//------------------------------//
// Hail to the Queen 
// Story: Tales From the Phoenix Empire 
// by Chengar Qordath 
//------------------------------//

I stand before Celestia’s tomb.

Not the large public mausoleum I erected to her memory in the middle of Canterlot. The grave there is empty; I would never be stupid enough to leave her body in a place where any two-bit warlock could try to steal it. The last thing I need is for every fool who wears too much black to get the bright idea of turning Celestia into a zombie.

I stand before her real tomb, hidden inside a vault known only to myself and one other pony. All my secrets lie within here. Dangerous artifacts. The bodies of my most dangerous enemies, and prisons holding a few others believed to be dead. By sunset tonight, six more ponies will have come here. I am not certain if I care for that. This has always been my private sanctum. However, it is necessary.

Unlike the massive and overdone public memorial, Celestia’s real tomb is a simple thing. The stasis spell within the glass-topped coffin has preserved her body perfectly, even after more than eight hundred years. She looks exactly as she did on the day she gave up her immortality. I had been tempted to restore her to her former appearance after she passed on—return her to the mare I knew at the height of her power, rather than the wise but humble mortal who had served as my adviser after I took her throne. I am not sure if that would qualify as restoring her body or desecrating it; I also am not sure which of those I would prefer.

“We’re nearly there,” I murmur to the corpse. “Eight hundred and forty three years since you died. And more importantly, nine hundred and ninety nine since you sealed your sister away. I still remember your last request.” I chuckle humorlessly, shaking my head. “Redeem your sister. Spare her life, even though she would undo all of Equestria if she could. Even though ponies have already died because of her cultists. I know you never expected me to honor it; killing Luna is logical. Both to remove the threat to my children within the Empire, and to destroy a potential rival to my rule.”

My mind turns to one of the many objects sealed within the vault. Five spheres of solid stone, which I had recovered from an abandoned castle. Why she’d left one of the most powerful weapons in Equestria to gather dust in a moldering ruin, I will never know. Probably guilt and shame over turning that weapon against her sister. That was the sort of ridiculous reasoning I had come to expect from that damned fool of a mare.

I think I love her, in my own way. Sometimes I even love her more than I hate her.

“The pieces are all falling into place,” I continue, still speaking to her mortal remains. “Six virtues, and six ponies to wield them. Ridiculous way to wield a weapon, but I suppose you liked the idea that only the pure of heart could wield the Elements of Harmony. Rather pointless, though, if the ponies with the requisite qualities aren’t conveniently available when the crisis strikes.” I place a hoof on the glass of the coffin. “But I suppose you would say that when Equestria needs them, the destined ponies would appear. I do wonder what you would have to say about the fact that your sister’s cultists put a crossbow bolt through one of those destined ponies. Or was that just another part of the grand plan?”

I turn my back on her for several seconds, my eyes resting on the room’s other occupant. My daughter, Midnight Sparkle. Watching her grow old and die while I remained immortal and unchanging had been ... hard. More than once, I had been sorely tempted to break my word to Celestia and grant my child dominion over the moon. Let her stand immortal at my side. But then she would just have to experience the same pain I had when her children aged.

Perhaps one of the things I hated most about my immortality was how much it had made me resemble Celestia. Immortality changes one’s perspective on the world. When I had been mortal, I strove to accomplish as much as possible within the short time I had on this world, then leave behind a lasting legacy. Immortals do not have that sense of urgency. Why fight a war to conquer another nation when a few simple acts over the course of several centuries could lead to peaceful unification?

Still, the crown suited me, and in a way it never truly suited Celestia. She had always been too kind and free-spirited to truly love ruling over Equestria. The years after she’d given up her crown were some of the happiest of her life. She was free to do as she pleased, no longer constrained by the duties and expectations of her position and content with the knowledge that the world was safe in my hooves. To be sure, there had been numerous plots and counter-plots, wars and rebellions, but I always triumphed in the end.

In a way, I was almost looking forward to Nightmare Moon’s return. The prospect had loomed over my head ever since the day I took the crown. Perhaps even longer, given the war against her Avatar in my mortal days. It was strange to think that in a year’s time it would all be over. Luna finally redeemed, or one of us dead.

“I will save your damned sister,” I growl at Celestia. “I know you expected me to murder her, given half an excuse. Your little Circle is still keeping an eye on me, and I’m sure they have orders from you to stop me if I try to kill the nag, even though she’s earned it many times over. Yes, she deserves to die. And yet...” I start pacing around the room, too agitated to remain still. “And yet, I will save her. Not because you manipulated me, or because the agents who still serve your will after all these centuries are watching me, but because I chose to. You asked it of me on your deathbed, and for all our disagreements I ...” I hesitate to say the next words for some time. “I will honor your request, Celestia. Just this once, we’ll try it your way.”

I nod my farewell to the body and exit the vault.





The Feast of Remembrance long ago supplanted the Grand Galloping Gala as the most prestigious event in Canterlot. Primarily because the Feast is far more exclusive; nearly a thousand Gala invitations go out every year, while only twenty-three others join me for the Feast. And of those invitations, more than half are reserved for my tribunes and other high officials.

I am sure this year’s guest list raised quite a few eyebrows. The newly named Tribune of the Buffalo would come as no surprise, nor would my students Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle. The others, however...

Dame Fluttershy, Knight Hospitaller in the Order of Sol Invictus. Rainbow Dash, the newest member of the Wonderbolts. Captain Ditzy Doo of the Imperial Engineers. Rarity, a teacher from the Harshwhinny Academy for Young Mares.

After them comes a zebra who’d recently made a major alchemical discovery and a gryphon social worker who’d won a prize for his work with the disadvantaged. With six extra ponies attending the feast, I needed to do something to balance things out. Not that any would care all that much: ninety-nine percent of the Empire’s citizens were more concerned about taxes, food, or the economy than they were about the guest list at a social function in Canterlot. Still, it was only prudent to compensate for it. One of the necessary balancing acts of running a massive multi-racial empire.

However, it is the last guest on my list that occupies my attention. The dinner invitation was just a formality to get her to come to Canterlot. Our real business is far too secret to discuss anywhere other than my chambers. Well, the private side of them, anyway.

She is waiting for me when I enter my lesser throne room. The pageantry of inviting her to a feast just to have a single conversation is a bit silly under the circumstances, but we both have our parts to play. Once I’m settled into my large, impressive, and not particularly comfortable chair, I gaze down at my guest.

To all appearances, she is a simple pegasus mare, though with an unusually silvery grey coat and mane. Someone who studies her closely might notice thin lines of slightly darker hair running along her coat, so fine and subtle that most would mistake it for a trick of the light. And only someone who was extremely well versed in magic would recognize that all those lines actually form a single pattern so complex and intricate that even I hadn’t fully unraveled it.

That might be enough of a clue for a skilled observer to realize that the individual before me is not a pony at all. I appreciate the transformation spell, considering the fact that her natural form would take up the entire grand ballroom. Ancient dragons do grow rather large, and Argentium the Runescaled is quite possibly the oldest living dragon in the world.

I am a bit surprised she opted to take an equine form; she normally prefers a caribou appearance when her full draconic size is impractical. Perhaps she wanted to blend in a bit more with the rest of Canterlot, or maybe she just wanted a form with wings. “Thank you for accepting my invitation,” I begin formally. “It is a very great honor to have such a distinguished guest beneath my roof. Please, feel free to avail yourself of the hospitality of my home.” 

Even if she is wiser and more benevolent than the average dragon, Argentium is still a dragon. Respect, formality, and a little careful flattery will go a long way with her. Bribery too, if I can find the right way to handle it. She is too proud to take a bribe openly, but she still has a measure of the traditional greed and possessiveness of any dragon.

Argentium answers with a smug grin. “I'm sure it is an honor for you, Sunbeam.” I am a bit tempted to comment on her tone—it is irksome to be treated so flippantly when I am making a point of being polite and respectful. However, I am quite certain she is baiting me, and I am not about to give her the satisfaction of rising to it.

Instead, I get straight to business. “I trust you know why I requested a meeting with you? I know we ought to spend a few hours making polite small talk first, but that’s what the Feast is for. If you will forgive me for getting to the heart of the matter, Nightmare Moon is coming. I know that someone as powerful and well-connected as you has seen the signs.”

“Indeed I have,” the dragon confirms. “One can hardly miss them if one knows how to look. I take it that you have been suppressing information about their activities?”

“Of course,” I answer easily. “The last thing I need is ponies panicking in the streets thinking there are dozens of mad cultists waiting to leap out of the shadows and kill them in their sleep. Not to mention the inevitable idiots who would try to join those cults.”

Argentium murmurs something soft and noncommittal before responding, “A reasonable enough measure, I suppose. From a certain point of view.”

