The entire trip cross country is in silence. The US agency, the FAA, has insisted that all of our chariots carry transponders. Next to the transponder is a ruggedized tablet computer for filing flight plans. I look on the screen, it shows our location with GPS precision, we’ve been flying for hours now. Moon Shadow specifically requested some of our fastest haulers with the best endurance, flying cross country is tiring. I’m glad we pay those pegasi pretty well, their barrels are heaving as we continue flying.
I sigh and turn to Moon Shadow, “Any updates?”
She looks bleak, “I can’t feel the earring anymore, Dust. That means it’s destroyed. I was able to zero in on it’s location, though not well enough for a teleport.” She sighs, “I hope it’s not this weird copy of Twilight Sparkle.”
I had updated my family on this new pony. Even Sunset Shimmer looks worried about dealing with her. Everypony has been really quiet during this flight. We are all worried. Mindy comes up next to me, “Dustie, I’ve gotten a response, Cloud Kicker, Blossomforth, and all of the rest of the teams were in Texas, training with the guard contingent there, they are on their way, we will meet up with them there.”
I nod, and sigh, “How is Mischief?”
Sunset smiles sadly, “Oh, she’s been wondering where mommy is. We’ve been keeping her distracted, but she’s almost two. Hell, the portal opening is just a couple of months away. She’s a smart little one, and I know she misses you.”
I sigh, “I miss her too. Damnit!” I slam a hoof into the diamond plate of the chariot, “I wanted to see my little foal. I wanted to spend time with all of you. Not having to go out again.”
Sunset comes up next to me and nuzzles me, I fold a wing over her and sigh, “I’m sorry. This Twilight Sparkle has me really spooked.”
She shudders, “I know how powerful she was as an alicorn, I can imagine she was extremely strong as a unicorn. But we have something she doesn’t.”
I sniffle and look at her, “What’s that?”
She smiles, and gestures with a hoof, “All of us. The show, and our lives here, have all shown us that we are stronger together.”
I look at her, realization dawning, “I discovered that too, I can’t do this all alone, I need you.”
She looks at me slyly, “No more charging off into danger? Leaving your herd behind?”
I chuckle, “No promises, love.” I turn my head and kiss her, my body tingles as I reconnect with her, I bring a hoof to her cheek and lose myself in her.
A throat clearing brings me back to the present, I look over at Mindy, my face heating, “Sorry.”
She giggles, “Don’t be. We are all happy to have you home, Dustie. We are getting ready to land now.”
I look around, we are in the cloud layer as we get close to our destination, I see to the side, two other chariots, with other members of our guard’s teams. Though there are quite a few more ponies than I expected. We finally land on a building, less than a mile from our destination. Trixie bounces out and runs to me, bowling me over.
I end up on my back, with the blue mare chattering excitedly at me, “Oh Dust, when Trixie found out about what had happened, she was so upset. Then we found out about the light spell on the body, and the fact it was never a pony in the first place. We were relieved. Is it true that Twilight Sparkle is back?”
I nod, then furrow my brow, “Light spell? Isn’t that something that you simply use to make light?”
She tosses her head, “It’s most basic version, yes. But more advanced versions are actually very scary. Sunset described to me the one used. And it can only be done by a select few unicorns, Trixie can’t even do that version. Sunset would have problems with it. Even Twilight Velvet would find this version taxing to her abilities. The version used actually created a fusion reaction. And Sunset’s instincts to put a shield spell around it saved her life, and the lives of everyone in your home. But from the spell’s standpoint, it was the worst thing to do. It would have exploded, taking out your house, and a couple of other houses, and Lake Luna would have a new bay. But holding in the energy, with two strong unicorns holding it in, allowed the spell’s reaction to continue, it was actually producing a small sun, a sustained fusion reaction. It was Moon Shadow’s quick thinking, putting a spell to protect Sunset and Mindy and then opening a gateway into outer space that saved the town of New Beginnings from what the light spell became.”
