//------------------------------// // XXVII - Revelations // Story: Where Loyalties Lie: Ghosts of the Past // by LoyalLiar //------------------------------// XXVII Revelations Deep in the bowels of Burning Hearth Castle, behind an elaborately sealed ‘alicorn door’ and more flights of stairs than Ink cared to remember, the pint-sized red soldier sat in a sizeable group with his elder brother, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna, and her two bodyguards. “That is a bit of a long story, Captain Ink,” Luna explained, glancing to her guards. “Shall I recite it fully, or in a more condensed version?” “For now, a short version would be good,” Twilight Sparkle’s concern for answers about her brother was obvious, written unmistakably across her face. Luna seemed relieved.  “That I believe I can offer.  Now—” “Mistress, before you begin,” Eldest Sister interrupted.  “Given what has just ensued with Lord Krenn, I would like to speak with Third Brother and the rest of the Night Guard.”  Her tone was short and sharp and harsh, but if Ink had to guess, he imagined she was on the verge of tears.  Not wanting to interrupt the princess, he held his tongue.  Luna offered the mare a nod, and the thestral spread her wings. “Cannon, wait—”  The speaker was Luna’s living bodyguard, an Honor Guard whom Ink had only briefly met once before: Mirror Image.   “Eldest Sister,” she corrected him harshly, before ignoring his request to wait by flying off up the stairs. A long silence followed.  Ink wasn’t a terribly patient pony.  He pierced it by tapping his hoof on the stone.  “Well… that was awkward.” Foresight scoffed.  “Pointing it out certainly makes it better, Roscherk.” “No, Captain Ink is right.  I should not have hesitated.”  Luna nodded briefly in Ink’s direction, coughed rather deliberately into a wing, and began to speak.  “Mirror Image, a Private Marathon of the Honor Guard, and I all came to Stalliongrad to meet with Krenn.  I had little idea what to expect of the meeting, as Celestia was less than forthcoming.  Thus, I was surprised when he began by making demands of me.  He wanted back his hoard, which the Commander stole from him two decades ago during some war we had with the dragons.” “The Dragon Wars,” Twilight Sparkle offered.  “We use the plural, but the first two ‘wars’ were really just border conflicts between Stalliongradi gem miners and some smaller dragons.  The third one is the one everypony remembers.  The dragons ravaged Stalliongrad—”  Red Ink coughed heavily into his hoof, earning a glare from Twilight.  “—Stol’nograd, and made it all the way to Baltimare before the Royal Guard was able to turn them back.  Then, nopony knows why, but after a huge group of Royal Guard were massacred in dragon territory at Treasonfang Pass, Lord Krenn called all the dragons back.” Luna shrugged.  “He explained why rather bluntly.  The Commander stole his hoard and held it as blackmail to stop the war.  Hence his demands now that we reached peace: to have the hoard returned.  He also wanted us to turn over control of Discord.” “Yeah, right.”  Ink rolled his eyes. Luna shook her head.  “He was quite serious.  We had a misunderstanding, and briefly fought.” “What?”  Twilight snapped.  “You… you fought Lord Krenn?  There hasn’t been a fight between two of the rulers since…since…” Luna finished the thought regretfully.  “Since the Twilight War.  Do not worry, Twilight; we are not going to war over that argument.  I did not leverage the tides against him, and he did not turn the earth against me.  What matters is that he pressured me to retrieve the hoard from the Commander, and then disappeared.  At the time, I believed the Commander to be dead, so I took Mirror Image and Eldest Sister of my Night Guard to travel to his capital and attempt to negotiate.” “Wait—”  Ink held up a hoof, hoping to stop Luna.  “You believed the Commander was dead?  Do you mean Mentor is alive?” “I have spoken to him,” Luna answered. Ink’s face lit up like Hearth’s Warming lights—metaphorically, rather than the literal and rather incendiary sense that he was also perfectly capable of achieving.  “Mentor is alive?”  He leapt up, hovering in midair as his forehooves pumped back and forth in a sort of foalish but entirely enthusiastic dance. “I cannot promise he remains that way, but I have hope.  The team pursuing him is skilled, if the report Rainbow Dash gave me in her dreams is accurate.”  The princess rolled her neck, eliciting a noisy pop that echoed amid the stone archways surrounding the party of ponies.  “Regardless, at the time, I did not have that knowledge.  So my guardians and I traveled to Peschera—Krenn’s capital, if you want to call it that.  I spoke to Krenn briefly, explaining why I was unable to return his hoard.  In turn, he finally told me what it was: an egg.” When Twilight Sparkle flinched, every eye locked onto her face.  “It… it couldn’t be.” “Is there another dragon egg in Equestria?” “I don’t know.  There must be.”  Twilight looked around the room, seeing the eyes of the gathered ponies waiting on her.  “That’s just a coincidence.  Spike’s egg came from Baltimare; one of the dragons laid it there during the war, and a professor at Princess Celestia’s school brought it back.”  When the eyes of the other ponies didn’t leave her, she continued “Princess Celestia wouldn’t lie to me.” “You have more faith in our sister’s honesty than she likely deserves, Twilight Sparkle.  But Krenn’s hoard is a matter I must discuss with the Commander directly if he returns alive, and Celestia if he does not.  In the moment, I am more concerned with what ensued afterward.  Somehow, some assassin or revolutionary managed to smuggle a piece of void crystal into the center of a log Krenn was using in his fireplace.  When he wielded his magic to lift it, the void crystal absorbed the magic and exploded.  I do not know if Krenn still lives, or how he has reacted.  Only Mirror Image’s quick thinking saved our lives, flinging us into a magical bag.  When the void crystal ate its enchantments, the interior of the bag collapsed, and when I managed to climb my way out, we had arrived here.” Twilight glanced at Mirror Image.  “You thought of putting everypony in a microplanar container in the time it took a void crystal to explode?” “Clever,” Foresight added. Mirror Image said nothing. Ink coughed into his wing with substantially less grace and control than Luna had used when she began her story.  “So what I’m hearing right now is we’re probably at war with the dragons again, and nopony has any warning or preparation setup whatsoever?” “That was the point I was getting to, Captain Ink.  I will go to the roof of the castle now, and see if I can break into the dream of a dragon somewhere within Peschera.  With luck, I will find Krenn, but no matter the outcome, I will have an answer as to what action to take next within the hour.  And with that, I shall take my leave.” “Oh, Princess—”  Twilight hesitated in the midst of her own words, though they were enough to stop Luna—wings spread wide in the sizeable cellar—from leaving.  “I, uh, I had a question for you.  Quickly.  I hope.” “Speak it quickly, Twilight Sparkle.  I trust your judgement of its importance.” “Yeah, um…”  Twilight frowned.  “This is a little awkward, but I can explain why I ask.  Can… can thestrals… reproduce?” Mirror Image winced quite visibly, and Luna recoiled slightly at the blunt question, though it was Red Ink’s unrestrained laughter that ultimately won the attention of the gathered.  “Oh, that is priceless, Twilight.  It’s always the quiet ones.  Find one of the Night Guard you like, or is there somepony from a history book you really want to raise?” Ink had been slapped across the face by many mares in his life, but Princess Luna was a new personal best.  When the ringing in his ears passed, he wondered how she had moved so quickly. “Twilight, while I truly believe that you have some better intention than some ponies might be implying, I confess it is lost on me.  To what do you refer?” Twilight took a deep breath.  “Well, as you probably know, certain powerful enchantments cast on a pregnant mare can transfer to their foals.  I would say that the spell raising a thestral constitutes a very powerful enchantment, and that any orders you had given them might do the same.” Luna nodded.  “I see.  You believe you have discovered the offspring of a thestral?  While they can under very specific circumstances become fertile, I can guarantee that any commands given to a thestral would not pass on to their offspring.” Ink glanced over to Twilight.  “You think Countess Star is descended from the thestral from the book?” “It might explain her interest in Typhoon’s body, if she was still bound by Summer’s orders.” Mirror Image’s ears perked.  “Twilight, we should speak.  Princess Luna, go.  I’ll join you shortly.” “Of course, bodyguard.”  With a pump of her wings, Luna vanished up the steps, lighting the way with her horn as she went. “Well, that was fun.”  Ink chuckled to himself, ignoring the breath Mirror Image drew in as if he was about to speak.  “Now, Predvidenie, are you going to look into the rock or not?” Foresight adjusted his glasses with his magic.  “It’s not a rock, Ink, it’s a priceless magical artifact.  And before I begin, I would like from your subordinate the same assurances I received from you and Twilight.” Ink groaned and rubbed his brow with a hoof.  “On behalf of the Honor Guard, Foresight, I guarantee nopony is going to get pissed at you.  The same way Mentor did.” “You don’t have that authority, Roscherk Krovyu.”  Mirror Image stepped up from where he had been sitting at the far side of the room, joining the far smaller circle of ponies.  “And I do not appreciate you speaking on my behalf.” Ink puffed up his chest, and looked up into Image’s eyes.  “I absolutely have that authority.  I am the captain—” “The Commander is still alive,” Image interrupted.  “And if he weren't, I still wouldn't follow somepony who tortured one of his own soldiers.” “Ink,” Twilight began to ask. “What did you do?” The red stallion glared straight into Image’s eyes.  “Thunder Crack knew where Stoikaja was hiding, and he concealed that from me.  I was doing my job, saving Princess Luna.” “You were using her as an excuse for your vendetta,” Image countered.  “Now, Foresight—that's what you go by in Equuish, right?—what are you asking me to promise?” “Well, that —” Foresight bobbed his horn in the direction of a crystal ball resting on a lavender cushion in a recession at the top of a plinth in the center of the room.  “—that is Electrum's Orb.” Image cocked his head for a few seconds before speaking up.  “Alright.  That's nice.  I never went to college for magic, so if that's some famous artifact or something, you're going to have to explain it to me.” Twilight nodded.  “It's the most powerful crystal ball in the world.  King Electrum of the Diamond Kingdom made it before Equestria was even founded.  It can see anypony whose name you know, and it supposedly suffers none of the constraints of Waltz or Callous models.  No need for a focus from the subject, no limited range, no need for a general area to search.  It just works.” “So we're worried about espionage accusations?” “That or prophecy,” Foresight nervously replied, adjusting his scarf with his magic.  When Image's eyes narrowed, the flustered unicorn continued.  “I only did it for the Commander.  That's how we beat Frostbite even though his mercenaries and resources outnumbered us.  The Commander gave me the orb.  I promise I haven't been spying on anypony.” Image snorted.  “And now you want to use it to…” “Find my brother.” Twilight stepped forward.  “Please, Mister Image.” “Lord Image,” Foresight corrected gently. Image himself rolled his eyes.  “I gave up that title a while ago.  Besides, my dad's still alive.  Just Mirror.  Or Image; I'm not picky.  Warrant Officer Image if you’re really feeling formal.” He smiled, just a bit.  “You can go ahead and use it.” Pausing in thought, he started at the orb for a few long seconds before adding “The Honor Guard could actually use a favor on that front.” “I'm… glad to serve,” Foresight mumbled.  “Let's start with—” He turned toward the crystal ball, ignited his horn, and spoke up.  “Shining Armor.” The shriek of frozen wind wrapped around Shining Armor’s shield.  It kept him from freezing to death, and from that fact that he could still feel the piercing pain in his hooves whenever they met the snow-covered stone below, he knew that he was still ‘warm’.  Yet, with his eyes locked on the storm swirling in the frozen mountains beyond his magic, he barely had time to feel the chill. “Do you think they’re still following us, Shining?” The unicorn’s companion was not handling the dropping temperature well; he felt it every time her coat brushed against his inside the cramped confines of his shield.   He didn’t dare look away from the narrow, frozen path up the cliff face, so he spoke to her over his shoulder.  “The flying one?  Or the Black Cloaks?” A midnight blue brow rose.  “Is there a difference to us?” “If it were the flying one, we’d be dead.”  Shining cocked his head briefly up the cliff barely more than a leg’s reach to their left.  “I’m good at shields, but I can’t hold up an avalanche.” “That’s not reassuring, Shining.”  The unicorn mare’s hoof stumbled on the edge of the sheer drop to their right, and a few clumps of snow fell easily three hundred feet down the mountainside into the impenetrable fog of a howling, unending blizzard.  Stumbling, she fell against the heavy beige winter coat he’d wrapped tight around his body.  When he helped her back to her own hooves, still keeping his eyes on the storm, the twinkle of amethyst briefly peeked out of the garment; he still wore the cuirass of Platinum’s Ward, even if the helmet was lost.  “What happens if the Black Cloak… things… catch up to us?” “If they could track us in this storm, they would have caught us in Stalliongrad, or Coltpenhagen, or Onyx Ridge.  We should be in the clear from them.  I’m more worried about what we’re going to find in Neighvgorod.  You’re sure you can sneak us past a spirit, Masquerade?” The assassin laughed, contorting the very subtlest beginnings of frown lines on her royal blue coat.  “I’ll be glad to be in my element for once on this crazy adventure, Captain.  I make my living hiding in plain sight.  I can get us to the Eagle.” “If you say so… I’ve never been good at sneaking around.” “He’s alive!” Twilight shouted in a mixture of overzealous joy and self-satisfaction at having trusted her older brother; despite the adulation, her stomach knew a sinking fear. “Was that really Masquerade?” “It would take a pretty stupid pony to use a wanted assassin’s appearance as a disguise,” Mirror Image noted bluntly. “That might actually be a good sign. They aren’t fighting, at least for the moment, and it appears Shining has the upper hand since he knows who she is. There’s no element of surprise, and all our reports indicate he’s the superior fighter. As crazy as this sounds, Twilight, I think he’s fine.” “For the moment,” Ink whispered, shooting a knowing glance to his own older brother. “Do we still have those journals Mentor gave us?” Foresight nodded. “I assume you want the ones about Admiral Blizzard?” Ink nodded, though his next words were cut off when Twilight grabbed onto his shoulder and tugged him back to match her worried expression. “What’s wrong, Ink?” Red Ink swallowed heavily. “You heard Armor talk about ‘the spirit’, yes? If he and the bitch are going to Neighvgorod, they’re going to their deaths.” Twilight’s ears fell. “But… but Shining knows how to fight spirits. He’ll be safe.” Foresight gingerly adjusted his glasses, and his magic tightened his scarf. “Twilight, what do you know about Neighvgorod?” “It’s the northernmost city in Stalliongrad,” she answered. “It used to be a Horseatic League trading port, and because it’s a natural harbor surrounded by cliffs, it became the base for the Equestrian Navy for a long time; up until they joined Nightmare Moon in the Twilight War. When they lost the port to Emperor Magnus’ griffons, Nightmare Moon used her magic to freeze the entire city. Now the waters are too icy to sail into the harbor, the mountains are too stormy to cross, and the air is too cold for a pegasus to fly over.” “You’re close, Twilight.” Ink’s accent only emphasized the grim tone of his words. “But it was not Nightmare Moon’s magic that froze Neighvgorod. Not directly. Have you heard of… What’s the Equiish name, Predvidenie? Smart Clover?” With a sort of smug amusement, Foresight looked down at his younger brother. “Clover the Clever. What he is asking, Twilight, is whether or not you are familiar with ‘Clover’s Folly’.” “The last windigo?” Twilight heard wind whistle over her teeth, though she didn’t feel like she’d breathed in. Ink nodded, mournfully. “I thought you might have heard of it. The spirit makes its nest in the Castle of Neighvgorod, feeding on our hatred. Close to the Brayranga mountains, it’s cold enough your wings will freeze rigid.” Then, with a smirk, he added. “Unless you’re on fire.” “So we’re going to go?” “You are not good at being on fire, Twilight. Cute flanks aside.” Mirror Image chuckled at the comment, putting a wide grin on Ink’s muzzle. “Even I cannot fight the windigo. But I can get Shining out. Perhaps Masquerade too, if only to interrogate