“Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.”
--David Ogden Stiers
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09:45, 12/12/2015, ROYAL CHAMBERS, CANTERLOT
“Discord, I require an answer,” Luna declared, and it took a tremendous amount of restraint for her not to do more than raise her voice as she was, for all intents and purposes, ignored.
The avatar of chaos’s entire attention was on the table in front of him, or more accurately, the battle being waged upon it.
Eight human dolls (‘Action figures’, Luna corrected herself, as Discord had been very adamant about the distinction) advanced on what appeared to be a toy barn with a small figurine that looked vaguely similar to one of the young foals in Ponyville. The ordered advance scattered when the last one opened fire on her fellows.
“Can’t you see I’m busy, Lulu? This is very important business here,” Discord said dismissively without looking up. His eyes were locked on the first of the action figures that had opened fire, and his grin continued to widen as she dispatched two of the other attackers as they ran for cover. An excited whoop came from the draconequus when the subject of his attention hurled a grenade upward to blast a hovering helicopter out of the sky before dashing for the cover of a nearby house. Throughout the entire battle, sound effects for weapons fire and explosions were provided by Discord’s own voice, which did an excellent job of undermining the avatar of chaos’s argument regarding the gravity of the situation.
Luna’s eyebrow twitch was the only visible sign of her agitation at Discord’s priorities and the use of her nickname. While she had no concrete proof, she suspected that he wasn’t taking her questions seriously. “Perhaps this can wait until after you answer my questions?” she asked politely.
“Why should this wait? You aren’t the great commandy one of me,” Discord replied with all the petulance of a child being reminded of his bedtime.
“I’m not the what of you?” came the confused reply.
Discord’s grin was all teeth. “Exactly!”
The last of the ‘alive’ action figures emerged through a window of the house, apparently locked in mortal combat… until Luna brought her hoof down on both of them with a crunch. “Discord, I have my sister’s authority in this. You will answer my questions or suffer the consequences,” she delivered with her best ultimatum even as Discord recoiled in horror at the unexpected end to the fight.
“Now that is just unfriendly,” Discord replied indignantly, and the animated diorama of battle disappeared from the table with a snap of his digits. He turned to cast a sullen glare at Luna before speaking again. “So, what was your question again?”
“A unicorn mare has been found on Earth--”
“OBJECTION!” Discord roared as he thrust one arm forward. “ Your line of questioning is an attempt to pin this wayward mare’s predicament on me, but it assumes facts not in evidence! What proof do you have that I am responsible for this in any way?”
While the guards near the doors started at the shout, Luna didn’t immediately respond besides fixing Discord with an ‘are you serious?’ stare. “Do I really have to remind you about the other time you sent a unicorn mare to Earth?” she asked.
The draconequus recoiled in horror before looking away. “Prior bad acts are inadmissible and irrelevant to these proceedings! I demand a mistrial! This is a gross miscarriage of justice that I will not stand fo--”
“Then perhaps we should be thankful that you aren’t on trial at the moment, then?” Luna interrupted, and she continued in an attempt to keep Discord from derailing it any further, “As I was going to say, our allies on Earth have recovered a mare there. I am not accusing, I am asking politely if you have anything to do with this or have any information that may assist us with this mystery.”
Silence fell into the conversation as Discord turned and met Luna’s stare and held it with equal intensity. Just as quickly, the moment between them passed as he cleared his throat dramatically. “I solemnly swear that I had nothing to do with this mare being taken from her home, but I promise I will do everything I can to help her return to her friends and family.”
That’s… unexpectedly forthcoming. Getting information from this creature is never so easy, Luna couldn’t help but think as she stared at Discord. “Yes, well, I thank you for your offer of aid, but I do not believe it will be necessary. If you do learn any information that might help us solve this mystery, I would thank you in advance for sharing it.” Luna turned to leave the royal quarters, but her steps were slow and uncertain. He must be plotting something… the lunar alicorn halted as she replayed Discord’s words in her mind. I asked him if he had anything to do with her ending up on Earth, and he replied that he had nothing to do with her leaving Equestria. He didn’t specifically answer my question, and he’s always deliberate with how he says things. Luna cast a glance back to Discord just fast enough to catch the too-wide toothy grin on his face.
“Spoilers!” Discord declared before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
“Princess? Shall we notify you if Discord returns?” one of the door guards asked.
“No, that will not be necessary,” Luna replied with a shake of her head. So long as he does not make an obstructive pest of himself, I see no reason to punish Discord… yet. If I recall correctly, Rarity and Applejack were heading to the Kaleidoscope to meet with this mysterious mare. As much as I would like to welcome her personally, there is another obligation I must fulfil.
Princess Luna stepped out of the royal chambers, and she made no comment on the pair of thestrals that fell into step behind her. I could probably wage a convincing argument that my own personal defenses are sufficient to defeat any attack against me… but that’s not the point, is it? We’ve all paid the price for sitting on our laurels, content that the enemy cannot harm us. Oh, how wrong we were.
Ponies and the various other species in the corridors made way for the three-pony procession, with the only exception being a security checkpoint within the castle itself. A hooffull of checkpoints had been established within the castle at specific points, while roaming patrols had also been arranged by Shining Armor and the other leaders to try and prevent anything like the tragedy that had happened within the relative safety of the capital. Nopony was exempt from the scans, and Luna waited patiently for the checkpoint to clear her and her escort before continuing towards the medical wards.
