Kind Hearts & Coronets

by Shinzakura

VI: Drifting Through a World That’s Torn and Tattered

A group of teenagers sat in a coffee shop in Canterlot, drinking coffee and watching the rain.

“Dad’s taking it really hard,” Sparkler spoke. “Dinky refuses to leave his side, and Miss Rarity had to promise Mom she’d watch us while we’re staying in town. Dad’s in bad shape right now and he needs us.” Sparkler took a sip of her coffee, then set it down. “Dad and Aunt Goldie are really close, and from what I’m told, Miss Tiger Lily was like a sister to them – she and Aunt Goldie were the best of friends. And yet she attacked her.”

“Sometimes, there’s a reason to things that we don’t understand immediately,” Sweetie Belle commented, adding sugar to her coffee. “Maybe she’s sick, or possessed or something.”

“Or maybe it was forbidden love,” Diamond Tiara added. “Maybe this Tiger Lily nursed a secret love for your father and just lost it.”

Sweetie shook her head. “Diamond, you’re not helping.”

“No, I am,” she said. “You don’t understand. My mother? She’s not really my mother – technically, she’s my stepmother. My birth mother ran off with somepony shortly after I was born. But my birth mother’s best friend had grown up with her and Dad and she confessed to him her feelings shortly after the divorce was final – I was a little over a year old. I didn’t even know the truth until I was eight years old, and like you and your father, Sparkler, I’ve never really known my mother as anything but that.”

“Ah didn’ know that,” Apple Bloom said, gaining a new appreciation for her former enemy. She’d thought Sweetie was kidding when she said that Diamond Tiara had changed, but it turned out to be true. She silently vowed that when she went back to Ponyville, she’d try to make friends with Silver Spoon and see if things had changed there. Looking briefly at Scootaloo, she noted that she’d thought the same and both teens shared a brief nod of agreement before turning back to the conversation.

“Mom loves me just as much as if I’d been her own, so I’ve never cared,” Diamond admitted. “But my point is that as cliché and ponytale-like that it sounds, maybe it’s the truth. Love makes ponies do strange things, the kind of things that you see in romance novels, but other weird things, too – like the ponytale of the prince and princess who loved each other to death because of a forbidden love potion.”

The three former Cutie Mark Crusaders shared an awkward look together, but Diamond didn’t catch it. “You don’t say,” Sweetie said in a wavering tone.

“I know. It’s not something I would’ve admitted before, much less to you three,” she said, a soft smile on her faces.

“That’s what friends are for, Diamond,” Scootaloo said with a grin. “And that goes for you too, Sparkler.”

“Thanks, girls,” she said, a smile coming onto her face despite the sadness she felt.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle watched the rain fall, and, closing her eyes and focusing on the sound, began to sing softly. It was a song of loss, of emptiness, of a mare wondering what the future would hold. The lyrics seeped deep into the heart of all those present: not just the teens at the table, but all within the café, and when Sweetie was done, the establishment broke out in deep applause.

The others sat, transfixed before Sparkler said, “Sweetie, that’s beautiful.”

“Thanks,” she said, blushing. “It’s something I wrote back when I thought I could get a cutie singing mark,” she said, looking at the magic sparkle and bell on her flank. “But it’s just a hobby, not my talent – singing mages aren’t exactly in demand.”

“You’re in demand as far as I’m concerned,” Sparkler told Sweetie.

“Hey!” Apple Bloom just realized. “Ya know, if Silver an’ Rarity get married, Sweetie’s gonna be yer aunt, Sparkler!”

The two unicorns looked at each other, then back at the earth pony. “You just realized that?” Sweetie said, shaking her head. “And you guys say I’m the dumb one.”

From the window in Silver’s apartment, Rarity watched the rain fall. She sat at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of tea and wondering if the rain would ever stop. It had been pouring for the past couple of days, and was as dour as the mood that went around the capital. By now, word had gotten out that the Guard was after one of their own, and that the pony in question was extremely dangerous and a threat to anypony she came across. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, Rarity mused.

She felt a tug on her leg and she looked down to see Dinky looking at her. While the young foal still didn’t care much for Rarity, she knew that her father was going to be with her, so she had to be at least nice; it also didn’t hurt, Derpy admitted, that she had a long talk with Firecracker (the name Derpy used only when she was truly disappointed in her younger daughter) regarding her mistreatment of Rarity.