I look at all the ponies here, "This is more than our teams, what's going on?"
Nearly fifty ponies are here, all in armor, I don’t know most of them.
Trixie turns to look, “They want to help, they are rapid response teams from the ponies down in Texas, we are going to get Irony back. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.”
I give Trixie a grateful smile, then turn to the small warehouse. Why does it always have to be a warehouse? I can see Irony’s car, gleaming in the sunlight, “Are we ready?”
I hear murmurs of assent, and I spread my wings, We are going in hot, “Let’s go!” I shout as I take to the air, the pegasi of our teams with me, some of them carrying the earth ponies. The unicorns all opt to teleport. In a matter of seconds I lead the spearhead of ponies into the warehouse. I slam through the doors. Several of the pegasi toss the earth ponies through the windows, then follow them in. I slam to the ground.
No one is here.
We all look at each other, “Where is Irony?” Sunset says.
I shake my head, “I don’t know.” I point to some of the unicorns, “Search the building.”
Several horns alight as the ponies teleport.
I walk over to Moon Shadow, “You are sure about the place?”
She nods, she walks around, “I can feel the residues, there was a lot of magic here.” She looks around, “I think there were a lot of constructs, like what you had to deal with overseas. Irony didn’t go easily. It even looks like she escaped for a time.”
“Dust.” One of the unicorns popped in front of us, “I need you to come with me.”
The peach colored unicorn with five silver stars on her flanks turns and gallops off. Moon Shadow is hot on my heels as we all gallop outside. She skids to a stop and points.
I flare my wings and take to the air to get a better view, “That’s a lot of blood.”
Moon Shadow touches her horn to the dried blood, “its Irony’s.”
I look around, almost a gallon of blood, counting splatters all over. “I’m no expert, but that is a lot of blood for one pony to lose.” I look at Moon Shadow, “Is she alive?”
Moon Shadow looks bleak, “I think so, I really do, but this is a lot for Irony to lose. Even as big as she is. I don’t know.”
I turn to the rest of the team, "Irony's not here. We need to circle around, try to determine where she went.”
Moon Shadow comes up, “if she’s been captured by that Twilight, she likely would have been teleported.”
I sigh, “I know moon, but I don’t know what else to do.”
She sighs as well, “I’ll drive her car home, Love.”
I sigh, I want to cry, but what do I do? “Load up!” I shout.
In minutes we are in the air. Though after hours of scouting around, we end up being unable to even get a clue. With a sigh, I order the ponies home, then I curl up on the diamond plate for the flight home.
***
I’m nudged by Sunset Shimmer, I blink and look around. Home, in minutes we are on the ground, and the walk to the house goes by quickly. Then I’m jarred out of my funk. “Mischief!” I scream as I flash forward.
The little foal yelps as she’s picked up, I find myself nuzzling her, and hugging my little one. I cover her little face with kisses. She looks at me in confusion, then brightens, “Mommy!” She spreads her wings and hugs me back.
“Miss mommy!” She wails.
“Mommy missed Mischief too.” I sob as I hold my little one. Very little in my world is right, but right now… I nuzzle Mischief again, right now, holding my little Mischief, at least one little part of the world is just perfect.
***
A little later I’m in my office, Zeddicus is playing with Mischief, I try to stop the tears. But they won’t stop. I look at my desk, the computer, the pile of documents from Lightning Electric. My eyes are drawn to the framed picture on my desk. I keep looking at the photo, it’s all of us, mugging for the camera. I look in the background of the photo, Irony is showing one of her rare smiles. Then I find myself sitting up, something is wrong with the photo. It’s not centered in it’s frame, what the hell?
