefest of moments, it seemed like he would remain where he was. Then, however, he gave a curt bow, turned away abruptly and walked towards the door. A moment later, the lock snapped shut behind him and he was gone. Rain Wing stared at the door. So sudden had been the change, that it took him a moment to comprehend what had happened. When realization slowly sunk in, however, it was not relief that spread through Rain Wing. Was that it? An expulsion from the room was all this stallion would receive for what he did? “You seem troubled, my little pony.” The gentle, motherly tone that carried those words was so foreign, such a contrast to the previously cold, uncaring voice, that Rain Wing turned his head half in expectation to see a pony completely foreign to him. Yet it truly was the Princess that returned his gaze. She smiled softly when their eyes met. “Do not fret, there shall be no injustice.” The smile waned and the strange flicker that had danced in her eyes before, returned when the Princess looked towards the door Stone Quill had passed through. “He will receive punishment.” Her eyes lingered on the door for a moment longer, but before the silence could return, she shook her head and turned to Rain Wing again. “But that is for later. For now, we should help your friend.” As she spoke, the Princess directed her gaze towards the floor. Rain Wing followed suit, only to be looking at Beaker. The earth pony still hadn’t moved a single muscle. Yet before cold fear could grasp at Rain Wing’s heart again, the Princess walked up to his friend and knelt down. Rain Wing looked up, just in time to see the Princess close her eyes and her horn be set aglow with a gilded aura. She then lowered her head and a moment later, Beaker’s body was engulfed by her magic. Rain Wing held his breath, the next second turning into a tormenting eternity – until a sudden twitch went through one of Beaker’s hindhooves. A sigh of relief escaped Rain Wing when even a soft groan came from his before so lifeless friend. His legs suddenly felt very shaky and he sat down to avoid simply falling on the ground. The Princess smiled once more, before lifting her magic from Beaker, and extinguishing the glow around her horn. Then she stood up and looked to the side. “Are you all right as well?” Rain Wing looked up, for a brief moment thinking that she was talking to him. Then he noticed that she was looking at Rusty Trumpet. Yet Rusty didn't answer, and when Rain Wing turned his head, he understood why. It wasn't a problem of not wanting to answer, but instead a problem of not being able to answer. The unicorn stallion was a textbook example of “shocked out of his mind”. Kneeling at the wall, against which he had slumped once Stone Quill's magic had let go of him, Rusty was staring at the Princess like a contradiction come to life. His eyes were bulging, and his mouth had remained agape for so long, that already a small trickle of saliva was starting to run down his lip. Every now and then, a twitch went through his jaw, but no coherent words would come out, only a series of worrying gasps and gurgles. The only thing Rusty still seemed able to use properly were his eyes, which were slowly gliding in their sockets as the Princess walked up to him. Rain Wing suspected that Rusty’s eyelids would have parted even more, if they hadn’t already been wide open ever since the Princess had descended upon them. Said Princess, meanwhile, didn't seem all that concerned with Rusty's prolonged state of shock. She instead was looking over the black eye and the bloody bruise on his temple. A sorrowful expression haunted her eyes when she followed the blood drops’ trail over Rusty’s cheek. “I am truly sorry that this happened. Had I known earlier that a pony in my service was planning something like this...” The Princess sighed. She briefly let her gaze wander through the room, before turning back to Rusty. “I have heard of what you have done, Rusty Trumpet.” The dread that Rain Wing had felt with the Princess' arrival, returned with full force and hit him like a punch in the gut. Cold sweat started to break out all over his coat as he immediately skidded backwards. Oh Spirits, this is it. We're so— “And I admire what you and your friends are trying to do.” ...dead? A hoof in the air and the other still pushing against the floor, Rain Wing stared at the Princess. Did he just mishear? Had panic poisoned his mind so thoroughly that it was now feeding his senses with how he wished it would be, instead of how it truly was? An unreadable twitch went through Rusty's face, but the Princess must have seen something in it that resembled Rain Wing's disbelief, because a smile danced over her lips. “It is true. There are few ponies that are as dedicated to the well-being of Equestria as you are. I had hoped to speak to you for quite some time now, but affairs of the state had kept me from it. And now that this happened...” The