Canterlot Palace
May 15, 12:00 PM
“You’re early, Blitz.”
The throne room was bright in the sunlight radiating through the windows. A gentle breeze floated through the chamber from an open balcony door. It rippled through Sky’s mane softly, reminding him of his mother’s soft caress from when he was younger.
Celestia sat on her throne, looking down at the pegasus. Her expression was cordial in her surprise, though a few faint lines around her eyes told Sky everything that he needed to know: she was tired. Tired of having to answer all the questions. Tired of the rigmarole.
I wonder if she’s ever taken a vacation, he thought to himself. I wonder if she’s even allowed?
“I’ve learned to be early. The Alicorn Guard has a rather effective way of curing you of tardiness,” he explained.
“And that would be?” Celestia prodded.
“Endless ridicule.”
“Ah.”
Sky shifted slightly. “That, and I figured there’d be a bit more privacy in here than most other places.”
It had been three days ago. Celestia and the rest of the Council had released the truth of the Alicorn Guard to the public. Unsurprisingly, it caused quite a commotion throughout Canterlot. The identities of each of the members (save for Ghost) had also been released, but only to certain ponies who had the right to know—like Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends. However, (also unsurprisingly), those names had managed to leak out and become public knowledge. Sky’s magic abilities may not have been a “secret” before, but he had never actually made a public declaration about them, either. However, within only an hour of the name leak, his popularity had skyrocketed. It had become next to impossible to find somewhere quiet where he could be alone.
He had never been so thankful for his camoufly cloak.
“It looks that way for the moment, but it’s been quite busy lately,” Celestia said with a sigh. “The guards are having a hard enough time trying to secure the outer gates from curious onlookers and conspiracy theorists. And then some nosy pegasus reporters show up and try to get in here through the balcony doors, and…it’s been a madhouse.” She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “This is the quietest it’s been in about two days.”
“Glad I came at a good time,” Sky snorted.
“As am I,” the Princess said, rising to her hooves and descending the steps before the throne. She approached until she stood directly in front of the pale blue pegasus, a concerned look on her face. “Sky…how are you handling this? Are you alright?”
“I think I’m okay, all things considered,” he answered. “I mean, it’s tough without any real privacy, but I guess I’m learning what it’s like for all the stars in Las Pegasus.”
“Which I know you’re not comfortable with, and I apologize for that,” she replied. “But we all knew this was coming. Hopefully it will die down soon enough. How’s Lily?”
Sky’s thoughts brightened at the mention of his beloved unicorn. “She’s doing really well. Doc Trotter can’t stop telling me how amazed he is at her recovery. Even after two weeks, he still keeps calling it a ‘miracle.’”
“Because it is a miracle, Sky Streak,” Celestia admonished. “You, Keeper, and your family proved that there’s no magic as strong as love. That’s as much a miracle as you could hope for.”
“Oh, I know. And I’m thankful for it each day.” He paused, considering. “It’s funny, you know? Ever since Twilight, Spike, and I made that journey to the Everfree Forest and faced the Chimera, I’ve been surrounded by magic and miracles. Before that, my life wasn’t nearly this exciting.” A small chuckle escaped his lips. “It’s like my whole life went in a completely different direction because of that day.”
Celestia looked down at him with such a startled look on her face that Sky nearly reached out to steady her. “Princess! Is everything alright?”
“Yes, yes, it’s fine,” she stammered, steadying herself for a moment. “I’m sorry to have frightened you.”
“What was that all about?” he asked, himself now the concerned one.
“You understand that sometimes things remind us of other things? Like how a smell can remind you of a memory you had long forgotten?” she asked, looking much more like herself again.
“Yes.”
“Well, what you said reminded me of a letter I received not too long ago. It was…revealing about a number of things. Things that weigh heavily upon my mind.”
Sky offered a supportive smile. “Anything you need to share with somepony?”
Celestia chuckled. “There are many things a monarch has on her mind that would not be fitting for the ears of others, Sky Streak,” she said with a wink. “No offense intended.”
He rolled his eyes. “Oh, fine. I see how it is.”
“At any rate, I’m glad you came early. I think it would be good if I prepared you for what this meeting will be about,” she said, striding to the open door and gazing out.
“Wait,” Sky replied, arching an eyebrow, “we’re not going to just have the meeting now?” He began to walk over to where the Princess seemed to be beckoning him to her side. “Are…are we expecting somepony else?”
“Two others, to be precise,” Celestia corrected. “Nighthawk and Trucker will be joining us.”
Nighthawk and Trucker? “Alright, I’ll bite,” Sky conceded. “What’s this meeting about?”
