The Line

by Sooks


Ch.21 - Return

They stood in rows of twenty, wrapping loosely along the river bank. Cyclone, Downpour, and Moonlight Companies, as well as their airship crews, stood silently as the ponies down by the shore did their work. All of them had spent the past three hours collecting twigs and flowers, but the unicorns were far better at the intricate work of weaving them all together into little floats.

The tradition had originated long ago under the pre-Equestrian pegasus platoons. A feather of the departed would be wrapped in the flora of their final rest and set adrift on the winds to float forever. The earth ponies brought their appreciation for water and their wooden boats, and the unicorns brought their magic and their fire. Many boats did not have feathers or locks of hair -- there was nothing left to place -- so they bore the favors of those closest to them. For the Dauntless and the Ranger, nopony was really sure what to do. They finally decided that the best course of action, the proper course of action, was to make a float for every crew member. Nopony wanted to count how many little twig ships there were as the last were wound together.

Night Light helped Fir Bough finish the last one. They had put as much effort into Captain Candescence's as they could, and Crushed Satin patted him on the back. It was perfect. She deserved as much; she had lasted long enough to know they were safe. Fir breathed heavily through her nose, but when Night Light offered to take it down to the water for the shaking mare, she refused and took it between her teeth. The ranking officers walked down to the beach and scooped up the multitude of ships. Silently, they set them in the water, and one by one, the current carried them away. Somehow, the captains of their ships found their way to the front of the little fleet.

The unicorns' horns sparked, and tiny lances of magic shot out across the water. The struck the pyramids on the top of each ship, and the coils of wicker wrapped around them sparked into blazes of reds and blues and all manner of colors. The ponies on the shore watched as their comrades floated down the river, their vessels becoming both boat and torch to see them safely on.

Normally, the entire process was observed in silence. But Willow Wisp couldn't help himself. He picked a song he was certain most everypony would know, a popular one from just before the war started, and mouthed the first lyrics to the ponies beside him so they could start with him. Just as had he had hoped, the twins never passed up a good song.

You drew a map so we’d remember
All the places that we went to
And although we never meant to
We lost it on our way

You drew a map so we’d remember
How to get back to the highway
But instead we followed moonlight
And were completely lead astray

And we have traveled this way, all of our days
And we will keep on following the dotted lines
Till we find a better place

We took a trail down to the beach where
We'd heard the music play before
The fires, they went on forever
Like flaming jewels along the shore

We sat there soaking up the starlight
And sang along to every song
Though we didn’t know the words
We made them up as we went along

And we have traveled this way, all of our days
And we will keep on following the dotted lines
Till we find a better place


The song won over the silence, and the ponies sang after their friends. The ships popped and sparked in return, spitting colored flame into the air as they disappeared down the river. The current was strong, and it would not take them long to get where they were going.

~*~

The trip home took longer than their mad dash south, as they were now traveling to match the battalions on the ground again. The peaceful journey was a bizarre experience for all of them. Nopony seemed willing or able to believe the war was really over. They were still riding on airships, still ready with armor and glaive and ballista, but there was nothing to fight. CAG rounds were over. The crews continued to run their ships as they had for months, just because that was what they knew to do.

It was on the third night of their return journey that Princess Celestia strode into the galley, holding something between her wings to hide it from prying eyes. Comet Shimmer and her squad were polishing off their meals and chatting about how they were going to make their ways home. Comet, of course, had the easiest time of them. She smiled at their ribbing, and that smile faltered only a little as Celestia strode up to them.

“Your Highness,” Comet nodded, “how are you tonight?” Silently, Celestia revealed three bottles of the red wine Comet had snuck onto the Adamant when it had departed from Canterlot. Six glasses set down on the table, and one by one they were filled with rich, red fluid. “Princess?”

“Drink.” Celestia sat across from them and took a drink in her hoof. Confused, Comet’s squad each took a glass. Celestia raised her glass and downed the drink in one long go. The pegasi quickly copied her. When they set their empty glasses down, they were quickly refilled. “A princess must be ready to lead in any situation. We are alive, my ponies, and we have prevailed against an enemy who would have ravaged our home. But nopony is celebrating. It seems I must lead in the revelry, so I shall accept this duty with steadily rising joviality.” The alicorn smiled. “Cheers.”

Comet snorted and buckled over in laughter. Celestia politely waited for her to finish, but she just kept laughing and pointing at the alicorn before clutching her sides. Tears ran down her face; it hurt to laugh so much, but she just couldn’t stop. Lily cracked under the absurdity and started laughing with her wingpony. The two ponies hung on each other for support, their wine forgotten on the table.

Down the table from them, Firefly, Rainbow Blaze, and Night Light sat together, watching the scene incredulously. Lily Nimbus made enough sense, but they never expected Comet Shimmer to openly laugh at the princess. Night Light hid his cracking smile by getting up and disappearing down the hall. He returned a moment later with two large kegs of cider floating behind him. He set down a dozen or so mugs and filled three of them. The two pegasi each took a drink.

“To surprises,” Night Light raised his mug and put it to his lips. The drink was cool and sweet and sang on his tongue. His friends joined him as others began to congregate around the kegs.