Princess' eyes wandered once more over Rusty's wound. “At least let me do this for you.” The Princess touched Rusty's forehead with her horn. There was a brief flash that made Rain Wing shield his eyes, and when the Princess raised her head again, Rusty’s wounds had disappeared without a trace. “I hope you can accept my heartfelt apologies with this. And please, do not lose your fervor for your fellow ponies’ welfare over this. Equestria needs ponies like you.” The Princess looked at Beaker and then turned to Rain Wing, giving him a smile. “like all of you.” Rain Wing could not say when it had happened, but at some point, his jaw had decided to join Rusty’s in rebelling against any control of their owner. Therefore, all that would pass his lips was just inarticulate mumbling as he stared at the Princess with wide eyes, struggling to understand what was happening here. Luckily, it seemed to be all the Princess needed as a reply. Her smile briefly grew wider, before she nodded. “I hope we can meet again, under more favorable circumstances. Until then.” And with a flash of light, she was gone. The darkness returned with the Princess’ disappearance so suddenly, that it took Rain Wing a moment to actually see something again, even with the candle on the table remaining alight. Not that he really needed to see anything. He didn’t plan on moving for a while. A groan came out of the dark, and something shuffled on the floor. “Ugh, my head,” groaned Beaker. “What happened?” The only reply he received was a gargle from Rusty, before the unicorn’s eyes rolled inwards and he keeled over in unconsciousness. --- With nothing more than the whisper of the wind announcing her, Celestia reappeared in front of “The Town Barn”. A soft breath of relief passed her lips when the gilded aura around her horn dissolved. She had taken care to subdue the usual spectacle of light that accompanied her teleportation spell, not wanting to draw unwanted attention from any villager who might suffer from light sleep; and if the continuing darkness in the street was any indication, she had succeeded. Celestia allowed herself a fleeting sense of accomplishment. This night was already problematic enough, it didn’t need to include all of Ponyville making an uproar over the unexpected presence of their princess. Although, Celestia added in her mind as she cast a glance up and down the road, being completely alone on this street was not what she had planned either. Yet Stone Quill was nowhere to be seen. Celestia heaved a sigh and closed her eyes. “Where have you gone to now?” she murmured to herself as she set her horn alight with a soft glow once more. On the outside, nothing happened. No grand blasts of light engulfed Celestia to carry her away, nor did any other magical spectacle take place. Before Celestia’s mind’s eye, however, a fulmination of colors and lights exploded upon her senses like a stampede. It felt as if from one moment to the next, an orchestra had appeared around Celestia and immediately unleashed the full volume of every single instrument at their disposal against her, while somepony seemed to try to use her eyes as a canvas for their next painting, using floodlights instead of paint. It was simply overwhelming, a sensation larger than life. No, it was life, in its unrestrained and bristling beauty. Before Celestia’s senses, the true form of Ponyville, the essences of all the ponies living here, was laid bare. Yet what was a spell that countless unicorn scholars had worked years towards to master, most of them to ultimately fail, was simply a means to an end for Celestia. With her experience of numerous centuries accumulated, she had become very familiar with what lay behind the world’s veil of the mundane. And just like there was always somepony that was not at home at the place they were right now, so too could a dissonance be found in the symphony of life and magic. It was through this that Celestia found Stone Quill. It was easy to miss, but tucked away somewhere in the perfect harmony that was Ponyville, a small note kept dancing outside the rhythm. It was a foreign little melody, quite like something that had kept playing past its time. Like a lute that was playing alongside violins. Her eyes still closed, Celestia turned her head, trying to listen to the dissonance more clearly. As she focussed on it, the old-fashioned melody became easier to hear, grew in its volume, as if Celestia was slowly getting closer to the source. Finally, when it had grown so clear that Ponyville’s symphony was barely audible anymore, Celestia opened her eyes. Gone was the street in front of “The Town Barn”. Instead, Celestia stood on a large area, most likely some kind of marketplace; the stands erected all over the place in various stages of completion certainly suggested that. What really drew Celestia’s attention, however, was the large statue in the middle of it all. It was a