//------------------------------// // Chapter 31 -Join or Die- // Story: Shattered Skies // by Arctikfox //------------------------------// -Join or Die- "Shattered Skies." Celestia's fiery glare was unwavering, her tone was cold and filled with rage. "Guards!" Cried a pony from the crowd. Her terrified voice caused many creatures to back away from Skies and Celestia as they stared each other down. Shortly after the pony’s shout, more guards darted into the hall. Most stood firm, but a few clearly were keeping their distance from the Spirit. Fury appeared off to the side of the Princesses and smirked the instant he saw the Forest Spirit standing in the open. Cadance looked between both her father and aunt, waiting for them to act, but as she saw the storm clouds rolling in, she realized Skyfall must have had something planned, something that relied on her ignorance. "Why have you shown yourself?" Celestia boomed. Shattered Skies held his head high and let his eyes radiate with magic, ready for an attack. "To make peace." Twilight's eyes lit up at the prospect of peace. She smiled up to Celestia, but the princess kept her piercing eyes locked on the Spirit. "Sister, let's hear him out. I'm sure we can reach an accord." Luna pleaded quietly. "No. There will be no peace." "Tia, I can assure you-" "No, Luna! He destroyed not only our race, but also many others! I will not allow him to make ruin of what remains!" Celestia seethed, and the crowd reacted with varying responses; gasps from the ignorant, and groans from the few who knew the truth. Twilight and the Elements stared in horror at the false revelation. Skies didn't let their opinions affect his outward appearance, but in truth they cut his morale like a knife. Skies let out a suppressed laugh. "Tia, I have told you time and again that none of that was my doing." "Silence!" Celestia roared. "Your lies will not be heard!" Luna's eyes cast themselves downward, her memories had fortunately been unlocked, but to know the truth and be unable to share it to save her friend was like torture. "Now, Tia, there are things you don't understand. Many things have been kept from you, but recent events have lead me to see that hiding the truth was a poor decision." Skies tried to soothe her anger, but the growing rage on her face told him he wasn’t met with much success. "If we can just sit down and talk this out, I know you'll see reason." "I said silence!" Celestia whipped her head forward and fired a beam of fire that struck the center of Skies' chest. When the smoke cleared, a white, hardened moss appeared where Celestia’s spell had struck. "One thousand years and you still stomp, kick, and shout when you don't get your way." Skies said to no one in particular. Celestia snarled, her eyes had become uncharacteristically bloodshot. "When will you stop talk-" Skies shot open his wings and took on a borderline aggressive stance. As he slowly opened his eyes, a golden glow leaked out from behind his eyelids.. A deep rumbling erupted from all of the trees in Mont Saint Mare as Skies curled back his lips. "You shall hold your tongue, you petulant child!" Skies folded his wings and relaxed himself. The ballroom was eerily silent. Not a single breath could be heard from any of the hundreds of guests gathered around the scene. Skies took note of the dizziness on Celestia’s face, and considered his next words carefully. Skies outstretched a hoof to step towards Celestia, but when he did so, many guards formed a defensive position around their princesses. Skies stopped and sighed in frustration. "Mr. Skies?" Twilight called nervously, breaking the room’s silence. She felt a cold chill over her coat, but her resolve kept Twilight from backing down. She wanted to see a resolution to this conflict, no matter the cost. "Twilight, don't." Called Rarity, but to no avail. "Twilight Sparkle, I wish I could say it is nice to see you again, given the circumstances." Skies nodded respectfully. Twilight remembered reading that many Spirits lived their lives by a set of rules and etiquette, but none more so than the greater Spirits. With an apprehensive breath, Twilight gave a shallow bow. When she looked up, Skies was in the same bowed position. "Skies, watch out!" Came Sif's voice. She exploded from a nearby arch and wrapped her teeth around a Wonderbolt that had tried to swoop in to attack while he was bowed. "Very nice, Sif." Skies said while glaring at Fleetfoot who remained motionless in Sif's maw. "Is this how things are done in the world now?" Skies' voice grew in volume and spoke to more than just the ponies in the hall. "Attacking a Spirit as he bows in a show of respect?" "I never wanted that to happen!" Twilight tried to defend, fearing possible violent outcomes. "Regardless, I came here with an olive branch extended, and received not one, but two separate attacks." Skies swept his gaze around the hall. With a quick glance at the evident war waging in Celestia’s mind, Skies spoke. "The world is on the brink of collapsing and here we are having a party. Why?" When silence followed his question, Skies continued. "Why? There are members of every race out there suffering and