Chapter Two: “Nostalgia”
Buried miles beneath the Everfree Forest was a pony-made complex. Ponies worked together to maintain a stable livelihood, using the forest as a source of sustenance and materials. It was a covert base, intended as a last resort if the previous hideout was discovered, which it was a few years ago. Inside, a mare sat at a round table in a small office, drawing diagrams over a map of Equestria. Photos of ponies were plastered across the wall, each with names and dates inscribed underneath.
The room somewhat resembled a memoriam rather than an office. Still, the mare continued to work. Her bright emerald eyes scrolled through each section of the map diligently, only looking up when a grey unicorn trotted into the room with a piece of paper in her mouth. The mare sitting at the table brushed a hoof through the lavender stripe of her long mane before taking the missive, pausing to straighten the black latex suit she wore.
After reading through the text, she reached underneath the table and took out a scroll, its ribbon bearing a Crusader insignia. “Dinky, take this to the pegasi and inform them to follow this exact route to Manehattan. It’s the safest route to take. Don’t stray. Otherwise, you’ll run into a hive. If we don’t take out the hives in the southern part of the city, we’ll have another five hundred changelings to deal with. Come back as soon as you finish that. We need to talk about matters for tomorrow.”
Dinky straightened her posture before raising a hoof over her forehead in the form of a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
Once the unicorn exited the room, Pinkamena dropped from the shadows and landed gracefully a few hoof-lengths behind the mare. “Hey, Rebel Leader.”
A smile formed on the lavender and white-maned pony’s face as she turned around, placing a greeting hoof on Pinkamena’s shoulder. “Welcome back. I’m glad to see you’re still in one piece.”
Pinkamena nodded, pausing to scan her surroundings. “We need to talk. There is something I have to show you. Alone. Is this a good time?”
The unicorn lightly chuckled as her horn glowed with magical energy, prompting every lock in the room to click shut. “Even if it wasn’t, I’m willing to make an exception for you.” The mare’s brow furrowed. “What is it? It must be serious if you’re in such a hurry to see me, Pinkamena.”
Pinkamena huffed. “There’s no point in me trying to explain this. I’ll just let you see for yourself.” She leaned against the wall before glancing off to the side. “Come on down. It’s clear.”
The mare frowned briefly, before her eyes widened as a stallion flipped from the ceiling and gracefully landed just hoof-lengths from her position. She inhaled sharply, clamping a hoof over her gaping mouth. The stallion’s unkempt chocolate mane was a shade darker than his bright hazel irises. Images of her childhood cascaded through her mind like the waves of a whirlpool. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes as she stood from her seat, slowly approaching the costumed unicorn with an extended, quivering hoof.
She choked back rising tears. “Peter? Is that... really you?”
Peter arched a brow before smiling. “Sweetie Belle?! Whoa!” He stared intently at the mare, tapping a hoof against his chin. “I just saw you yesterday, and you were so tiny then. You really grew--”
Sweetie Belle staggered to an upright position before wrapping her hooves around Peter’s neck. Her tearful gaze met his soft eyes. “Everypony said you were dead.”
The mare tightened her embrace, and the stallion lost his balance as Sweetie brought him to the ground. Flat on his back, Peter could barely return the gesture, but his smile softened as the sound of quiet sobbing reached his ears. He felt the fur around his neck grow wet as Sweetie Belle’s sobs grew in intensity. The mare buried her face into the crook of the stallion’s neck as she tightened her hold on his body.
“You really came back…” Sweetie whispered, her voice barely audible. She brushed the side of her wet cheek against Peter’s affectionately. “Twilight always said you would come back. Rarity, too.”
Peter asked half-jokingly. “Where is Rarity? I could use that mare to make me a new mask since I somehow lost my old one.”
Sweetie didn’t respond, only loosening her embrace slightly. Peter managed to glance at Pinkamena, who shook her head in response. The entire room grew silent for a long moment, as reality sank in. Peter turned his gaze to a small portrait on the wall. Rarity smiled from out of a sepia-toned photograph as a black ribbon hung over its edges. Sweetie made her way to a standing position as Peter mirrored her action with a grave expression.