statue of herself. Larger than life, Celestia’s stone self towered over everything else on the marketplace. Instead of determinedly staring off into the distance or victoriously posing over a slain monster like a proper portrait of a strong ruler, however, statue Celestia was looking down at the marketplace with a gentle smile. While all her traits as a princess were present – the crown, as well as the duality of horn and wings – the sculptor seemed to have been barely interested in them aside from their existence. In fact, there was a distinct lack of regality surrounding the statue, as if its creator had tried, and ultimately failed, in seeing Celestia as a princess. So he had instead gone with how he truly felt how Equestria’s Princess of the Sun. The result was a sculpture almost reverent in its nature. Had Celestia not recognized herself, she would have assumed that she was looking at a statue of the sculptor’s birth mother. Every single strike of the chisel seemed to have been an act of love and devotion, striving to do justice to an image that could not be captured in its physical form. Thus, statue Celestia’s features were soft and gentle, her smile and eyes radiating motherly love with which she watched over Ponyville’s residents as if they were her children. This was not a portrait of respect. It was one out of pure adoration. As flattering as it was though, Celestia could not help but feel a bit uncomfortable when she looked herself into the eyes. Although she had assured so often during the last millennium that no statues of hers needed to be made, her little ponies still insisted on worshipping her like a goddess. The eternal mother to her eternal children… Celestia cut off her thought as she lowered her gaze. This was not the time to contemplate her subjects’ adoration for her. She had to find a certain somepony first. Luckily, he was right there. Sitting in front of the statue with the back towards her, was Stone Quill. He had kept his gaze directed up towards the sculpture, but Celestia knew that he had noticed her. “I hope you were not actually trying to run away,” she joked as she walked up to his side. “You know that I can find you anywhere in Equestria.” Stone Quill didn’t answer. He kept looking up at the statue with a pensive expression, as if he was looking for something that he knew had to be there, but just couldn’t find. He was so occupied by it that he even had forgotten to cast a new illusion spell over his crystal horn, Celestia noticed as she let her eyes wander over it. Celestia sat down beside him and looked straight at him. “Why did you do it, Stone Quill?” For one moment longer, Stone Quill remained silent. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. “I was hoping you would understand.” “Understand that you assaulted my subjects and submitted them to torture?” “Somepony had to do something,” grumbled Stone Quill as he avoided Celestia’s gaze by continuing to stare up at the statue. “Those ponies are a threat to Equestria.” “They are as much a part of Equestria as I am and therefore have a right to speak their minds.” “They were going to put a bomb under you, Celestia.” “They wouldn’t have harmed anypony.” “You don’t know that for certain.” “That doesn’t give you the right to attack them.” “I was acting out of concern for your safety!” snapped Stone Quill as he turned his head to finally look directly at Celestia. “No, you weren’t.” The icy aloofness came easier to Celestia than even she had expected. She had not even noticed the small ember of anger inside her chest up to this moment, but she didn’t really mind that it began to flare up now. It gave her disaccord enough force to halt Stone Quill’s angry protest and even make him shy back at the certainty of the disagreement he certainly hadn’t expected. Celestia continued: “You did what you did because you believe it to be the best solution. Because you think I am too soft and can’t handle hard decisions.” For just the briefest of moments, Celestia paused, but then continued. “Because, deep within you, you still think yourself king.” “I don’t!” It was Celestia’s turn to be taken aback at her opposite’s unexpected reaction. The fire in Stone Quill’s eyes had returned with full force, perhaps even stronger than before; the flames seemed to even stretch towards his crystalline horn. Their fuel, however, was apparently not simply outrage this time. Tucked away in the furthest corner of Stone Quill’s eyes, Celestia could see trepidation. As forceful Stone Quill’s frantic fury was though, it was just as short lived. Only a moment later, the angry indignation dissipated from his eyes like smoke cleared away by a gust, to be replaced by the same horrified realization that followed a drunken stupor. Stone Quill turned his head, evading Celestia’s gaze. “I mean… I don’t think that. Not anymore.” Silence softly settled on their discussion upon these words as Celestia surveyed