I have a couple of digital photo frames in the house, but this one, I just got a hard copy of the photo, and I had it framed, and for the last couple of years, I’ve looked at that picture, and it always helped me. I bring the frame closer. Yes, the picture has moved. I furrow my brow as I turn it over, a moment of work has the back off, and I’m sitting here, looking at a piece of paper. I look at it for a long time, is this from Irony? If so, she found the perfect place for me to find it. Helen rarely comes in here, and the kids know that my office is off limits. The only one who would find this would be me. I finally unfold the paper…
Dearest Lightning Dust,
If you are reading this, then you have returned home before I could find you. If you've come home, then maybe you can forgive me... I... I don't know how to apologize for the things I said, for the actions I took. You saved us all, and I was ready to attack you. To kill you if necessary. On the note, I can see that there are tear stains on it. I trace a hoof on the stains for a moment, then continue reading.
There is nothing I can say, or do, to fully repent my actions. But, know that I would have soon followed you into death, had I felt forced to follow through on my threat.
I regretted my words, my actions, immediately, but couldn't take them back. I should have realized that there is no way you would have done something like that without reason. I should have let you explain... I shouldn't have acted so rashly.
I love you, Lightning Dust, with all of my soul, more than I ever thought I could love. I pray to Celestia that you can somehow, someday, forgive me.
All my love,
IRONY
I feel my own tears start to fall, “Oh Irony. You did nothing that requires my forgiveness.” I’m able to moan as I hug the letter to my chest, I fall out of my chair, I can’t do anything but sob.
“Dust!” I hear a voice, I have no idea how long I’ve been on the floor.
A small set of arms wrap around me, and I feel the tingle of magic as I’m levitated off the floor. I’m cradled like a baby, and float up the stairs. My eyes aren’t working correctly, no part of me is working correctly. Soon I’m set gently on the bed, and as the form sets me down, I reach my hooves out, grabbing who was holding me, and I bring them into a hug. My wings join in the hug as I sob. A pair of hands pat my back as I cry. After a long time, I’m able to focus my eyes, and I pull back.
“Hannah!” I shout, she giggles.
“Hi Dust.”
I sniffle, “I’m so sorry you had to take care of me like this.”
She cocks her head to the side, “Why?”
I find myself searching for words, but finally I’m able to say, “A child shouldn’t have to carry the burden.”
She ruffles my mane, “You and mom never really hid stuff from me, or Dylan. You let us know what was going on. In part, I’ve had to grow up more quickly, but I think I’m better for that. I know what happened to Mama Irony. I already asked Mama Moon, Twilight Sparkle is back?”
I nod, “Yes but not the Twilight from the show, something is wrong with her, in her head. She’s not like she was in the show.”
“But she has the same abilities?”
I nod.
“How can you defeat her?”
I am actually able to smile at this, “The same way she defeated her enemies in the show.”
She furrows her brow, “You don’t have the elements, you don’t have the magical rainbow cannon to defeat your foes.”
I nod, “That magical rainbow cannon was powered by the one thing we do have.”
She looks confused, “What?”
“Friendship. Our family, our bonds. What was used to defeat Discord in this world, the bonds of all the ponies here. We have that. That is our strength.”
She hugs me hard, “I hope you can stop her, and get Irony back.”
I hold my daughter for a long time, “I hope so to.”
***
I end up trotting into Mindy’s office. She’s insisted, and we have several fiber optic lines installed, Lightning Electric ran them for us. We have absolutely fast internet at the house. I stop for a moment, I know that we did some remodeling as the family has grown, but she has a pretty nice sized office in the basement, but the door off to the side behind her desk it open. I walk through slowly.
“Mindy?”
“Oh, hey Dustie, just replacing a hard drive.”
“What is all of this?”
She giggles, “We are the internet hub for New Beginnings, Dustie. This is our server room.”
I walk through the racks, “This looks like a server farm, Mindy.”
She appears from an aisle, there are over a dozen aisles here, server racks everywhere, I count over a hundred before I give up, “How much power is being used here, Mindy?”
She giggles again, “Oh, a lot. But we provide internet for the entire town, subscriber fees pay for all of this, I’ve got a few ponies who work here, maintaining them, but they are off now. I’m the one on call, keeping things working.”