“We have a lot of catching up to do,” Sweetie said, clearing her throat. She rubbed her eyes before taking a seat at the round table. Peter and Pinkamena followed her example, each taking a chair from around the room. Sweetie edged her seat closer to the stallion’s until they were inches apart. After that was done, she rested her chin against her hooves. “I’ll start with the obvious question first… How are you here? How did you come back to us after all this time?”
Peter scratched the back of his head. “Well, it really hasn’t been as long for me as it’s been for you all.” Seeing Sweetie arch a brow, the stallion explained what had happened to him, from his experiment going awry to the blinding light that rendered him unconscious. “Really, I was only out for a few minutes before I woke up here,” the stallion finished. “After I saw what happened to Ponyville, I thought I’d investigate, but I was ambushed. Pinkie popped in to save the day, and then she brought me here.”
Sweetie tilted her head to the side. “That explains why you look exactly the same as I remember. You haven’t aged a bit.”
Peter managed a smile as he chuckled sheepishly. “It’s weird. Just yesterday, you were barely half my age. Now, you’re older than me. Time really flies.” He sobered, his gaze softening. “‘Rebel leader’, huh?”
Sweetie Belle nodded, placing a hoof over her chest. “That’s right. I’ve become Commander-in-Chief of the Rebel Forces. It’s been over seven years now. I only accepted the position after our former captain was killed in action. Miss Felicia Hardy.”
Taken aback, Peter’s eyes shot open. “Black Cat? How did that happen?”
Sweetie Belle laughed softly. “I understand your reaction. Miss Felicia told me about the history you two had.” Her cheeks flushed. “She was never afraid to share details.” The unicorn’s horn glowed, enveloping a small photograph sitting on the other side of the room with magical energy. “Miss Felicia worked as a reconnaissance agent for Princess Celestia sometime after you disappeared. After the invasion, a small group of us banded together, and she led the entire way.”
Once the photograph was within range, Sweetie Belle took hold of it with her hooves and offered it to Peter. The picture contained an image of several ponies with Felicia and a teenage Sweetie at the center. The older mare grinned while wrapping a hoof around the unicorn’s shoulder. Peter managed a smile as he recognized a couple of the other ponies in the photo, particularly the blonde unicorn that resembled Derpy, Dinky. Many were lost, but there were survivors in the world.
Sweetie Belle glanced off to the side. “Felicia took me under her wing as an apprentice when the Rebellion was first formed. She taught me so much; how to defend myself, among other things.”
Peter smirked. “I see. That explains your uniform. It looks exactly like something Black Cat would wear.”
“I actually made this some time after Miss Felicia passed away,” Sweetie Belle declared, rubbing a hoof across the smooth material over her leg. “Her sense of style was very similar to what Rarity used to like. I think that’s why I got along so well with Miss Felicia.” Her eyes softened. “I really miss them both.”
Peter shook his head, pausing to gently return the photograph to the mare. His expression darkened as a grim question surfaced in his mind. “Sweetie… how many of our friends are still alive? Pinkie only gave me a hint when we visited Twilight’s grave. I have to know.”
Sweetie let out a low sigh, forcing the lump in her throat down with a swallow. She reached out, taking hold of Peter’s hoof with her own. “There’s almost nopony left, Peter. We lost everypony during the invasion of Canterlot. Pinkamena, Trixie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were the only ones that escaped. When the changelings swarmed Ponyville, Dinky and I only escaped because Miss Felicia was there to protect us.”
Peter was slow to respond. “...My whole family? Aunt May?” The inside of his chest tightened while his stomach curled into a knot. His entire foundation was crumbling, like grains of sand helpless before a strong breeze. Peter took in shallow breaths, finding the strength to barely speak. “Mayday? What about my little girl?”
Pinkamena winced at the mention of the filly’s name. Sweetie Belle shook her head before caressing the stallion’s hoof. “I’m so sorry, Peter.”