Rarity looked at the foal. “Yes, what’s the matter, Dinky, dear?”

“Can I have something to drink?” she asked.

“Of course,” Rarity said, rising from her seat. “What would you like?”

“Um…hot chocolate?”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” Rarity said to the foal. It was an unusually cold Quadrus afternoon, the rains of spring not quite turned up to warm temperatures just yet. “Let me make some, okay?” When the foal nodded, Rarity fumbled through Silver’s pantry. She’d gone shopping a couple of days before when Derpy let the girls stay while Silver recovered from his emotional trauma, and besides, it was a good way to bond with the fillies.

“Miss Rarity?” Dinky asked, and the elder unicorn could virtually hear the question mark appended onto those words. “Is Daddy mad at me?”

“Of course not, sweetie,” Rarity answered. “Why would you ever think so?”

“Because I haven’t been a good little filly,” she said, looking down at the ground. “I’ve been naughty, and Mommy scolded me and now Daddy’s sad and….” She focused, trying to search for the right word in a vocabulary still expanding. “I don’t want Daddy to be sad anymore, Miss Rarity,” she chose to say instead. “So I thought if I said sorry to you, he might be happy again.”

“Oh, Dinky, dear, that’s not your fault,” Rarity said, scooping Dinky up in a hug. “Your father and your aunt are very close, and the pony who hurt your aunt and your mother is very sick. They want her to smile again, but they need to find her first. And that’s what’s hurting your father. But remember, that’s also why you’re here.”

“Me?”

“Yes, dear,” Rarity said, as she set Dinky back down while she got to the chocolate. “Your father needs the three of us, the ladies in his life, to show him how much we love him and want to see him smile again.” Pouring the hot chocolate into a mug, she magicked it down to the filly, adding, “Careful, it’s hot.”

“Uh-huh,” Dinky agreed. After blowing on it for a couple of minutes, she finally took a drink and smiled in approval while Rarity went back to her tea and watching out the window. “Miss Rarity?” Dinky spoke again, breaking the silence once more.

“Yes, Dinky?”

“Can I sit with you and watch the rain?” The look on the foal’s eyes was one of utter cuteness, Rarity thought to herself, something she couldn’t disregard.

“Absolutely,” Rarity replied as she scooped her up in her telekinesis, placed her on her lap and the two watched the rainspatter against the window, not saying a single thing, but enjoying one another’s company during this trying time.

---

“GET INTO FORMATION!” Spitfire barked. “Soarin’, Airburst, take left! Cloudcover, Snowflurry, you two take right!” The yellow pegasus turned to her wingpony, flying right behind her. “You and I have point. The second you get a positive identification, take the shot – don’t demand surrender. We’ve already taken too long dealing with this.”

“But Lieutenant,” Lightning Dust began.

Spitfire shook her head. “I know. It’s not how we normally do things. But this isn’t a normal situation.”

“Roger that,” Lightning Dust said, determined not to blow this. She’d been removed from the Wonderbolts before, and it had cost her both a prestigious career and a budding friendship with one of the Knights Elements. But in the past couple of years, she’d worked to improve herself and landed a position with the Goshawks, a squadron based out of Horseshoe Mountain as one of their ranged fighters, and her ability to create lightning trails and fire thunderbolts had come in help against several problems.

Now, she’d (at least temporarily) traded in her white red and black Goshawk flightsuit for the familiar blue and yellow of the Wonderbolts once more…though technically because of the situation, they were all in combat armor for safety. She also knew that said trade-up was due purely to her specialty in trade and that most of the vanguard for the squadron had also been set up with ranged fighters, from Spitfire’s firecasting ability to Soarin’’s ability to reach the point where air became space and to rocket down hard on his target. She wasn’t sure of Airburst’s or Snowflurry’s particular skills, but given the situation, they had to be just as dangerous.

In short, she was being given a second chance, and she couldn’t – wouldn’t – feather it up again.

A messenger rocketed up towards them, flickering a magic light in a pattern indicating friendly. Spitfire shouted, “Okay, slow down, I want to see what this is! Everypony at ease, but be ready to take off again.”