her.” Foresight frowned noticeably. “Except that it shouldn’t be possible for that to be Masquerade. The Night Guard caught her… almost a week ago, I suppose. Third Brother was holding her in Commandant Truncheon’s old dungeon.” Nopony moved. Nopony spoke. The collected group turned as one toward Foresight, who sat back on his haunches. Finally, Mirror Image stepped forward. “You didn’t think that was information to lead with? Say, when the Princess was here?” “Not compared to what she was warning us about,” Foresight answered, leaning into the other unicorn’s aggressive posture. “Third Brother has been interrogating her at length, but she hasn’t given much information yet. Not that he actually thought she knew anything we wanted. He was hoping to lure out whoever hired her.” Ink glanced back at the orb on its plinth. “Maybe…” Ink rolled his eyes. “This is not a time for ‘cliffhanger’, Predvidenie.” “Sorry. I was just thinking…” Golden magic adjusted gold-rimmed glasses. “When Princess Luna came in by train, some of the rebel leadership stopped her, Roscherk. She brought them in for us: the tigress, Povstantsev, all of them. I put them in a gem-warded cell, but before we could take them to trial or anything, somepony broke them out.” Foresight frowned. “When I heard about Masquerade acting in the area, I assumed she was behind it somehow and I tightened security. But… what if Shining Armor is working with them?” “It wouldn’t surprise me,” Mirror Image noted. When Ink glared his way, the brown unicorn held up a defensive hoof. “I’m not trying to play politics. But after the incident with Soldier On— “Cyka.” Image rolled his eyes. “If you want to stay on the Honor Guard, you’re going to have to accept sooner or later that you’re the bad guy in that story.” “She killed my brother!” “Even if she did, you think the right response was killing her foals?” Foresight and Twilight both winced as the Honor Guard shook his head. Only Red Ink was still, frozen by the condemnation in Mirror’s words. “Soldier On served with us for almost five years. We were friends. Did you think she never told us why she joined the Honor Guard? Did you think we never asked?” Image spat on the floor. “But then you honestly expected we’d treat you like the Commander?” Making a show of wiping his hooves, Image turned his attention to Foresight. “This isn’t productive right now. I’m sorry. My point is that after what happened in Baltimare, Shining Armor is a lot more sympathetic to their cause than to yours. If he thought there was a risk that Masquerade would be killed off before we could find out who hired her, I wouldn’t doubt for a second he’d rescue her.” Foresight bit his lip for just a moment, and then nodded. “That does make sense, unfortunately.” “It doesn’t matter,” Twilight whispered. When the three stallions turned toward her, she held up a hand. “I mean, yeah, I guess it’s important that we find out who was behind all this, eventually. But right now, my brother is going to go into a city where a millennia-old ice monster lives, and the only pony there to help him is an assassin who might still want to kill him if it means she can get away. So can we please stop arguing about who’s guilty of hiring Masquerade and who did something wrong when, and just work together to save Shining?” The resounding wisdom broke Ink out of his catatonic regret. “I… yes, Twilight.” A shake of his head got Ink’s ears back perked up, and breathed some life into his rough-cut red mane. “I’ll get your brother.” “Not alone—” Twilight’s cry went ignored as Ink’s wings carried him up the stairs and out of earshot. “Is he hard to talk to for anypony else, or is it just with me?” Foresight chuckled. “After what I just heard, you’re probably the best at talking to him of anypony ever. Well, except maybe the Commander.” Image’s ears stood up. “Ah, that’s right. Secretary Foresight, can you leave us?” “I’m sorry?” “There’s Honor Guard business I need to take care of with Twilight.” “Oh?” Realizing the question was prying, or something similar, Foresight nodded. “I’ll give you some space then. Perhaps I’ll arrange some dinner; you both look like you haven’t had a proper meal in more than a while.” Image and Twilight looked at each other, laughed together, and nodded. Foresight’s hooves clicked on the harsh cold stone floor, until Twilight called out to him. “Oh, one thing, Foresight. When Ink and I got to Stalliongrad, there was a mare with us. A friend of mine, named Going Solo. She kind of panicked when Ink used his fire empatha, and one of the Night Guard took her away to the castle to calm down and check if she was wounded. Can you try and find her?” “It would be my honor, Twilight.” With those words, the well-dressed stallion walked away. Standing in the relative darkness of the vast magical vaults, Twilight and Image both stepped toward Electrum’s Orb, still dominating the center of the room. “I assume you want me to scry the Commander?” Twilight asked. Image nodded. “Will I be able to talk to him?” A shake of the head was his answer. “That’s just as impossible with Electrum’s Orb as every other crystal ball in the world. This one is just more efficient and more reliable. Admittedly, a lot more reliable. Let’s see what we get. I hope this works the same as other scrying focii.” She stepped up to the orb, lighting her horn and contorting her face. In the maddening swirl of emotions around having located Shining, and the threats of Masquerade and the windigo, Twilight almost missed the pressure that her magic was about to wrap around one of the oldest and most powerful magical artifacts in the history of pony civilization. Almost. Biting her lip, she whispered aloud. “Steel Lining.” The image in the orb swirled, misty and white. Not unlike a snowglobe, it swirled and churned, but it never revealed an image. “Uh… Did I do something wrong?” Twilight asked aloud. Her magic focused on the image, and it zoomed out. The swirling storm changed, revealing not just misty white, but frigid pale blue stripes. And as it zoomed out more, she started to recognize what she was seeing. Cliffs of frozen stone and ice. A thick layer of snow across the flat ground. And resting atop it, pale white skeletons, obscured by a roaring storm. Hundreds of them, some wearing scraps of rusted armor still shiny on their fringes with hints of a thin gold leaf. “What… what is this?” “Treasonfang Pass,” Image whispered, his voice betraying confusion, but also some hint of understanding. “We traveled through it on the way to see Lord Krenn.” “But that can’t be right. Even if the Commander were dead, he wouldn’t be in Treasonfang Pass. The battle there was twenty years ago!” “Unless Steel Lining was never his real name.” “Huh?” “I need to ask you a strange question. Eight years ago, we ceded a strip of territory in Zebrica to the griffons. Do you know about any pony cities in that area? Villages?” Twilight gave the stallion a confused look as her brow wrinkled in thought, and her tail ticked like a metronome. “Well… the only places that come to mind are Nimbus and Zephyrus. But those aren’t what you’re looking for; they were both Cirran cities from thousands of years ago, well before Equestria was founded.” “I thought so. Hold the spell.” Image approached Electrum’s orb, staring directly into its depths. Though Twilight followed his directions, she watched him with a mixture of confusion and sheer curiosity. She saw his throat bob once, swallowing as if unsure of whether or not he wanted to continue. It was only a slight movement, though, before his resolve was set and his lips parted to speak a single name. “Hurricane.” “Okay, it’s official.  Walking sucks.” Rainbow knew she was beginning to figure out Soldier On’s humor—drier than the Suidan wasteland though it was—when she picked out the little twitch on the giant mare’s cheek.  “That’s the price of making a point, Rainbow.  I can carry you again if you want.  You make a decent scarf.” Rainbow’s eloquent response was to stick her tongue out at Soldier On. “She’s right,” the Commander noted, gesturing to the orange horizon.  “We ought to stop and make a fire before the desert gets cold.  Reckoning, see if you can scavenge something for us to eat.  I’ll handle fire.” Deadeye’s stiff salute signaled his understanding, though his departure was short lived, as the Commander suddenly lunged forward and grabbed his shoulder.  “Sir?” “Identifier?” Whatever the word meant, Rainbow could only guess.  She watched as Reckoning scratched his chin for a moment, and then spoke sternly.  “Mongrel Sixty-eight.  But do you think we really need them?  It’s a long way north until we’re anywhere near the hive.” The Commander nodded.  “It is.  