"If you want to make enemies, try to change something."
Throughout the journey back to Equestria, Twilight hadn't said a word. Rainbow Dash couldn't say she understood what her friend was going through, still having both of her own parents. But she was determined to do whatever she could for Twilight. She may not have been able to understand her pain, but she could give her friend a shoulder to cry on. And that was exactly what she did. She didn't leave Twilight's side once, and the griffon she had escaped with wasn't divulging details, saying that it was Twilight's place to tell instead of his.
Coming out of her thoughts, Dash focused on the fact that the airship was landing outside Canterlot palace. Guiding her puffy eyed friend to the lowering ramp, she slowly walked Twilight down onto solid ground. Yinsen, Soarin, and Spitfire walking beside the casket that held Night Light's body.
Twilight looked at the friends and loved ones she had missed those past months. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were there and quick to hug her. After they released her, she was embraced by her teacher, burying her face in the solar princess' coat as she choked back a sob.
"Welcome home, Twilight," Celestia softly said as she released her student and allowed her to be embraced by her mother. Her heart stung as she watched mother and daughter silently mourn their lost loved one. She hated seeing her little ponies suffer so. She could however draw some consolation from the fact that Night Light had died protecting his daughter, as any devoted parent was prepared to do.
Twilight finally tore her gaze from her mother and allowed it to pan around. She didn't see Spike, but she was happy to see Facet. Locking eyes with him, she slowly walked toward him, being met halfway and embracing her love. She felt the corner of her mouth twitch a tiny bit upward as she felt him trembling. He schooled himself well, but she could see through the calm face.
"I was so worried," Facet whispered as he held her. "I could barely eat, I had such bad nightmares that Princess Luna had to intervene more than once so that I could sleep." He hugged her closer. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
"I'm sorry, Facet," Twilight answered, planting a kiss on his cheek. "You kept me strong during that ordeal. You and our friends."
"Let's get you inside," Facet said as he finally released her. "You could probably use a home cooked meal after what you've been through."
Twilight gave him a small smile even as her stomach growled. "I really could. Thanks, Facet."
After getting her fill of both her mother's and Facet's cooking, Twilight looked at her assembled friends and family. "Where is Spike?"
"We... Don't know," Rarity said hesitantly. "He disappeared after you were abducted."
"We're still looking for him, but haven't found anything," Dash explained.
"I see," Twilight muttered. "Mom? Can I talk to you alone?"
"Of course, sweetie," Velvet said, gesturing for the others to leave them. She couldn't help smiling a bit at Facet planting a kiss on Twilight's cheek as he passed her. He would make a fine son-in-law someday. She waited until the doors had shut to speak again. "What do you want to talk about?"
"The terrorists that held me and Dad prisoner..." Twilight began. "They were armed with weapons made by Sparkle Industries." She ignored her mother's shocked gasp. "The weapons my father designed to protect the ponies in the Equestrian military were what ultimately killed him. Effective immediately, I'm taking over as CEO of Sparkle Industries. I need you to call a press conference so that I can make that known, and announce some other changes I have in mind."
Velvet could tell her daughter was dead serious. "Alright. I'll make the arrangements, Twilight."
"Thank you," Twilight answered with a nod.
The central square in Canterlot was abuzz with activity as the journalists got settled in and news crews got ready to broadcast live throughout Equestria. At the podium stood Velvet, dressed in a black dress like Twilight, who stood to her side. On Velvet's other side stood Trixie Lulamoon. The former showmare had turned over a new leaf after the incident with the Alicorn Amulet, and decided to join the military. And now here she stood, at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and acting as the military's middlemare to Sparkle Industries.
Velvet got the signal that they were live and raised her hoof in a silent request for silence. "My family has been struck by tragedy. While my daughter Twilight has been returned home safely... Her father, my husband Night Light, lost his life protecting her. But we won't let this loss get us down forever. Twilight has insisted on taking over as CEO of Sparkle Industries, and I am here today to introduce her in that role."
The reporters clamored to have their questions answered as Velvet stepped down to let Twilight take the podium. Raising a hoof, she pointed to a random journalist.
"What happened to you overseas, Ms. Sparkle?" the reporter inquired, his quill and notepad held in his telekinetic grip.