yet none of you care to raise a hand, hoof, or claw to help. If the problem doesn't affect you personally, you won't seek to change it." Skies chuckled. "I get it, I really do. You're comfortable, and in comfort you grow complacent and lazy. I've seen this happen in every age of this planet and even in the era that came before ours." Skies stared directly into the eyes of creatures he knew to be Spirits before casting his eyes towards Twilight, Sunset, and the Elements. "I've spent the past few months looking into Equus' political and geographical affairs. I’ve seen the slums in Manehattan and Canterlot, and the ghettos in Fillydelphia, Seaddle, and Marami. That’s all not to mention the other parts of the world that still fight over basic amenities like water. What is wrong with you all?" Twilight chewed on her lip momentarily, and closed her eyes tight. "You didn't even know the world was like this, did you?" Twilight shook her head. "Your lies shall not sway us!" A wealthy-looking mare called from the crowd. "We provide only the finest opportunities for non-ponies in the world!" Skies strode to the center of the room and craned his head around. "Chance, please enter." All heads turned to the lumbering form of an finely-dressed Diamond Dog and what looked to be his daughter helping him in. "You called, my lord?" Skies narrowed his eyes at Celestia, he knew there wasn't much time before she attacked, but he still had to try and sway the crowd towards his favor. More specifically, he had to convince the journalists who had been writing furiously since his arrival. "Please tell the crowd about all of the 'opportunities' you’ve been given, if that’s alright with you." "For you, my lord, anything." Chance proclaimed as he stood up as straight as he could manage. "I am Chance, chief to the Diamond Dogs of the badlands. For all my life I have feared ponies, not for what you can do, but for how easily you can get away with it. When I was ten, a regime of guards swooped in and killed my mother, and five years later, a similar attack claimed my father. I became chief and vowed to never let something like that befall my clan, but I see now that it was only wishful thinking and naivety on my part. Until recently, ponies in the eastern badlands raided our camps and stole our precious metals, leaving survivors to cope with missing limbs and scars while we lived in poverty and amongst the dead. Needless to say, I hated ponies." Chance's stance faltered as his back dared to give out. "However, I do not blame the entire race of ponies anymore. I've learned from some wise beings that are much older and wiser than I, that one can not hold a larger group accountable for the crimes of the few, but I can be upset when they turn a blind eye to it. My lord saved my clan, and for that, I will forever be in debt to his gratitude. Now, we have homes, education, and healthcare. We even have parks and places for our children to play. These are not the actions of an evil being." With no more to say, Chance slouched as his back threatened once more to give out and bowed to Shattered before being helped away by his daughter. Skies looked around to gauge the reactions of the creatures in the hall. He saw anger, sadness, and numb looks. "This happens all over the world and in every country except Neighpon, so congrats, Sakurajima." "Thank you!" Called a voice from the back of the crowd that turned many heads. Lights started to shine through the crowd to reveal a large oriental dragoness with glowing bronze-like scales and a red mane reaching down her back. More screams rang from the crowd as she drew the panicked looks of ponies and the awestruck stare of a certain purple dragon. 'Too bold, Fuji.' Skies smirked and glanced over at Twilight. "Spirits still roam Equus just as we have in the past. Now that the problems are known, all that's left is to sit down and discover the best way overcome them." "Through you." Celestia growled as her dizziness abated. "It is quite obvious that we won't reach an understanding." Sif said as she tossed Fleetfoot away after tearing up parts of her uniform. "We need to fall back and return to Farhaven." "Farhaven?" Twilight asked. 'Nice execution, Sif.' Skies thought when Sif recited her lines perfectly. "Yes, Twilight. In the place of the old castle in the Everfree, I have carved out a new nation for those who want a fresh start. Somewhere that one can live without being ridiculed for what they are or who they want to be with. A place run by Spirits and mortals alike." Golden Heart, the harvest Spirit, squinted his eyes at the news, and at Shattered Skies’ hypocrisy. Skies had always stood very firmly against Spirits holding any power over mortal society. Motivations aside, he believed it would only ever lead to corruption. “Why?” He asked loudly. "Because the world has changed." Skies announced to the voice in the crowd as he turned towards the nearest exit. He stopped mid step before leaving. "I will be sending a representative to Ponyville in the coming weeks to open up a postal route. There is a certain large, red stallion in my city that wishes to send letters to his loved ones." "What's his