“Hey, Wisp!” Firefly called out. “War’s over, kid. Why don’t you give us a song?”

Willow raised his head from its perch on Rain’s neck, careful not to graze her bandages. “If you ask nicely, Ma’am, I might even give you three.” The filly beside him gave him a low C to start, and he was off into his melodic realm. The songs he chose were well known and easy to follow, and with fresh drinks circulating, it wasn’t long before he had half the galley singing along. The cooks threw caution to the wind and cooked up the best their stores could offer: Salads, oat steaks, crispy potato cakes with cinnamon applesauce, piles of diced fruits smothered in cream, and a seemingly endless supply of drink. Celestia seemed to be the only one who made note of the time, as she eventually excused herself to raise the sun, but the soldiers did not let the sunlight hinder their revelry.

By the fifth night, the celebrations had diminished to fluctuating pockets of elevated partying. Exhausted, most ponies would drift off to sleep somewhere, only to wake a few hours later and receive another mug to start all over again. Comet was not sure how much she had had to eat and drink in the past however many hours, but her belly felt ready to burst, and she decided the pile of rope a few feet away looked rather comfortable. She sprawled out on top of the coiled hemp and watched the clouds and the stars hang high above.

“What do we do now?” Comet muttered to herself. She tried to think on the life she had left behind the day she signed up for the Guard. She would wake up, have breakfast, go to school, go to the library after, go home for dinner, and do something fun before bed. But she had graduated, and a prestigious Fillydelphia college wasn’t in her future, it seemed. So she would probably get a job at the library, with her mother, and work there. The thought had always been fine with her before, but something made her uneasy now. She could not shake the frustration that gnawed on her skull.

“I think you need to put some work into your hammock there, kid.” Firefly laid back against the pile of rope, a mug of cider in one hoof and her stallion in the other. “Thinking on the big questions?”

“Yeah,” Comet murmured.

The mare waited for her to say more, but she did not know what else to say. “Well, start simple. Are you staying with the Guard?”

“No,” Comet replied immediately. She stretched her shoulders. “No, I’m done.”

“Good. So you’re gonna go home then?”

“I guess so.” Comet sighed. “I’ll probably find a job, something that can pay rent. It’s about time I moved out, I guess.”

“Becoming your own mare.” Firefly patted Rainbow on the head. “There’s nothing wrong with taking a break, you know. Faust knows we’ve all earned it.”

“Are you going to take a break, Ma’am?” Comet peered down at the couple.

“Hmm, don’t know yet. How about you, Blaze? You want some time off?”

“I wouldn’t object to a little R&R.” Rainbow nuzzled her affectionately. “As for long term… I don’t know. I guess I could get a job on a weather team or something.”

“You can do better than that, you big lug,” Firefly said and punched him on the shoulder. “There’s always something you can do, Shimmer. Bright kid like you, I’m sure you’ll land on your feet.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Comet smiled. “Wouldn’t have made it without you.”

“Nah, you did fine.” Firefly stretched. “A good bet on my part, if I do say so myself.”

~*~

A chorus of horn blasts reverberated across the fleet, startling most of the sleeping crew awake. Most of them jumped for their armor and equipment, before they remembered with sheepish chuckles that the dragons were gone. Some still put them on anyway.

The ponies made their way topside to find the ships drifting through dense clouds. The ghostly forms of other ships would vanish in and out of the mist. The horns continued to blow, declaring where the other ships were so they wouldn’t haphazardly crash into each other. Like spectres, a scout wing rushed past the Cumulus, their horn letting out a repeated two-tone call. The clouds began to let up, and finally the Cumulus broke free of the vaporous cocoon. Before them lay the open, green fields of Central Equestria. And sitting in the middle, tall and proud, was Mount Canterlot.

The celebration in Canterlot greeted them before they had even reached the docks. Dozens of pegasi flew out to meet the victorious army and escort the marching ponies up the side of the mountain. As they neared the borders of the cities, the masses of waiting ponies swelled; every pony that could must have come out to greet them. Their cheers were deafening as the first ground battalion marched through the city gates. The airships floated lazily overhead, passing between confetti rockets and fireworks as they held court over the city. Without anypony meaning it, their return became a grand parade, marching to cheers and street performers from the Southern Gate to the Ecliptic Plaza.

The airships circled over the plaza and a dozen blocks in every direction, filling the sky with their bulks. The slow but cheerful task of getting everypony down to the ground began. Pegasi carried their crews down in some cases, while the more powerful unicorns simply teleported onto rooftops and verandas. Willow Wisp carried Rain down to the cobblestone road, setting her down gently. She kissed him in thanks as she slid off his back. Cheering ponies were all around them, congratulating them on their victory and welcoming them home, but none of it reached either of them. They had made it, and more importantly, they both had made it.

Night Light thanked his ride, hopped off beside a lamp post, and took in a deep whiff of the Canterlot air. He never knew he could miss a smell so much, but there it was. His city lay untouched, safe by the efforts of him and his comrades. Out in the desert, it had been hard to remember who and what he had been fighting for, at times. All of it had seemed a distant memory, the connections to reality frayed by the harsh environment they had lived in. But back here, amidst the sights and sounds and smells of his city, he had no trouble remembering why he had marched off to war. And it had all been worth it.