A statement that is just open-ended enough to imply that she disagrees with me, but stops short of actually saying it. Under other circumstances I would quite enjoy a good verbal sparring match with the old wyrm. Alas, I need this conversation done in time for the Feast. “I know we have had our disagreements in the past, and there are still some points of contention, but I hope we can agree that now is the time for a united front.”

“A united front?” The dragon repeats skeptically. “That sounds very nice, but united for what purpose, and against what enemy? I am sure you are aware that Luna was an old friend of mine. If you think I will help you murder her...”

I sigh and immediately wave her objections away. “If we reach the point where we have no choice but to kill her, then it means that nothing of your old friend remains.”

Her eyes narrow suspiciously. “But you do mean to kill her, don’t you? You always did prefer to murder those you saw as a threat to your power, and Luna is far more dangerous to you than a prisoner locked away in Tartarus.” She proudly lifts her chin, refusing to meet my eyes any longer. “You will slay her to secure your crown and eliminate the last threat to your throne and empire. The legacy of the Sisters has always hung over your head, and this gives the excuse you always wanted to wipe it out.”

My eyes narrow as well, and I sit a bit taller in my throne, forcing her to look at me once more. “Do not presume to judge me, especially when you are a guest in my own home. For the record, I promised Celestia that I would spare her sister’s life if at all reasonable. Whatever else you might think of me, I am a mare of my word.”

“Yes, your ‘word,’” the ancient dragon scoffs. “I know all too well how you keep your word. Your agreements are always carefully open-ended when you want to retain the option of adhering to the letter of them while utterly violating the spirit. You use words like ‘reasonable’ because you know that what one individual might mean with that word will be very different from what you can ultimately twist it into.” She snorts, shaking her head in a manner that looks subtly off for an equine, but would have seemed perfectly normal in her natural form. “You may technically uphold your agreements, but you interpret every word in every sentence of those agreements to your advantage.”

I groan, rubbing at my forehead as I feel the beginnings of a headache developing. One unfortunate reality of dealing with immortals is that they have long memories, and unlike mortals they are not inclined to forgive and forget. I take advantage of one ambiguously-worded agreement nine hundred years ago and still hear about it every time I try to forge a new pact...

Still, there is nothing to be done about it now. As the earth ponies say, there is little point in closing a barn door after the cows have left. “I will be plain, then. So long as Nightmare Moon does not threaten innocent lives, I will use nonlethal force. Celestia provided me with a weapon suited to the task of redeeming her sister. I will make a good-faith effort to use that first.”

A contemplative frown crosses Argentium’s face as she thinks over my answer. Like many of the old immortals, she takes her time before giving an answer. Beings that have lived for thousands of years usually see no problem with taking hours or days to think something over carefully. “I see. She gave you those, did she?”

“She did.”

“Yes, I suppose that would do the job,” she murmurs more to herself than to me. “But if you truly have the Elements, why do you wish for my help? Are you not confident in your ability to use them?”

“Of course I am,” I answer without a moment’s hesitation. “But I also believe in having backup plans. When failure means global extinction, one cannot afford not to.”

Argentium lets out a low, irritated growl. “So you called me all the way to Canterlot to ask if I would serve as mere backup if your plans fail?”

Ah, it seems the dragon’s pride has been stung. I suppose it was too much to hope she could put it aside for the greater good. “That is far from the only concern I have,” I quickly say to salve her ego. “There are also her cultists, who have already made multiple attempts to kill potential wielders of the weapons. If they succeed in removing the wielders despite the best efforts of my security forces, I might not be able to find suitable replacements in time.” The incident with Pinkamena Pie had made the risk plain, though I have no intention of letting Argentium know about all the messy details of that. 

I opt for a bit more careful flattery. “Given your considerable power, influence, and resources, I thought it best to inform you of the risk. And should the worst happen and we are forced to engage Nightmare Moon without the Elements, you are one of the few beings in the world with sufficient strength to subdue Nightmare Moon without killing her.”

That did the trick. A hint of smugness enters her tone as she replies, “Wise enough on your part.”

“It only seemed prudent and courteous to consult with you on this matter, and ensure we were in accord.” I might be laying it on a bit thick, but the last thing I need is to irritate the proud dragon again.

“But of course.” For a moment I wonder if I already have her agreement, until she turns the full force of her piercing gaze upon me. “A question for you, then. Let us suppose the Elements function as intended. Nightmare Moon is stripped away, leaving a purified Luna behind. What happens to her after that?”

“Oh, what anyone would expect,” I answer simply. “She will be allowed to live out her life as a citizen of the Empire. She will be discretely watched to ensure there are no further incidents, of course. However, so long as she remains stable and violates no laws I see no reason she wouldn’t be able to live a full, free, and happy life.”

Argentium chooses to interpret my answer in the worst possible way. “So you do plan on killing her after all. You merely intend to use time as your assassin rather than dirtying your hooves with her blood.”

“And what would you propose?” I shoot back.

The dragon primly tips her nose into the air. “Precisely what I am sure Celestia intended for her sister: once we are certain she is sane and untainted, restore the moon and her rightful mantle to her.”

The proposal is so utterly ridiculous that I can’t stop myself from laughing. “Oh please. You can not be serious.”

Argentium does not share my mirth. “I am.”

For a moment I wonder if it is possible for an ageless immortal to still go senile. “Let me see if  I fully understand your position. You want me to pass control over the moon and power equal to my own over to a pony whom we will have just stopped from enacting global genocide? Is that an accurate summary?”

“Nightmare Moon’s actions are the result of an illness.” The dragon’s eyes shifted to the side, her gaze clouded and distant. “I knew her ... before. We fought alongside one another in the fall of the Crystal Empire. The mare who helped me undo Ember the Crystalline and his dread master Sombra would never have endorsed Nightmare Moon’s actions.” Her eyes refocused, her attention turning once more to the present. “Once the Elements purify her, she will be as she once was. I see no reason why she should not be allowed to resume her old duties.”

“Do not think that just because I am newer to immortality than you that I am ignorant of history,” I caution. “And if anything, I know recent history better than you. I saw the atrocities perpetrated by her Avatar during the Equestrian Civil War, and the murders and sacrifices her dark cultists still perform in her name. Those do not cease to be simply because she was once your friend.”

“As I said, she is unwell,” the dragon countered. “A mad pony should be treated and healed, not executed once her sanity is restored.”

“I hardly think allowing her to live out her natural lifespan qualifies as an execution,” I grumble, beginning to grow annoyed with her stubbornness. “And you are not proposing that I heal the mad pony, you are saying I should immediately release her and then give her all the tools needed to enact a new massacre.”

Argentium scowls, but when I remain unmoved she slowly and reluctantly nods. “Perhaps a period of atonement would be appropriate. Both to show the public her remorse for Nightmare Moon’s actions, and to ensure she is cured of her madness.”

“If Luna is half the mare you and Celestia both believe her to be, she will seek that out regardless.” Since I am finally making progress with her, I explain my reasoning further. “Luna’s initial madness was born out of jealousy because the common ponies loved the daytime and her sister more than they loved her. Tell me, do you think she is likely to be more loved now that she has spent the last millennium as a monster responsible for numerous terrible crimes as well as  multiple attempts to exterminate all life as we know it?” 

“It is possible she might well fall into madness once more.” Argentium stares at me for several long moments, her borrowed equine face unreadable. “However, it sounds as if you have already given her up as a lost cause—and she most certainly will fall if everyone treats her as nothing more than a ticking time bomb. I suppose that should come as no surprise. You never truly believed in redemption.” She scoffs, shaking her head. “Ironic, considering a far better mare than you gave up her life in order to grant you a second chance.”

I do not rise to the bait regarding Celestia. Her death was difficult for me, but it was also a long time ago. I got over it. However, I offer a compromise in order to keep the discussion from degenerating. “It seems to me that we are debating Luna’s hypothetical actions years into the future of her potential cleansing by the Elements. Perhaps it would be best to shelve the issue of her receiving the moon’s mantle until a later date? We can certainly both agree that the matter doesn’t even bear consideration until we are certain she is psychologically and morally capable of using her power responsibly.”

Argentium glowers suspiciously at me, no doubt searching my words for some hidden meaning. Eventually, she relents. “That seems reasonable enough, to wait and see what Luna actually does, rather than endlessly debate what she might do. I agree on one condition: I will have regular and unrestricted access to her after the Elements purge her. If she is going to be redeemed, she needs to have companions who actually believe she’s capable of redemption.”

“Supervised access,” I counter-offer. I suspect that Argentium played some role in fomenting the caribou rebellions; she has always been very fond of them. The last thing I need is for her to start turning Luna against me. I will have enough of an uphill battle winning her over once she learns her sister is dead.

“Only if you allow one of my caribou to watch over her whenever your agents are with her,” the dragon insists. “If you won’t trust me alone with her, I certainly won’t trust you.”