The wards in question had calmed down somewhat since the operation to retake Applewood. While crowded, it was no longer clogged with doctors and medics sprinting to make life or death decisions. Luna did not announce her arrival, nor did she make a show of her visit. She silently wove her way around the perimeter of the lobby before turning down the corridor towards the private wings. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sat on the benches outside the room at the end of the hallway, both wearing concerned expressions as the princess approached. Her two guards fell back to a respectful distance to stand guard at the hallway entrance.
“I would have expected that you two would be offering your well wishes to Pinkie Pie?” Luna asked, and a spike of fear struck the alicorn at the thought of the party mare taking a turn for the worse. “Is… is everything well?”
“The doctors say she’s out of the worst of it, and we would normally be in there trying to cheer her up…” Dash explained, but she couldn’t finish without looking away and letting out a breath. “She isn’t alone in there, and that other mare gives me a really creepy feeling.”
“Now, that isn’t a very kind thing to say,” Fluttershy said, though her tone was timid even for the reclusive pegasus. “If it wasn’t for her, we might not have Pinkie with us at all. Plus, she’s--”
“You weren’t there when we found them in Applewood! That mare was covered in blood and she nearly attacked the first humans she saw even though they were with us!” Dash retorted quickly before looking down at her hooves after a moment. “I was a part of the fighting at Ponyville before I got hurt, and I think I killed at least one of those monsters. It’s not something I can forget about, and both of you know how Twilight reacted. That mare, though…” The polychromatic pegasus looked to the closed door on the other side of the room. “All that blood that was on her came from somewhere, and she would have tried to kill her rescuers if I hadn’t shown up. She doesn’t talk or joke, or smile or cry or anything. All she does is stare.”
Luna placed one hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder in support. “Everypony copes with trauma in different ways. Please do not judge her too harshly for doing what she felt was necessary.” Dash’s slow nod was the only response that was given, and she made way for Luna as she made her way to the door and slowly pushed it open.
It is… disconcerting to see somepony so active in such a state, Luna thought as she spotted Pinkie Pie tucked comfortably into the bed on the far side of the room. A significant portion of her uncovered body was covered in bandages and casts from the injuries she had sustained during the battle in Applewood. Her barrel expanded and contracted gently as she slept, and Luna spared a split second to ensure her friends dreams were happy and warm before turning to address the other pony in the room.
She was as far away from Pinkie as Luna could possibly imagine in appearance in Luna’s eyes, and that seemed to extend to her temperament as well. Her gray coat and dull purple mane were a stark contrast from the injured mare, and her attire was equally drab. Unblinking eyes turned from Pinkie Pie to the princess, and she bowed respectfully to the new arrival.
“You may rise. You are Maud Pie, correct?” Luna asked. “I must confess that I have not spent much time speaking of family with your sister, but I know that she cherishes you greatly.”
“I love her just as much,” Maud replied as she rose, and she turned her attention back to Pinkie. “I wasn’t fast enough, and she got hurt. I won’t let anything hurt her again.”
Something in Maud’s declaration set off a warning bell in the back of Luna’s mind, but she set it aside. “I have no doubts of that,” the princess offered, and the conversation abruptly died when Maud elected to continue staring at Pinkie rather than continue talking. “I wish to thank you for doing what you could to help her. If you hadn’t, surely she would… is something the matter?”
Maud’s head had turned back to Luna with deliberate slowness, and her blank stare remained unchanged. “No,” she stated, and the warning bells in Luna’s mind again went off with greater urgency.
“I… beg your pardon?”
“You offer thanks to somepony who does something to help you, or does something unexpected, or to be nice,” Maud explained in the same monotone that she had originally spoke. “Everything I did was to save and protect Pinkie. She is my sister, and there is nothing I won’t do to protect her and the rest of my family. And what I’m willing to do in her defense isn’t nice.”
An uncomfortable amount of tension began to fill the room, and Luna had to resist the impulse to break the stare that Maud was levelling against her. That oppressive atmosphere vanished immediately as Pinkie stirred for just a moment. Maud’s gaze whipped around to the injured mare, but she remained silent in her vigil.
Luna hesitated as she searched for the right words. “I... retract my thanks, then,” she finally said, and she wasn’t surprised by the lack of response from the other mare. It has been many years since I’ve conversed with one so determined, she thought as she turned to leave. I had long suspected that Pinkie may not have been the only… eccentric pony to be produced by her family, but I did not expect that her sister would be so radically different.
“If Pinkie’s friends want to visit, they’re welcome to. I think that Pinkie would like for them to be here,” Maud offered as Luna opened the door. A glance back confirmed that the dour mare hadn’t lifted her gaze from her sister despite the offer.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had maintained a respectful distance from the door, but Maud’s voice apparently carried enough that they heard her final offer. Both had risen and waited for Luna to exit the room before they made their way inside. The quiet conversation in the room was masked as the door clicked shut, leaving Luna alone in the corridor with her guards.
Now, just one more appointment, Luna thought with a nod as she turned to her escorts. “I will be attending my next obligation at a secure location, and I will be arriving there directly. You two may disperse,” she ordered before teleporting away from the medical wards and into a nearly barren room, save for a pair of padded benches and a single occupant.