name?" Called Applejack, sounding very upset at the news. Skies looked over and took the letter that Sif had hidden under her fur. He squinted at the manila envelope. "Big Mac, is that the name you’re looking for?" "Y-Yes." Applejack said as the letter floated over to her. "Now, I'm sorry for ruining your night. I shall take my leave." "You are forbidden!" Celestia boomed before she fired another shot past Skies, setting ablaze the ground by his hooves. "You've weaseled your way through history and now you're here trying to usurp the world by making up false accounts!" Twilight felt the temperature of the room rising as her mentor tried to protect the room from its intruder. The crown hidden around Twilight’s neck shined brightly in response to Celestia’s glowing horn. "Twilight, it's time to seal him." Skies reared up and slammed both hooves into Sif's sternum, sending her flying up and out of the hall, as the next events happened too quickly for anyone to anticipate. The Elements shined blindingly and joined together in a multichromatic beam of energy that viciously launched itself at Skies. All Twilight saw before the hall was enveloped in burning white light was Skies pulling an amber ball out of his chest and putting it in between himself and the beam. "Twilight?" "Who said that?" Twilight blinked her eyes rapidly, thrashing her head back and forth in an attempt to find the voice’s origin, but her vision consisted entirely of uninterrupted white light. The sensation of weightlessness washed over her as she felt herself floating in the air. "Relax, Twilight. I am not your enemy." The light started to fade, and Twilight's eyes suddenly gained focus on a flowery landscape with waterfalls surrounding her. Her weight was then delicately set on her hooves, and Twilight twirled to take in her surroundings until she spotted a tall, alabaster mare with a pale purple mane and a long horn with a subtle backwards curve smiling at her from a prone position upon a patch of colorful flowers. At first, Twilight's heart jumped, but a familiar feeling soothed her into calmness. "Who are you?" The mare chuckled and crossed her forelegs. "You know who I am." "Are you Harmony?" With a soft nod from Harmony, Twilight gulped and tip toed through the garden towards her. She hadn't realized, but Harmony was enormous, easily two heads taller than Celestia. "H-Hi." Harmony sighed. "It is unfortunate that we had to meet under such circumstances." "What happened?" Twilight asked while looking at the sky, which rippled like water. "In short, the Elements were forced to go against their nature, and they were fired at an artifact whose sole purpose is to hold the power of a Spirit." Harmony spoke with pain and resentment in her voice. "So Shattered Skies did something to fool the Elements into... what’s wrong?" Harmony had interrupted Twilight with a stern shake of her head. "He didn't enchant himself?" Twilight asked, making her best hypothesis known. "No, the Elements refused to fire because there was nothing to purge him of." Harmony paused and shrugged. “Nothing that isn’t within his own power to change.” "But!" Twilight shouted. "He... he's done evil things! He wiped an entire city from the map and destroyed the Alicorns!" Harmony sighed. She stood up slowly and moved away from Twilight, slowly shaking her head. "I'm being serious! You’re the only one that might be able to seal him." Twilight stomped her hooves as she followed her element. This gained Harmony's attention, and her ire. Twilight gulped as Harmony's eyes bore down on her. "Your historical texts are falsified." Twilight narrowed her eyes, challenging the Spirit before her. "Prove it." Harmony sighed and looked to the sky as it rippled violently. She knew that their time together was nearly coming to an end. “I’m afraid we do not have enough time for that.” Twilight looked up in amazement to the sky, which resembled a lake that had a barrage of small pebbles thrown into it. After a few seconds, the sky stabilized and Twilight gathered her thoughts. “What was that?” She asked, pointing a hoof upwards. Harmony's ears flattened as she ignored the question. “It is apparent that you don’t trust Skies, but I ask that you at least seek him out and make an attempt to understand his side of the story. I consider him one of my closest friends, please do not allow your judgement to be clouded.” "Friend?" Twilight asked, shocked that Harmony held him in such high regard. "I was friends with all Spirits, but he was closer than most. He always seemed to make time for me in any situation." Harmony remembered. "Skies had always been stern, and was usually quick to criticize, but he was there when it counted." "But there is overwhelming evidence that he has committed unspeakable crimes." Twilight asked. “Why are you trying to convince me to overlook everything I’ve been taught?” Harmony sat down as the sky rippled once more. "I heard him address the court, and I have seen the world through your eyes. He speaks only truth and is in need of help." "If he's innocent, then why does the Princess want to imprison him, and why does he hide in a fortress in the middle of a dangerous