I furrow my brow, “I haven’t seen any ponies coming down stairs.”
She points, “I’ve got it all covered, Dustie. We have an entrance and offices for them. This is really a big complex, took three weeks to dig. I was happy to have it done.”
I shake my head, “I’ve been home for a while now, Mindy. When?”
She cocks her head to the side, “I started it before we moved the house, I scouted the site out and got things started. When we moved the house, we just had to be careful where we put the basement, so everything hooked up correctly, then I made the door, and we were in business.”
I shake my head, “You are a gem, you know that Mindy?”
She furrows her brow, “No… I’m a pony.”
I giggle, it’s nice to be able to giggle, then I sigh, “Any luck searching?”
Her ears fall, and her mane starts to fall flat, “No, Irony apparently hasn’t been able to get to a computer. This weird Twilight has been keeping her internet presence quiet as well. I’ve been scouring the net. I’m keeping everything going, I’m looking for her. But I can only do so much. I’ve even contacted Cipher Splash, she’s working for the Military cyber command. We are searching as best as we can. Tapping into cameras where we can, but nothing so far.”
I sigh, “It’s only been a couple of days, Irony knows to try to find a computer, or something to connect, we will find her if she shows up.”
Tears start to form in Mindy’s eyes, I move forward and wrap my forehooves and wings around her, tightly, “Mindy, we are doing what we can.”
She sighs in my grip, “I miss her.”
I squeeze her, “I do too, we will find her.”
She pulls away and looks at me seriously, “Promise?”
I am able to smile and nod at her, “Yes, Mindy. I promise, we will get Irony.”
“But what are we going to do about this Twilight Sparkle? She’s so powerful! Even Sunset Shimmer, the most powerful unicorn I know, is scared of her.”
I sigh, “I don’t know, Mindy. Maybe we can let her know that we can be her friend, that she can find happiness in this world. Maybe we can use the magic of friendship that we know we all possess.”
She sniffles, “But what if that doesn’t work?”
“Then we will do what we must do, Mindy.”
She pulls back and looks at me seriously, “What does that mean?”
“It means, we will get Irony back, no matter what.”
***
The guards have a facility that has been built for training, my status as a Wonderbolt gains me entry, though I bring Moon Shadow and Sunset Shimmer with me. We get into the large training yard, I watch different ponies training. The earth ponies are training, though this time, it’s not with weapons, I spy a face I’ve seen a couple of times, she’s standing before a dozen or so recruits, lecturing them. They are all standing in a large arena, with a sunken main floor. I know what all this is for, memories from Equestria float to the surface as I smile.
“Limestone!” She spies me and after a moment, getting the recruits doing exercises, she comes up to me.
She hugs me warmly, “Glad to see you Lightning Dust.”
“How are you liking the spring weather in Montana?”
She smiles, “It’s a lot cooler than Texas.”
I chuckle, “I’ll bet, I grew up in Corpus Christie, I know what hot is.”
“Well at least you had the sea breeze, over in Midland, it’s just hot, hot and more hot.”
“I did my apprenticeship in Dallas, so I know what you are talking about.”
She chuckles, “At least Midland is a dry hot.”
I look at the earth ponies doing pushups, “So, what are you training them on?”
“Rolling Earth basics, seeing which ponies have the aptitude for it.”
I look at her, “Rolling Earth, now that is a rough discipline. I tried, but I could only master a few forms, I just don’t have the brute strength.”
“You’ve got speed, you are a pegasus. It’s good, just not good for Rolling Earth.”
I look over at Sunset and Moon Shadow, “Limestone Pie here is a Rolling Earth grand master.”
“Pie?” Moon Shadow asks.
“I’m Pinkie Pie’s sister.” She says quietly.
Moon Shadow giggles, “So, we’ve found Maud and Limestone, what about her other sister?”
Limestone’s ears drop, “I think she went through the portal the first time.”