“Princess,” Firecracker said as she stood at attention beside one of the benches. She bowed and waited for the alicorn to take her seat before she did the same. “I do hope you don’t have anything on your schedule, because I’ve got some rather interesting things to tell…”
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03:00, 12/12/2015, MEMORATORIUM, CANTERLOT
“Guard,” Shining Armor called as he trotted to the gold-armored stallion that stood at the entrance to his destination. The stallion in question was a pegasus a hooffull of years younger than Shining and was one of the many guardsponies who had volunteered for a tour on Earth but lacked the seniority to be a part of the first wave. Still, the tan-coated and blue-maned stallion was towards the top of the guard performance-wise and his dedication made him the one of the best candidates to guard one of the few precious things he had left.
“Captain,” the guard said as he snapped to attention. “No changes to report. Princess Twilight has remained inside the chamber for the last day. Food was delivered, but when I attempted to confirm her wellbeing, she gave me a direct order not to enter the chamber again.”
Shining gave the guard a closer inspection, and was quick to note the bags under his eyes. He’s still lucid and alert, and his endurance training would let him stand there for another day at least… but he’s earned a rest. “Stand down and report to the barracks. Last I checked, your shift should have ended nearly eighteen hours ago. I’ll guard the princess until the next shift arrives.”
“It’s no problem, sir,” the guard said, and his posture straightened up ever so slightly. “I don’t want to be away from my post if Princess Twilight needs anything.”
“I wasn’t offering a suggestion, Corporal,” Shining replied, and while he kept his tone light, he made a point of locking the guard with a stare. “You’ve done your duty, and you can’t help the princess if you’re too tired to focus. Go and rest.”
The guard couldn’t weather the force of the unicorn’s stare, and he looked ever so slightly down to break eye contact. “I understand sir,” he said, and the guard turned to march down the hallway and out of sight.
Shining watched him go before turning toward the double doors leading into the Memoratorium. One hoof rose to push the door open, and he silently stepped into a frozen moment in time.
The room was unfamiliar, but the distinctive shapes and lights of human machinery were easily recognizable, along with a privacy screen and an unconscious Sergeant Lana Jenkins on the bed before him. Shining had little experience with the woman beyond seeing her name appear in disciplinary reports to a startling degree, but she was a fellow soldier and one of Twilight’s friends. While he did feel a pang of sympathy for the loss of the human, she wasn’t Shining’s primary concern.
Twilight Sparkle sat in the center of the room, staring with unblinking eyes into the scene being projected. A tray of half-eaten food sat off to one side, while a small pile of bedding was wadded up on the other. Shining chose not to think too much about the human-shaped plush toy that rested atop the blankets as he sat next to his sister. “Twili--”
“Get out.”
The words were spat with enough venom that Shining recoiled. “We want to help you, Twilight,” he offered weakly.
“I’m trying to isolate the artificial arcane signature generated by the EXALT Wallflower devices that they used to… to hurt Lana without getting caught,” Twilight explained, her voice a mix of anger and impatience. Her eyes remained locked on the other human in the scene as she continued. “If I can do that, I can create a spell that detects it. Then this will never happen again. Unless you’re capable of detecting the inner workings of a spell I created specifically to never be detected, then there is only one way you can help. Get. Out.”
“You’re worrying me… and everypony else, the longer you’re in here, Twilight,” Shining stated, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I’m sure that you’ll solve this mystery all the more quickly after you’ve had a chance to sleep in your bed and have a real meal. There’s no reason to punish yourself--” The moment the words left Shining’s mouth, he knew they were a mistake.
Twilight finally broke her stare from the doctor to glare at Shining. “No reason!? I was the one who made the Wallflower spell. I was in the room with Lana when this happened, and I did nothing! She and Yumiko are dead because I sat there and did nothing! I didn’t become a princess so that I could allow my friends to get hurt by sitting around. I will find a way to prevent my spell from being used against us again, and the only way I can do that is if you get out.” She didn’t spare a moment longer on Shining as she turned back to the frozen scene.
“Twilight…” Shining started, and he reached out one hoof to try and pull his sister into a hug--
The extended limb was knocked away as Twilight swiped her own hoof through the air. “GET OUT!” she screamed, her horn already glowing with magic.
--only to find himself teleported out into the hallway.
How can I help Twilight now? Shining asked himself as he looked to the doors to the Memoratorium. Cadance… you were always the one who could get through to Twilight. You always knew what to say to make her feel better. The stallion cut that train of thought off before it could open up old wounds. If I try to go back in there, she’ll just teleport me back, or worse. I’m sure Princess Luna could get through to her, but it’s also possible she might not.
As the list of friends became increasingly narrow, Shining could do little more than facehoof. I suppose there’s only one real option left. As much as I hate to resort to it, HE is likely the only one she’s going to listen to. After the first attack on Canterlot, she asked for him specifically and not me... Hopefully she’ll listen to him now. Shining let out a long, drawn-out sigh as assumed a guard position by the door. He would have to wait for the replacement to arrive before searching for Captain Harris.
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08:30, 12/13/2015, GRIFFON ENCLAVE, CANTERLOT
Silly hatchling, Alvar could easily imagine his father saying as he tried not to sprint towards the double doors at the far end of the hallway. You want to be taken seriously by your peers but you can’t keep track of the time? How can they count on you to be a valuable ally in the future if they cannot count on you arrive at your own meetings at the appointed hour?