Stone Quill, who meanwhile was occupied with intently staring at the statue’s pedestal. Finally, Celestia sighed softly. “Where are your guards?” Stone Quill shrugged. “Perhaps still at the library, if Miss Sparkle hasn’t returned yet.” One of Celestia’s eyebrows rose slightly in mild surprise. “How did you convince them to let you go alone? As I recall, they were under mine and Luna’s direct orders.” “Please, Celestia. My days as a leader may be a thing far in the past, but I still know how to establish authority.” “You bullied them into staying behind.” “It comes easier to me than charming somepony.” “I remember a time when that used to be the other way around.” Stone Quill only pressed his lips tightly together in response. For a while, Celestia thought he was going to try to end the conversation with stubborn silence again, but then he sighed and shook his head. “Many would-be-usurpers are charming. It’s an easy thing to be when you have no idea what it truly takes to rule a nation.” His eyes wandered up, towards Celestia’s stone self which looked down on them with its eternally benevolent smile. “If they don’t turn into a bully once they gained the throne – that’s when you know they are destined to rule. Although it took me a very long time to see that…” Silence followed those words. Silence, which rose up between the two of them like a brick wall. Celestia knew this silence well. She had encountered it every time she had spoken with Stone Quill about those things, about the past. And every time she had walked away from it, out of the stuffy tower chamber Stone Quill inhabited and down the spiraling stairs, with the thought that there would always be another time to talk about this. A time where she would not be overwhelmed by this storm of emotions. Yet this time, there was no chamber door to close behind her, no stairs to flee down. This time, Celestia could not, and would not, run away. This time, the wall was finally going to come down. Celestia closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and then opened them again. Nowhere to run to now. “Stone Quill,” she said with a slow, steady voice, “do you remember what I said to you when I came to your chamber a few days ago to ask for your help?” Stone Quill nodded as he continued to look into statue Celestia’s eyes. “You said you wanted to bury our differences once and for all.” “I meant what I said. The lies, the betrayals, the fights… I want to put that all behind us. It has no place in the Equestria that is now.” “You mean in your Equestria?” “It is not my Equestria. This nation is as much for me to claim as it is for you.” Stone Quill gave a humorless chuckle. “And yet you are the one wearing the crown and the wings and horn of alicornhood. Face it, Celestia, Equestria is yours, and preferring the title of “princess” over “queen” doesn’t change anything about that. You can keep spouting your fantasies of a self-governing populace all you want, but that does not change the truth. Equestria will always need a ruler who stands over everypony else.” Celestia softly shook her head. “That is not true, Stone Quill. Equestria does not need somepony like that, it never did. All this belief ever did was cause violence and suffering. Just think about what it did to you.” Celestia cast a quick glance to Stone Quill’s crystalline horn. “What it cost you.” Stone Quill didn’t say anything, but Celestia knew that her words weren’t falling on deaf ears. His posture had become stiff and the lines on his face seemed to have grown deeper, resembling scars now under the glimmer of the stars. Yet most telling of all was the expression in his eyes. It had become distant and unfocused, the tell-tale look of one that was overcome by memories. Assured through Stone Quill’s hesitation, Celestia pressed on: “I don’t claim that the Equestria that is now is perfect, but I know deep within me that it is on the right path. And I want to show that to you. I want you to see that the Equestria, that you thought you had to enforce, does not need to be. Please, Stone Quill, do not close yourself off to this.” For a little while longer, Stone Quill remained silent, just gazing straight at the statue’s pedestal. Then, although his eyes kept staring into nothingness, he spoke: “When you convinced the Spirits to spare my life, I thought that you had done that just to spite me. To see me wallow in my powerlessness as you ruled over the Equestria that was rightfully mine. I knew that you were risking setting all your followers against you by keeping me alive in that tower, but I just thought that that was your hubris overpowering your better judgement. And when you tried to convince me of the good that you could do for Equestria, all I could hear was the poisonous whisper of a traitorous siren that had everypony under her spell with her talk about a better, truly peaceful future. “But I endured. I remained docile, acted like