forest?" Twilight’s boldness grew as only questions arose instead of answers. "All answers you seek must be found on your own time, unfortunately our’s has come to an end." Harmony cooed sadly. "But I have so many questions!" Twilight shouted. "How do you see through my eyes? Are you still alive? Where are the other Spirits? What is the Great Spirit War?" Harmony placed her hoof on Twilight's cheek. "I’m sure you will eventually find the answers to these questions, but I’m afraid I cannot help you in that pursuit. Be sure to keep this meeting a secret, lest you wish for the same fate that befell the Alicorns many years ago. There are many who work for Him, even in Celestia’s closest ranks." "Him?" Twilight asked in bewilderment. The scenery shined brighter and brighter, quickly growing blinding to Twilight’s unshielded eyes. "Harmony!" "Seek out Shattered Skies." Echoed Harmony’s voice from all directions, sending Twilight’s mind reeling with conflict. The light faded and everyone slowly rose to examine their surroundings. "What happened?" Celestia asked as she rose steadily. "You fired the Elements at me and failed." Shattered Skies’ voice echoed throughout the hall. In place of where Shattered Skies had stood before the attack was a smoldering wooden statue shaped just like the Spirit in question. The statue remained motionless, but Skies’ voice echoed from within. "I thought you would have learned years ago that they are not a tool to be abused." "I see you've retrieved that accursed artifact." Celestia chided as she pointed at the Sunset Effigy clutched in the statue’s arm. Before Celestia had the chance to retrieve the Effigy, a large owl flew down and scooped it up in his talons before flying away. Celestia watched as the owl fled the scene, and a frown formed on her face when she gestured for her guards to follow it. "Sorry about reclaiming the Effigy. Some things are too dangerous to leave to chance, or to be discovered by your minions that still skulk in the shadows." Skies sensed that Faith and her blue friend, River Bend, had appeared behind Celestia, and were reaching out with their own magic, attempting to locate where the Spirit was hiding. Skies opened his eyes to see that a few other Spirits from the party had come to join him on the commandeered ship. He shook his head and returned his magic to the statue he had been possessing. "Who's the one skulking in the shadows now?" Came the low growling voice of the beast that attacked Skies in the forest, who then stomped his way through the crowd, looking in all directions. 'Could that really be my brother?' Skies thought. From the uncertain look on Celestia's face, it was clear she had no control over him. Sif took note of the growing conflict and fled the event, barreling through a stack of guards, sending most of them flying or screaming out of the way. Sif ran down a nearby hallway as fast as her paws could take her. With Sif retreating to the planned rendezvous point, Skies addressed the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlecolts, I wish you a safe evening, and please consider what I have said to you." Skies saw the bull turn and step out of the hall to follow Sif without another word. He could see subtle glances from to the two mares next to Celestia, confirming in Skies' mind that they were, in fact, the Spirits who sided against him. With the crowd still shocked from the recent turn of events, Skies returned to his body and told his crew to prepare the ship for their departure. Skies felt around the island for nearby trees to possess, and eventually found one near a large window with a view of Sif’s attempted escape. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the bull were hot on Sif’s heels with no signs of backing down.. "Rage, stop!" Shouted a voice from down the hallway. Sand started to form from between the hallway’s tiles under the thusly-named Rage as he pursued Sif. "Stop interfering, Unfaithful!" Rage bellowed as he was swallowed up by the shifting sands. "If Skies won’t fall, she will!" Slowly the sand started to form into a giant, floating, green eye before it morphed into a chimeric sphinx with a pony's head that had jet black hair that covered most of its face. She smiled and a blast of sand erupted from the ground and slammed into Rage's chest, sending him staggering back. By now, Sif had stopped to watch the outlandish act. Skies was horrified by the situation unfolding, and feared for Sif’s life. Using his powers to project his voice from the tree by the window, Skies said "I take it you're the eldest. Please, we can reach an understanding. If you truly are of my blood, then talk to me." The Sphinx shook her head. "You will fall and no amount of sentiment will save you from us. We will find you in time, but for now, take our indifference towards you as a one-time act of mercy." Shattered Skies was filled with sorrow upon hearing this. At a loss for words, Skies said the only thing he could think to. "I'm sorry." Unfaithful stood tall and craned her head to stare out the window at the tree that Skies possessed. "Forgiveness is meant for the living." The sky erupted in violent thunder and lightning, drawing