The young griffon let out an exasperated huff at he stopped just before the door to smooth out the uniform he was wearing. He did not, however, look over his shoulder at the Myrmidon. I don’t need to see that helmet tilt at me right now, it’ll just aggravate me further, he thought as he pushed the door open.
Two humans were waiting inside the next room, and both rose as Alvar entered. Lieutenant Zhang bowed as he always did during their meetings, and Captain Harris followed suit. Both remained standing until the young griffon had taken his own seat and motioned for them to do the same.
“Captain, Lieutenant,” Alvar addressed each of them with a nod of his head. “I am glad to see you both returned from battle, though I understand that not all were as fortunate. You have my sympathies for your losses.” The humans don’t like to dwell on those that they’ve lost or revel in the past victories of the fallen so soon after their demise. They are like Equestrians in that way, Alvar reminded himself, and his mind quickly flashed back to the foolish one-sided discussion he had with Shining Armor after his wife had passed. Alvar did allow a moment of respectful silence to pass before settling his gaze on the Skysteel weapon sheathed beside the senior officer. “I’m glad to see you’re taking the responsibilities of my gift seriously, Captain Harris. Skysteel weapons should never leave the side of their rightful owners.”
Harris shot a glance towards Zhang, before placing a hand on the pommel of the sword. “Thank you, sir. It proved quite useful in the last operation against the minotaur Toys, though I hope you won’t be offended that I don’t intend to let any more enemies enter close enough range to use it again.”
What was it that Zhang said when I offered it to him? “If the enemy is close enough to use it, I’m not doing my job right”? “I understand, Captain. It is enough to carry it into battle,” Alvar confirmed, and he cleared his throat before placing a small bundle of scrolls on the table in front of them. “As much as I would like to spend the day inquiring about the battle you fought, I am afraid I will have to get straight to business.
His talon carefully broke the wax seal for the first few scrolls before flattening them out on the table. “My father always taught me that to know the strategies an enemy has used is often the best way to know what he will do. As such, I’ve been spending time with the officers who record the alien sightings and attacks since their first attacks and comparing them with what Lieutenant Zhang has been able to share, and I wanted to run my theories by the two of you.
Both of the humans had their eyes on the scrolls, each displaying a map of the known world as well as a smattering of iconography denoting the alien attacks as well as their severity. Alvar waited until both looked up before he continued. “Lieutenant Zhang stated that the attacks on your homeworld started out small in scale, where the invaders would launch ‘smash and grab’ missions to abduct as many of your people as they could before intervention arrived. It was only after the appearance of Twilight Sparkle on Earth that the aliens began to launch missions of strategic significance; namely the location and eradication of XCOM’s forces.”
“Broadly speaking, that’s correct,” Harris said, and the skeptical look on his face asked the questions that he was no doubt too polite to speak.
“I’ve pieced this conclusion together myself, through anecdotal evidence gathered from the official announcements that the princesses have made, conversations with Lieutenant Zhang and others, and a few logical leaps. Nothing sensitive was discussed at any time,” Alvar explained, though he did note the sideways glance Harris shot at his subordinate. “A surface examination of the deployments in our world appears to buck this trend, but I discovered something interesting upon a closer analysis.
“When the aliens failed with their strategic strikes on Earth, the attacks over the following months dwindled in frequency, though the aliens deployed were elite troops with the best of equipment. Here, they seem to be falling into the same pattern. They have attempted five operations of strategic significance thus far.” Alvar extended one talon to several spots on the map, each marked with a red square. “By eliminating Cloudsdale, they were able to wipe out a significant number of pegasi that might be able to threaten their air superiority. Twice they attacked Canterlot, and I don’t need to explain the significance there. Based on what I’ve heard from Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the attack on Ponyville was perpetrated to capture or kill the Element Bearers specifically. And… Gryphos. The largest standing military on this world, shattered by a decapitating strike before we could truly take flight.”
“It’s an excellent summary, sir, but I’m not certain how this relates to the events on Earth,” Harris said, seemingly unable to take his eyes from the rash-like pattern of alien attacks listed on the map.
I have their curiosity, but now I need their attention, Alvar thought before continuing. “This is where things begin to align with your experiences. After these strategic maneuvers, the aliens have done little but revert back to their usual tactics that you are already familiar with, though they’ve taken to supplementing their attacks with their elite troops in addition to the more mundane ones. I can think of only two possible explanations.”
He extended one digit once both humans looked up to him. “The first is that whatever command assets direct the aliens simply does not have the strategic know-how to prosecute a war against an enemy that can defend itself. Given the level of its technology, I suspect that the majority of races that they have fought and conquered likely surrendered in less than a year’s time. For all we know, our alliance has lasted longer than any other opposition that they have fought for thousands of years, and they have no other tactics because they’ve not needed any other tactics for all that time.”
“And the other explanation?” Zhang asked, his expression as neutral as ever.
“The other explanation is that they are waiting for something, though I can only speculate as to what,” the young griffon finished the sentence with a weak shrug. “Perhaps they are waiting for reinforcements or higher level command assets that can crush our defenses. It’s possible that they are counting on their EXALT allies to act as a strategic wildcard to break the stalemate. Until the aliens do something radically different, we can only guess at this point.”
Harris met Zhang’s eyes and held them for just a second before looking back to Alvar. “I had a similar conversation with Major Fujikawa just before arriving here, though that talk happened without the benefit of the patterns you show here. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take these maps and send them back to Earth. Commander Bradford has a way of predicting what the aliens will do, so he might be able to work out what the aliens intentions are.”