I contemplated what you were telling me, to make you believe you had turned me. For years I remained a ghost, hidden away by your spell for everypony else, even when I visited the library. And then, when an opportunity finally came… I struck. I did not even hesitate for a second to leap at the chance for payback. I even did this to me.” With those words, Stone Quill lifted a hoof and tipped against his crystal horn. “I mean, how hungry for revenge must somepony be to cut off their own horn and put a crystal in their skull?” Stone Quill gave another chuckle derived of amusement. “Not that it did me any good though. And now I’m stuck like that, a freakshow with a crystal horn who has lived long past his time.” He sighed. “Anyway, my point is, after all the things that have happened… how can you be sure you can give me that chance? What if I am just waiting for another opportunity to take your crown from you and finally have my revenge?” As Stone Quill asked this question, he turned his head to look at Celestia – and raised an eyebrow. It didn’t come as a surprise to Celestia, she knew that her expression was not the most expected. Yet she still couldn’t help but have the broadest, most uninhibited smile on her face. And when Stone Quill looked at her, her next words came as easy to her as if she had known them years ago. “Because I know you. I have always known you. Before you were Stone Quill, and even before you were Astrodeo, I have known you. You will not betray me if you think that what I am doing is best for Equestria, and I have no doubt that you will see this if you help Twilight in preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration.” Stone Quill’s eyebrow rose a bit higher. “How can you possibly believe so certainly in me coming around?” “Because,” said Celestia, her smile widening into a grin. “You are my friend, Stone Quill.” Stone Quill’s jaw loosened, but not to let any words out. It just hung there as its owner simply stood there, completely dumbstruck, and stared at Celestia with unadulterated bewilderment. Celestia grin only grew wider at the sight. Yet then, a very familiar voice reached Celestia’s ears. “Princess?!” Celestia looked behind her, but even when she was turning around she already knew who she was going to see. And her amused grin was replaced by a warm smile when she indeed saw the Twilight’s familiar figure run towards her, accompanied by two ponies clad in the armors of the Celestial Legions. “Twilight,” greeted Celestia her with a smile as her personal student trotted to a halt in front of her. “It is so good to see you, my faithful student.” Joy lit up in Twilight’s eyes at those words and the sight of her mentor, but was then quickly snuffed out when bewilderment returned with force. “Princess—” “Ten-hut! Princess attendant!” barked it from Twilight’s side at deafening volume and the watchpony’s hoof shot up in a salute, Swift Wing’s following just a moment later. Rubbing her ear, Twilight shot a disgruntled glance at the mare beside her, before she began anew: “Princess Celestia, what are you— Magister Stone Quill?!” For the fraction of a second, icy dread froze Celestia’s heart when she heard the alarmed tone in Twilight’s voice, recalling in what unveiled state Stone Quill had remained throughout their entire discussion. Yet when she turned her head, she gave a soft sigh of relief when no crystal horns were to be seen. Stone Quill looked just as surly, impatient, and, most importantly, normal as ever when he stepped out of her shadow and placed himself at her side. “Miss Sparkle,” he grumbled, as if she had just awoken him from the most comfortable slumber. “I thought I had left very clear instructions on how you were supposed to behave until I returned.” His gaze wandered over to Swift Wing. “Or do I remember that incorrectly?” “I, er…” stuttered Swift Wing, cowering under his saluting hoof as if he was trying to hide under it from Stone Quill’s piercing glare. Luckily for him, Twilight was quick to jump in. “Magister, where have you been? We have been looking all over town for you! The last we saw or heard from you was when you were instructing your guards to wait at my library—” “And if you had followed those instructions patiently, you would have saved yourself all that trouble,” snubbed Stone Quill back. “Or is there something I am missing here?” “Your Highness,” sounded a melodious voice, belonging to the mare in the Night Watch armor as Celestia found out when she turned her head. “May I speak?” Legionnaires and their formalities, sighed Celestia inwardly, but smiled graciously on the outside and nodded. The mare lowered her hoof and bowed in reply, then turned towards Stone Quill. “Magister, when Miss Sparkle arrived at Golden Oak Library, a considerable amount of time had already passed. We had just arrived today in Ponyville and therefore had not been able to conduct a proper threat assessment, not