“It is not a matter of trust, my dear Argentium,” I lie smoothly—I certainly don’t trust her, but it would hardly be prudent to come out and say that. “It is simply a matter of ... well, as Celestia once put it, ‘trust, but verify.’”

She grunts skeptically. “I don’t recall her saying anything like that, and I knew her for much longer than you did. Though regardless, I suppose it’s a reasonable enough position. Keeping an eye on each other will prevent any misunderstandings.”

“Exactly.” I smirk, allowing myself to relax back in my throne. “If she stays as evil as she’s been for the last thousand years, it would be all too easy to turn us against each other with a few strategic lies. Claim that I am abusing her in your absence, and tell me that you are trying to persuade her to overthrow me and seize my crown.”

The dragon grunts, stretching her wings. “I suppose. And now that we’ve settled that, there’s just one other question on my mind.” Her eyes narrow, fixing me with a piercing stare. “What assurance do I have that my head will not be on the chopping block next after you have dealt with Nightmare Moon? You have a proven history of eliminating immortals, and now it seems you have yet another one in your sights. One of my oldest friends to boot. Perhaps it would be more prudent of me to join forces with her instead.”

I know a bluff when I hear one. Not even Scorpan hated me enough to side with Nightmare Moon, and I’d murdered his brother. “Feel free to do so. The eternal night will almost certainly kill the caribou first. It’s already so cold in the north to begin with...”

Argentium’s sapphire eyes remain fixed upon mine for several long moments. “Perhaps I should just stand aside, then? You have already encroached upon my territory, and if you should fall I would be able to reclaim what is rightfully mine. And even without your involvement, I am confident in my ability to deal with Nightmare Moon. In fact, I expect I could do a far better job locating and guiding wielders for the Elements of Harmony than you will. You already lost one of the wielders, after all. Explain, then, why I should help you.”

I grimace at the mention of Pinkie Pie’s loss, particularly since nopony was supposed to know she had been one of the ponies on the short list for potential Element-bearers. “Because you’re smart enough to understand probability,” I answer. “I have had nine hundred years to prepare and an empire’s resources at my disposal. I desire your help to make the process easier, but even without it I am quite likely to emerge triumphant. And when I do win, I will remember those who stood at my side ready to support me, and those who hovered like vultures hoping I would fall. Consider which category you would like to be in.”

Her eyes narrow, and a hint of a warning growl enters her voice. “Are you threatening me while I am a guest in your home? Such a violation of the laws of hospitality would—”

“I offered no threats,” I quickly interrupt. I had certainly implied them, but that is something else entirely. “I merely point out that those who aid me will have my gratitude, while those who remain on the sidelines will not. Your opinion on Luna’s future would certainly hold more sway if you played an active role in her redemption.” The dragon grunts and nods, conceding to my argument. “Which just leaves your complaints that I encroached upon your territory. Which I find frankly baffling, considering you controlled no territory.”

She glares at me, and a puff of smoke streams out of her nostrils. “The North is mine to do with as I desire.”

Ah, the classic possessiveness of dragons. Once they decide something is theirs they will not part with it willingly, whether it’s territory, gold, or anything else. Which is especially problematic because most dragons consider anything they want to be their rightful property. Argentium’s draconic instincts were far less pronounced than most, but even a good dragon is still a dragon. After all, her initial friendship with Celestia and Luna came about because Sombra’s pet dragon was encroaching on her territory.

I quickly worked to dispel the myth that she owned the North. “I suspect there are millions of caribou, ponies, and other sapients who would disagree on whether you own them. Not to mention that slavery has been illegal since before the Empire’s founding.”

“Do not play word games with me, Sunbeam.” The dragon’s borrowed equine lips peel back from her teeth in a snarl that would be quite intimidating in her natural state, where each of her fangs was easily as large as a full-grown pony. “The North is my area of influence, and has been since before your ancestors were anything more than mere peasants.”

“And you still hold influence there,” I countered. “Just because it is now Imperial territory does not mean the locals do not continue to admire and respect you. I have done nothing to change that.” Admittedly, less because I was fine with her wielding so much power than because I had not yet found a plan to undermine her that carried an unacceptable risk of provoking the proverbial (and in this case literal) sleeping dragon.

“Do not think I am blind to your desires,” For a moment her snout elongates and her teeth sharpen, until she takes a calming breath and restores her transformation. “You would gladly reduce me to irrelevancy if you could.”

“If you feel your influence in the North is less than it once was, you have only yourself to blame,” I riposte. “Lingering in your cave for decades at a time, only leaving to take the occasional promising runecaster under your wing. Influence is a resource that must be cultivated, or else it fades away over time. You spent over a century sleeping, and then were shocked and offended that the world continued on without you rather than remain in stasis until you woke.”

“For longer than you have existed, the North and the caribou have persevered,” Argentium growls at me. “And the North will continue to carry on long after your empire crumbles into the dustbin of history. No foreign conqueror can hold a free people in eternal bondage.”

“Conqueror?” I repeat incredulously. “For a creature that constantly harps on ancient history, you show a very poor understanding of recent events. There was no conquest of the North. Well, other than Yakistan, and they declared war on the Empire first.” Because the cheese at the diplomatic reception wasn’t exactly like yak cheese. Honestly, I had done the yaks a favor by getting rid of leadership that criminally stupid.

“The yaks brought their fate upon themselves,” the dragon reluctantly allows, “but what is your excuse for the rest of the North?”

“Need I remind you that the Altheng repeatedly voted to pursue closer ties with the Empire? It is hardly a conquest if they invite us in.”

“The Altheng hardly had the authority to surrender the entire North to a foreign power.” Argentium’s tail lashed about agitatedly. “I know the concept of a society made up of independent communities without some overwatching authority at the top is rather difficult for you to grasp, judging by the way you run your empire. The Altheng is merely a forum for discussion and coordination between communities, which each of the local thengs sends representatives to.”

“I’m aware of that,” I reply a bit testily. “It has been an imperial province for a few centuries now. If you want, I’m sure we could retrieve the voting records for every single individual theng and go over it all in detail. For the sake of brevity, let us simply say that the individual thengs all agreed to an imperial presence.”

Of course, the sticking point for the last few centuries had been how much of a presence the Empire should have. Almost all of the thengs were quite happy to have Imperial trading posts improving their economies, Imperial soldiers guarding their roads and farms, and Imperial engineers improving the infrastructure. The problem was that not all of the thengs had been as enthusiastic about accepting Imperial laws, paying taxes to the empire, or having Imperial soldiers garrisoned on their territory.

Funnily enough, many of the thengs that didn’t want to pay taxes or let troops garrison their land still wanted us to keep performing anti-monster patrols in their territory.

The end result was that the Imperial Province of Northmarch was a horrendous patchwork affair of conflicting agreements with different localities, many of which were eternally being argued over and renegotiated, especially since elections frequently changed just who was in charge of the various thengs. Inevitably, problems emerged, some of which led to violence. Thankfully it had never escalated to the point where all the thengs wanted the Empire out, though one of the caribou rebellions had started when a coalition of thengs demanded that we leave Northmarch entirely, despite the fact that just as many thengs still wanted us to stay.

“Yes, the caribou have persevered, and I see no reason that they cannot continue to persevere and flourish under Imperial rule.” I spared a quick glance at the clock, confirming that we still had a bit over half an hour before the Feast would begin. “The only difference is that now they also have an Imperial governor providing unity and direction, Imperial engineers building roads, Imperial soldiers dealing with the odd menace like trolls and yaks, and the chance to be part of something greater than themselves.”

Argentium flicks one of her wings dismissively. “Imperial governors to take away their freedoms. Imperial engineers to build forts to strengthen your hold. Imperial soldiers to conscript them into your legions to fight and die in foreign lands expanding your empire even further. Imperial tax collectors to maintain your palace and your governors’ decadent lifestyles.”

I chuckle and roll my eyes. “You obviously haven't met Governor Cadenza yet. Honestly, that mare would benefit from a little less austerity. Surrounding oneself with the trappings of power is an important part of holding power.”

“Ah yes, the newest governor you’ve dispatched to my land,” the dragon rumbled. “Tell me, will she be like Governor High Brow, who sparked the entire North into revolution?”

“Of course not. High Brow was an idiot.” Though I couldn’t entirely blame the fool for getting so frustrated with the thengs that he tried to abolish them, the fact remained that he’d come dangerously close to uniting all the caribou against the Empire. Thankfully I’d salvaged the situation by having Lyra remove him from office, followed by immediately restoring the thengs. “Cadenza has promised to work closely with the Altheng and local institutions to repair any bad feeling remaining from that unfortunate incident.”

“And so make your hold on the North all the tighter,” the dragon concludes with an angry snort.

“Yes,” I agree dryly. “I advance my nefarious plan to respect northern traditions and allow them to preserve their traditional way of life. What villainous scheme shall I conjure next?”