But I don’t want to take chances.  We’re all high-value targets—Rainbow especially.  I’ll use… Coil, Curtain, Cyclone, Silver.” Deadeye made a sputtering noise with his lips.  “Well, I couldn’t guess it.”  As if those words were an answer, Reckoning spread his mismatched wings and took off into the desert. Only when her father had turned around did Rainbow speak up.  “Uh, what?” “We’re approaching changeling territory, Rainbow.  Their hive is in the badlands on the Equestrian-Suidan border.  We use identifying phrases like those so that if we get separated, we know we aren’t welcoming in a threat.  They’re made of personally significant words in a random order, so that even if a changeling somehow knew a great deal about your personal life, they wouldn’t be able to guess.” “Huh.”  Rainbow nodded.  “I guess that makes a lot of sense.  So I could use, like, Loyalty, Wonderbolts?.” The Commander’s response was a slow nod.  “It could work.  But we generally prefer using proper names.  Everypony in Equestria knows you’re the bearer of Loyalty and you’ve performed with the Wonderbolts enough that it isn’t a stretch.  ‘Lining’ or ‘Breeze’ might be a good component.” Rainbow only realized she was scowling when Soldier On patted her on the back—quite gingerly for a mare of that size, obviously going out of her way to avoid the younger mare’s now closed stumps.  “Or something only you and Deadeye would really know about; I’m sure there’s something from your whole Zebrica adventure.” The Commander flashed an expression of some sort of judgement in On’s direction. “Okay,” said Rainbow.  “Um… Fallaner, phage, Breeze?” Two nods met her proposal.  “Okay, I can remember that.  What’s yours, On?” “Relentless, Unyielding, Midnight.” “Hmm…  I don’t get it.”  Rainbow swallowed hard when a flash of obvious pain appeared on Soldier On’s face.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to, like, hurt your feelings or anything.” “I know, Rainbow.  I’m not angry.  And you had no way of knowing.  Relentless and Unyielding were my foals.” “Were your… Oh.”  She wasn’t sure what else to say, and so for a spare few seconds the three ponies sat silently.  Finally, Rainbow lunged at the larger mare, trying to wrap her in a hug.  Though her forelegs were fall too small to encircle the earth pony, the motion put a little bit of a smile onto On’s otherwise stern face. “I won’t burden you with that story, Rainbow.  It was a long time ago, and there are more important things to talk about.”  The earth pony looked pointedly at Rainbow.  Then she waited.  “Something involving a name I hadn’t heard before, perhaps?”  And then waited some more.  A fake cough into her hoof may have been involved.   “She might mean me, Rainbow.” “Oh!  Do you mean Typhoon?” From the sheer sound it made, the collision between On’s hoof and her face might have cracked her skull.  “Yes, Rainbow.” “Not now.”  The Commander waved a wing in the air as if the impending discussion were smoke to be shooed away.  “Rainbow, is it safe to assume the Typhoon you spoke to is the daughter of Commander Hurricane?” Rainbow’s moment of shock clearly answered the question.  “How did you know that?” “Storm names aren’t very common in modern Equestria.  And Twilight Sparkle talked about that mare at length while she was doing research on Commander Hurricane’s journals.”  His glance turned north, briefly.  “We should wait to have that discussion until Celestia is present.  In the meantime, I think you should start by telling us what happened in Zebrica.” Rainbow stared at her father for a few seconds before offering a nod.  “I guess.  It’s kind of a long story.” “Take your time,” was the Commander’s reply. “Rainbow!” Twilight shouted, staring at the stumps that were her shoulders.  “Oh, Rainbow!  How… that’s horrible!” Image gingerly, hesitantly wrapped a foreleg around Twilight’s shoulders as a sign of comfort.  “Whatever happened, Twilight, the Princess has the magic to heal her.  And with the Commander there, she’s safer than anywhere else in Equestria.” “Yeah…”  Twilight swallowed hard and drew in a breath.  “Right there with… Commander Hurricane…”  Looking up at the tan soldier, she swallowed yet another hard gulp.  “How did you know?” “Princess Luna took me into his dreams.  He showed me how he remembered the village where he’d grown up.  A wheat farm that he said was near Zebrica.  But I knew there hadn’t been plains in that part of Zebrica since before Equestria was founded.  I didn’t think much of it until Princess Luna sent me into her memories—the ones she keeps sealed up.  I saw him in a memory of the Twilight War.” “You saw the Twilight War?” Image chuckled.  “I volunteered to fight for Nightmare Moon, believe it or not.  The Commander would have my head.”  As his smile faded, the soldier continued “I guess I can’t blame him.  Anyway, while I was in there, I talked to a thestral named Summer—” “Summer?”  Twilight gasped.  “But she was a Cirran.  She shouldn’t have been in the Twilight War.” Image nodded.  “She said so herself.  Princess Luna gave her a command that she could never complete.  Something about protecting the other Night Guard from something that happened a long time ago.  I don’t know the history that well.  But it forced her to stick around, and to hide from Princess Luna so she wouldn’t be released from the command.” “That’s horrible!” Image nodded.  “She only came out of hiding because of how many of Nightmare Moon’s thestrals were being killed, and how many new ones she was making, during the Twilight War.  Nightmare Moon gave her a new order—kill Hurricane.” Twilight nodded.  “That makes sense.  So Princess Celestia raised Commander Hurricane to fight in the Twilight War.  He and Typhoon both knew a lot about fighting thestrals…”  Twilight’s words trailed off. “...so I’m going to take it you just realized something…”  Image watched as Twilight’s horn flared and she teleported her way up the stairs.  “...important?”  Rolling his eyes, the weary soldier began to walk his way up into the heart of the Stalliongradi capital. For Ink, the defining features of the Burning Hearth throne room were the innumerable scorch march covering its stone floors and walls.  He’d put most of them there, but some were much older than him.  If the stories father told were true, they dated back to the days when Tsyklon sat in the big throne at the other end of the hall—and thus, after he’d burned the gaping hole in the solid steel doors that might have actually blocked the entrance once upon a time.  These days, it was Ink’s personal training ground: somewhere he could go to really stretch out his wings and let his fire go without worrying about burning anything down.  All the cloth had long since been removed.  Only stone pillars and a stone throne sat atop a stone floor, between stone walls and beneath a stone ceiling. Ink wasn’t sure he was happy to see another pony in the huge, dark room.  Still, business came first.  Standing between the twisted, fire-warped steel doors, he lit up his wings, scanning for the thestral.  His little show of flame did not light the whole room, but it was enough in the sheer darkness to illuminate a figure sitting in the old throne at the far side of the chamber.  The thestral was huge, probably on the verge of Stoikaja’s size.  He sat upright in the throne, his wings sprawled out over the arms of the seat, and one of his forelegs propping up his chin.  The other played with the hilt of Infernus, the unreasonably long blade of almost rusty red that Stalliongrad had used for public executions since long before Ink was a foal. “You’re Third Brother?” A snort was the first answer Ink got.  The pony sat upright in his seat, letting his hoof fall away from his chin.  “In more ways than you know, Roscherk.” “Not ‘Commander’?  Or ‘Captain’?”  Ink smiled, walking forward.  “I guess the Night Guard aren’t really military ponies, so I’ll forgive that.  What’d you do to get yourself turned into a thestral?  Robbery?  Murder?  Tax Fraud?” “Torture,” Third Brother answered coldly.  “Political.” “Hmm.”  Ink nodded.  “Fair enough.  And you’re the one who caught Masquerade?”  His hooves crossed the center of the throne room, and the direct light from the flames on his wings caught the other stallion’s hind hooves.  “I hope you didn’t torture her too much yet.  She and I have a score to settle.  How’d you pick her out?” “She did not impersonate you well.”  Third Brother dragged Infernus across the floor, and the line it left behind glowed a potent orange. Ink’s eyes widened just a bit.  “She was disguised as me?”  He spat on the floor.  “Should I be proud or pissed off?  How could you tell she wasn’t me?  Couldn’t hold her gin?  