to speak of the break-in at the library. Therefore, we felt the need to prioritize our original orders over your personal preferences. I apologize for any inconveniences we might have caused, but we only acted in your best interests.” Stone Quill muttered something in response, but it didn’t seem as if he actually had anything to set against the watchpony’s arguments. Not that he truly wanted to win this argument anyway. In the long years she had known him, Celestia had learnt to notice the small tell-tale signs of when Stone Quill was attempting to deceive somepony. It did not sit well with her to just let this deception happen, but she had to acknowledge that a lie, however smudged its white nature might be, served better right now than the actual truth. It was because of this that Celestia softly cleared her throat to draw everypony’s attention towards her. “Actually, it should be me who should apologize. I must unfortunately confess I am not entirely innocent in this misunderstanding.” Twilight’s eyes went wide at this revelation, Swift Wing and Moonbeam both blinked in surprise, and even Stone Quill imperceptibly raised an eyebrow in curiosity. After one more look over the small group ascertained for Celestia that they all were listening to her, she continued: “Shortly after arriving in Ponyville, Stone Quill had contacted me to ask for a meeting, to discuss some important matters. Because of the… sensitive nature of our talk, I did not wish anypony else present, and since it would have taken far too much time for Stone Quill to travel to Canterlot and back, I offered to come to Ponyville. In return I asked of Stone Quill to make sure nopony would be aware of my temporary presence here. A task which he, as it seems, had taken a bit too much to the heart, and… well, here we are now.” It didn’t feel pleasant for Celestia to lie to her ponies, especially Twilight. Yet with the truth would have come questions to which the answer simply could not be given. Not right now, at least. She turned to Twilight, an acted smile coming to her lips with an ease she despised at herself. “Twilight, my faithful student, I hope you understand?” And I hope you can forgive me when I tell you the truth. Chewing on her lower lip, Twilight pawed at the ground, evading Celestia’s gaze. Yet then she heaved a deep sigh and looked up, meeting her mentor’s eyes with her own. “I understand. I may not like it, but I understand, Princess. There are just some things you sometimes must do, even if they could hurt others.” A small smile flashed over her lips. “That is the burden you have to carry as a princess after all, right?” This time, Celestia’s smile truly came from her heart, which felt as if it was melting in the bittersweet ember of love that Twilight had lit inside of her a long time ago. Doing all she could to keep herself from pulling her beloved student into an embrace, she simply nodded with a gratitude too powerful for any words she could muster right now. Whether for better or for worse, an impatient harrumph cut the moment short. Dizzy from the wave of emotions she just had fought down, Celestia needed a moment until she caught Stone Quill’s glare. Right, best not to prolong this. “Well then,” began Celestia anew, adopting her official tone again, “I do not wish to keep you any longer. It is late and has probably been a long day for all of us.” Letting her eyes wander over Twilight, Swift Wing, and the mare in the Night Watch armor, she finally stopped at Stone Quill. “Magister, the thing we discussed… I hope we have an agreement?” Stone Quill’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly in response and his jaw indiscernibly pushed forward, as if its owner was contemplating to dislocate it before giving any kind of answer. Yet then the tension eased away and Celestia even believed to hear the hint of a defeated sigh. “We have… for now.” Then, before anypony else could say anything, he turned around and walked away. The watchpony almost immediately followed suit, giving a silent bow to Celestia as a farewell before she vanished into the night as Stone Quill’s silent shadow. Swift Wing was not so quick on the uptake. He blinked, looked at the now vacant spots his colleague and Stone Quill had stood, blinked again, and then finally spun around in a hurry. “Hey, wait! What about me? Hey, wait up!” “Unbelievable,” murmured Twilight, shaking her head as she watched the shimmer of Swift Wing’s golden armor grow dim under the embrace of the night’s velvet curtain. A small chuckle escaped Celestia. “Do not judge the poor stallion too harshly. He may seem irresponsible, but Swift Wing is one of the bravest and most loyal guards I have met.” Twilight shook her head. “Not him. Magister Stone Quill. I know he’s not the friendliest pony around, but even he should know he can’t talk to you that way, Princess.” The small spark of laughter that had overcome Celestia, mellowed