Alvar nodded and smiled, but inside his head he was cheering. The strategic analysis was just to show that I’m not just a hatchling who inherited this position, but someone who’s capable of discussing military matters as an equal. I have their attention now, so it’s time to move onto the real reason for this meeting. “I appreciate that, Captain Harris. There is actually another matter that I wanted to discuss with the two of you I suspect will be of great interest to both of you.”
Alvar’s building momentum was derailed by a soft knock on the door. The portal opened to admit one of the griffon sentries, followed by Shining Armor. “I apologize for interrupting, High Talon,” he offered with a short bow. “I am afraid I must have a brief word with Captain Harris. Privately.” Harris’s only reaction was a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes before he plucked his sword from its resting position to follow the unicorn to the far side of the room.
The conversation the two shared wasn’t nearly as private as Shining Armor had intended, as Alvar’s hearing was quite sharp and the corner of the room did nothing but funnel the sounds of their whispered conversation in his direction. The small amount of annoyance that Alvar had felt for having his meeting interrupted was crushed by shame as the two continued to whisper. For all their fascinating talk of tactics and battles, it is quite easy to forget that the humans are more akin to the Equestrians than griffons emotionally. What measure is there in my wish to be an equal amongst fellow warriors when someone I wished to call a friend suffers so? My sources said that that Princess Twilight wasn’t injured during the attack… but I didn’t think to ask if she was well. Stupid mistake, hatching. Stupid. What else have you overlooked?
The conversation on the far end of the room ended, and Captain Harris turned back to face the table and its occupants. “I must apologize, High Talon. I’m afraid that something has come up that I must attend to. Perhaps we could finish our discussion at a later point?”
Alvar waved one talon to dispel any impression of offense. “I understand, Captain. I’m actually glad for the interruption, as it gave me some time to reconsider some of my conclusions. I may call on the both of you in the near future if my findings survive a second look.” He rose and gave a short bow to both of the humans and Shining Armor. Only when the Myrmidon escorted them out did Alvar cast a doubtful look back at the last talonfull of scrolls on the table.
I had been so certain of my conclusions, but if I am sloppy enough in one area then I might be in others, Alvar thought, and he nearly shredded the scrolls in a fit of frustration. The humans desperately want to locate the EXALT origin point on this world, and I had thought I had enough anecdotal evidence to narrow the search. The airships that the enemy humans use require infrastructure to fuel and maintain, and there’s only one nation that has the tools to fill that need. Given Asterion’s reaction to the Toys working alongside EXALT, I can’t imagine Minon would tolerate the things anywhere in their borders. To think that I was going to accuse one of the other alliance members of colluding with the enemy. Think before you act, hatch--
The young High Talon’s bout of self-beration was interrupted when his keen senses told him that he wasn’t alone. He launched himself into a reflexive roll through the air, and an inch of his blade had already been drawn before he caught sight of the creature that had been creeping up on him.
“OH COME ON!” Sweetie Belle shouted in apparent outrage. “How am I supposed to sneak up to you if you react like that. That’s not how it’s supposed to work!”
With no others in the room save the two of them, Alvar let out a long breath and settled his sword back into its sheath before coming back down to ground level. The young griffon’s first instinct was to shout at the young unicorn for the unintentional danger she had put herself into, but his earlier recriminations stopped him. She isn’t a griffon, she doesn’t know better. And it isn’t her fault that you let her get so close undetected, Alvar reminded himself, which led to a peculiar question. “How was I supposed to react? And why were you trying to sneak up on me?”
“Pinkie Pie always says that everypony loves surprises, and Rarity said that colts like it when mares rub shoulders with them. She said that--” Sweetie started to explain, but her explanation ended abruptly. She looked away abruptly, but not fast enough to hide a growing flush on her face. “So, uh, your meeting was done so I thought I would try.”
“Well, I appreciate the thought, Sweetie,” Alvar offered as graciously as he could manage, though he kept the filly locked in his narrow gaze. Am I missing something here, too? For all my study of the Equestrians and their culture, it seems that I lack practical experience. “I am certain Pinkie Pie’s surprises are appreciated by her friends and family, but I would ask you not to attempt to do so again.” Ah, I know what I’m missing! “Where are Applebloom and Scootaloo? It’s rare to see you by yourself.”
Sweetie’s expression changed from whatever it was to something else entirely that Alvar couldn’t quite quantify. The closest approximation he could guess was aggravation. “We were waiting outside the room while your meeting was going on, but then Mr. Beowulf stopped by. The others went on a run with him, but I wanted to wait until you were done to try and surprise you.”
Is she… angry? I suppose I would be if a carefully laid plan fell apart, Alvar concluded before shaking his head. She isn’t a griffon, she’s an Equestrian! To try and measure her reactions based on your own culture is a fool’s errand. But... does it have to be that way? She is Equestrian, and she seems tolerant of my mistakes. Perhaps she can provide me the insights I need to make up for my shortcomings… “Sweetie Belle, I must apologize but I find myself in need of a favor. I find myself making grievous errors and assumptions when dealing with other Equestrians. I am in need of somepony I can trust, so that I don’t make such errors in the future. Would you be willing to assist me with this in the future?”
Sweetie’s eyes widened, and she squeaked, “Just me?”