“You respect their traditions for now,” the dragon growls, “but only so you can gradually grind them away over the course of a few centuries.”

Well, I could hardly deny that I would like to see Caribou culture fall a bit further in line with Imperial norms, but nowhere near to the extent she implied. “I see no reason to change their traditions entirely. So long as the caribou play their part in the Empire, I could care less whether their cities are ruled by mayors, barons, or thengs. The only thing I want is a peaceful, quiet, and unified empire.”

“Docile servants, you mean.”

I sigh and roll my eyes. “No. Docility leads to stagnation, and that is the last thing I want. A stagnant empire quickly becomes a decaying one.” I pointedly cleared my throat. “If you want me to leave your Northmarch, you can always work to persuade the thengs to request that we leave. That is how the institutions are supposed to work, yes?”

Argentium lets out a loud, irritated huff. “So that is it then. Help you defeat your rival, and then be relegated to my cave as long as I do not cause any trouble for you? All while I am to let you turn my caribou into happy little drones in your empire. Cogs in the machine is how I believe the term goes.”

“They are not your caribou,” I answer simply. “They are free beings and imperial citizens.” I take a breath and continue as calmly as possible. “And whatever our disagreements on the matter of the caribou and their future, I think we can both agree that Nightmare Moon killing all of them is unacceptable.”

“That sounds like the only thing we will be agree about,” the dragon grumbles.

“It's enough for now,” I answer confidently. “We can resolve our issues after we prevent a global apocalypse, yes?”

“Perhaps,” Argentium allows. “Though I do not see you feeling the need to negotiate.”

“I have no interest in a war with you,” I answer honestly. “It would be very expensive, both in blood and treasure.” After a moment’s consideration, I throw in a bit more careful flattery. “Not to mention that even with all my power and my legions, I cannot be certain I would win. You are a rather impressive dragon, after all.”

Argentium draws herself up as far as her pony form would allow. “You flatter me.”

“Only a little.” After a moment’s thought, I summon something from my wine cellar. “Now, I have some Zebrican firewine I've been saving for a special occasion...”

The dragon lifts a single eyebrow. “Well, normally I’m more partial to mead, but I suppose there is no sense letting it go undrunk forever...”

Thus the bargain was struck.





The Feast itself wasn’t particularly memorable, perhaps because I was more focused on what had happened both before and would happen after the Feast. I made the requisite small talk with all my guests, but my mind was on the six young mares I had brought here for a special purpose.

Twilight and Sunset were of course mainly interested in one another, though they did also talk quite a bit with Twilight’s father, attending in his capacity as the unicorn tribune. To be frank, my students had been just a bit distracted from their studies lately. Young love will do that. It wasn’t enough of an issue to bear commenting upon, though.

Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo, and Fluttershy had claimed a quarter of the table for themselves, chatting animatedly with one another. The three were old childhood friends, so that came as no surprise. Rarity did not have any connections to the other guests, yet she seemed quite at ease rubbing shoulders with some of the most powerful individuals in the Empire. Quite the social butterfly for a mare who routinely wore a mask and beat up criminals with her bare hooves.

After a lovely chat with the newly named tribune for the buffalo, I call the feast to an end and make my way back to my private quarters. Lyra will see to gathering the six and bringing them to my rooms. She has been a valued asset for me and will continue to be so, especially in this matter. I will have to find a suitable reward for her once the matter is done.

I am waiting for them on my throne when Lyra escorts them in. Twilight and Sunset are the first to bow, but it is a simple, almost perfunctory gesture. They have both known me long enough that they’re quite used to it, and I hardly need them grovelling to know they respect me. Rarity’s bow is perfectly executed, as befits an etiquette teacher. Ditzy salutes like a proper soldier, while Fluttershy pauses and hesitates, then both salutes and bows.

Rainbow Dash is the exception. She is the last to bow, and when she does it is an almost insolent, minimal effort. If she thinks such small shows of defiance upset me, she is quite mistaken. I must find out if Cadenza has recruited the mare for her secret society yet. If not, perhaps it would be a good idea to arrange such. Though I am not overly fond of them, the Circle would at least channel Rainbow’s rebellious instincts into a more productive direction.

“Rise, my children.” Rainbow is the first to rise, tossing her head and shaking out her wings as if the mere act of showing me a moment’s respect discomforted her. I smiled down at the group. “Thank you all very much for coming.” I waved towards Lyra. “Now we have a number of highly sensitive matters to discuss, so I will have to ask you to sign some standard secrecy contracts. In summary, don’t share anything you learn of this evening with anypony, or else you’ll be in quite a bit of trouble.”

Twilight dutifully reads over the entire contract, frowning faintly. “It doesn't exactly say what type of classified information we'll be looking at.”

“Telling us the secret before we agreed to keep it would rather defeat the point of the exercise,” Rarity points out.

“Well yes, obviously,” Twilight agrees, sounding slightly miffed at the correction. “I just meant that generally you at least have a department or agency named for these, or something like the code names for whatever files we’re going over.”

“This is a somewhat non-standard situation,” I explain. “You will be working directly for me.”

Rainbow Dash glowered down at her contract suspiciously. “Should I get my manager to look this over? Or maybe hire a lawyer or something? I mean, if I could go to prison or get banished or something for breaking this contract...” She frowned, turning the sheet of paper over in her hooves. “What if I see something important? Like, something that could mean life-or-death stuff, where the only way to save everyone is to share the information.”

“Then ask me for permission to share it,” I answer simply. “Or barring that, break the contract if you think it’s important enough. If it’s really a matter of life and death, I will be reasonable and pardon you for any technical legal violations.”

“Hrmm...” Rainbow frowns, squinting down at the paper. “Wait, what does this part mean? ‘The party of the first part shall be known in this contract as the party of the first part?’” Her gaze drops to the bottom of the document. “And what's this bit? A sanity clause? Now I know you're pulling my leg. There's no such thing! And what about—”

“Rainbow,” Captain Doo murmurs under her breath. “Would you please just sign the damn thing? We'll get the full explanation in a minute.” 

Rainbow looks around the room, noting that all the other ponies are looking quite annoyed by the way she is holding things up. With an annoyed sigh, she signs her name and hoofs the contract over to Lyra.

“Thank you very much, my children.” I descend from my throne, leading them towards the truly private section of my royal quarters. “Now if you will all follow me...” I ignore Rainbow Dash’s grumbling about how she isn’t a child and certainly not mine, trotting over to an old, well-used bookshelf. I shift several books out of the way, then extend a hoof towards what any visitor would think is nothing but a small deformation in the wood. The spells woven into the shelf carefully scan the hoof, confirming my identity as thoroughly as possible. The shelf will not open for anyone else unless I am dead and another set of other special conditions are fulfilled.

Once the defenses are satisfied, there is an audible click as a hidden section of wall slides aside, revealing a passageway. In reality the doorway is actually a portal into a pocket dimension rather than a proper secret passage; after all, the Vault is far too large to fit into the Imperial Palace without somepony noticing that there was quite a bit of unaccounted space. Not to mention it is far easier to protect from outside intruders this way.

Sunset’s jaw drops in shock as the entrance is revealed. “I never knew that was there, and I eat dinner here once a week! How did I miss that?”

I chuckle and wrap a wing around my student. “Well, I do like to think I still have a few good tricks up my sleeve.”

Rainbow chuckles, staring through the portal. “This is just like something out of Daring Do. I bet the mechanism is that one really awful book she'd never actually read. The one about the sparkly vamponies? What was it called again…?”

Twilight huffs, shooting an annoyed glare Rainbow’s way. “Can you be a bit more respectful? This is really important, and you keep interrupting everything by trying to be funny.”

I lead them through the portal, ignoring the bickering for now. If I intervene it will likely only make things worse, given Rainbow’s confrontational nature. Besides, they will have to learn to work these issues out for themselves at some point.

“What?” Rainbow grumbles, matching my student’s irritation. “I can be respect ... ful...” She trails off as she enters the Vault and her eyes fall upon the two coffins that occupy the front room. Until now, Lyra is the only currently living pony who has been inside the Vault with me. 

Twilight’s gaze is instantly drawn to my daughter’s body. She certainly knows her family history well enough to recognize my child. After several seconds, she silently walks to my side and places a single hoof on my shoulder. She says nothing, and in truth I prefer her silence. Any words she might offer would only make things difficult in the future. I am her mentor, not a bitter old mare who has lived too long and lost too much.

Fluttershy stares at Celestia’s corpse, a cavalcade of emotions playing across her face. No doubt it’s quite a shock for a knight of Sol Invictus to come face-to-face with the body of her order’s spiritual icon. After several seconds, she very quietly asks, “Um ... Empress, would you mind if I…?” She waves towards the coffin. “I promise I won’t take too long.”