Pinkamena folded her forelegs across her chest and sighed. “Damn it…”
Peter brushed a hoof over his eyes. “What about Trixie? Is she okay?”
Pinkamena shook her head. “I really didn’t want to bring her up. I hate to say it, but if anypony took your death the worst, it was Twilight. Trixie tried her best to keep your family intact. Twilight was just a shell of herself, and Mayday never stopped talking about you. Trixie tried to keep it together… for the most part, even after Twilight died.”
Sweetie pursed her lips. “After the invasion, Trixie took Mayday away and raised her in the safety of the Rebel Base, back when it was located near the Whitetail Woods. However, we were found. Miss Felicia and a few others tried to buy the children and mares time to escape. Some managed, but…”
Pinkamena gritted her teeth, slamming a hoof against the wall. “The changelings found where we were hiding the foals. Trixie and I tried our best to protect everypony. We managed to hold our own for a while, but when Chrysalis arrived, everything fell apart. Trixie was knocked unconscious, and I...” She trailed off, brushing a hoof over the scar on her face. “I got careless. So, I took Trixie with me and...”
Pinkamena suddenly stood from her seat, walking out of the room in a cold silence. Sweetie Belle waited patiently until the earth pony was out of earshot, then glanced at Peter. “Pinkie really took it hard. She blames herself for what happened to Mayday and the other foals. Between that and all of her best friends dying around her, her heart has been crushed beyond repair. It’s why she’s so distant nowadays. Nopony has seen her really smile in years.”
Peter took in a deep breath before exhaling. “Damn it. I remember how much Pinkie loves kids. She practically couldn’t detach herself from the Cakes’ twins or Mayday. She’s always been a bundle of positive energy. Nothing ever really got her down, but that... that would get to anyone. The fact that it drives her shows that she’s still the same deep down. I’ll try to talk to her later. I know what it’s like to fail someone close to you. It just… feels like she needs a friend again.” He paused. “What about Trixie? What happened to her after that?”
Sweetie Belle paused for a moment before she shook her head. “When Mayday died, that was the final straw. Trixie just... lost it. She would always just talk to herself, ignoring everypony else. Trixie was borderline delusional after a few months, and that’s putting it lightly. She insisted there was a way to bring you, Twilight, and Mayday back… to reunite her family.”
Peter squeezed his eyes shut, biting his lip. He had hoped that at least one member of his family had survived. “What did Trixie do then? Is she…” he hesitated, feeling weak, “still alive?”
“I... I don’t know if you could call it ‘alive’.” Sweetie’s eyes began to swell up. “I’m so sorry to have to tell you all of this bad news, but... she’s no longer with us.”
Peter took a step forward. “What do you mean?”
Peter hadn’t noticed Pinkamena had returned until she silently stepped past him, retrieving a book from the nearby desk. She flipped to a particular page, then turned the book to Peter. The page showed a picture of Trixie, and Pinkamena pointed at an amulet around the unicorn’s neck. “This happened to her.”
Sweetie glanced between the two hesitantly. “She found a mystical charm called the Alicorn Amulet. It grants its wearer untold levels of power, supposedly matching the potency of an alicorn, as its namesake implies. However, we came to learn that the amulet slowly corrupts the mind of its host. Everything was fine... at first. Trixie became our equalizer, but her mind was already unstable by the time she started using the amulet. She grew angry, empty, and cold. There were even times when she hardly recognized us as her allies. About fifteen years ago, she left the Rebellion and set out to confront Chrysalis on her own.”
Pinkamena scoffed. “Trixie was so far gone that Chrysalis managed to manipulate the magical energies of the Alicorn Amulet and erase the remnants of her mind… what little was left. She’s just another drone now. To make matters worse, Trixie’s just as powerful as Chrysalis. We couldn’t even get close to her if we tried.”
Sweetie turned to Peter, who was starting to look physically ill. She rubbed a hoof over his shoulder. “The Trixie you know is gone. There’s nothing left to save. She’s a puppet of Chrysalis, working as her second-in-command.” Her eyes softened. “I’m so sorry, Peter.”