"What happened to me?" Twilight repeated. "What happened was that my father and I were taken prisoner by a terrorist cell armed with weapons from Sparkle Industries." She waited for the crowd's gasp to pass. "My father was killed by the weapons he had designed. Weapons intended to protect the ponies of our military." She adopted a frightening glare. "I don't know who in my company has been dealing under the table, but whoever it is will pay!" She took a deep breath. "Effective immediately, all weapons development projects at Sparkle Industries will be discontinued, and all our weapon contracts with the military are null and void!" She had to magically amplify her voice to make the rest of her statement heard. "I'm taking Sparkle Industries in a new direction. A body count will not be our legacy!" With that, she turned and walked away from the podium, teleporting away before anyone could stop her.
Twilight stood in silent contemplation as she regarded the ARC reactor that powered the Sparkle Industries facility. This one was imperfect though. Lacking the efficiency of the one in her chest.
"You sure about this move, Sparkle?" a female voice asked from behind her.
Turning, Twilight saw her new business partner. "Silver Tiara. Yes. I'm sure about this move." She looked back at the ARC reactor. "We'll be looking into ARC reactor technology again."
"The ARC reactor? Seriously?" Silver asked incredulously. "That was a publicity stunt! It was built to shut the nature lovers up! We haven't had a breakthrough in..."
"A thousand years?" Twilight asked while turning to her. "I made one." She undid her dress enough to show the glowing device in her chest.
Silver's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Is that really..."
"Yes," Twilight said as she covered it back up. "Starlight was limited by the technology of his time. But I'm going to perfect it."
"Sparkle..." Silver began. "Think of what this could do for Equestria's military. A new generation of weapons with the ARC reactor at its heart."
"No." Twilight's tone was firm. "We are not going to use ARC reactor technology to make war. It will be used for the people. For peaceful applications." Before Silver could speak again, Twilight teleported away.
Twilight looked at her new and improved ARC reactor. It was vastly superior to the one currently in her chest, with four times the power output. Carefully removing the old one, she took a deep breath after attaching the new one and settling it into her chest.
"Twilight?" She heard Dash's voice as the pegasus entered her lab. "You wanted to talk to me?" She saw the old ARC reactor in Twilight's telekinetic grip. "What is that?"
"This... is what was keeping me alive," Twilight said as she sat it on the table. "This will be keeping me alive for the foreseeable future."
"What happened that made you put that in your chest?" Dash asked, her voice dead serious.
Twilight sighed. "There's a cluster of shrapnel trying to worm its way into my heart. This ARC reactor is powering an electromagnet that's holding it back."
"Dear Celestia..." Dash muttered. "Who else knows?"
"Mom, Facet, and Silver Tiara. But Silver doesn't know it's keeping me alive," Twilight said. "But that's not what I called you here for." She went over to her computer and started typing. "Dusk, you awake?"
"For you ma'am, always," the AI answered.
"Open a new project file. Index as Mark II," Twilight instructed.
"Shall I store this on the Sparkle Industries central database?" Dusk inquired.
"Keep everything on my private server until I know who I can trust," Twilight answered while bring up a hologram on her suit on the hologram table.
"Working on a secret project?" Dusk asked.
"Just don't want it winding up in the wrong hooves," Twilight said as she looked the hologram over, discarding pieces from the design and beginning to refine it.
"What is that, Twilight?" Dash asked as she looked at the hologram.
"This... Is how I escaped captivity," Twilight said. "And now I'm going to refine it and perfect it."
"You're about to make a lot of ponies very happy," Dash said. "Especially after that stunt at the press conference."
"This isn't for the military," Twilight said as she started gather materials. "I will only certain individuals that I trust to use this technology I'm developing."
"Twilight, the military needs something like this," Dash said. "I'm not sure I can be part of this and not keep quiet about it to my superiors."
"I understand," Twilight said. "Just Pinkie Promise that you'll keep everything we've talked about to yourself."
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Dash said, going through the motions of the unbreakable vow.
Twilight nodded. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash."
"Sure thing, Twi," Dash said, patting her friend on the shoulder. "I'll let you work." The only sounds in the lab as she left was Twilight's tools as she started putting together the first piece of her improved suit.
Twilight slipped into that familiar zone that once only came when she was studying. Her breathing steady as her eyes flitted about her project, piece by piece they came together. In what seemed only a short time to the unicorn, she had assembled the boots of the suit. She smiled at her good work and donned them.
"Okay. Let's do this right." Twilight said as she stepped into a clear space. "Test 1. Gonna start nice and easy with 10% thrust capacity, see if that achieves lift. In three... two... one." Next thing she knew she was on the floor behind a table with a full body ache from slamming into the ceiling. "Ow..."