“Go ahead,” I gently assure her. Some of my more devoted followers forget that in my mortal life I donated generously to the Cult of Sol Invictus. While I naturally prefer my own cult now, I still have a bit of nostalgic fondness for Celestia’s, so long as its members avoid the sort of sedition that Cadenza and her Circle flirt with.

The Sol Knight steps up to the coffin, then lowers her head and begins softly murmuring one of her order’s hymns. Rainbow’s head cocks to the side as she takes in her old friend’s actions. “Uh, Shy? What're you doing?”

My faithful Lyra answers, not even making a token effort to hide the contempt in her voice. “She's praying.”

Ditzy does not miss my agent’s tone, glaring angrily and rising to the defense of her old friend. Matters might have escalated had I not defused them with a pointed look Lyra’s way. The veteran assassin wilts at my disapproval and quickly mumbles out an apology.

Fortunately, Rainbow misses the brief confrontation, remaining focused upon Fluttershy instead. She stares at her friend for several more seconds, as though trying to make sense of a particularly complex puzzle, before finally admitting, “I don’t get it.”

“You don’t even know who Celestia is?” Sunset asks incredulously, a note of mocking contempt entering her voice as she continues, “What are you, stupid or something?” A moment after the question leaves her lips, Twilight gently steps on her hoof and directs a pointed look her way, shaking her head.

Rainbow does not take the insult well. “Hey, I know perfectly well who Celestia is! I just don't spend all my time with my nose stuck in a book, looking up corpses. You've probably got issues.”

Twilight instantly shifts from chiding her romantic partner to defending her. “Hey! You can’t talk to my fillyfriend like that!”

“Why not?” Rainbow demands. “‘Cause you both think you’re so special just ‘cause you’re the Empress’s students? Like that really makes a difference. If you’re gonna be a jerk or a weirdo, that’s what I’m calling you no matter who your teacher is.”

“Stop this.” I do not raise my voice; it carries more authority when I sound perfectly calm and in control. “Sunset, you should not have called her stupid. Rainbow, you will learn to control your temper before it controls you. Both of you will apologize at once, and this behavior will not repeat itself. Now, all of you will be quiet, and allow Dame Fluttershy to finish her meditations in peace.” I pause in thought for a moment, then add, “And as an apology for disturbing her, you will both volunteer to work in an Order soup kitchen this weekend.”

Sunset reacts quite quickly, bowing to me. “Of course, Empress. I ... I’m sorry.”

Rainbow, by contrast, seems to be on the verge of outright defying me until Ditzy places a restraining hoof on her shoulder, and her gaze flicks back to Fluttershy. The fire leaves her eyes and her shoulders slump. “Fine, whatever.”

Not an ideal response, but I saw no point in forcing an insincere apology from the mare. The effort would make me look petty. 

Instead, I am respectfully silent, and the others follow suit, allowing Fluttershy to finish her prayers in peace. Once she is finished, I lead them further into the Vault. There are two high-security cells between the entrance and where the Elements are stored.

The first contains something my students recognize all too well, if the telltale shivers that pass down their spines are any indication. I’m sure after that incident with the body-swapping and the gigantic killer apple they had done enough research into Discord to recognize his statue. Or at least what was left of it.

Destroying the statue had not been one of my better notions. When I had been a younger mare and still fresh to my powers, I had foolishly thought Discord’s threat could be ended by simply taking a sledgehammer to his statue. I had at least recovered almost all of the statue since then, but every few years a shard of it resurfaced in the most unexpected places, causing all manner of trouble until I managed to contain it. Discord never fails to irritate me, and all the moreso because I know he is only so much of a problem because of my own mistakes.

Rainbow stares at the shattered and reassembled statue for several long moments before declaring, “I really don't get modern art.”

“That’s not art,” Twilight grumbles. “It’s an ancient spirit of chaos called Discord. Old Queen Celestia petrified him.”

The others seemed more interested in the occupant of the other cell. A changeling whose size and stature equalled my own, strapped to an impressive amount of medical and magical equipment. Keeping Chrysalis trapped in an artificial coma for several centuries was a rather difficult task, but necessary to remove her from the field. Death was no obstacle when she could reincarnate into a suitable drone’s body, and leaving her conscious carried the same risk if she could restore her connection to the hive mind for even a fraction of a second.

The Free Minds had demolished most of the hive mind and uplifted the remaining drones in the centuries since Chrysalis had ceased to be a threat, but I was quite sure a few drones had slipped the net. If nothing else, there were likely a few dormant hives buried deep underground. Chrysalis is canny enough to leave herself a few emergency spares if all her other resources are lost, and if she gained her freedom she could start breeding a new army entirely too quickly.

Rarity is the first to guess her identity. “I could swear that looks like Queen Chrysalis. I recognize her from the exhibits in the Imperial Museum. But that can’t be right, I’ve always heard the Empress slew her in...” She trails off, her eyes flicking back towards me. “Oh. Oh I see. Well, no wonder you wanted us to sign secrecy agreements.”

Rainbow looks between the two vanquished villains. “So, is this just like, your junk drawer for ancient baddies?”

“Among other things, though I think you’ll find it’s far more secure than the average junk drawer.” After all, most junk drawers would not incinerate their contents with solar flames if the security measures were compromised. “The Vault holds ancient evils, dangerous magical artifacts, proscribed tomes of forbidden knowledge, and anything else that should be hidden away from the world for the greater good.”

One of Ditzy’s eyes turns back towards the two coffins behind us. “And a few items of personal significance?”

“That too,” I concede. Quite a few of the more dangerous items in my vault don’t have an ounce of magic in them. I’m sure half the Empire would explode if a copy of my current last will and testament ever became public knowledge. Adopting Sunset and Twilight as my royal heirs then restoring the old Diarchy under them would certainly ruffle quite a few feathers, even though I had no intention of letting that particular chain of events occur.

“How big is this place?” Twilight asks, her curiosity coming to the fore. “And what do you call it? The Secret Archive? The Forbidden Warehouse? The Dark Library?”

“It is quite large. Several kilometers in each dimension.” I barely restrained a chuckle as Twilight’s face screws up in confusion for a moment as she works out how I managed to fit such a large structure into the Imperial Palace. “To answer your second question, I call it The Vault.” 

“Just ‘The Vault?’” Rainbow comments. “Lame.”

“I think it has a certain elegant simplicity to it,” Rarity counters.

This touches off an amicable debate about alternate names for The Vault which I am quite content to let them all carry on with. The topic is harmless enough, and considering the task I have planned for them the sooner they could start bonding the better. 

I call a halt to the discussion upon arriving before a particularly massive and well-secured door. It still baffles me that Celestia was content to leave the Elements in the rotting ruins of her old palace for more than a century after her sister’s defeat. A weapon as potent as the Elements of Harmony ought to be kept under the tightest possible security.

I step up to the door and activate the controls. A number of incredibly detailed magical scans quickly confirm my identity, but all of the cells within The Vault have time delay locks. A moment after being scanned I receive a mental warning from The Vault’s security systems, informing me that someone is attempting to access the Elements. The door will not actually open for another half hour—more than enough time for me to arrive and dispatch any intruders if someone were attempting to break past my security.

“I suggest you get comfortable,” I inform the others. “This will take a while.”

Rainbow lets out a long-suffering groan. “I hate waiting.” She takes off into the air, flying as much as she can without leaving the area. I am thankful she has enough sense to realize that going exploring in the vault full of dangerous artifacts would be unwise.

Sunset is more sensible, conjuring up an icy sofa and making herself comfortable for the wait. After a moment’s hesitation Twilight joins her, blinking in surprise as she settles in next to her fellow student. “It’s not cold. How did you make ice that isn’t cold? Did you use a Cold Be Gone spell? Or maybe a sensory block? No, you couldn’t have done that, I would’ve noticed if you cast a spell on me. Or maybe a thin layer of warm air hovering over the—”

“Twi,” Sunset gently puts a hoof over her lips. “Just relax and enjoy it. I’ll show you the spell later, if it matters that much to you.”

Twilight chuckles sheepishly, then nods and cuddles up with her fillyfriend. I had not anticipated the romance they’re developing, but it suits my plans. It’s certainly far more productive than their previous rivalry, even if it does mean enduring the occasional sickening cuteness of young ponies in love. And their children will no doubt be unicorns of singular talent, given that both of them are likely a match for my own raw potential in my mortal life.

Rarity delicately clears her throat. “Ah, Sunset, I hate to impose, but might I ask if you could possibly…?” Before she can even finish the question three chairs emerge next to Rarity, Fluttershy, and Ditzy.

Naturally, Rainbow notes her own exclusion, glowering down at my older student. “Hey, why didn’t you make one for me?”

“Ask me,” Sunset demands, smirking at the Wonderbolt. “Say please. And don’t forget to thank me once I do it.”