everyone's attention up to look through the skylights which revealed Storm Front proudly hovering up in the clouds with hooves outstretched. Sif took advantage of the brief distraction to continue towards the rendezvous point as she sprinted through the castle’s hallways. "So you've brought a friend? It matters not, our navy will be here momentarily. You'll find that Mont Saint Mare has been heavily warded, so you won’t be teleporting or wisping away. I'm also sure you've noticed the little watcher that’s been on the ship across from the one you’re at now." Unfaithful's cold tone could shake the most battle-hardened of warriors. "I think you'll be quite pleased to see the prototype ships we've forged just for you." Shattered Skies left the tree and returned to his body. Shaken, he forced his eyes open to be greeted with the sight of a cloaked stallion on the frigate at the adjacent dock. Slowly, his hood came down to reveal dark metal plates mixed with woven mesh fittings, but the magic in the eyes was unmistakable. “Blue Line?” "Guards!" Fury barked as he burst from a ballroom doorway. "Positions! We need to surround him and take him down!" “Skies, we need to leave.” Flowing Streams placed her paw on Skies’ shoulder. “If we don’t, this will get worse. Sif will meet us on the way out.” “Is Feather in position?” Skies asked. “He is. He’s just waiting on our departure.” Streams gestured to Inko, and within moments, the large illusion camouflaging the Good Fortune disappeared. The ship heaved and gained altitude as Skies stood. The mast let loose its canopy and wolves leapt to grab stray lines to fasten them down. With the limited amount of trees on the island, Sif wasn’t hard to find, even with tens of guards to play with, she was still making her way towards one of the outermost battlements with ease. “Set course for the eastern battlements! We’re picking up Sif!” Skies commanded as the galleon changed course suddenly. Skies watched as hundreds of guards poured out of the castle grounds and into the yard. Even Celestia and the Elements approached. Skies swept his eyes over the scene forming in front of him. He sighed, reflecting on the night. Everything went to plan, but why did Skies feel as if he failed regardless? As the ship dipped down, Sif came into view. Many of the pony guards chasing her slowed to a stop right before Sif leapt into the air, shocked at how close the Good Fortune was flying to the castle grounds. Sif clattered onto the deck and cantered up onto the quarterdeck, where Skies was lazily piloting the ship back out of ground’s reach and into slow circles around the castle grounds. “Have fun?” Skies asked. “Yeah, the neighborhood kids didn’t want to play kickball, so we played cops and robbers.” Sif sighed. “Too bad I’m the one who wanted to do the chasing.” “You do love chasing things.” Skies playfully poked Sif on the nose, causing her to blow a raspberry at him. Down below on Mont Saint Mare, a large crowd had gathered on the castle grounds, including most of the island’s military, numerous of the Gala’s guests, and even Celestia herself. “How can you two even do that in the midst of an escape?” Streams yelled. “You’re just jealous that we look this good together.” Sif chuckled at her stressed comrade before clinging onto the ship’s railing as cannon fire lit the sky next to them ablaze. Mont Saint Mare’s forces hadn’t taken to the skies yet, but their cannons were extremely quick to deploy. “Time to leave.” Sif said, gesturing to the cannons appearing from the sides of the docked military gunships. "It was a nice try, but you only get half a star, Celestia." Skies called from over the side of the Good Fortune before pausing and giving a flippant shrug. "Which is pretty good for you, actually." "Attack!" Fury roared before a single cannon exploded, missing the Good Fortune entirely and destroying a tree as it passed by the courtyard one last time. Skies scowled at Fury as shards of wood rained onto the crowd below. "Do not be so reckless, you fool." Before anyone had the chance to react, Skies threw the wheel starboard and barked out orders to his crew. The ship creaked and groaned as its sails caught the strong wind and sent the ship darting through the open skies above the waters. "Full sail, secure the cannons!" The guests were puzzled and shocked, and military personnel quickly made way for the docks to get to their own ships and pursue the Good Fortune. Fury stood by Celestia as he observed his troops’ progress. Noting the Good Fortune’s speed and how far their ships were from being skyworthy, Fury grimaced. "Everyone cease movement!" "Captain, we can catch him." Celestia said calmly, but the cold rage from earlier bit at the edge of her tone. "I'm sorry, Princess, unless we already had a ship in the air, he would have gotten away. The best we can do is get his heading and send search parties later." Fury mumbled angrily. "Captain! Incoming!" Roared Soarin as he flew out of the way of an approaching brigantine which sailed by the castle. The large ship dipped starboard to reveal the stallion captaining the pursuing ship. "Skyfall?" Celestia whispered in amazement. Fury’s