She turned her head to face him, her eyes glistening with pride. “The Council has come to a decision regarding the fate of the Alicorn Guard. And your actions have inspired us, Sky. Namely, your actions toward Ghost.”
“I’m sorry? I really haven’t done anything for him. I just told him that I wanted to help him.”
“Precisely,” Celestia answered. She turned back to the open door and walked into the opening, widening the space with magic. “And we came to realize that Equestria is the pinnacle of societies in the region. We live under a united banner with united ponies. Our economy is strong, our infrastructure is strong, our way of life is well-founded, and our land is protected by the most courageous and loyal ponies a monarch could ask for. We have established a mighty civilization here.”
“Alright…”
“But just as you told Ghost, I can think of no greater disservice than to see a neighbor in need and not offer them our help,” she went on. “And it is with that in mind that the Alicorn Guard is discontinued, but not dissolved.”
Sky narrowed his eyes as he tried to wrap his mind around Celestia’s words. The breeze was yet again providing his mind with a fantastic distraction. “What do you have in mind?”
“Here is our idea: the Alicorn Guard shall be repurposed and split into two groups. The first group shall remain within Equestria and serve its citizens in their need. They will travel wherever they are needed, but unlike the Alicorn Guard, they will connect with those they are helping instead of working in secret. There are no true “missions,” just a single campaign of service. They will go where they are needed, when they are needed.”
Sky’s eyebrow was arched again. “And the second group?”
Celestia smiled. “They will be the trailblazers of a new age for Equestria,” she said. “They will operate beyond the lands of Equestria, bringing aid to those places that need it and showing our less fortunate neighbors the love and friendship that we hold so dear. If we truly care for those around us, we should help them in their need.”
“Wow.” Sky turned back to the open doors and the Canterlot skyline beyond. “That’s…well…that sounds like something we’d do.”
“And your name has been suggested to lead one of the groups.”
Sky nearly choked on his breath. “Say what?!” he exclaimed. “Lead?! I wasn’t even a member of the Alicorn Guard a year ago, and now I’m supposed to lead its next incarnation? Did Nighthawk put you up to this?”
“Your name came up for this several times; not only from Nighthawk, though he was one of the ones that mentioned you,” Celestia admitted. “You command a great deal of respect from your fellow Guard members, Sky.”
“That doesn’t mean I’d make a good leader,” he countered.
“Others look to you as an example to follow,” Celestia pressed. “You’re a role model, at the very least.”
“I’m not much on the decision-making front, though. My head tends to have a hard time keeping up with my heart. Or my mouth. Sometimes both,” he said with a shrug.
Celestia smiled knowingly. “I understand.”
“I can only presume that Nighthawk and Trucker are coming because their names came up, too?”
“You may not be good at the decision-making process, but your perception is top-notch, Sky. Yes, that’s why they are coming. We will need to designate not only the two team leaders, but also the entire group commander.”
“I’m going to go ahead and disqualify myself from all three positions on account of my lack of experience,” he offered.
Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she regarded the pegasus. “Nice try. You can still refuse the position, and that’s fine. But I think it would do you good to at least hear what Trucker and Nighthawk have to say about you. They are, after all, the other two most respected members of the Alicorn Guard. It might open your eyes a little to know what they think of you.”
Sky snorted. “Somehow, I think I’ve already got some insight on Nighthawk.”
He saw Celestia’s eyebrow arch as she turned ever-so-slightly towards him. “There have been many good things that have come of all this, Sky Streak, but none please me as much as you and Nighthawk patching things up.”
He started, surprised by the Princess’s statement. “Wait, you knew about that?”
“Nighthawk was very straightforward when he and I talked earlier,” Celestia admitted. “Sky, he felt positively ashamed for how he treated you. And he truly regrets that. But he saw himself for who he really was when you spared his life, and he holds you in the highest regard because of that. You could say that he is eternally grateful.”
Sky hesitated. “Does he feel the need to make all that up to me?”
“Um…I can’t say, though I wouldn’t put it past him,” she said, looking confused.
“Then he can start by taking the leadership role in this second edition of the Alicorn Guard,” Sky replied. “I think that would make us even.”
Celestia smiled. “You may not be much when it comes to decision-making, but you certainly seem to be quite good with ‘aggressive negotiations.’”
“Hm.” Sky rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I think I could get into that.”
“Very good,” Celestia answered. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Sky gave her a scrutinizing gaze, but held his peace. I’m sure I’ll find out what that means in the days to come.
A pervasive silence fell upon the pair. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the city of Canterlot was bustling with life. It was a happy sight to Sky…until he thought about the only pony who would find no pleasure in it.