into a soft afterglow in the form of a smile when she let her eyes wander from Swift Wing’s retreating figure to Twilight’s indignant gaze, with which her loyal student apparently sought to pierce the horrible offender even through the dark of the night. Dear faithful, innocent Twilight. Too willing to endure any injustice that was thrust upon her, but eager to put a stop to it should anypony else suffer from it. She truly was a soul almost too pure for this world. And it was because of this purity, Celestia realized once more, she could not burden Twilight with anything of her past. It was a weight she herself and Stone Quill had to carry, nopony else. Not Twilight, not even Luna, nopony but them. “...Twilight?” Twilight barely had time to turn around, before two massive white wings encompassed her and pulled her into Celestia’s loving embrace. Twilight’s eyes went wide at first, but then she closed them and smiled, returning the gesture wholeheartedly. My dear Twilight, thought Celestia as she looked down on her beloved student, her heart melting of pride and love. I am going to take care of everything. You have my word. Above them, the stars silently bore witness to the moment between the mentor and her student. --- The usually starry night sky barely even gleamed tonight, its sparkling splendor muted by the new moon in its midst. Like a dark hole it boasted up in the sky, as if a giant had plucked the full moon from there, leaving the stars to dim mournfully in the face of this loss. As a result, the Royal Canterlot Gardens below had become a dark and unwelcoming place. Towering hedges cast shadows over their surroundings like snares, dragging everything in their reach into darkness. The gently waving paths had become winding, contorting trails, over which the numerous and exotic trees loomed menacingly, threatening to close shut over any oblivious wanderer like the jaws of a humongous beast. The statues, at day proud guardians, were now nothing more than misshapen, silenced witnesses, stripped of any glory they reigned over in the sunlight. And over it all hung the yawning void of a new moon, a silent and omnipresent warning for all to remember why they had shunned and feared the night in the past. Legends had it that the Princess of the Night’s all-seeing eyes were blinded during the new moon. Looking up into the gaping emptiness in the sky, the pony could not help but hope that there was at least a modicum of truth to these old ponies tales. The pony usually was not one to pay such stories any mind, but tonight, anything was welcome that could aid in remaining hidden from prying eyes. “Feeling uneasy?” The pony turned away from the darkened sky and met the unicorn stallion’s gaze. The pony tried to find even the slightest hint of mockery in the stallion’s smile or the look of his eyes, but there was only genuine concern to be found. It did not sit right with the pony. This stallion was not supposed to act like a normal, harmless equine being when he was anything but. It didn’t help that he started to look the part, too. With his finely cut jaw, well-coiffed linden green mane, even white teeth, and eyes of a steel blue color, the stallion could even be considered attractive, maybe a young lordling from one of the lesser houses. The illusion was easily shattered, however, when one only so much as glanced at the rest of his body. Although his light brown coat was well maintained, it could not conceal that large parts of the stallion’s body were not flesh, but instead diamond. The mineral was embedded as a huge chunk on his flank, where his cutie mark should have been, from where it crawled all over his body in veins and streaks of all sizes, reaching all the way to his face where the encircled his right eye. Yet strangely, it was the stallion’s horn that caught the pony’s attention the most. It was made entirely out of diamond, but seemed to differ from the rest of the mineral infused in the stallion’s body. Around its base was a slight scarring, as if somepony had cut and dug around the area, planting the idea that instead of turned into diamond, this horn had replaced its natural counterpart. The shape of its spiral was also too harmonious to be natural and if one looked closer, they could even see miniscule carvings along the spiral’s edges. In a way, it was almost beautiful, a piece of art among the wanton destruction on the stallion’s body. A piece of art that almost killed me, remembered the pony grimly. Some parts of their body was still hurting from being thrown around like a rag doll. It was this pain that helped the pony keep in mind that this stallion was not to be trusted, no matter how kind his smile. Pointedly turning away, the pony thus answered the stallion’s question with silence. The stallion’s smile was not affected by this icy treatment in the least. Apparently not even having awaited an answer, he continued: “There is