scowl turned to a large grin as he nodded his head. "Right! All crews to your ships! Captain Skyfall will stall the Spirit, don't let him steal all of our glory!" Fury reared up and sprinted toward the dock with his guards, directing them into the fleet’s various ships. Celestia smiled widely as she watched Skyfall’s ship close in on the Good Fortune off in the distance. "Why are you so gleeful, sister?" Luna asked, genuinely confused. "Just reflecting on my choice of captain." Celestia turned and strode toward the main hall to formally apologize for the events that interrupted the year's most anticipated event. "You okay there, Twi?" Applejack asked. "I don't know." Twilight looked at her friends who all looked equally shaken up. "After the Elements failed-" "-again." Rainbow sighed. "Right. After the Elements failed again, did any of you see anything strange?" Twilight asked. The Elements looked at each other and shook their heads. "There was a mighty bright flash of light, but that’s about it." Applejack said. "I think I tripped and bruised my knee." Rarity sighed. As the cracks of cannon fire echoed through the air, everyone shifted their attention towards the distant battle. Rainbow flew over the ledge to watch. "On a more important note, are we going to go back Skyfall up?" The Good Fortune and the brigantine were locked in a heated battle. The two ships collided and fired their cannons at one another, or at least that was how it appeared to onlookers. "Do we retreat for now, and let the world process your speech?" Honos asked Skyfall’s illusion, which flickered in and out of focus. "Or do we follow this up with another appearance?" Skyfall teleported to take the place of his illusion and passed Honos without a single word, his face stuck in a distressed scowl. "Are you alright, my lord?" Honos asked. "My lord?" Innocence tapped Skyfall as he passed, but even the rarity of her being in her sheep form wasn't enough to snap Skyfall out of his trance. "Skyfall!" Sif barked. "Huh?" "You okay?" Sif asked. "No, he's not." Storm Front landed on the deck of the Good Fortune. "Not by a long shot." Skyfall started to slip on his dark silver armor that he had Honos stash aboard the ship shortly before the party came to a screeching halt. He gave Storm a wordless glance, unaffected by his statement. "Well?" Storm Front asked. "Well what?" "When were you planning to tell us that you’re related to them?" Everyone turned their gazes towards Skyfall, confused. Sif looked between the two and took a few steps towards Sky. "What is he talking about?" Skyfall sighed. "I had to be sure." "You had to be sure?" Storm Front scoffed, only to receive cutting glares from all around. "We need to finish tonight's task, then when we meet at Farhaven, I will tell you all what I have been meaning to say for quite a long time." Skyfall shook his head sadly and teleported back to the deck of the brigantine. He climbed the steps to its quarterdeck where he un-lassoed the wheel. Skyfall squeezed his eyes shut and pulled away from the Fortune to return news of his ‘defeat’ to Mont Saint Mare. Sif stood on the main deck of the Fortune and hung her head. "Why are you always such a fool, Storm?" River growled as she walked to the ship’s edge to dive into the water below. "You could see that what happened troubled him." "He should have told us." Storm defended. "We have mounting enemies, and every bit of information counts." Honos sighed and joined River. "Then I too have something to say about a foe that confronted both Inko and myself, but I shall wait until we all have a meeting." “Blue Line?” River asked. “But he-” Honos’ breath faltered. “We saw him too.” River casted her eyes downward. After a long moment of silence, everyone except Sif and Storm leapt from the ship into the waters below to teleport back to Farhaven with River. "Not joining them, Sif?" "Just thinking." Sif said as she moved to the railing. "About what?" Storm took the helm and increased the Good Fortune's speed. "Just that all this seems too convenient to be coincidence. His siblings and Cadance all appear in the same year he re-emerges from his coma. That and none of you have been able to visit the Maker, and that Celestia, as powerful as she is, has been brainwashed somehow." Sif let out a low growl. "This is how it happened the first time. Too many coincidences and the world in a state of unrest." "You think it's Discord?" Storm asked. "I do. Where was he tonight? We all know how close he is to the Elements and the Princesses." Sif stepped and jumped from the ledge to the waiting River Spirit below, abruptly ending the conversation. Thunderous applause resounded as Skyfall docked the brigantine at Mont Saint Mare’s harbor. Honos had made sure to make the battle’s aftermath looked convincing, so he fired a few grapeshots into the hull. It was enough to make the ship look battle-scarred, but not enough to sink it. Sky could see Fury standing on the dock with a big smirk. He barked at his guards about the 'selfless act,' and the 'initiative' Skyfall took in chasing down Shattered Skies. Skyfall released the wheel as the brigantine was tied to the dock by a few