“Princess, what about Ghost? Any word on how he’s doing?”
A shadow passed across Celestia’s face. “Sky, he is Ghost no longer. He forfeited that name when he became a traitor. His name is Phantom Star.”
“Yeah, I know,” Sky answered with a sigh. “But I can’t stop referring to him like that. He…”
“Yes?”
The connection triggered in Sky’s brain. It was so obvious: the answer to the mystery hidden in plain sight. “Of course. Ghost is the other side of me: Storm Emblem said that both Gho—I mean, Phantom Star—and myself were his heirs. I was his heir because I honored the past and sought to protect the future. Phantom Star claimed the relation of blood.”
The vision of Nightmare Ghost in a blood rage flashed through his mind, sending a shiver down his spine. “But what I never realized until right now was that we’re actually both heirs, just of different times.”
“Times?”
“Yeah. Ghost was obsessed with the ‘injustices’ of the past and had sworn his life to rectifying them. But I had no ties to the past like he did—I just wanted to defend what I loved. I guess you could say that Phantom Star was an heir to the past: its pain and its thirst for revenge. But I became the heir of the future: the hope and faith we carry into the next day. Phantom Star had no connection to the future, because everything he wanted was based in the past. And that just made him into an embodiment of past memories.
“And that, by definition, is a Ghost.”
Celestia looked like every event of the past few weeks had suddenly been cast into an entirely new light. “Oh my. He took the name Ghost on his own, instead of having it assigned to him. We all agreed to it. But I never questioned its significance until this moment.” She shook her head sadly. “What arrogance. He taunted us with the truth in plain sight. Such a tragedy…”
“That doesn’t mean that he’s beyond help,” Sky replied softly.
Celestia finally turned to look at him full in the face. “Sky, this is part of what makes you such a blessing to everypony around you. You never give up. You’ve shown unmatched tenacity in battle, but that’s not restricted to your fighting style. You just can’t bear to give up on anything, whether it be for yourself or somepony else. Or even if it is somepony else.”
“If we all only had one chance to get everything right, we’d all run out of chances pretty quickly. I guess I’m big on second chances,” he said with a smile.
“A good thing to believe in,” Celestia commented. “Just like good friends, strong virtues, and a better tomorrow.”
Sky paused. “A brighter future...”
A sudden gust of wind whistled past Sky’s face. An earth pony or a unicorn might have recoiled from such an intrusion. But not a pegasus. He raised his head and let the wind run through his mane. It was a summons: the wind pulled at his wings and tugged on his legs, beckoning him into its gentle embrace. “Well, Princess, if you’ll excuse me for just a little while, this wonderful weather has been teasing me since I walked in here, and I think it’s about time I got out into it. Been a while since I had a nice view from the Crown. Could I be excused until we reconvene?”
Celestia chuckled. “Of course. Far be it from me to try and restrain a pegasus.”
He stepped outside the doors, taking a moment to close his eyes and let the wind swirl around his body. However, his face slowly took on a more concerned appearance as he turned again to the white alicorn. “Princess, what do you think the future holds?”
Her face lit up so quickly, Sky wondered if she had expected the question. “Only the best, Sky Streak.”
She watched as he rocketed off the patio into the air, headed for the Crown of the Mountain. As he disappeared from view, she turned from the balcony and walked back to the throne. He doesn’t understand just how much potential he has. But even if he did, he’d be too humble to take control. He doesn’t want power. He only wants what’s best, whatever that may be. It’s like he was made to be a leader; he just doesn’t have the desire for it.
She let her head fall, and her eyes drifted to an open letter stuffed into a basket beside the throne. It was written in a script that she had seen countless times over the last few years. Slowly drawing it out, she found herself reluctantly glued to the words on the page, each one resounding like a bell in a clock tower. It was more than a letter. It was a sign of the times; an omen of important events to come.
A countdown to fate.
“I don’t understand it. He can affect the weather like most pegasi, but he doesn’t need to use his wings: he can clear the sky or summon a storm just with his willpower and some magic. I don’t understand, Princess, but I’m worried about him. He’s got more skill with magic than most unicorns do. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I’m genuinely concerned. I hope you can put my mind at ease.”
Celestia looked back to the open bay doors as the breeze blew across her face. A chill feeling swept over her brow, and she became aware of a cold sweat upon her forehead. She shivered.
“What will he do when he finds out?” she pondered aloud. “There’s never been another pony whose future has been as uncertain as his. I wonder…”
The breeze again swept through her mane. “The winds of change are coming.”
“Sky Streak…your destiny awaits.”