I put a wing over the earth pony, “Well, at least Pinkie has two sisters to spend time with, since Maud took her wife and son through the portal the last time it opened.”
She sighs, “I really thought about going through, I really wanted to. I still might. But I’ve got a lot of students here, I have ponies that need me right now.” She sniffles, “I can’t go back yet.”
I squeeze her with my wing, “It’s alright Limestone, the portal opens every thirty moons, you can go through any time you wish.
She smiles, “Thanks Lightning Dust.”
I look at the ponies, “So, are you going to kick their ass?”
She nods, “Wanna watch?”
“Oh yeah.”
She tosses her head to indicate a spectator area, ponies performing Rolling Earth can really tear up an area, so spectators need to keep away, I flutter up there, as Sunset and Moon Shadow opt to teleport. We sit and watch quietly.
Limestone trots up before the group of about thirty ponies, “I’ve taught you the basics, how to feel the magic you possess, and to get the earth itself to bend to your will. Now you are going to use those skills, you have to try to defeat me.”
They look at her in shock for a moment, and she jumps, landing hard on the concrete, two large chunks of the concrete bounce out of the ground, and she flips in the air, kicking at both chunks, her hooves don’t make contact, but both chunks of concrete slam towards the group of ponies, who scatter in response, except for one. This pony flips herself into the air, kicking at the chunks as they streak towards her, they reverse direction, and fire back at Limestone almost as fast as they were coming towards this other pony. The other pony goes into offense, and slams her own hooves into the ground, bringing up four chunks, another flip in the air, and those chunks are flashing towards Limestone.
I gasp as Limestone waits until the chunks are almost to her, she taps a hoof on the ground, and the ground she’s on lifts up a few inches and slides to the side, she jumps off the slab, breaking it in pieces and sending them at the other pony.
“It’s like that cartoon that Henry liked.” Moon Shadow breathes.
I smile as I watch Limestone thoroughly whip the pony, and while the two are battling, a couple of the others get brave, sending rocks of their own at their teacher, who adroitly either avoids the clumsy attacks, or sends the rocks back at the ponies much faster.
Sunset leans down to talk in my ear, “I’ve heard about Rolling Earth grand masters, but seeing one in action, I wonder if Discord had a time taking her.”
I feel the fur down my back raise, “I hope she went down swinging, though I have a feeling he was glad to have her gone.”
Moon Shadow looks thoughtful, “That is amazing.”
My attention is grabbed by two ponies walking into another part of the practice field. I take off and slam down in front of both of them, “Blaze, Velvet, what you guys doing here?”
Blaze chuckles, “We are practicing anti-unicorn fighting, if we have this Twilight Sparkle to deal with. Best to be prepared.”
I sigh, “That’s why I’m here, why not work together?”
Velvet looks thoughtful, “Two pegasi against little ole me? Sounds fun.” She grins evilly as she finishes.
With a pop, Sunset and Moon teleport, “Well, I brought my own sparring partners.”
Velvet looks at them seriously, “Are you trained in battle magic, Moon Shadow? I know you aren’t, Sunset, so go and watch.”
Moon Shadow looks confused, “I know the spell forms.”
Velvet grins, “Knowing the forms, and using them on your hooves are two very different things. The answer is no, now sit down, and I’ll teach Lightning Dust what she needs to know.”
Both unicorns move slowly away, and I gulp, I may be getting in over my head here.
Velvet’s voice takes on an air of lecturing, “As pegasi, you both need to know how to deal with the weaknesses of unicorn magic. One of the hardest things for a unicorn to do is pick up liquids.” Her horn lights and both of us are encased in her aura, “While I know tactics to combat what I’m going to teach you, you need to learn the basics.”
I glance over at Blaze, he’s squirming, trying to keep moving. After a moment I start squirming as well, keeping every part of my body flexing, trying to move.
Velvet continues, “Most ponies make a serious mistake when captured by telekinesis, they go limp, they assume they are defeated and give up.”