Peter didn’t register Sweetie Belle’s words of sympathy. His mind was just registering the fact that all of the most important parts of his life in Equestria, the family he had gone through so much to build, was completely destroyed. The small part of him that had been struggling to keep him in the present moment was lost as a flood of images, memories of those he had lost long ago, swept through his mind, washing him into a sea of despair as the tears began to stream down his face.
Luna giggled, gazing lovingly at Mayday while she decorated the top of her cake. “Just like that, Mayday. Try not to use too much icing.”
Mayday smiled brightly, managing to shape a heart on the top of her sweet treat. “Like this?”
The sounds of their laughter were perfectly in sync, a harmonic tune that could make the heaviest heart as light as the clouds. “Yes. That’s perfect, dear.”
Twilight smiled mischievously after Peter shoved some batter against her mouth, holding a tube of the sweet substance with her magical telekinesis. “Okay! You asked for it, Peter!”
The stallion could only shriek and plead for mercy, begging for his wife to consider a ceasefire. “Whoa! Wait! Let us be reasonable about this!”
Luna glanced at the couple before sighing. “I only wish your parents could do as good of a job.”
Oblivious, Mayday giggled. “Cooking’s super fun when Daddy teases Mommy!”
The image faded into darkness, despite Peter’s struggle to retain it. The world grew mute as the darkness spread. It was gone. It was all gone. His best friend. His big sister. His only daughter. His wife.
They were all gone.
Peter’s eyes shot open, and the stallion rose in a sweat, panting as he struggled to catch his breath. The blanket covering his body fell to the floor. A small squeak reached Peter’s ears before the stallion peeked down at the source, finding Mayday’s teddy bear in his hooves. That agonizingly sweet memory resurfaced, filling the unicorn’s heart with misery. Peter forced himself from the bunk, pausing as his gaze fell on Sweetie Belle, sitting across the room with a book in her lap. She hummed a quiet tune, stopping when Peter approached.
Sweetie was still in uniform, the latex hugging her body tightly. “Ah, you’re awake. Were you able to rest?”
Peter shrugged. “I guess. How long was I out?”
“A few hours. It seemed your exhaustion caught up with you,” Sweetie stated, closing the book with a hoof. “We brought you to my quarters before Pinkamena retreated for the night. Everypony else is asleep right now.”
Peter glanced at his surroundings, noting there were two beds in the room on the opposite end of each other before managing a nod. “Thanks. What are you still doing up?”
Sweetie smiled. “I’m too excited to sleep. A pony I thought was dead came back after twenty-five long years. I shared the news with everypony in the base. Your return seems to have sparked some hope. Dinky was especially happy. If I went to sleep, I might have woken up only to realize this was a dream. I want to savor this… just in case.” The mare paused, patting the available spot on the bed next to her with a hoof. “Come on. Let’s talk.”
Peter took in a deep breath, nodding as he accepted Sweetie’s gesture. The pair sat in a silence as the stallion processed what she had said. Finally, he steeled himself for the questions he needed to ask. This world had only offered him misery thus far, and it seemed more was to come with upcoming revelations, but for the sake of his family, Peter had to know how it all started.
“What can you tell me about the invasion?” Peter asked, clenching his jaw.
Sweetie glanced towards the ceiling. “Well, I wasn’t there when Canterlot was invaded, but everything’s been documented for the historical record. It was nothing short of a bloodbath. Because of Princess Luna’s weakened state, Princess Celestia was forced to raise both the sun and moon occasionally. This actually drained her considerably.”
The unicorn turned her gaze to meet Peter’s. “One day, the changelings took advantage of the fact. It happened so fast. Several hundred swarmed Canterlot, some impersonating guards. Many knights were killed in the confusion, with the changelings making the most of their telepathic communications network. Canterlot’s forces were being pushed back, until Princess Celestia and Luna were outmatched and boxed in the castle. By the time Twilight and the others reached Canterlot… it was too late.”