As the pegasus approached, Lightning Dust noted the newcomer wore the orange and blue of the Sunrisers, a squadron based out of Fillydelphia. “Looking for Lieutenant Spitfire,” the pegasus gasped; clearly he’d worn himself out in the flight.

“I’m Spitfire. You have a message?”

“Yes, ma’am.” The pegasus saluted, then pulled a scroll out from a sidesaddle. “Message from Captain Shining Armor: Cloudsurfer and Lightheart squadrons have been removed from operations. Blue Impulse is moving into the fray and bringing along with them the 1st and 2nd Ad Hoc squadrons.”

“What do you mean ‘removed from operations’?” Spitfire asked as she took the scroll, opened up, and read. A second later her face went ashen as she got the answer she wanted. “Th-this is impossible!”

“Ma’am, we’ve got the packed-to-capacity field hospitals to prove it.”

“I see. Thank you for your work, private,” she replied. “Mobile command is half-a-mile behind us; rest up there until you’re ready to return to your unit. Dismissed.” As the messenger took off, Spitfire called her forces towards her. “Bad news,” she told them. “Cloudsurfer and Lightheart are off the flightboard.”

“Both squadrons?” Snowflurry said, her ice-blue eyes going wide in surprise. “That’s insane!”

“Yeah, Spits, I’m finding that a little hard myself,” Soarin’ added. “Is the deserter getting help?”

“No – and that’s what scares me,” the Wonderbolts’ CO admitted. “Earlier this morning she created a downburst that shredded almost all of Lightheart, and then a little over an hour ago, she created a hailstorm that took out Cloudsurfer.”

“What, did she turn into an alicorn while nopony was looking?” Airburst grumbled. “I know that gal – she’s always been a bit unhinged, but she’s doing stuff that take either a weather factory or a fairly strong unicorn to do!”

“Doesn’t matter,” Spitfire replied. “Look: a lot of us know Tiger Lily, and many of us counted her as a friend or at least an acquaintance and colleague until yesterday.” But her orange eyes narrowed in anger as she said, “But she hurt one of us, turned against us – and now instead of facing the music, she’s hitting us hard while she’s running. To me, that’s the enemy. If we catch her and interrogate her, maybe we’ll find she’d possessed or brainwashed. But until then, the safety of Equestria comes first. Stop her – any way you can.”

---

Tiger was nearing her exhaustion point, both physical and mental. She was frightened and had no idea what was going on, only that her world was falling apart…and somehow, in the past few hours, she’d become a monster. The lightning she’d somehow hit Goldie with – she couldn’t deny that now, as guilt forced her to repeat the scene in her mind endlessly – had probably killed her best friend. Worse, it would cause her to lose Silver, the stallion she loved. And now she was a fugitive from the Guard, being chased by other pegasi; and if that last battle with a flight from Cometstreak squadron and the others had indicated, they were no longer merely bent on capturing her.

She nearly crashed as she landed ungracefully on a mesa in the badlands. The mesa had dried mucus on it; clearly at one point it had been a changeling hive, but that was a long time ago, else it would have been kept up. Still, she didn’t want to stick around in the event that some still remained, but…she couldn’t get back to her hooves. She was too spent, having completely burned herself out over the hell of the past few hours. She didn’t understand what was going on, and didn’t have the strength back. All she knew at the moment was fear.

No, not true, a part of her mind realized. I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for that tail-lifting harridelle, she thought to herself, her mind burning. She did this to me! She took Silver from me! She made me hurt Goldie when I would’ve given my life for her! Despite the fear, a lance of rage built once more in Tiger’s mind. Rarity would pay. Tiger didn’t know when or how, but the unicorn would pay for stealing Tiger’s husband and forcing her to kill her best friend.

But she had to get away, first. Get away and rebuild. That’s why she was in the badlands, a mostly-unexplored region of the country. There were still plenty of spots she could hide, then sneak south to the land of the jaguars and head towards the Southwestern Continent. Or she could island-hop across the Great Ocean and find a hiding place in the Great Eastern Continent or the massive island that was Canistralia. Pick up the ashes of her life and prepare for revenge and regain what she’d lost, no matter how long it took.