servant ponies. He then kicked down the gain plank which loudly clattered onto the deck. Fury trotted onto the deck of the ship followed by Spitfire and Shining Armor. Fury laughed loudly and headbutted Skyfall in a show of affection. "That was outstanding!" "Yeah, it was." Skyfall's tone remained barely above a whisper. "What's wrong, Captain?" Skyfall sighed and ran his hoof through his mane. "Nothing, just frazzled." "He got away from you, it happens." Fury shrugged. "No one has ever come as close to fighting that monster as you have, and that’s twice now!" Spitfire and Shining Armor smiled, nodding at Skyfall to show their approval. Shining stomped once on the deck and gestured to the castle. "We should hurry, Princess Celestia said she wants to meet with Skyfall the instant he returns. No doubt the entire party watched for this ship’s return after it tore through the courtyard trying to catch that galleon." "Then you should fly there." Fury patted Skyfall on the shoulder. "We’ll drink to this first chance we get." Skyfall nodded and spread his wings, taking to the skies. He felt Spitfire flank him as he ascended. "Hey." He greeted. "Hey." Spitfire's monotonous voice seemed oddly uncharacteristic of the bombastic mare. "So what'd you think about the Spirit's speech?" Skyfall nibbled his lip. He knew that the appearance of him with a brigantine in such a timely fashion meant he had have been preparing before Skies even appeared. "Wouldn't know, I was too busy trying to counter Skies' incoming ship. I was a bit late though." Spitfire eyed Skyfall for a while and nodded. "You should read what the papers have to say about it tomorrow." Spitfire banked and flew off to the south, leaving Skyfall alone as he flew up and over a stomping and cheering crowd. The applause grew louder as he landed before Celestia and tucked into a bow. The crowd went silent as Celestia smiled and cast an amplification spell to make her voice more easily heard. "This is twice now that you have selflessly thrown yourself at a foe of Equestria, Skyfall." Celestia opened. "How does one reward a stallion who performs such a deed? What could hold enough meaning for a stallion who has already lived such a fulfilling life?" Skyfall remained in a bow. "I ask for nothing." "Nothing?" Celestia made little effort to mask her surprise. "No title? No land? Not even coin?" "No, but I do have one request. However, it is a matter of relative secrecy, your eminence." Skyfall's ruse remained undetected as Celestia smiled and considered it for the briefest of moments. "Whatever you ask, provided it be noble in nature, is granted." Celestia nuzzled Skyfall. "You may rise now, and on behalf of all of Equestria, I thank you." Skyfall stood up and the hall erupted once again as he stepped down and through the crowd, pats and headbutts assaulted him while he tried to make his way to the cool night air. After a long several minutes of accepting gratitude, Sky emerged and tried to put as much space between himself and the party as possible. 'I hate this.' "Skyfall!" Pinkie Pie called from a small, domed gazebo near the garden. She was surrounded by the rest of the Elements, Sunset, Sif, and a few others. As he approached, he saw Cadance sitting on a bench, wrapped in a towel. "Hi, everyone. Is everything alright?" Skyfall asked before Fluttershy pounced him from the side with a hug. "That was crazy, how did you know that thing was going to show up tonight?" Skyfall ignored Rainbow and looked over at a shivering Cadance. "Are you okay?" Cadance nodded through small tremors. "I think I'm getting sick. I keep shaking and I feel unusually cold." 'Note to self; buy plenty of soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.' Sky's thoughts were shortly thereafter cut off by Rainbow's hoof tapping on his chest. "Didn't you hear me?" Rainbow asked with more than a hint of irritation in her voice. "What you did was amazing. How did you know that Spirit was going to show up tonight?" "That's something I’d like to know as well." Faithful agreed as she approached the group from behind. Skyfall glanced back and saw a green glimmer in her eyes. "I saw his ship's sails under the water while I was walking with Fluttershy, and the realization didn't hit me until I spotted a giant wolf sneaking around. So I ran to docks to form some sort of defense." "And you didn't think to alert anyone?" Faithful asked. "A large wolf was sneaking around." Skyfall repeated. "That would take quite a bit of explaining, and if I was right, which I was, there wouldn’t have been enough time to both report it and get a ship prepared. I was late enough as things currently stand." Sombra coughed into his hoof, gaining Skyfall's hesitant attention. "But you saved what could have otherwise been an ugly situation. I know my word doesn't count for much to you, but I think you did the right thing." The rest of the group had mixed reactions, but none was more standoffish than that of Twilight, who obviously had a lot on her mind as she gingerly nursed a glass of fruit punch. Skyfall furrowed his brow at Sombra and played into his facade. "I'm sorry about earlier, I know you remember me