“Well, I imagine the others might be able to provide their own insights--”
“Nonono! I can do it! It’ll be fun!” the unicorn filly interrupted while waving her hooves.
“Then I thank you in advance,” Alvar nodded, and he tried very hard not to compare the look that Sweetie was now giving him to those he recalled on the faces of the Greater Rocs back home while they were on the hunt. That task became much easier when a familiar sound could be heard approaching in the corridors.
The thumping sounds of Beowulf’s footfalls were punctuated by Scootaloo and Applebloom’s screams, which halted just outside the doorway into the corridor. “Sweetie, it’s horrible! You’ve got to come with us quick! There’s this strange mare with your sister and she looks like you but older!” the two fillies on Beowulf’s shoulders screamed simultaneously.
“She’s clearly an evil copy created by the enemy! We have to save my sister!” Sweetie declared as she took off in a gallop towards Beowulf. The golem hunched over and reached out with one hand in a practiced maneuver, and the filly leapt up to Beowulf’s palm and up onto his shoulders. “Onward, Crusaders! We must intercept this enemy before she invades our stronghold any further!”
“Understood. Brace yourselves,” Beowulf ordered in the familiar monotone, before taking off at full speed down the hall. The excited screams of the fillies along for the ride soon followed.
Perhaps it is not such a bad thing, to not try and be the High Talon. At least for a little while longer. “Wait for me!” Alvar yelled as he took off down the hall in pursuit.
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???, MEMORATORIUM, CANTERLOT
It had taken many hours of careful study and dissection of her memories, but Twilight was able to find what she was looking for. The weakness of the EXALT devices wasn’t that they broadcasted a magical signature to detect, but that they completely hid any kind of magical signature from within its area of effect. Once Twilight had discovered this weakness, she ran her tests to confirm her findings. After a second test returned a good result, she reached out to her plush toy and blanket as she allowed herself to relax. This was her first mistake.
“Calling it. Time of death 7:51AM. Cause of death…” the lead doctor said, regret apparent on his face.
Twilight couldn’t resist a small sob as the guilt hit her again.
Cause of death was you, Twilight Sparkle, came the damning accusation from all around the alicorn. The words were spoken not by a single voice, but by many in sync. Kim and Joel’s voices were wracked with pain as they spoke. The friendly tone of that horrible man that belonged to EXALT was supplemented by the inky smoothness of the Ethereal she had encountered on Earth. Most disturbing of all was her own voice in the accusation, cracked from screaming and grief. You’ve known the truth since your return home, they continued, that this is all your fault.
In Twilight’s grief and desperation to try and fix things, she had gone to the Memoratorium while declining any offer to help. A disciplined mind need not fear anything that the memory chamber might show, as one with sufficient focus can keep the images in the chamber focused on the events depicted in the memories and not their opinions or imagination. Twilight’s normally cautious and meticulous approach to everything would have prevented any sort of loss of control ideally, but ‘ideal’ was not an apt description of her mental state. It was then that she made her second mistake.
“I… I don’t…” she tried to explain, but failed. While Twilight knew logically that what she was hearing was nothing more than her own doubts and that she should just leave the room, she couldn’t resist the impulse to try and deny it.
You killed them, Twilight. You killed them all.
The sounds of claws on concrete, the sound that still sometimes haunted Twilight’s nightmares, echoed through the chamber. The scene from her first few moments on Earth played out just as she remembered them. The Chrysalid was mashed into a twitching pile of ichor and chitin by her magic, but not before it had killed three humans.
You killed them all when you chose to do nothing.
The scene shifted to the room she had lived in while on Earth, where Kim and Joel were butchered mercilessly. Dr. Vahlen charged forward, only to be swatted aside without any effort. All the while, Twilight did nothing to stop it.
Then you killed them all because you lost control.
Several flashbacks appeared from the battle on Earth. Every alien that Twilight encountered had no defense against her despite their best efforts. Waves of magic poured out from the unicorn, turning flesh to dead stone wherever it travelled, and more than one alien ship fell from the sky as she turned her attention upwards. The scenes reached their climax with the fake doctor being mashed into the castle wall, with Twilight so close to ending her.
“I didn’t have a choice…” Twilight protested weakly.
You’re right, there is no choice. Killing is what you’re good at. Killing is all you’re good at. You just hadn’t realised it yet… The now all too familiar scene of Lana’s body giving out on the hospital bed surfaced. All you have to do is admit it. It’s your special talent, Twilight.
The accusations were insidious, and Twilight could do little more than sob an apology. Is this the truth? she asked herself, and in her mind’s eye she saw a precipice. The fall, the acceptance of what she was hearing, would be something that she could never recover from. She had to get away, she had to--
“They’re lying. That’s not your special talent, Twilight. I know,” came a new voice from Twilight’s left, and she nearly jumped out of her coat in surprise as a hoof patted her on the back. The mare sitting beside her was a unicorn with a lean and slender figure, with an off-white coat and two-tone pink and purple mane with curls running through it. What was perhaps most shocking was her expression. There wasn’t any of the fear that the other Elements showed when they had tried to visit Twilight, or the helpless concern that Shining did nothing to hide. On this mare’s face only understanding could be found.
“You can’t be real,” Twilight stuttered as she leaned away from the newcomer. “If you knew the truth you wouldn’t say that. You can’t be real.” She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged her doll closer, bracing for another barrage of guilt… which never came.