-u-
“Set up a perimeter along the outer walls!” Celestia yelled, prompting many knights to rush out of the castle’s gates. “We must not allow any changelings inside until the kingdom is evacuated!” Exhaling, the alicorn turned to the side and addressed her younger sister. “Luna. I’ll need you on the lookout tower should any try to sneak into the castle. If they breach the walls, we will take out the opposing forces together.”
Everypony was lost in a frenzy as changelings threatened to invade the kingdom, brazenly fighting against the knights on the outer perimeter of Canterlot. The battle slowly pressed into the town and forced many residents to retreat with guards as escorts, straining Celestia’s forces further. One of the knights approached the princess with a concerned expression, pointing a hoof at the main entrance before its large doors swung open. As changelings tore through the knights in their path, Celestia turned with a scowl and lowered herself into a defensive stance.
However, the alicorn’s eyes shot wide open at a sharp pain piercing into her chest. The muscles in her body grew numb, refusing to move at her mind’s command. Celestia took in a shuddered breath as her vision blurred. Cold started to creep through her body, and her breath rasped from her lungs. Blood spilled, staining the alicorn’s once-perfect, pink-white fur. Celestia struggled to turn her gaze to her attacker, and beheld one of her knights with his blade shoved to the hilt into her chest. The stallion’s eyes flashed to a shade of green before dark green energy enveloped his entire body.
“Your guards should never cross our terrain alone,” “he” whispered in a feminine voice. Wings sprouted from the knight’s back as his mane grew long, falling over his shoulders and morphing to a dark shade of emerald. His figure grew tall and slender, revealing the form of Chrysalis. “One knight alone can become a fount of information: curfews, defensive measures, the sleeping patterns of their benevolent rulers…” She trailed off, twisting the knife lodged in Celestia’s chest until the handle broke. Chrysalis gazed intently at the wound, chuckling. “And above all, the most effective way to mortally wound a pony.”
Celestia struggled to respond, but she could only cough up blood. The alicorn staggered, struggling to stand her ground, but it was for naught, her body’s functions rapidly shutting down. Darkness took the princess. Celestia limply fell to the floor, and her crown tumbled to the ground before the changeling queen. Chrysalis chuckled wildly, crushing the golden crown under the weight of her hoof as the alicorn died in a pool of her own blood.
“My children will no longer be oppressed by you!” Chrysalis roared, her laughter echoing off of the walls of the castle. “The Age of the Changelings has begun!”
The sight that met Luna as she rushed into the main hall sent a piercing lance of pain through her heart. Her blue eyes fixed on Celestia’s lifeless body, collapsed on the floor. A horrible storm of emotions welled up inside her. Only three years after losing her best friend, Luna was losing her beloved sister.
Luna didn’t notice the tears flowing down her face, or even the way her teeth were clenched shut. Life had dealt her a cruel fate before, but Celestia had never strayed from her sister’s side, offering unyielding support and love. But now, Luna had nothing left. For ages, Celestia remained the reliable older sister and mother figure to the younger alicorn, but now, she had been taken away, stolen unjustly. Peter and Celestia, the two most important figures in Luna’s life, were gone.
The alicorn’s body quaked with rage, her very foundation falling apart. She had nothing left to live for; all she could do was lash out. While dozens of changelings joined their queen as they continued to mow down everypony in their path, everything blurred, fading behind a bright light. Waves of energy erupted from Luna, generating a shockwave potent enough to blow everypony within range away.
“Sister! No--!” Luna roared, her tears continuing to run.
Chrysalis turned at the sound, too slow to react as Princess Luna sped across the room and tackled her to the ground. The alicorn stood, her horn emitting a bright light, but before she could follow up with her attack, a trio of changelings knocked the princess away from their queen. One managed to sink its fangs deep into Luna’s shoulder, drawing blood. The alicorn unleashed a surge of electrical energy, sending countless bolts through her attackers. As they fell, more rose. One changeling landed a solid kick across Luna’s face, causing the mare to roll violently across the floor.