The what was all around him. But the who, he still had to find. The stallion took off in a sprint -- he at least had an idea where to start. The city raced past him, a din of song and cheer. Night Light disappeared in a flash at the base of the stairs and reappeared at the top. He was too preoccupied to realize that he had, somewhere, figured out how to teleport. As he reached the tall double doors of the Central Library, his hooves cemented themselves against the stone. He had no idea what he was going to say to Twilight Velvet. For so long, he had thought of her. Memories of her face, of her laughter, of her talking had carried him through the darkest days he would ever know. But what if she didn't want him anymore? What if she hated him for leaving? What if he had lost her long before he had lost the locket? No, he at least had to know. No backing down. He had faced dragons, and he could face his mare.

He raised a hoof to open the door, but it swung away without his effort. In the doorway stood a pearly white unicorn with a striped purple mane. Her coat seemed to glow in the soft morning light. Her saddle bag sat neatly across her back, its contents packed up for the day. He was sure she had seen a ghost.

"Night Light?" Twilight Velvet's eyes began to water, her jaw quivered, her knees grew weak. It was him, tall and blue and dumb and hers.

"Hi, Velvet," he smiled sheepishly, "I'm home." She threw herself against him, and he pressed himself against her and twirled them both around. They couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry, so he kissed her until he was turning even more blue in the face. She buried her face in his shoulder, and he never let her go again.

Comet Shimmer and Lily Nimbus drifted above an earth pony battalion with their squad, waving and catching favors that the crowds threw. They each had a considerable bouquet, and it was still a couple more miles to the Ecliptic Plaza. So whenever they received a new flower, they would toss one back to the crowd, back and forth until their bouquets were entirely different.

"Dewbead," Wren shouted, "who would you think we were, coming home to such a big fanfare?"

"Big damn heroes, Ma'am," Dewbead laughed and caught a rose between her teeth.

"Aren't we just." The cream colored mare sighed and smiled. None of this was ever supposed to happen to her. She played her harp to theaters of refined ponies who clapped as quiet as physically possible. War was not a dominion she knew, nor was leading, and she hoped she would never know them again. But she had seen her squad was home. She hoped Cinnamon Cane felt that was enough.

"You know," Dewbead purred, "you should really learn to smile more. It's a party, Song. Enjoy it a little." She pushed her commander. "And you look good when you smile."

"I'm enjoying it just fine, thank you." But her lips curled upwards just a little more. Just a little.

By the time they reached Ecliptic Plaza, the entire area was overflowing with ponies. There was no way that the entire city could jam into the square, but they certainly were giving it their best effort. Half of Cyclone Company had disappeared, off to find a little privacy or partake in a moment of celebration. Comet Shimmer kept scanning the crowd, watching for a specific group.

The leathery wings of a chiroptequus are rare enough in Canterlot, but three pairs flying together could only be one family. Lily nudged Comet and pointed, and the pair excused themselves and raced off. The indigo filly's family set down in the last open part of the plaza and waved as they approached. Lily slowed to a landing, but Comet dove head first into her mother and father's waiting hooves, squeezing them like a lifeline.

She was home.

All three chiropteqi were slow to let go of each other, but when it was clear that they weren't going to disappear, they pulled back a bit to smile. Comet's eyes sparkled with half formed tears, just like her parents', but she smiled a big, toothy smile. "I'm home," she whispered.

"Welcome home, Shimmerbug." Her father stroked her mane, and for once in his life, there was not a single thought about whether it should be cut. A hoof poked Comet's shoulder and she spun around to find Twin Tail beaming at her. She clung to her brother and laughed into his shoulder. She was getting his fur wet from crying, but he was doing the same to hers, so buck it. Out of nowhere, a memory jumped into her head, and she squeezed her brother tighter.

"Tail, I'm sorry," Comet said. "I got you a scale, but... I lost it somewhere."

Twin Tail choked on a laugh. "You stupid little filly. As if that's what I really wanted." He held her tight against his chest and kissed her mane. "Welcome home, little sis." She dug her head into his fur and clenched her jaw. They hadn't changed a bit. And it hurt, because she knew something in her had, and she wouldn't be able to be the same filly for them again. But they would figure it out. Families usually do. Speaking of which...

"Tail?" Comet pushed away from him. "There's somepony who'd like to say hi to you. She's very dear to me, so treat her right." She spun her brother around to show him a teary eyed Lily Nimbus. She grinned sheepishly under his attention.

Twin Tail took her hoof in his. "Long time no see, Lily Nimbus. I'm glad we get to meet again."

Lily blushed and laughed, "I appreciate you trying to be a gentlecolt, but let me skip the horse shit and get to the part I want," before she jumped him to the ground and started sucking his face off. Comet would have been embarrassed if she had not expected Lily to do, honestly, a lot worse. A pair of wings surrounded the chiroptequus, one from each of her parents, and pulled her back to them. In their warmth, she felt ready to fall asleep. A lot of questions remained for the filly, but they could wait a while. Her war was over.