from... before." "I do." "Then in that case, I take it you remember how horribly you hurt me." Skyfall continued. "I do, and I'm so, so sorry for my past actions." Sombra choked out, remorse clear in his voice. Hope wrapped a comforting hoof around his neck as he awaited Skyfall's judgement. Skyfall stood and started to walk away from the group, but stopped at the edge of the gazebo. "You are forgiven, Sombra. I know now that you aren't the same stallion you once were. I apologize to the rest of you, but tonight has been extremely tiring, and I wish only to bathe in peace." The group bid Skyfall farewell as he left, disappointed at still having unanswered questions for the stallion. Skyfall laid down on the cold, king-sized bed after a long, hot bath and sighed in relief as he waited for sleep to take him. Shortly after Sky’s head hit the pillow, three soft knocks echoed into the room, sending Skyfall into a full-body thrash of rage. He groaned in frustration, rolled off his bed and stomped toward the door as he prepared a long string of curses for the perpetrator. He inhaled sharply, ready to give an earful to the unfortunate pony awaiting him as he opened the door, but the sight of Fluttershy hiding behind her mane made him swallow his barrage of nearly-escaped cusses. "H-Hi." A slow hiss of air escaped Skyfall as he forced himself to calm down. "Is this a bad time?" "Of course not, Fluttershy. I can always make time for you. Please, come in." Skyfall stepped out of the way and let Fluttershy step into the room. "Is there something I can help you with?" Fluttershy smiled and hugged his chest the instant he shut the door. "N-No, I was just worried about you." Fluttershy looked up suddenly and backed away Skyfall, who was much too tired to think to return the affectionate gesture. "I'm sorry, that was too forward of me. Um, I'll just go." Skyfall sat and leaned against the door, preventing the borderline-panicking mare from escaping. He reached over brushed her mane to calm her nerves. "I've had a long night, talking with you may just be the best thing for me." Fluttershy tried again to hide her blushing cheeks behind her mane, but Skyfall moved her locks out of the way. "Will you stay the night and talk to me?" Fluttershy paused and nodded slowly. "Just talking, right?" "Of course. What else would we do, sit in the corner and stare at each other?" Fluttershy giggled, but silenced herself quickly as her worries resurfaced. "Rarity tells me all about the romance novels that she reads. They usually start with talking and then the stallion grabs-" "Let's not go off any of Rarity's possible interests, please." Skyfall laughed and walked through the door to his suite's kitchen. "I’d prefer to hear about what you're interested in. Oolong?" "Chamomile, please." Fluttershy called. She followed Skyfall into the modest kitchen and watched him while he searched through the cabinets. "What do you want to talk about?" Skyfall paused and looked back at Fluttershy. He liked her, but a constant internal war raged within him. Spirits always ran into problems when romance was brought into their lives. If a Spirit fell in love with a mortal, then they were both to be plagued with the looming presence of death, and the relationship would always end in heartbreak. Partnering with another Spirit, however, only lead to more problems. Two immortal creatures inevitably had all of eternity to disagree, and seeing an ex until the end of time was truly an annoyance that Skyfall would rather avoid. "S-Sky?" Skyfall shook himself from his thoughts. "Sorry, tell me about some of your adventures with the others." "Which one do you want to hear?" "Whichever one you want to talk about." Skyfall smiled. "We'll trade stories. I think we'll enjoy some time just to the two of us." Fluttershy smiled and grabbed her steaming cup of tea while the lights from the party down below lit the room in a dim, colorful glow. "Well, this one time, I came home to find my home levitating in the air..." Canterlot Cemetery of Heroes "Hurry and excavate the others, we only have five hours of night left." A cloaked stallion growled at the crews of hooded beings digging up the ground. He turned and flew over to a larger stallion whose green eyes pierced the night’s darkness. The mysterious stallion fell into a brief bow as he landed. "My Liege, if we stay on schedule, the rest of your list will be procured an hour before sunrise. That is well over enough time to cover our ground and leave the cemetery looking untouched." "Good work, Easyglider. Grab who you can, but make sure to retrieve the ones I've listed first, and transport them to the catacombs. I will not stand to deal with another failure." The cloaked stallion drew back his hood, and his skin shifted in loose plates as he grinned up at the larger stallion. "Now go and wake the rest." "Yes, Lord Grave." Easyglider's eyes glowed as he quickly took to the skies and flew off to fulfill his master's request. Lonely Grave sat and watched as cloaked ponies hauled away coffins one by one. He remained silent, but the nefarious grin plastered on his face was one of someone much too close to achieving their goals.