nothing to fear.” The pony turned their head back, just in time to see the stallion look up in the sky with a smile, his eyes fixed on the foreboding darkness of the new moon. “The stars are on our side.” The pony gave a contemptuous huff, but before the stallion’s ominous words could goad another reaction, a rustling sound came from the shadows. The pony spun around, a metallic gleam cutting through the umbrageous flora in the process as the stallion’s guardian drew a knife. Gripping the weapon with their teeth, the pony peered into the surrounding darkness. Had they aroused the attention of Canterlot’s spies? Something rustled again, and now hoofsteps could be heard too. Yet this was not the secretive tiptoeing of a hidden intruder. Whoever walked towards the pony and the stallion had no intention in concealing their presence. A moment later, a figure stepped into the dim starlight. The tension eased out of the pony’s body. Their mistress had arrived. The wickerwork of the gardens’ shadows concealed much of the mare’s appearance, but the dress she wore told of the high social circles she attended. She cast only a passing glance towards her agent, who sheathed the knife as the mare came closer, before she focussed her entire attention on the stallion. The stallion had remained calm during the pony’s bout of paranoia and he didn’t seem shaken by the mare’s silent stare either. Smiling confidently, he lifted a foreleg and put it to his chest before bowing to the mare. “The benefactor to whom I owe my release, I assume? It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Please, allow me to thank you from the bottom of my—” “Spare me those truisms.” The mare’s cold voice cut through the stallion’s words like a whip. “Your poisonous words are wasted on me, Tinder Vine.” The stallion rose out of his bow. His smile had not moved in the slightest way, but the expression in his eyes had changed, something predatory now lurking underneath his mask of amused curiosity. “You know my name?” “Do you think me so foolish to release somepony I know nothing about? History may have been cleansed of your vile presence by our magnanimous ruler, Princess Celestia, but there are some of us who choose not to forget. Not even after a thousand years.” “A thousand years…” The smile waned from Tinder Vine’s lips as his eyes wandered once again to the sky. The veil of memories clouded his expression as he absentmindedly watched the twinkling of the stars. “It has been that long already…?” Yet only a moment later, his mind returned to the present and when he looked at the mare again, he didn’t smile anymore. “If you know my name, then you also must know why I had been locked away in the caverns deep below Canterlot. You speak with such fervor of your “magnanimous ruler”, yet it can’t be Celestia who put you up to this. This means you must have released me behind your beloved princess’ back… but why?” The mare paused, apparently thinking carefully about her next words. It was only through utmost attention that the pony noticed the miniscule nod the mare gave them. A sign. The pony rolled their neck markedly casual in response, masking that the knife’s hilt was brought into reach. So far Tinder Vine had listened, but now they were nearing the crucial part. And should negotiations fail, then the pony would do what was necessary to leave no loose ends. Once her agent was ready, the mare continued: “Princess Celestia is a wise ruler, but her nature as our immortal guardian has blinded her to the cruel nature of reality. She is willing to forgive when to enact caution would be wiser, and she chooses imprisonment when a swift strike of the blade would be a more trustworthy solution.” Tinder Vine raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Is that what this is about? You want to kill me?” “No. You were freed because ponies like me are willing to get their hooves dirty, to not burden our beloved princess’ conscience. Even if that means using the filthiest of tools.” “You wish to use me? In service of Celestia? And what makes you think I would agree to this?” “Because my associates and I are willing to offer you what Celestia has denied you: amnesty. Once you served us, you are free to choose any hole outside equestrian soil to hide in, until you wither and die.” “Banishment instead of eternal imprisonment?” Tinder Vine should have sounded indignant. The pony certainly would have. It seemed like a choice of two poisons, each killing only in a different manner that wasn’t in any way less cruel than the others. It was certainly to the pony’s surprise then, when a small smile danced over the mutilated stallion’s lips. “Very well, I accept. What do you need of me?” The shadows made it impossible to tell whether the mare was surprised to hear this or not. All that the pony could tell was that the mare rose herself up and then declared in a clear, certain voice: “Princess Luna must die.”