She disappeared from sight in a flash, returning to a standing position before firing several beams of magic through the carapaces of a good number of her attackers. Lost in rage, Luna desperately dove after Chrysalis in spite of her blood loss. The changeling Queen used her telekinesis to pull a sword from the corpse of a knight, slashing as the princess moved within reach. The blade sliced through Luna’s flesh, and the impact sent the alicorn flying across the room, until she struck the ground with a thud. The laceration on her chest was long, stretching from the collarbone to the lower stomach.
Luna’s eyes glazed over as she succumbed to blood loss, her eyelids growing impossibly heavy. “Sister… Peter… I’m sorry,” she choked out before falling into death’s embrace, and then she vanished in a flash of light.
Chrysalis smiled wickedly, staring intently at her blood-stained sword. “The day is ours! All of Equestria belongs to us!” One changeling walked up to the queen, switching its bug-like gaze between its ruler and the door. Chrysalis nodded at its telepathic report. “The Elements of Harmony have entered Canterlot? Good. Welcome them accordingly…” She howled, “Set the explosives, and slaughter them all!”
In the meantime, Twilight and the others reached the gate to Canterlot. Changelings were spotted in the distance, most engaging guards in battle. Before anypony could react, an explosion erupted from the ground several yards ahead of them. The girls skidded to a halt, with Fluttershy and Rarity losing their balance. Both mares peeked down, unable to react as the ground beneath them burst into flames. The shockwave sent everypony else careening to the ground in different directions. The ground rumbled, before the entire area erupted in an explosion of crystal shards and magic.
Several minutes passed as the embers crackled. Twilight’s eyes fluttered open with an unfocused gaze. There was an incessant ringing in her ears, muting the outside world. Flames continued to fall and spread around her. She tried to recall what happened, at first only remembering the massive explosions as she and her friends stepped onto Canterlot grounds. Twilight’s eyes shot open at the thought of her friends, but the second the princess attempted to stand, a jolt of pain ripped across her barrel.
Blood seeped from a deep wound, in which the sharp remains of a crystal were embedded. Twilight raised her eyes, only to find another trail of blood mixing with her own on the ground. Fluttershy lay across from the princess, her mane blocking a majority of her face. Twilight reached out and took her hoof, tugging at it, but the pegasus didn’t respond, and Twilight couldn’t feel a pulse. The alicorn’s senses had yet to return. She screamed out to Fluttershy, desperate to wake her friend. Twilight glanced off to the side, catching a familiar body of snow-white prone on the ground, doused in flames.
Rarity still had form, but it was mangled beyond recognition. A wave of nausea swept through Twilight, and she puked onto the ground. Rarity had to have been at the center of the explosion. Pinkie rushed to Twilight’s side, stopping upon noticing the sharp stone protruding from her open wound. Tears poured profusely from the earth pony’s eyes as she clasped both hooves over her mouth. Twilight smiled weakly on seeing her. Other than singed fur and a few bruises, Pinkie Pie was okay.
Applejack trotted over to their position with a slumped form over her back. Like Pinkie Pie, Applejack was still more or less in one piece. Twilight was quick to recognize Rainbow’s colorful mane, but the alicorn felt a twinge in her chest when she got a closer look. The pegasus was maimed, a wide gash spread across her abdomen, and her right wing had been lost, blood pouring from the gaping wound.
Before long, hundreds of changelings scaled the walls and peered down, forcing their way through the wreckage towards the survivors of the explosion.
“What are we going to do?” Pinkie bleakly asked, sliding her head underneath Twilight’s muzzle as she helped the alicorn to a standing position.
Applejack watched with a furrowed brow. “Ah don’t know. It looks like they’re about to come and finish the job.” Rainbow Dash took in a haggard breath as her body began to tremble. Applejack switched her worried gaze between the pegasus and the alicorn before turning to the other earth pony. “We have to move, Pinkie. Grab Twilight and follow me.”
Twilight shook her head. “No. That won’t work. There are way too many.” The princess broke away from the group, wincing in pain for every step she took. Her horn began to emit a bright light, summoning magical energy to envelope the bodies of her surviving friends. “I’ll teleport you to safety… and buy you all time to escape.”