She blinked her eyes again and the sun had changed – she’d been asleep for hours, though she still felt sore and worn. Able to push herself back to her hooves, she scanned the sky…and blanched. Coming from the east, blatant as possible, were two whole squadrons of pegasi. The first wore standard pegasus combat flight armor, marked with the gray and black livery of Silverghost squadron. The second were pegasi in standard guard armor – clearly Canterlot was throwing everything they could at her. By her estimate, they were a couple of miles off, and would be on her in a matter of minutes, not counting their sprinters. She might be able to get airborne, but as exhausted as she was, there would be no way to outrun them. She couldn’t even use the mysterious powers she’d somehow gained and didn’t quite understand.

So it was a surprise to her that as the pegasi got within visual identification range…they were beset by a second group, a full army of pegasi and a few gryphons, all of which tore into the unsuspecting guardsponies. The war between the two sides commenced, but it was clear that the second group, wearing makeshift flightsuits of a solid olive color and red berets on their heads, well outnumbered the Equestriani forces; by a ballpark estimate, there were forty-eight guardsponies…fighting close to five hundred opposing flyers.

“Good, we got to you in time,” a voice said behind Tiger and she turned around to see two more pegasi standing there, easy as could be.

“Don’t worry, Miss. We’re not here to harm you,” the stallion said, sitting down as if to placate her.

The mare gave a wide smile. “In fact, you could say you’re among friends now.”

“Who are you?”

“We’ll explain later,” the mare replied, “but for now, I’m Spinnaker, and this is my twin brother Candlewick.”

Candlewick eyed Tiger, looking her over carefully. Gently lifting her wing, he asked with a caring tone, “Can you fly?”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I’m feeling wiped out.”

“That settles that,” Candlewick said, crawling underneath her and lifting gently, making sure Tiger was on his back. Knowing she was going to argue, he said, “Like we said, Miss Lily. You’re amongst friends.”

“How do you know who I am?” she asked, leaning against his strong form. There was something kind and strong about him that reminded her of her Silver.

“That will be explained in good time,” Spinnaker said as she eyed where her colleagues continued to tear apart the Equestriani guards. “But I promise you are amongst friends who will be here for you.” Their quarry safe, the three took to the skies and towards the west and the late afternoon.

---

The rainstorm continued unabated, and Silver finally found the strength to get out of bed. He hurt in a way that he couldn’t describe, all of it emotional. Though the combined magics of both Cadance and Twilight had some effect in getting Goldie out of the danger zone, the doctor had been clear with Silver and his parents: there was a good chance her wings were so damaged, amputation might be necessary. While Goldie would probably deal with it – she was, after all, a pegasus born into an earth pony family – he knew his sister loved the skies and was as much home there as on the ground.

But the other part was the pony who put her there: Tiger. It wasn’t like her, dammit! She wasn’t that kind of mare – she was family to them, and it made zero sense why she would do what she did, much less even how! His mother was crying because in a sense, she’d lost both a daughter and a mare who was like a niece. And though his father’s eyes radiated hatred for Tiger, he knew that deep inside, he was just as distraught as his mother. They hadn’t heard from Diamondplate, Lavender and their family, though Silver was sure they were already inbound.

Getting out of bed, he felt the intense need to eat something; he couldn’t remember the last time he did. Walking towards the kitchen, he noted that things were very quiet – a little too quiet, he decided. “Hey, anypony home?” he called out.

“Yeah, Dad, over here,” he heard Sparkler’s voice say. Coming downstairs, he saw her sitting there, gazing at something. As he approached, she lifted a hoof to her muzzle and whispered, “Ssssh,” then gestured with her head. There, asleep on the couch, was Rarity, peacefully sleeping. And in her forelegs, dozing away just as gently, was Dinky. The two looked natural together, two unicorns that could under different circumstances be confused as mother and child – or stepmother and stepchild.

“I think Dinky’s gotten used to Miss Rarity now,” Sparkler said, a soft smile on her face. “Y’know, Dad, if there was a mare that you were going to end up with that wasn’t Mom, I think I’m glad it’s her. She’s going to be a good stepmom.”

Silver chuckled. “Sparky, we’ve only been together for a few months. Aren’t you rushing things a bit?”

Sparkler grinned. “Dad, I’m almost an adult. A mare can tell these things,” she said in a semi-haughty tone.

“Yeah, I see Rarity is rubbing off on you some,” he grinned. “And you’re still just a teenager, sunshine. You’ve still got years left to go before you hit adulthood. Do your old stallion a favor and don’t be in such a hurry to grow up, okay?”