The mare’s voice was patient and gentle as she pulled Twilight into a hug. “Of course I am, Twilight. And I’m telling you that’s not how it is. That’s not who you are. Those memories should show you that’s not the truth. There’s a difference between defending yourself and others and… and killing. I know. And I know you. A dozen times over. You are punishing yourself for things you couldn’t have controlled.”
The precipice in Twilight’s mind seemed not quite so close as the mare continued to talk in hushed and calm tones. I want to believe her. I want to believe the words she’s saying so much, but… “They’re all dead because of me! If I had just been faster, or smarter, I could have saved everyone!” Twilight nearly screamed, a futile denial to resist the little scrap of hope being offered.
The response didn’t come from the mare, but from the chamber itself.
A bedroom appeared, and Twilight saw a younger version of herself with an impish grin, poking fun at whoever the memory belonged to. The scene then shifted to a party with the Element Bearers, older in bearing but lacking anything resembling dignity as they bawled out one of the songs Applejack liked.
The next memory was one that Twilight could not recall personally but couldn’t dismiss in its familiarity. “Prestidigitation,” the memory Twilight said, reading the spell name from a large book in front of her while casting a glance at the person living the memory.
“P-pres… ti… di… gi… tation. Prestid-gah! I’ll never get it right!” a naggingly familiar voice replied, and before Twilight could attempt to place it, the scene shifted again.
A paper construct of immense complexity floated above the Twilight in the next scene, and it wasn’t long before she twitched and fainted at some off-hoof comment issued by the memory’s owner. The very next scene nearly elicited that reaction from Twilight herself when an apparently older and drunker version of herself confessed to an explicit encounter in a very public setting.
What are these memories? They’re far too clear and detailed to be imagined or fabricated… “What is all this? I don’t remember any of this,” Twilight muttered before turning back to the other mare in the room. “Who are you? What are you?”
A small bit of that tortured sympathy was replaced with a smile. “I’m your apprentice. Your friend. Your knight and ally. I’m Sweetie Belle.”
The declaration initially didn’t connect in Twilight’s mind, and all she could do was blink dumbly at the other mare. Sweetie Belle? But she’s just a filly. She began to review everything that had happened, her mind gladly latching onto anything that might distract her. This is a mare that’s as old as me… or close to it. She looks like Sweetie Belle might at that age. A changeling? Possibly, but they usually choose the existing form of a pony if they’re copying, and they’ve been expressly forbidden from taking the form of another while they’re in Canterlot… Wait, one of her memories was of me teaching her something…
“Time travel? No, that wouldn’t account for the memories, and they’re too detailed to be imagined,” Twilight muttered, and after reviewing all of the different versions of herself in the memories, only one theory seemed to fit. “Dimensional travel? Operation of parallel worlds…” Starswirl the Bearded had a world string theory stating that there were multiple Equestrias in existence, each separated by--
“Well done!” ‘Sweetie Belle’ confirmed with a grin. “You have no idea how many times I have to explain to ponies that I come from another dimension!” The grin slowly faded back into the more serious expression. “Seriously, Twilight. I saw what you were looking at. That’s not you… you need to stop blaming yourself for things and worse, twisting them only to torture yourself.” Other memories began to appear, of terrible fights against creatures both familiar and foreign, but all of them were terrifying before fading away as well.
She’s like me, Twilight thought as she caught each of the memories in turn, and the realisation struck like a tidal wave. She’s had to go through so much to survive… “Why do these things happen? Did we do something to deserve this? Neither of us should have been forced to make these choices. We don’t deserve this… right?” The last question was pleading as Twilight looked over to Sweetie.
The other mare shook her head. "We don't. Nopony does, but... you've told me yourself in other worlds, that sometimes we have to make a stand... we don't kill for pleasure, and if we find others that fight to defend themselves we can talk and solve things peacefully. In my case, the wolf-creatures were unable to do anything but kill. They destroyed families, hunted the innocent... killed just because somepony was there. We couldn't argue with them, even if they sometimes seemed to have the ability to think. If anything, when you found a smart one, you were fighting for your life even more desperately."
She sighed. "There're intelligences that don't care. That find amusement in our suffering because our sense of morality is as alien and as incomprehensible to them as their callousness and lack of empathy is alien to us. And sometimes, like the battle with the changelings you saw, resentment and desperation and fear act together to take the option out of our hooves."
Sweetie was quiet for a moment, hugging Twilight tightly. "But..." she whispered. "Even if we were forced to only one option, if we didn't do anything, those we love would be gone due to our inaction. And I feel that, as long as we don't kill simply because we can, or because we wouldn't think of an alternative, we are not like them. And we still have hope."
The words, combined with the hug, presented a different kind of precipice in Twilight’s mind than the one she had been pushed to earlier. She had nothing else to say as she returned the hug tightly with both her forelegs and her wings. No other words were needed. Sweetie understood what she was going through, and--
“Wait. Is that a little human doll?”
The moment was shattered by a brief bout of embarrassment from Twilight at the discovery of her comfort toy, though that quickly escalated as the memory chamber began to show a far more recent memory of Sweetie’s.
“Don’t deny me my vicarious romance!” Rarity snapped at Applejack, though there was no heat in her voice. “Besides, everypony seems to be developing a taste for the… exotic these days. Twilight rather adorably staked her claim, and Fluttershy has had a rather large number of heart-to-heart talks with that Victor gentleman. Apparently the humans don’t look favorably upon the concept of herds in a relationship, so I’m forced to get what I can where I can. Sweetie’s little romance is all I have now that Twilight took the latest Shining Hearts book right out of my hooves and hasn’t returned it.”