Pinkie shook her head defiantly. “What? No! I won’t--!” She stopped as she was pulled away. Applejack managed to keep Rainbow Dash balanced over her shoulder while wrapping a hoof around the pink mare’s neck. Pinkie attempted to squirm free, crying out when she couldn’t. “Applejack, let go! We can’t let Twilight do this!”
Twilight winced, hissing in pain as she used her magic to swiftly pull the broken crystal lodged into her body out. The alicorn’s breathing was ragged. “I’m not going to make it regardless. Let me protect you all. At this rate, they’ll just chase after us if we run. I can… stop as many as I can before I…” Twilight trailed off into a fit of coughs, blood falling from her mouth, “before I fall.”
Applejack glanced at the gaping wound in the alicorn’s abdomen, her eyes softening. “Twilight’s mind is already made up, Pinkie.” She tightened her hold as the energy around their bodies intensified. “There… ain’t nothing we can do for Twi.”
Twilight managed a weak smile as her body levitated from the ground. “Thank you, Applejack. I’ve already lost my husband and two of my closest friends. I don’t want to lose you all, too.” Like an angel, the mare’s wings spread and flapped gracefully to maintain her airborne position. Twilight’s tears rolled down her cheeks. “Tell Mayday that Mommy loves her.” Before anypony could respond, their bodies disappeared in a flash of light. As the changelings neared the alicorn’s position, a small smile formed on Twilight’s face while her irises vanished behind a bright light. “Wait for me… Peter.”
Elsewhere, a small shockwave erupted in the forest near Canterlot along the outer plains before a burst of energy ignited. The magic dissipated, revealing Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie’s forms. The pink mare shook her head and eyed her surroundings before galloping to the edge of the forest. The second she spotted Canterlot within the horizon, a violet explosion burst from the town. The pain inside of their chests swelled, instinctively telling them the horrible truth. Pinkie could only give in to her sorrow.
-u-
Sweetie Belle inhaled deeply before sighing. “That’s pretty much everything in a nutshell. As you can see, things only got worse after that. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had a big fight the next day. They haven’t seen or spoken to each other since. Rainbow Dash keeps in touch, but Applejack’s really distant nowadays. After what happened to her entire family, she just keeps to herself.”
Peter was slow to respond, merely nodding as he stood from the bed and walked across the room. His mind slowed sluggishly, processing each tragic event he had just heard. Princess Celestia’s assassination. Luna’s disappearance. Twilight’s sacrifice. It all ended in death, and Peter blamed himself for failing those that put so much faith in him. The stallion glanced at Mayday’s teddy bear, took it in his hooves, and squeezed it. He had even let his daughter down, and her death had sent Trixie into a void of madness.
A determined look formed in his features as he turned to face Sweetie Belle. He had lost everything before, nearly giving up after Gwen had died. Twilight and the others had lifted him up, and Peter had managed to create a new life from nothing. He’d found a family, friends, a beautiful wife, and cute daughter. The odds had always been stacked against him, but if he could find happiness, there was a way to save it.
Peter bumped his hooves together. “There is a way we can put an end to all of this.”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened. “Just like that? After everything you just heard, you’re going to fight?”
Peter nodded. “Darn right I am. I’m not Spider-Mane if I don’t at least try! While I may not have been there to stop this from happening, I’m here now, so I can help fix it. I owe Twilight and Mayday that much.”
The corner of Sweetie’s lips curled into a smile. “Now that’s the Peter I know.” The mare stood, placing a hoof over the stallion’s shoulder. “I’m with you.”
“So am I,” Pinkamena interjected, drawing the gazes of both ponies as she entered the room. “When do we get started?”
Peter gave the earth pony a smile, nudging her shoulder once she was close enough. “Right now.” The stallion turned his hazel gaze to meet the unicorn’s emerald irises. “Sweetie Belle, can you get Applejack and Rainbow Dash to meet with me?”
After a moment’s pause, Sweetie managed a nod and smile. “I’ll see what I can do.”