“Go feather yourself,” Rainbow predictably answers. Instead she flies over to Fluttershy’s seat, trying to perch on the back of it. However, since she is trying to perch on ice her hooves slip out from underneath her, and she lands upside-down in the knight’s lap. Fluttershy responds with a squeak that sounds most out-of-place for a knight decked out in her best ceremonial armor. 

“Rainbow...” Derpy chides, rubbing her forehead. “Could you try to be a little more careful?”

The young Wonderbolt, still resting on her head with her hindquarters in the air, looks up at her old friend and sheepishly grins. “Er, hey there, ‘Shy. ‘Sup?”

Fluttershy’s cheeks pink, perhaps on account of the rather awkward positioning. “Hello, Rainbow Dash. It's ... erm ... nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, same here, Flutters.” Rainbow rights herself, sitting next to Fluttershy despite the chair really not being sized for two ponies. Apparently respecting her friend’s personal space is not Rainbow’s top priority at the moment. “Been a while. What've you been up to? I barely recognized you dressed up in that tin can outfit. How’d you wind up as one of those Sol Invictus Knights? That one time I skinned my knee at Flight School you nearly passed out when you saw the blood.”

“Oh ... I suppose I’ve grown up a little since then.” Fluttershy answers while shifting out of her chair, giving it up to Rainbow Dash. For a moment it looks like Rainbow is going to insist on giving it back, but I shoot a glance Sunset’s way and she produces another seat for Fluttershy, earning a grateful smile from the knight. “I stopped fainting when I learned how to take care of ponies and animals. You can't really do stitches if blood makes you faint.”

“Okay, I’m with you so far,” Rainbow nods along. “I mean, you going all into the whole charity thing makes sense.  But how'd you go from being a doctor to making with the stabby-stabby on big monsters?”

“That's a bit of a story.” Fluttershy settles into her new seat, which I note seems a bit more comfortable than the one Rainbow unintentionally stole from her. “I met this really nice old knight of the Order who was always very friendly and encouraging.” Her gaze drops to the floor. “I really wished I could be as brave as he was, and he told me I could if I tried really hard.. So ... I became a knight.”

“Huh.” Rainbow peers at her friend. “So you really do the whole knight thing? Rescuing damsels in distress, fighting for truth, justice, and the Equestrian way, slaying dragons, all that stuff?”

Fluttershy lets out another one of those distinctly un-knightly squeaks. “Not dragons. A lot of the other stuff, but not dragons. Not if I can help it.”

“Besides,” Sunset cuts in. “Not all dragons are bad. I mean, there was a dragon at dinner: my mother’s worked with Argentium before. And slaying one of the guests in the middle of the feast would've been rude.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widen. “W-wait? Argentium was a dragon? But she looked like a pony! Oh my ... well, she seemed n-nice enough...”

Rainbow chuckles and scoots a bit closer, draping a wing over Fluttershy’s armored shoulders. “Still scared of dragons, huh? Well, at least even after you become an awesome flank-kicking knight, you're still the same old Fluttershy. S’cool, if you changed too much it’d be like ... well, like you weren’t my old buddy.”

Fluttershy smiles sheepishly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “I really am much better, I promise. It's just some things scare me more than others.”

“Relax, Flutters, I’m just having fun with you.” Rainbow nudges her in the side with her elbow, which doesn’t exactly work out given that Fluttershy is wearing armor. After taking a moment to rub her sore elbow, Rainbow continues. “You want scary, try sharing a locker room with some of the Wonderbolts.” She shivers dramatically. “Soarin' was so much cooler before I found out how much suit funk he builds up during a show. Seriously, I nearly hurled the first time I smelled it.”

Fluttershy smiled, chuckling softly. “Oh my, that does sound bad. But I do think having giant evil monsters trying to eat me is just a teeny-tiny bit worse than body odor. I mean there was this time when I was part of a task force sent to deal with a striga.” She shivers at the memory. “That wasn't very nice.”

Unsurprisingly, Rainbow is ignorant of the topic. “A stri-what? Are those giant monsters with huge pointy teeth or something?”

And just as unsurprisingly, Twilight is eager to answer the question. “A striga is a female sapient creature that has been cursed to transform into a monster. The curse manifests at a very young age, so the victim is usually targeted because of something the parents did. Strigas are filled with a baleful hatred towards all living creatures and a tendency to try and devour them. Um, at least that's what I read in my books.” She smiles shyly, clearly hoping that this information will win her the approval of the others within the room.

Rarity unexpectedly joins the conversation. “And trust me, darlings, you do not want to fight one. They're horrible beasts.”

Sunset frowns skeptically. “Aren’t you a schoolteacher? No offense, but when my parents were thinking of sending me to the Harshwhinny Academy, I didn’t see anything about how the etiquette teachers handled monster lore lessons.”

“I can still read about them, just like Twilight did,” the teacher responds with a ladylike sniff.

Twilight picks up the conversation thread, no doubt worried that Sunset’s acerbic temperament might show itself again if not reined in. “They are one of the monsters listed in the general Imperial Monster Manual, and several regional bestiaries like the Canterlot Monster Manual.”

Sunset’s eyes widen a bit, and she nods along. “Yeah, I remember there being one in the deep mines a couple months back. What wound up happening to that?”

Twilight, being blessed with an eidetic memory, quickly provides the answer. “If I remember right, the Sapphire Guardian managed to lift its curse, and turned her over to the Imperial Magi.  Though I'm not sure exactly how she managed to do that all by herself.”

Naturally, that little tidbit explained Rarity’s knowledge about strigas quite well. The Sapphire Guardian had been even more active than before now that she enjoyed unofficial Imperial support.

Fluttershy filled in the rest of the information for the others. “Oh, it's quite simple to remove a striga's curse. Well, at least in theory. You just have to survive an entire night in its tomb, until the third rooster's crow. It took myself and four other knights to subdue the creature long enough to lock it up in a cage, but after that it’s just a matter of waiting for the sun. But they’re so strong I don’t think anypony could beat one by themselves.”

“Oh, a couple ponies can.” Twilight turns to me, grinning. “Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

I delicately clear my throat, a bit surprised by the question. “Well, yes, the Sapphire Guardian isn’t the first. I cured a striga once, back when I was still a young up-and-coming magus.” 

“A most impressive feat, Empress,” Lyra dutifully announces, breaking her long silence. “Could you tell us how you managed it?”

“Oh, I’m afraid the story really isn’t all that interesting,” I answer with a bit of false modesty. The truth is that, like so often happened in my younger days, my solution had been simple and brutal. Her family had been a bit upset that I had cured their daughter by staking her down with an ice spear through one of her legs. At the time, I felt that returning their daughter to them with a limp was far better than her never coming back at all.

Though the fact that Rarity had managed to replicate my feat without injuring the victim did damage my pride just a little. Though she did have the advantage of nine centuries of technological and magical advances, and far better equipment and logistical support. If anything, the fact that she outdid one of my accomplishments just went to show that she truly was qualified to wield one of the Elements.

I waved the matter aside. “In any case, I imagine you have far more interesting things to discuss than my old war stories.” My gaze turned to Ditzy, who had been relatively silent thus far. “Besides, if you want those, we do have an actual soldier in our midst.”

“Well, I’m really more of an engineer than a frontline soldier,” Ditzy answers modestly. “The closest I’ve gotten to an actual war was when we raided this one bandit hideout in an old Gryphon fortress. I was just supposed to set a demo charge on the gate, and then fall back. It turned out the wood was really old and rotten, so when I slapped the charge on it just went right through. Those were some very surprised bandits.”

Rainbow snorts. “I’m surprised you didn’t just bash the door down with your bubble-butt. I remember back in Flight School, you’d destroy anything with that!”

Rarity lets out a disdainful ladylike sniff. “Could you possibly be any cruder?”

Ditzy chuckles and grins at the vigilante, while Fluttershy tries to be a bit more diplomatic. “You can be bit ... um ... direct, Rainbow.”

“S'what makes me awesome!” Rainbow declares, zipping from one side of the room to the other in the blink of an eye. “I get from Point A to Point B. No beating around the bush or hesitating. While other ponies are wasting time, I get stuff done!”

“A lady should show a little sophistication,” Rarity declares primly, her nose high in the air.

Ditzy chuckles, making a token effort to hide it behind her hoof. “Rainbow’s one of my oldest friends, and she's many, many things, but I don’t think anyone has ever accused her of being a proper lady.”

“Well, every mare should aspire to be one, regardless of their current flaws.”

Twilight giggles. “No offense, but I think an etiquette teacher might be just a bit biased about that subject.” 

Rarity looks at her askance for a few moments, until she connects the dots. “You’re Amethyst Sparkle’s older sister, correct?” Twilight confirms as much. “I thought so. She has mentioned you once or twice.” A faint smirk crosses her lips. “Or at least, I assume it was you she meant when she mentioned how her older sister was a teacher’s pet.”