Blaze apparently breaks a foreleg free, he keeps it moving, and soon has a wing free. I’m still stubbornly stuck. But I keep struggling.
Velvet’s voice starts to sound strained, “If you keep moving, if you keep fighting, you can wear the unicorn out, you will certainly be keeping them on their toes, always trying to compensate for the different variables. The more ponies the unicorn tries to hold, the harder it is to hold on to them if they keep moving. Just like trying to hold a cup of water, minus the cup, but imagine the water in that cup under pressure, and looking for any way to...”
She pauses as Blaze streaks into the sky, finally breaking free of her magic, “Very good, Blaze!”
She then focuses on me, “You haven’t even broken any part of yourself free, Dust. Better work harder.”
She grins as the field around me tightens, since she doesn’t have to compensate for two ponies, she’s got me. I struggle harder, and harder. Then the field melts away, and I take to the sky as Blaze buzzes her, close enough to give her a manecut, from the withers up.
He chuckles as she flinches away, “And that is why pegasi work in teams, the lead pony, and the wing pony. One gets free, and frees their partner.” He streaks high into the sky and drops towards Velvet, who starts shooting stun spells at the blue pegasus. I join him in buzzing her, and she fires a few bolts at me, keeping me hopping.
Narrowing her eyes, Velvet’s horn glows as she grabs a set of blunted metal disks, for real combat they would be sharp, but for training these will work, firing them off like buckshot at Blaze and I, they spread out a bit keeping us on our tiphooves trying to dodge. Something tickles the back of my mind and I shoot straight up. Blaze isn’t so lucky, the disks had stopped behind him, and reversed course, he got grazed by at least one of them. "Not all attacks are magical” Velvet calls out loudly, “A smart unicorn will use physical weapons too. And attacks can come from any direction, combat can be as much about creativity, as about the spells."
I feel a shudder run through my body as I get closer, her mom is nearly outdoing anything I can do. What will her daughter do?
I glance at Blaze and we resume our attack, Blaze slams to the ground, and I make another pass. I keep high and watch him dodge every blast she sends at him, and every time she gets too focused on him, I remind her of my presence. I even am able to run a hoof from her withers to her tail as I pass over her. And then have to dodge furiously as the blushing mare sends several bolts at me, allowing Blaze to get close.
“Blaze, look out!” I shout at the lilac mare turns and fires several blasts at him. But one of his wings flashes out in front of him, deflecting the energy into a wall.
I almost lose control, he just deflected a stun spell, with his wing! Though my amazement is short lived, when a stun spell hits me in the barrel, causing me to crash heavily into the ground. Blaze comes up, offering a hoof up.
Velvet comes forward, “You two seems to be…”
I interrupt her, “Blaze, how in the hell did you deflect that spell?”
He smiles, “We found it out a while ago, speedsters, and other magic user pegasi can charge our wings with our magic, and use them to deflect or even absorb unicorn spells.”
“Charge my wing? I can do that, Velvet. Shoot a stun spell at me.”
Blaze backs away as the lilac unicorn frowns, “You haven’t trained on this Dust.”
I smile, I know how to charge my wings, “Go for it, if I screw up, I’m out for a minute, and it hurts. But I need to learn that.”
She sighs and her horn lights, “You asked for it, Dust.”
I grin as I charge my wings, she fires her spell at me, I bat it away without even thinking twice. She sends another one to me, even stronger, I bat it away again.
“Oh, come on Velvet, is that all you’ve got?” I smirk.
She narrows her eyes and fires a beam at me, it’s as tall and wide as a pony is long. I put both my charged wings in front of me, absorbing the magic she’s sending, but soon I’m blown back, I end up tumbling over and over, and end up slamming into the wall. I’m dazed, my eyes are spinning.
“Oh, Dust!” Velvet shouts and teleports next to me, picking me up off the ground.
I feel my face, and rub a forehoof over my nose, it coming away bloody. I look at Velvet, “Perhaps I shouldn’t have taunted you so much.” I say and pass out.