“I won’t,” she promised.

“C’mon, let’s go make dinner. Let them sleep a little – Celestia knows Rarity could use it after being mother hen the past few days.” The two went off to the kitchen, letting the pair continue to doze in contented bliss.

---

The following morning, all were assembled in the northern gardens of the palace. Initially, the plan had been for Dinky and Sparkler to take the train home, but when they’d discovered that as newly-invested nobility, both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo could commandeer the use of royal chariots, the plan soon became “they’re going back to Ponyville that way.”

“Okay, say hello to your mother for me,” Silver said, embracing his foals.

“We will,” Sparkler promised.

“Yeah, we will Daddy,” Dinky said, hugging with all her might.

“Thank you for taking care of us…and him,” Sparkler said to Rarity next, embracing her.

“Yeah! Thank you, Miss Rarity!” Dinky chirped, giving Rarity one of her patented death-grip glomps.

“You’re welcome, both of you,” Rarity said softly. “You’re always welcome.”

Scootaloo coughed. “Uh, Sparkler, Dinky, not sure the chariot’s gonna wait forever.”

Rarity went over and embraced her sisters’ siblings. “You two aren’t escaping without hugs either.”

“Yeah, Ah know, Rarity,” Apple Bloom said, affectionately nuzzling the white unicorn. “Too bad Sweetie couldn’ be here t’ say goodbye.”

“She’s got other stuff going on, Bloomie,” Scootaloo replied. “Besides, we’re all family, so it’s not like we won’t see each other again.”

As the group separated, the fillies all got on the chariot and headed out, the chariot clearing the ground and heading into the sky towards distant Ponyville. As they disappeared from view, Silver looked at Rarity and said, “Thank you, love.”

“Whatever for?”

“I know being in my life has been hard on you the past couple of days, and I’m sure you didn’t imagine having to deal with my daughters the whole time,” he said, nuzzling her. “But they adore you and in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m kinda smitten on you as well.”

“I did pick up on that hint,” she said, her eyes closing in ecstasy as he kissed her neck.

“So what now?”

“I probably should go home,” Rarity said. “Sky’s probably had to keep Diamond and Sweetie from killing each other again – apparently they’re arguing over who was the one who won tickets to front-row seats at Sapphire Shores’ upcoming concert next week. Plus, sooner or later I need to put in an appearance at work before they decide they don’t need a minister.” She batted her eyelashes at him, cooing, “Why, did you have plans for today?”

“Well, I don’t have to report back to my unit until tomorrow, and I figured we could spend the day visiting Goldie, if you don’t mind. I think she’d appreciate that.”

Rarity nodded. “That’s one of the things I love most about you,” she said, putting her forelegs around him and looking straight into his eyes. “You’re devoted to your older sister, and there aren’t enough stallions like that in the world.”

“Hey, Goldie would do the same if things were reversed.” He looked into the sky, his eyes wistful. “I can remember when she got her cutie mark. She was flying through the air, playing around with her friends while Diamondplate and I were watching from the ground. Well, one of her pegasus friends – can’t remember the filly’s name – flies into a tangletree, and if you know anything about those, pegasi can accidentally strangle themselves while trying to get out. Well, Glimmerwing – that’s what her name was! – is panicking, freaking out that she’s going to die, and Goldie looks right at her and says, ‘Not while I’m here!’ She starts pulling on the tanglevines with everything she’s got, not worried at all that they’re starting to wrap around her, too – and then all of a sudden she flares up like she’s Princess Celestia in a bad mood. The tree catches on fire and the first thing Goldie does is drag Glimmerwing to safety. And as soon as they land, Glimmerwing’s the first to notice the stylized sun that’s sitting on Goldie’s flank. Dimes and I were so proud of her that day,” he said, his voice breaking.

“Silver, she’s going to be fine. Twilight and Cadance were able to use their magic to save her, and I’m sure something can be done to help her still. Just have faith, love,” Rarity said, reaching up to caress his face. “Let’s go. I think you could both use some cheering up.”

He grinned, following her lead. “I love you.”

“Not half as much as I love you, Silver dear.”

---

“So, what do I get out of this deal?” Gutslasher said, leaning back against the wall in his cell, knowing he held all the cards.