“Oh, the stories I could tell...” Before Sunset can take that thought any further, Twilight hoofs her in the shoulder, fixing her with a glare that is only mostly playful. “But I won’t,” my other student continues. “Because if I did Twilight would kill me. Or if she’s really mad, she’ll spend hours lecturing me.”

Twilight rolls her eyes and pokes her paramour in the side. "Yes, because that's obviously the worst thing I can do to you."

“You haven't heard yourself go on,” Sunset shoots back with a playful grin. “I swear, sometimes the only way I can make you stop is by kissing you.”

“Hey!” Twilight huffs, trying and failing to hide the smile on her face. “My lectures are filled with important information.”

“True, but it's usually stuff I already know,” Sunset shoots back, playfully nudging her. “And in any case, making out is more fun.”

“All the time we spend kissing is ruining my study plans,” Twilight grumbles, although her grin is ample proof that she does not really mind.

Sunset is quite aware of her true feelings on the matter. “I think that's the first time I've ever heard you not sounding upset about your study plans being ruined...”

Rarity delicately clears her throat and cuts in before my students can become too caught up in each other. I am privately grateful for that—young love tends to be a curious mixture of adorable and sickeningly sweet. “If we are going to be exchanging tales, I have no shortage of stories about your little sister. Truth be told, she is one of the more difficult students. Still, molding crude young mares into sophisticated ladies is my job, and Amethyst is far from the worst I’ve ever had to deal with. Even if she did put disappearing ink in everypony’s inkpots before an exam.”

Twilight grins and shakes her head. “Yup, that sounds like Ammy.”

“How old is she?” Ditzy asks.

“Sixteen, biologically speaking,” Twilight answers. “In terms of maturity ... well, she’s the baby of the family, so she’s been a massive brat ever since she was born.”

“Ooh dear.” Ditzy chuckles, holding up her hooves. “I'm the younger of two, so I don't know if I should offer my condolences or apologies.”

“I prefer to consider my sister's sins to be her own,” Twilight answers diplomatically.

“A fine policy,” Rarity agrees. “Heavens knows I would be at my wit’s end if I had to take responsibility for all the trouble my little sister causes.” She turns to Twilight with a smile. “But I must say, you certainly seem far better-mannered. And if you’ll forgive me for saying so, you and Sunset do make an absolutely darling couple.”

Twilight flushes, which only grows worse when Sunset nuzzles her. “Er ... thanks.”

The mares fall into a long enough silence that I am about to make an effort to stimulate the conversation when Rainbow Dash finally speaks up. “So what're you doing here, Rarity?”

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“Well, we've got soldiers,” Rainbow points to Derpy, “knights, the Empress's super-magic personal students who’ve probably learned all kinds of crazy magic, and the most awesome Wonderbolt in the history of the team.” She points to each of the others in turn, ending with herself. “And then we have an etiquette teacher at some fancy private school. How's that song go? ‘One of these things is not like the other, one of these things doesn’t belong...’”

“Oh.” Rarity freezes, her eyes darting about uncertainly. “Erm ... well...”

“She's here for a reason, Rainbow,” Ditzy cuts in. “As are we all.”

“Yeah, but would it kill us to actually know what that was?” Rainbow shoots back.

Rarity’s eyes flick to me, silently requesting aid. I am somewhat torn about the optimal course of action. On the one hoof, protecting her secret would earn her gratitude and avoid a great many potential complications. On the other, I do want the six of them to function as a team, which might be difficult to manage if they feel they cannot trust Rarity on account of her secrets. And if I take action to preserve her secrets, that will most certainly confirm that she is hiding something from the rest of them. A team without trust is no team.

“She has a point,” Twilight agrees. “No offense, but you are the odd mare out in this group.”

“Why is this group all mares, anyway?” Rainbow cuts in. “I mean, you’d think there would be a couple stallions or non-ponies in here if it was balanced.”

Twilight ignores her tangent, hunting after the mystery she has detected. “It just doesn’t make any sense unless there’s something you’re not telling us, like that you’re secretly the Sapphire Guardian, or maybe you’re part of the Ministry of Heart or the Shadow Knights. For all we know, you might not even be a pony; you could easily one of the Free Minds. If we’re going to work together, we can’t have big secrets hanging over our heads.”

Despite her best efforts to remain still, Rarity twitched just a tiny bit when her vigilante identity was mentioned.

“Yeah...” Rainbow zips over to Rarity, firmly invading her personal space and getting eye-to-eye with her. “Are you a spy?”

“What? No!”

“No, Rainbow.” Ditzy cuts in dryly. “The spy's over there.” She levels a hoof at Lyra.

“Yo.” Lyra waves casually to the rest of them. “Just your friendly neighborhood Heartstrings here, watching you all and learning your secrets. No wait, I did that when I vetted you for this group.” She pauses, smirking faintly at Rarity and Rainbow. “And yes, that includes both of yours. I’m just that good.” Having said her piece, she returns to her customary silence. 

Rarity briefly glowers at my favorite agent, then turns back to Rainbow Dash. “Well, as you can see, I'm certainly not with the Ministry of Heart.”

“Oh. Okay then!” Rainbow gives her a friendly clap on the back, eliciting a squawk of protest from the demure mare. “But seriously, what do you bring to the table? ‘Cause I know we’re supposed to be a team, and I’m pretty sure the Empress wouldn’t bring you on just to teach us how to hold our teacups and sit down without wrinkling our dresses.” She pauses, then grumbles under her breath. “Never did get the hang of that, but dresses are dumb anyway. Way too much air resistance to fly in.”

Rarity smiles, but there is a slightly brittle edge to it. “If you would like, I would be more than happy to teach you such useful skills. If you are going to be a member of the Wonderbolts, let alone this particular team, it would be nice if you didn’t act like an oaf every time you went out in public.”

“Image is important,” Fluttershy quietly declares, earning a grateful smile from Rarity. “A lot of my training was about that. Citizens don’t just trust the Order because we know how to fight, they trust us because we have a good reputation in the public eye. That makes it easier for us to help others in need.”

Rainbow and Twilight both frown skeptically, but Rainbow is the one to put words to it. “You can’t be serious. You really think we need an image consultant for this ... well, whatever it is we’re doing? I don’t even have all the details yet.” She turns her attention to me, temporarily forgetting her suspicions about Rarity. “So when do we get the rest of the story anyway? You’ve just had us sitting around talking in the middle of your creepy vault for, like, hours.”

“It hasn’t been hours,” Sunset comments acidly. “You really need to buy a watch or something. It’s only been twenty-nine minutes.”

Rainbow shoots a glare at my older student, then pointedly looks down at her bare foreleg. “You don’t have a watch either. How do you know how long it’s been?”

“The time vault’s nearly done ticking down,” Sunset answers matter-of-factly. She then turns to me, a proud little smirk on her face. “Yeah, I noticed it was a time vault.”

“Well done, my student.” In all honesty, were it not for the fact that I was grooming her as the leader of the Elements and a potential heir in the worst case, Sunset would have graduated from my tutelage some time ago. While she still had a deal of learning and growing to do before she reached her full potential, there is only so much a baby bird can learn before it must leave the nest. Stifling Sunset’s growth for the greater good of the Empire did not sit well with me, but slowing her career by a few years was a small price to pay for stopping the Nightmare.

As the time lock finally expired, the reinforced door clicked open. I step into the door, looking upon the Elements of Harmony for the first time in centuries. They are just as I remember them: a collection of five inert stone spheres, each with a symbol representing one of the Elements. Magic suffuses them, but I have never been able to make heads or tails of it despite spending several decades working on them at one point. I am sure Celestia would be most amused by my failure.

I step out of the cell, carrying the Elements with me. “Each of you was chosen for a reason. For your skills, your achievements, and most importantly, your virtues.”

Rainbow cocks her head to the side. “Our virtues are a bunch of rocks?”

“Don't take it for granite, Rainbow,” Ditzy snarks.

I chuckle and set the first stone down in front of the most difficult member of the team. “Rainbow Dash, never afraid to speak your mind, even when it would be wiser not to ... you represent the Element of Honesty.”

Rainbow stares at her Element for several seconds, giving the rock an experimental poke. “Er ... okay then? What, does this mean I get rewarded for telling the truth? Does the rock turn into a sweet set of battle armor once I’m honest enough?”

I ignore her question, moving on down the line. “Ditzy Doo, your use of humor to point out the flaws in Imperial policy suits you to the Element of Laughter. Rarity, your sacrifices for the good of Canterlot have earned you the Element of Generosity. Fluttershy, your noble heart makes you the ideal recipient for the Element of Kindness.” Finally, I arrive before my students. “Twilight Sparkle, your loyalty to both me, Sunset, your family, and most importantly of all, your own principles, means that you will wield the Element of Loyalty.”