"Oh," Sweetie said. "So that's what she meant." She frowned. "Now that I think of it... it kinda looks like Matt."
“Wha-- no it doesn’t!” Twilight said hastily as she followed Sweetie’s gaze to the doll. “Why would you think it would look like Matt?” Before she had even finished her denials, the scenes in the room began to change again.
“Matt…?” Twilight’s voice asked, and the blurry figure of the human in question appeared. He wrung his hands as he waited for Twilight to speak. “Could you… scratch my ears, please?”
“No, stop it!” Twilight yelled at the room before turning back to Sweetie. “This isn’t what it looks like!”
His hands are so warm, and that feels so goooooo--
BAM!
Twilight’s teleport dropped both Sweetie and herself out into the hallway outside the memory chamber. “You saw nothing in there, and if you say otherwise I will send you to the moon!” she declared, and she tried to match it with her most threatening glare. Judging by how hot her face felt, it was less than successful.
Sweetie returned the glare with a knowing look and a smile, but through either discretion or better judgement, decided to let it be. “So, wings, huh? I think this is the first time I’ve seen you as an alicorn.” The smile turned into a grin the moment Twilight let her guard down. “Besides, just like you said, or rather another you told me, the best place to talk about coltfriends is in your room. Lead the way, and let’s get milkshakes while we’re at it!”
By Celestia’s sunny flanks, she’s just like Rarity. Just like her! Twilight concluded. She tried several times to reissue her threat, or a denial, or say anything, but couldn’t manage more than a small nod. She got exactly six steps before she realised that something very important had been forgotten. A pair of quick teleports later and Twilight was back with her blankets and plushie in tow. “Not a word,” she ordered.
Sweetie abided the instructions for as long as she could before she smirked. "Ah, to be young and in love."
"Hey!"
------
Matt’s hand hovered over the door handles to the Memoratorium, frozen with indecision. The hallways were sparsely populated at the moment, and he could feel the curious looks from the passersby as he warred with himself.
Shining said that Twilight needed help and that she was turning others away. He sounded desperate, too… Matt thought, and he took a deep breath to steady himself. If she’s acting the way I think, then he’s right. She does need someone to help her, but I don’t know if I have it in me to give what she needs right now. The slightest tremor ran through his hand, and he gave it a shake before grabbing the handle. The door clicked and yielded to him as he pushed his way in…
...only to find the chamber empty.
For a brief moment, a current of anxiety ran through Matt. Did she overwork herself and get taken away before I got here? Or something worse? Did something happen because I procrastinated in coming here? The possible ‘something worse’ felt like a knife wound in his chest, but he took another breath and let it out slowly. If she was hurt… physically at least, Shining would have told me. The anxiety eased somewhat, but a lingering guilt still clung to him like water after a downpour.
So quick to try and take all the blame for yourself, eh, Matt? Contrary to what you’re thinking, not everything is your fault. You’re not nearly Catholic enough to be thinking like that.
Matt couldn’t help but let out a little laugh at that, not just for the thought, but because it was delivered in Lana’s voice. He ran his hand over his face as he turned to leave, but caught sight of a stack of papers as well as a half-eaten meal still on a food tray. A brief glance at the writing on the paper confirmed it as the unreadable Equestrian script, but would likely be important to Twilight. When she writes things down, it’s for something she’s working on. Given how much she’s written here, it must have been something big.
That’s what she said.
“Goddamn it, Jenkins,” Matt said, the use-worn curse escaping him before he could catch himself. Rather than dwell on the slip-up, he crouched to collect the paperwork. Maybe I’ll have Zhang or Finch deliver the paperwork to her. I don’t think I would be the most healthy person for her to speak to for now.
She scares you, doesn’t she? No… not her, but what she represents. She needs you, Matt, now more than ever. You’re worried that if you help her, that you might come to need her back one day and that she’ll get taken away just like me and all the others you’ve served with. It’s a rather selfish train of thought, you know.
The thought was like a splinter in the mind. The more he tried to avoid thinking about it, the more it demanded his attention. I’m not worried about me. If I get killed, it would destroy her.
Liar. A very convincing one, but still a liar. For just a second, forget about tomorrow and what’s going to happen. How did you feel around Twilight before all this unpleasant business happened?
For the smallest of moments, Matt thought back to the conversation he had with the alicorn while waiting in the ready room. It had been so easy. So… comfortable, talking about nothing in particular with Twilight. For a little while, it was like there wasn’t an alien invasion going on, and I wasn’t considered a mass murderer back home, and she wasn’t the broken bird that the last year has made her. It was… nice.
Not quite the admission I was looking for, but an improvement. You owe it to yourself and to her to get your head out of your ass and talk to her. There’s plenty of time to be miserable when you’re dead. So go and be happy now. I’m sure if you are nice enough, she’ll let you scratch her ears again. She loved that the last time you did it, and I know you did too.
The last of the papers was deposited on top of the stack, and Matt stood and turned towards the door. His steps were more sure than when he entered, and his head held a little higher. Matt didn’t notice the short, raven-haired woman in the room as he passed through the exit.
When he did take a moment to look back, the room was just as empty as when he entered it.