Or was she lousy with mares?” Third Brother leaned forward; fiery light spread over his leathery wings, but it still left his muzzle in the shadows.  “She didn’t recognize me.” “Recognize you?  Am I supposed to recognize you?” A leathery wing snapped forward; something dark and heavy flew through the air, striking Ink across the muzzle before he could get up a hoof or a wing to protect himself.  It was softer than he’d expected; heavy fabric, but not steel or stone.  It was familiar.  Pulling it off of his face, he recognized his most prized possession.  “My jacket!  Thank you…” Third Brother’s face was a frown, one which only revealed the tips of his prominent fangs.  But now that it was in the clear light of Ink’s flames, even with grayer fur and a thinner muzzle, his face was unmistakeable. “Polnoch?” Ink dropped his jacket completely forgotten in stunned recognition of a pony he’d thought lost.  His hooves dug into the stone, throwing himself toward his younger brother. Then he heard the crack of thunder. When his vision settled from stars, what might have been minutes later, he was laying on his back in the darkness.  He could feel the chill of the stone.  His wings had gone out—that usually meant he’d lost consciousness.  Of course, all of that was secondary to the throbbing pain in his brow.  He could feel something wet; was he bleeding?  A flare of fire cauterized the wound, if there still was one, and lit the room again. Polnoch stood on his hind legs on the dais just in front of the throne, one leg still resting on Infernus, and the other held aloft in midair as if it had frozen after a punch. Ink’s voice fell into Stalliongradi almost out of reflex.  “What the fuck, Polnoch?” “That was for Stoikaja,” he answered, calmly. In his confusion, Ink barely found the focus to stand up.  By the time the throbbing in his brow settled from the motion, Polnoch was only a leg’s reach away, looming in front of his older but substantially shorter brother.  “What are you talking about?  Are you mad I didn’t catch that bitch—” Another crack of thunder.  Another flash of stars.  Ink’s wings were still alight this time, but the pain was overwhelming.  He hadn’t even gathered his sense of balance when the thestral spoke up again. “Hold your tongue for once in your entire life, Roscherk, and listen to me!  I’m your Ghost of Hearth’s Warming Past.  You’re on a dark path.” “Kiss my mark, Polnoch.  I work for five years trying to avenge you, and the first thing you do when we meet is punch me in the face and spin some crap story about me being the ‘bad pony’?”  Ink struggled to his feet, the fires on his wings growing larger until they doubled his wingspan.  “Yeah, I fucked up.  I was pissed.  In case you hadn’t noticed, one of my best friends killed my brother!” Third Brother’s lip peeled back, revealing his flesh-tearing fangs.  “Stoikaja didn’t have anything to do with my death.” “Yeah, and I didn’t have anything to do with snapping off Frostbite’s horn.  I just have it in a box upstairs because I bought it at a Celestia-damned auction!  Do you think I just pulled the accusation out of my ass?  I caught the middle-pony for the contract, and he pointed at her.  I found the account in Lubuck she used to save up the money to hire Masquerade.  What else was I supposed to do?  Let her off because we were friends in the revolution?” “Did you ever ask her?”  Third Brother’s voice remained steady, in contrast to Ink’s rushed words and harsh scowl.  Only the steady swish of his tail indicated any irritation. Ink took two strides toward his younger, larger brother.  The flames spewing from his wings were wide enough to engulf the pillars holding up the balconies on both sides of the room.  “You know, Polnoch, I can’t remember.  It was a little hard to think about that on account of her trying to buck a hole through my skull.”  His forehooves stopped on the lowest step of the dais holding the physical throne of Stalliongrad.  “I was going to say you sounded like Predvidenie, but that isn’t really fair.  You sound like Dad.” Third Brother nodded.  “If Father would have listened to Stoikaja, I would rather emulate him.” Ink swung for his brother’s neck.  The thestral’s magically-enhanced speed easily blocked the blow, but he lacked the insight to avoid being flipped over Ink’s flaming wings and bodyslammed onto the stone steps when the smaller pony leaned into the blow.  Rolling twice, Third Brother caught himself on his hooves and rose to his full height, no worse for the wear beyond a few singed hairs on his chest.  His expression had not changed. “Did Luna cut off your balls?  Or do they shrivel up on their own when you die?  I’m not about to forgive Stoikaja for killing you, no matter what the ‘friendship princesses’ say.  Mentor would do the same.  My little brother would have too, if she’d killed me.” “Mentor did ask Stoikaja,” Third Brother retorted.  With a sneer that bared even more of his fangs, he continued.  “So did your little brother, Roscherk.  Did it never occur to you to ask why he took her onto the Honor Guard, but he hasn’t spoken to you in five years?” The fire consumed the room.  It touched both walls, and rushed past Third Brother toward the door.  The thestral’s wing extended toward his older brother, creating a thick wall of ice to protect him from the flames. “Still thinking with your wings.”  Third Brother spat, and it turned to smoke in the inferno surrounding him.  “Roscherk, calm yourself.” “Calm?  You tell me Mentor betrayed me and you ask me to be—” Golden arcana wreathed the outline of a horn on Polnoch’s smooth forehead, and telekinetic magic slammed Ink against the wall.  His fires wavered.  “Listen to yourself, Roscherk.  Mentor would not betray you.” “No!  But—” “He knew, Roscherk.  He knew she didn’t do it.” Ink’s hoof lashed out from within the grip of his brother’s magic, striking the wall.  Stone melted into magma at his furious blow, dribbling down the wall.  “Then… everypony I killed…”  The fire surrounding Ink’s wings slowly faded away.  “All those rebels.  All my soldiers.”  Shuddering in the grip of the magic, Ink looked up to his brother’s slitted eyes.  “Her foals…” “My foals.  Neustannaja and Upornyj were my foals.” Ice. Sheets of ice swept across the flagstones.  They coated walls, swept up columns, and sealed the steel doors tight.  Ink fell from his brother’s magical grip and stumbled, his hooves struggling to support his weight.  He felt hollow.  empty.  “No…” he whispered.  “No.  No.  No!”  The crescendo continued as his body burst once more into flames.  “I can’t…  No.  There’s no way.  No fucking—” “Save your breath,” Polnoch’s soft-spoken words somehow stopped him; his almost emotionless expression providing greater condemnation than Ink could imagine.  “I can never forgive you for what you did to them, Roscherk.  And I can never forgive you for what you did to my wife.” Ink winced, and then lashed with sloppy blows Polnoch casually sidestepped.  “Why?  You never told us!  I wouldn’t have even considered—” “After I died.”  Third Brother closed his eyes, and swept his gaze away from Ink, staring back at the doors out of the throne room.  “Luna gave me this body because of the torture I did for Frostbite and Commandant Truncheon.  The first thing I did was reveal myself to Mentor.  That’s why he took Stoikaja onto his guard.  So that we could be together.” “Mentor knew about you?”  Ink’s wing flared out and a tongue of fire engulfed a pillar of stone.  It melted to magma, and a stone balcony millennia old crumbled to a pile of dust, rubble, and molten slag.  “He knew, and he never told me—” Polnoch nodded somberly.  “After you killed my foals, we agreed to wait until you would at least be able to hear the truth.  It’s been a long five years.  He married us.  It had to be in secret; we couldn’t tell the Princesses.  I had wanted to since Upornyj was born.  But with the revolution, and then the fight over Frostbite’s spoils, I never had the chance.” Ink drew in a furious breath; at the back of his throat, a golden glow was easily visible.  Smoke leaked from his nostrils.  “You never told us you had foals.” “Mentor’s advice.”  Polnoch still stared away, avoiding Ink’s pathetic expression.  “After Frostbite’s soldiers assassinated Aunt Icicle, we let mentor hide them at Countess Star’s orphanage.”  The thestral sighed, a conscious choice for the breathless creature.  “If I had told you, would it have been different?” “Of course—!” Polnoch’s next blow picked Ink up bodily, hurling him onto his back on the ice his empatha had spread over the floor.  With a dull crunch, the Honor Guard’s shoulder slammed against a stone wall, stopping his slide.  “Do you hear what you just said, Roscherk?  