Sunset stares at me expectantly for several seconds, until the silence stretches out long enough to become awkward. Finally, she speaks. “Er ... do I get one?”

Twilight nodded along. “There are supposed to be six of them. At least, that’s what it said in the book I read.”

“There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five stones.” Not something I was especially happy about. Even from beyond the grave, Celestia manages to complicate my life. “The sixth Element, the Element of Magic, was sealed away long ago to prevent its power from falling into evil hooves. Now it will only reveal itself once the other five Elements have been activated by their wielders.”

“Oh.” Ditzy looks to the others in the room, grinning. “No pressure, then.”

“So how do we turn these things on?” Rainbow demands, still poking her Element. “I mean, there isn’t an on button or a switch or anything, and nothing happened when I told Derpy her bubble-butt is still ginormous or Fluttershy that she was the mousiest knight I’ve ever seen.” Rainbow ignores the glares that the two mares in question send her way.

“That is what I want you to discover.” Which was another way of saying that—much to my displeasure—I didn’t have a feathering clue how the damned things were supposed to be used. “The Elements are ancient magic, far older than even I am. And only six special ponies with the right virtues can wield them.”

“That doesn’t tell us anything about how to use them, though,” Twilight grumbles. “Do you have any books or other reference materials on how to use them? I know I read about them somewhere before, so there has to be more information.”

I nod and extract a few tomes from within the vault. I start with a particularly simple and easy book entitled: The Legend of the Elements of Harmony. That one goes to Rainbow Dash, naturally. It uses small words, and there are plenty of bright, colorful pictures that should hold her interest. 

Despite my efforts to accommodate her, Rainbow groans in protest. “Seriously? Is this some kind of joke?”

I smile wryly, and give her something a bit more appropriate. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Ditzy also receive books suited to their intelligence and education. “I also have everything Old Queen Celestia told me about them before she passed on.” I extract by far the largest tome of the lot and set it down before my two students.

They set to on their respective books, some with far more enthusiasm than others. After a minute Fluttershy slowly raised a hoof. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, but this book says that the Elements are used to restore harmony when the world is out of balance. What exactly will we be using them for?”

Ah, I was wondering how long it would take one of them to come up with that question. I could have opened with the looming threat, but that might have scared them off. Better to get them used to seeing each other as part of the same group first, then raise the stakes. However, now that she had asked the question, an answer is required. “How many of you are familiar with the old prophecy of the Mare in the Moon?”

Rainbow frowns, tapping her chin. “Wait, you mean the mare who steals half my candy on Nightmare Night? There’s a prophecy about her?”

Ditzy’s eyes widen, and she murmurs a rather impressively inventive series of expletives. “Your Majesty, please tell me this isn’t the part where it stops being a legend.”

Twilight shakes her head, her hoof tapping one of the books. “No, wait that doesn’t make any sense. That old prophecy says that the Mare in the Moon escapes on the longest day of the thousandth year! It's only 887!”

“By the Imperial Calendar,” I explain. “But naturally nopony was using the Imperial Calendar before the Empire was founded. The prophecy of the Mare in the Moon was made under the old Celestial Calendar ... where the current year is 999.” I held up a hoof to forestall any panic. “We still have a year before the summer solstice of 1000 CR.” 

Twilight’s eyes widen. “So you want us to use the Elements against Nightmare Moon? As in, ‘Nightmare Moon, the mad alicorn who tried to plunge the world into eternal darkness.’ Who even Old Queen Celestia couldn’t permanently defeat? That’s who you want us to fight?”

“It is.”

My student lets out a nervous giggle. “And to think, yesterday I was worried about what questions would be on my next exam!”

Rainbow flies up until she’s at eye-level with me. “Why didn’t you tell us about this before? I think it would’ve been nice to know we’re going up against some crazy-psycho-murder-alicorn just a little bit sooner!”

“I told you when you were ready to know,” I answer calmly.

It is complete horseapples, of course. The real reason I held off on telling them is revealed in Rainbow’s very choice of words. ‘Why didn’t you tell us.’ My Element bearers need to start thinking of themselves as a team if they are going to have the unity of purpose needed to defeat Nightmare Moon. A small measure of common resentment would help bind them together in the early stages, and would fade away as they became absorbed in their duties. It was a trick I had learned from one of Shadow’s training sergeants during my mortal life.

I ignore Rainbow’s glower and resume speaking. “Lyra will serve as your liaison with me for the duration of this assignment. If you need anything to complete this task, tell her, and she will see to it. She is also in charge of your protection. The Nightmare does have followers, and if they learn you are destined to wield the Elements they will target you. You are Equestria’s best hope for holding off the coming darkness.”

No need to mention that the cultists had already put a crossbow bolt into my original first choice for the Element of Laughter. I didn’t want to scare them too much. The same applied to my backup plans in case the Elements failed.

“So....we're gonna be heroes?” Rainbow asks. “Save the world stuff? Ha! I knew it! As soon as this is all over, I’m gonna go back to my old school and tell my third-grade teacher to eat it! Said I'd never amount to anything, and now I'm a Wonderbolt and I’m gonna be a hero who saves the world! Take that, Ms. Chalkboard!”

“If we succeed,” Twilight cautions. “It’s a little early to start planning the celebration when we don't even know how to use the Elements of Harmony yet.” She glances towards Sunset, then nuzzles her. “Not to mention we’re still missing one.”

I rest a hoof on her shoulder. “I am quite confident you will succeed, Twilight Sparkle. You and Sunset Shimmer have never let me down before. My blood runs through your veins.” I toss an idle glance Rainbow’s way. “Yours too, though more distantly.” Her horrified and disgusted expression is far too amusing.

“I know we’ve never let you down, but this isn't like a test or an essay assignment!” Twilight’s eyes dart around the room, and her breathing quickens. “This is about saving the world from a demigod that will bring about an eternal night. If I fail, the stakes are just a little bit higher than you possibly sending me back to magical kindergarten!”

“Hey.” Sunset hugs her until her breathing slows. “We can handle this.”

Rainbow Dash flutters over to the two of them, landing on the back of their sofa. “Yeah, chillax, egghead. You got me behind ya. No way that crazy monster’s gonna win.”

“Oh joy.” Sunset rolls her eyes. “We're saved now.”

Ditzy playfully glares at Rainbow. “You know, as much as you love to talk about the size of my rump, your head is easily twice as big.”

Fluttershy giggles, earning a betrayed look from Rainbow Dash. Rarity is quick to join in on the fun. “Really now, Rainbow Dash, a bit of confidence serves a lady well, but there can be too much of a good thing.” She smirks, and amends, “Though I think you passed that particular point a long time ago.”

“Hey, I can be all polite and professional and stuff.” Rainbow offers in her own defense. “I’m in the Wonderbolts, I know how to look good in front of a crowd. I’m just not a snob about it. And since I’m supposed to be the Element of Honesty or whatever, what’s so bad about being honest about my own accomplishments? If you ask me, pretending to be modest is even more stuck-up.”

Sunset blinks in surprise. “That’s ... actually a pretty reasonable point.”

I smile at the conversation, quite pleased to see them starting to come together. Teamwork and friendship aren’t things that spring up overnight, but that is why I brought them together a year before the Nightmare’s return. If Celestia were still alive, she probably would have just left it all in the hooves of destiny with a few vague mumbles about what was meant to be and how they would know what to do when the time was right.

But, as some ponies never tire of reminding me, I am not Celestia. The conversation I have with Lyra later that day proves that.






Once the new wielders of the Elements are settled in and hard at work on their task, I take Lyra aside for a moment. “Agent Heartstrings, give me your report on the team.”

Lyra looks them over one last time before delivering her conclusions. “Unorthodox. Rough. Dull blades. But I have faith that you'll sharpen them in time.”

“We do have a full year to work on them,” I point out. “That should be enough time. Any potential problems?”

Lyra wastes no time answering. “Rainbow Dash is one. Thick as a brick and as potentially destructive. Not to mention her seditious impulses border on treasonous.”

“I don't need her to love me,” I answer bluntly. “I just need her to stop Nightmare Moon.”

Lyra grunts and nods. “If I might make a suggestion, Your Majesty: once Nightmare Moon is gone, she becomes disposable.”

I immediately shake my head. “We might need the Elements again.” After a moment’s thought, I reconsider. “On the other hoof, we do have secondary candidates. None of them are as suitable to Honesty, but it doesn't matter how well she can use her Element if she refuses to use it on Nightmare Moon or tries to turn it on us.” I nod to myself, certain of my decision. “Keep an eye on her. So long as she stays on task, I don’t care if she dislikes me, but if it looks like she is trying to turn the other Elements against me, or anything else that could critically undermine Equestria’s defense...”

Lyra nods, understanding at once. “Quickly, cleanly, silently, and with no evidence left behind.”

I smile and pat her shoulder. “I knew I could count on you.”