Do you understand now?” Ink shuddered in pain and guilt.  “What the fuck do you want me to do, Polnoch?  I’m not some fucking necromancer!  Ask Twilight Sparkle, or Predvidenie!  All I can say is I’m sorry!  Okay?”  His shouting paused for a moment, replaced by panting.  “I’m sorry, even though it’s worth less than the snow on the fucking street.  I’m sorry, even though you don’t care because it can never change anything!  I’m sorry, even though I don’t deserve your forgiveness!” Polnoch shook his head.  “If you had know they were my foals, you wouldn’t have killed them?”  He paced forward, hooves cracking the smooth ice to grant him traction.  “And you call yourself a guard?  No.  You’re a monster.  You killed those foals not because of anything they did, but because of who their mother was.” “It was an accident!” Ink bellowed.  “I only wanted Stoikaja!” Blue flame wrapped Polnoch’s wings.  “That is not the story Stoikaja tells.  With what I do know, Roscherk, who do you think I should believe?” “I…” Ink watched as the thestral loomed over him, his expression almost completely impassive.  Only the crease where his brow met his muzzle said anything of his unbridled fury. “I know.”  He shook his head.  “I can never forgive you, Roscherk, but I know you are sorry.” Ink forced himself to pull in three breaths.  The chilled air felt like molten lead in his lungs, weighing him down and threatening to drown him even as they burned.  “What…” his words failed, and he stuttered to start again.  “What do I do, Polnoch?” He leaned down, looking his older brother squarely in the eyes.  “Go out.  Find Stoikaja.  Throw yourself at her hooves and beg her to forgive you.” “—a diplomatic incident, Sister?  Praytell, what do you think I have just described?  A void crystal detonated in Spike’s personal chambers.” “Krenn’s personal chambers,” Celestia corrected gently. Luna growled, and stomped a hoof.  In the unshaped dreamscape, it produced very little by way of noise, but the motion served to highlight the younger sister’s displeasure despite the silence.  “Is this truly the time to play at names, Celestia?  Equestria could well be at war in a matter of days—less if the blast killed him or incapacitated him.  And we’re without both your bodyguard and Shining Armor.” The elder alicorn turned her head to the side, gazing off into the starry void of her own unformed dream.  “I am aware of the danger. Luna.  You do not need to repeat it to me.” “Are you, Sister?  Then tell me, why is it that you seem so calm?” “It’s a practiced skill, Luna, I’ve told you before.  For the benefit of other ponies—” “Do not lie to me, Celestia.”  Luna stomped forward again, silently.  “Mortal ponies might not see through the mask you wear, but I do.  Right now, I see no mask.” Celestia drew in a slow breath, and then released it.  “You’re right, Luna.”  Then, as if only just realizing that her sister was standing before her, the taller mare shook her head and blinked.  “Of course you’re right.  You always knew.” Luna rolled her eyes.  “So, do you intend to tell me why it is you are so calm in the face of impending war?” “Luna, I knew what Krenn wanted.”  Celestia winced at the wounded expression on her sister’s face, but she continued before the younger alicorn could interrupt.  “I know that he seeks his last egg.  And I know where it is.” “Why lie to me?” Despite the pain it involved, Celestia looked straight into her sister’s eyes, noting the pinch in Luna’s brow below her horn, and the subtle tic in her left shoulder.  “The Commander’s death afforded us an opportunity.  He was the one who stole Krenn’s last fertilized egg.  That is all Krenn knows.  I wished to let Krenn believe that his hoard was lost with the Commander.  Because I was present for the war that saw the egg stolen, he is likely to be distrustful of me.  But you carried the message Equestria needed to send honestly, because you had no idea it was untrue.” Luna rubbed her brow.  “But why keep the egg, Celestia?  With Krenn threatening war, would it not be better to just return it?” “The threat of war is exactly the reason we can’t return the hoard.”  Celestia’s wings rose and fell with a heavy breath.  “What I tell you now, Luna, must never be spoken to anypony, living or dead.  I assume you remember the source of the dragons’ curse?” “Krenn wanted endura for the dragons, and he asked Discord for strength,” Luna recited.  “That’s why Discord stole his fertility, and his wing and leg.  But he caused them to grow strong from their greed instead of their magic.” “Yes.  Despite the fact that individual dragons consider their greed-fueled growth a curse, from the perspective of their race, it is a military asset.  Twenty years ago, when Stalliongrad fell and the dragons nearly swarmed over Canterlot, it was from no lack of military strength or industry on our part.  Equestria simply could not compete with thousands of full-sized dragons.  It took dozens, sometimes even a hundred guardsponies to kill just one of the creatures.” “I am aware of the power of a wyrm, Celestia.  What is your point?” “Discord can undo the curse he placed on the dragons—but undoing magic that required a sacrifice requires similar sacrifice.” Luna’s mouth fell open.  “Celestia, you cannot—” “Our obligation, Luna, is first and foremost to Equestria.  Though I wish our neighbours shared the same sense of friendship as my student, I learned long ago not to trust them blindly.  I will not move my hoof against the dragons, but if my hoof is forced to choose between them and our ponies, I know where my loyalties lie.” “So this is what you want my role to be in Equestria?  Kept innocent and blind so that your schemes can—” “My schemes?”  Celestia’s hoof crossed her peytral, as if her heart were wounded.  “Luna, you sound like you believe I’m going out of my way to deceive ponies.” “No, you’re going out of your way to deceive Spike.” “Krenn,” Celestia grumbled—truly grumbled, as Celestia only dared to do in the isolated presence of her younger sister—before focusing her voice again.  “You’ve missed a thousand years, Sister.  Not just for nations and ideas, but for the five of us.  I’m sorry if I sound harsh, but that friendship is well and truly dead for me.  And I cannot sacrifice the security of Equestria for the personal satisfaction of restoring it.” Luna’s hoof pulled at her starry mane.  “Has it not occurred to you, Sister, that restoring your friendship with Spike would also guarantee us peace?” “Every day, Luna.”  Celestia closed her eyes, and a few tears trickled brooks in the fur of her cheeks.  “But I cannot betray the friend I value more.” Luna glared at her sister.  “So what would you have me do?” “You don’t need me to hold your hoof anymore, Luna.”  Celestia’s wings slid down her side, tired and ashamed.  “I can solve this problem, but my method would do so at the cost of pain, and suffering, and no small measure of death.  You still have the chance to spare us that pain.  Please, save Equestria, so I don’t have to.” “Okay?” “Okay.”  Solo leaned forward, kissing the thestral square on the lips, and briefly letting her tongue dance with its dramatically colder counterpart.  As they broke apart, the living pegasus shivered. “Brr…” “Well, I’m dead.  What were you expecting?”  Seventh Sister grinned around her fangs.  “Thanks, though.  I’ve missed you, Solo.” “Yeah, you too, Eye.  Thanks for being here for me.” Both mares turned when the door creaked at the far side of the elaborately equipped guest room in Burning Hearth Castle. “Ah!”  A unicorn stallion unfamiliar to Solo nodded to her over the tops of his gold-rimmed glasses.  “Here you are!” Solo cocked her head.  “Do I know you?” “Oh, forgive me.”  Stepping inside without really asking permission, the blue unicorn ignited golden magic and adjusted a scarf he wore rather like a necktie.  “Call me Foresight.  I’m the Secretary of Stalliongrad.” Seventh Sister chuckled to herself as she cut in.  “He’s your new coltfriend’s brother, Solo.” “Coltfriend?”  Foresight’s eyes widened behind his glasses.  “I was led to believe you didn’t get along with Roscherk.  Not that you—” “She’s being sarcastic,” Solo clarified, eyeing the unicorn with some measure of distrust.  He smelled like money.  Way too much money, if her eye for fashion wasn’t failing her.  “Where’s Twilight?” “She sent me to find you.”  Foresight nodded to the door.  “If you’ll follow me, I can take you to her.  She isn’t far.” With a slap of leathery wing against flank, Seventh Sister sent her friend marching out of the room.  “Be careful with her, Solo.  They say if you get Twilight Sparkle hurt, the line to cut you into little pieces would stretch all the way around the palace.” Solo turned to reply, only to find the door to the chamber already closed by Foresight’s magic.  “Apologies, but we’re in a bit of a hurry,” he explained.  “To provide a very short summary, there is a significant risk we’re going to be at war with the dragons within a week or two.”  His hooves struck the floor with such force that they clicked in spite of the heavy rug separating their keratin from the wooden boards that made up the hallways of the ancient castle.  “If you’re more of a glass-half-full kind of pony, Shining Armor is alive.” “Yes!”  Solo pumped a hoof, using her wings to carry her along.  They ducked her around a tight corner, and into a far larger hall of the castle, seemingly connecting some set of main, more important rooms.  “Alright, where is he?” “Glass-half-empty,” Foresight answered.  “He’s with Masquerade—not a prisoner or anything of the sort.  But the two of them are walking into the lair of one of the oldest and most dangerous spirits in the history of Equestria.” Another turn in the hallway. Solo swallowed.  “Okay, we can do this.  Twilight’s stupid good at magic.  We’re gonna go rescue him, right?” “Twilight Sparkle certainly isn’t,” Foresight answered firmly.  “We’ll likely have my brother go.  His fire magic—” “Are you kidding?” Solo grabbed the relative stranger by his shoulder and spun him around.  “Not a chance in Tartarus am I letting Red Ink go anywhere near Shining Armor on his own.” “Private Solo,” Foresight paused mid-statement, mouth open.  “Am I remembering your rank correctly?” She replied with a silent nod. “Yes, well, Private Solo… I’m afraid that decisions made by the Commander of the Honor Guard are somewhat beyond your place to question, aren’t they?” Solo decided very quickly that she did not like Foresight very much.  “He tried to kill Shining Armor.  You hear about that?  Or that he killed—” “We are not going to have this conversation walking down a hallway,” Foresight interrupted quite forcefully.  “Nor I suspect, will it continue elsewhere.  Twilight!” Solo hadn’t even noticed her ward at the extreme opposite end of the hallway they had just turned onto, up until Foresight’s voice echoed off the stone.  Twilight turned to look at them, and her face lit up.  “Solo!  Are you okay?” When Twilight collided with the older mare in the form of a tackle, Solo stumbled under the other mare’s weight.  “I’m fine, Twilight.  Maybe wait until somepony says so before the hug-tackle.” “Sorry…”  Twilight released Solo and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof.  “Pinkie Pie must be rubbing off on me.”  The momentary embarrassment faded quickly.  “Did you hear about Shining?” “I told her, briefly,” Foresight added.  “And with apologies, Twilight, I suspect I need to go find Roscherk.” “Sure, Foresight.  Thanks!”  Twilight waved briefly as the well-dressed stallion vanished into the mess of intersecting corridors defining the palace.  When he was gone, she turned to Solo.  “So, yeah, we need to go find Princess Luna.” Solo nodded earnestly. “So we can make sure Red Ink doesn’t get sent to save Shining?” “What?”  Twilight shook her head.  “No.  I mean, we’re going with him, but that’s not what we need to talk to Luna about.” “Twilight, there’s no way I’m letting him anywhere near Shining.  After Baltimare—”   Twilight held up a hoof, and Solo honored it.  “Going Solo, after what we’ve been through here in Stalliongrad, I trust you.  A lot.  And I consider you a friend.”  She sucked in one hesitant breath before continuing.  “I trust Red Ink too.  And I know that this is hard for you to accept, but he’s a different pony than the one who hurt you in Baltimare.” “Ponies don’t change, Twilight.” “What about Princess Luna?” Twilight asked.  “Or for that matter, what about me?  I used to want nothing to do with other ponies as ‘friends’.  Now look where we are.” Solo rolled her eyes.  “He’s different, Twilight.  He’s evil.  Have you seen the way he looks at other ponies?  Like he doesn’t even care?” Twilight frowned.  “You have no idea how much he can care, Solo.  I… I understand if you don’t want to be his friend.  I can’t ask that.  I can’t ask you to forgive him, either; not really.  But if you can’t do that, than at least try to look at it logically.  Ink is the best fire empath in Equestria today… maybe ever, if some of the things I’ve heard are true.  We’re headed into the last Windigo’s nest.  We need that magic, whether we like it or not.” “I.  Don’t.  Care.”  Solo looked straight into Twilight’s eyes, pressing a hoof against her shoulder.  “I can’t be around him.  And what happens if he loses it and turns on you, like he did to Shining?  I know you’re the ‘best wizard’ or something, but can you fight him?” “He would never do that to me,” Twilight replied, earnestly.  “But we can talk about this later. I really need to get to Princess Luna.  Come on.”   Solo once more found herself following a unicorn through unfamiliar halls in an ancient frozen castle.  She darted left and right, her wings making it relatively easy to keep up with Twilight’s hooves.  “Do you know where you’re going?” “I think so,” Twilight replied.  “Commander Hurricane’s journals were pretty explicit about this place.  Also, the architectural style is really similar to the Castle of Everfree, and I’ve done enough research there to know how to get around.  We just need…”  She rounded a corner and donned a huge smile when she found a massive spiral staircase.  “…the central stairs.” Rolling her eyes, Solo dropped onto her hooves and folded her wings.  “You’re not impressing me anymore, Twilight.  You already know too much ancient history stuff for me to even be surprised.” “Sorry.  Let’s go.”  Twilight didn’t wait for any confirmation before bolting up the stairs. Fading out of the dreamscape was not an uncomfortable experience, but it always sent a tingly shiver across Luna’s coat—not unlike electricity.  “Eldest, are you here?” From some shadowy corner in the opulent sitting room that had become Luna’s makeshift command center in Burning Hearth, the thestral in question swooped down to her leader.  “Princess.  You alright?” “I will survive,” Luna answered her, curtly. Eldest bit her lip with a fang—not quite hard enough to draw blood, but only just.  “That wasn’t exactly what I was asking, Princess.  You seem pissed.  I totally get if you don’t want to talk about it, but—” “Celestia has been lying to me,” Luna replied.  “And using me as a tool to lie to Krenn.  I do not believe I should elaborate further.   At least, not at the moment.” Eldest wrapped a leathery wing around the Princess. “Sorry.” “Your presence is, as ever, a boon, Eldest Sister.” She nodded.  “I do what I can.  What’s our next move?”   The question was answered not by Luna, but a knocking at the heavy chamber doors.   “You want me to send them away?” Eldest asked. Luna frowned.  “Absolutely.  But with circumstances as they are, I cannot afford to.”  Her horn ignited in turquoise, and the doors to the chamber opened with perhaps unnecessary force.  Luna’s brow rose at the ponies on the other side.  “Twilight Sparkle?” “Princess Luna,” Twilight greeted, offering a bow.  “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I think this is important.” “You have my attention.” Twilight coughed into her hoof.  “Umm… this is gonna be a lot to take in, so bear with me.  I think I know who hired Masquerade.” Eldest and Luna exchanged an extended glance—the former in disbelief; the latter, shock.  “I assume you’ve got some evidence,” Eldest prompted. “That’s why this is gonna be a lot to take in.  Princess, you remember that I asked you if thestrals could reproduce?” Luna saw her thestral companion’s ears fall to her scalp, and ridges appeared on Eldest’s muzzle as she donned a scowl. “I recall,” Luna replied as diplomatically as she could manage.  “You mentioned a Countess Star?” “Precisely.”  Despite careful word choice, Twilight’s voice carried an obvious tone of nervousness.  “She asked me to retrieve Typhoon’s body from Onyx Ridge, under the auspices that there was some family secret she needed to ask Typhoon’s soul for, and she needed the body as a focus for a seance.” “I see…” “I told her I wouldn’t do it, but our search for Shining Armor took us to Onyx Ridge anyway.  And inside, to my surprise, we found Typhoon’s body, perfectly preserved in a block of her own empathic ice.”  Luna drew in a short breath as her only show of surprise, and only moments later realized that her own ears were sliding back as he remembered the mare she knew so many years ago. “I left the body alone, but—in part out of desperation—I took Heims Osculum, and a final journal that Typhoon was apparently carrying with her when she went into Onyx Ridge, hunting Summer.” “Summer…”  Luna turned to Eldest.  “She was Second Sister, thousands of years ago.  I made a terrible mistake and gave her an order she could never complete.  I keep the Second title empty in her honor.” “What happened to her?” Eldest asked. Luna’s head turned away, staring at the right wall of the room, away from all the other ponies present.  “She would have died in the Twilight War.  Along with all the other thestrals I selfishly created…” “She didn’t die.”  Twilight’s words cut through the pain in Luna’s memory, fighting against the seal that locked away her memories of her time as Nightmare Moon.  “At least, that’s what Mirror Image thought when he was in your memories, Princess” “He went into my sealed memories?”  Luna’s voice betrayed no offense, but simply surprise. Twilight shrugged.  “I don’t know about what happened there.  All I know is this.  If what Mirror Image says is true, your last order to her was to stop the Night Guard from ever being wiped out again.” “That is… It has been a long time since I considered those memories; they are still stored in our vault beneath Canterlot.  But I believe the paraphrase is close.  I do not follow how this leads to Masquerade.” “Okay.”  Twilight swallowed hard.  “I hope this doesn’t sound horrible, but try and understand why I’m saying it.  If something happened to you, there would be no more Night Guard, right?” Luna nodded. “But that wouldn’t be a massacre like what happened in the Twilight War, or…” Twilight let her voice trail off, and the message to Luna was clear.  After a few seconds of silence, Twilight continued.  “Celestia would let them go, right?” “That was our agreement,” Luna replied.  “If ever I were not able to support the Night Guard, Celestia would pardon them, and send them to the Summer Lands immediately.”  As each word passed her lips, her eyes widened in further realization.  “So… you believe that Summer seeks my death so that she can complete the command I gave her?” Twilight nodded.  “Either that, or she just wanted revenge.  Either way, it makes sense.  If she’s still ‘your thestral’, she couldn’t make an attempt on your life herself.  If you even said ‘stop’ to her, her whole plan would be up.” “So she hired Masquerade…” “And when Masquerade failed, she would have had to turn to somepony else.”  Twilight nodded.  “But, of course, after what happened with Masquerade, there was no way another assassination was going to get close to you.  So she needed somepony different.” Luna’s brow stitched into irritation.  “Typhoon?” Twilight nodded.  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Eldest Sister sat up.  “I’m gonna be honest, Miss Sparkle.  That sounds like a lot of conjecture.  All the pieces fit together, sure, but you’re making a big assumption about why Countess Star wanted Typhoon’s body.  Otherwise, how do you even know she’s this secret thestral you’re proposing?” “A couple reasons,” Twilight answered.  “First, she’s maintaining a powerful nightmare illusion on herself at all times.  The same kind Masquerade used to sneak into the Canterlot Palace and impersonate the Commander.  Secondly, she was helping Foresight with his obelisk project to end eternal winter, and she gave him twelve thousand thaums of fire empatha.”  The words meant nothing to Eldest or the pegasus mare at Twilight’s side, but Luna caught herself gasping again.  Twilight continued unabated.  “That’s an almost impossible amount of magic for a unicorn to convert into empatha, but Summer was a pegasus before she died, and her specialty was fire.” Luna’s eyes widened.  “That’s…” “I suspected something when we first met her, and she showed me an original painting of Cyclone, and expressed personal knowledge of his rebellion against Hurricane.  But I didn’t think anything about it beyond some personal interest up until earlier today, when she demanded Typhoon’s journal and Heims.” “Where are they now?” Luna asked. “I gave them to her.” The blue pegasus at Twilight’s side grabbed her shoulder.  “What?” “I didn’t want to start a fight with her if she was the contractor.  I’m not a soldier.  And I wanted to talk to Princess Luna to confirm before I did anything.” Twilight’s companion rolled her eyes.  “So you just gave her the magic ice sword?” “Not before I put a Mage’s Mark on the journal.”  At a look of confusion from both her living companion and Eldest Sister, Twilight elaborated.  “It’s a pretty simple spell to help you keep track of things you care about.  You can’t keep more than one or two active at a time, so you can’t do it to everything.  But it lets you know what direction the mark is in, no matter where you go.” “So you know where Summer is?”  Eldest Sister pressed.  “You can track her?” Twilight nodded.  “Sort of.  It’s just direction, not distance, so I have to start walking or take a train or whatever if I want to actually find her.  But you’ve got the basic idea right.” Luna stood up, shaking her head.  “It had to be you, Twilight Sparkle.” “I’m sorry?  Is something wrong?” The alicorn shook her head.  “No, Twilight, you did well.  Extremely well.  But because you were the mage who made the mark, I must send you after Summer.” “What?”  Twilight shook her head.  “No, I have to go save Shining Armor.  He’s up near Neighvgorod—” Luna cut the young mage off by spreading her wings.  “I understand your concern for your brother, Twilight Sparkle.  But we have many skilled soldiers who can capable of embarking on a rescue mission, now that we know his absolute location.  We can send your companion here,” Luna dipped her horn toward the blue pegasus in the black vest at Twilight’s side, “if that settles your concerns. But unfortunately, you are currently the only pony who can track down Summer.  My Night Guard will need you to lead them, so that they can stop whatever plan my wayward thestral is enacting.  And they will need a necromancer to bind her soul when her body is destroyed, so that I can send her to the Summer Lands and spare her further suffering for my mistakes.” Twilight winced.  “Princess… I’ve never really done that kind of necromancy before.  I mean, I read enough of Morty’s work to know the theory, but wouldn’t it be better if you came?  You can just tell Summer to stop and end the order without any violence.” “If only I could.”  Luna turned her head to the window behind her, and the constant snowfall outside.  “Though Summer is a terrible mistake, and one that weighs heavily on my heart, she represents a very small threat compared to Spike…”  When Twilight wilted, Luna caught her words.  “Krenn.  Forgive me for an uncomfortable name.  Though my sister has been heavy on my conscience, she does speak the truth.  I can only be in one place at a time, and working to prevent war with the dragons will do Equestria far more good than dealing with Summer first-hoof.” Twilight swallowed.  “So you want me to… fight Summer?” “Absolutely not.”  Luna shook her head adamantly.  “The Night Guard will handle the fighting.  You need only lead them to her, and then bind her soul so that I can guide her to the Summer Lands instead of condemning her to the Between.”  Luna’s horn ignited, and the moon-shaped diamond in her peytral flew to rest in the air in front of Twilight.  “Take this.  I carry it for just such a purpose, in case one of my Night Guard falls in my service.  I wish I did not have to thrust this responsibility upon you, but I have nopony else to turn to.” Twilight stared at the gem for a few long seconds before speaking up.  “I understand, Princess.  I won’t fail you.” “I will send my personal bodyguard in your stead.  He, your friend, and Commander Ink ought to prove a sufficient task force. “Princess—” Twilight cut off the mare at her side.  “That seems reasonable, Princess Luna.  Thank you.” Eldest Sister walked over the Luna’s side.  “This old thestral… she’s a fire specialist and knows advanced illusions.  Anything else I should know?” Luna shook her head.  “You aren’t going, Eldest.  I need you to accompany me back to Peschera in Mirror Image’s absence.  You also spent too much mana in your journey with me already.  Third Brother will lead the hunt for Summer.”  With what she hoped was a gentle smile, the princess added “He is the strongest of you, even if I trust you far more, Eldest.” Eldest shrugged.  “C’est la mort.” “Take Twilight to Third Brother, then return, and we will embark immediately.” “Yes, Mistress.” Luna looked Twilight squarely in the eyes.  “It would appear we all have new journeys to embark upon, Twilight Sparkle.  I regret our reunion was so brief, but I hold on to hope that when next we speak, our circumstances will be far better.” “I hope so too, Princess.”  Twilight nodded.  “Good luck.”