“That’s easy: I don’t kill you,” Diamondplate seethed as he leaned on the bars of the dungeon cell. Buoyed by his earth pony strength, the bars began to bow slightly, a fact that the gryphon took note of, though it didn’t seem to faze him.

“You know what’s even easier than killing me?” Gutslasher taunted. “Not killing me and ensuring you get that info.” Looking straight at him, the gryphon said, “I want my lawyer here now, and if you’re going to make a deal, you’re doing it on my terms, got that?”

In response, Diamondplate slammed his hoof against the cell bars. Three bars snapped like twigs, and bent inward. The stallion pulled his hoof back, not wanting to cause more damage, though the look on his face made it clear that he could easily do the same to Gutslasher if he desired. “You’re going to talk, you’re going to tell us what you know, and if you’re lucky, her majesty will be lenient – more than I ever will.” He turned to the guards and said, “move him to another cell and have somepony fix this one.”

“Roger that, lieutenant,” the guard replied as Diamondplate ascended the steps to the main part of the prison, finding Shining Armor standing there.

“You were right, Shines,” Diamondplate said, sighing. “He doesn’t know a damn thing.”

“He’s been like that since we brought him in,” Shining said, looking at his junior officer and friend. “We’re liaising with the sheriff in Baltimare to have Dragonkick transferred to our custody so we can compare their stories. But I’m afraid we’re either going to find the same thing, or worse.”

“None of which gets us the real answer. None of which says what the hell happened to Tiger,” the earth pony answered.

“You don’t think she’s guilty?” Shining commented. “Dimes, she’s been acting strange as of late – that came from Goldie herself – and few in her squadron trusted her before any of this began. And now? Now she’s taken out three squadrons on her own, and then somehow got assistance from a small army out of nowhere that we can’t identify. I want you to think on that last one: she got help from a fleet of air fighters that we cannot identify!” Shining looked at Diamondplate not as a friend but as his senior officer and said, “I think you’re letting your feelings run away from your professionalism, Lieutenant.”

Diamondplate looked at him just as angrily. “And if your adopted brother suddenly turned on your sister and started attacking everypony and everything, what would you think, Captain?” Shining, not expecting that to be thrown right in his face, couldn’t say a thing as Diamondplate continued. “This…this isn’t her, no more than if Spike would be if he turned against you and your family, Shines. I know Tiger. I’ve foalsat her on dozens of occasions growing up and…this…it can’t be her. It just can’t.”

“And if it is?” Shining asked, understanding his friend’s concern. Silver had said the same thing, and Goldie was in a coma, so there was no way to get an answer from her.

“If it is her, then the mare we’ve known all our life never existed,” Diamondplate said, a haunted catch in his voice, “and we’ve had a fox in the henhouse for who knows how long.”

---

Tiger opened her eyes, finding herself laying on a simple bed in a rather empty room. Other than a desk and some small books and a clothing dresser, there was nothing else in the room. To call it Pegasuspolan in nature would be accurate; even rooms for Guard recruits were more ornate in nature than this.

There was a knock at the door and a slightly muffled voice spoke. “Are you awake?” It was the mare from earlier, Spinnaker.

“Yeah, sure, prisoner’s just waiting here,” Tiger replied. And that much was true, she was pretty sure; though she felt much more restful than earlier, she knew she wasn’t at peak strength just yet.

Spinnaker opened the door. “Miss Lily,” she said in a cheery voice, “you’re not a prisoner here – like I said, you’re amongst friends.”

“You mean like my ‘friends’ who attacked me?” Tiger said, archly. “Those friends, who I’d served beside for years and just turned on me like that?

“Or like our folks, who defended you? Ponies and gryphons who’d never met you and yet were willing to risk their lives for you?” Spinnaker replied. When Tiger had no answer to that, Spinnaker smiled and said, “The Commandante would like to meet you when you’re well rested.”

“Commandante?” Tiger wondered. She knew it was a term in many of the countries south of Equestria and meant captain in the same manner as the captain of the guard, a military leader.

Spinnaker nodded. There was another knock at the door and a diamond dog female opened the door and brought in food.

“I hope you’ll enjoy the meal,” the bicche said, a smile on her face as she carried in a tray of what looked like corn-and-parsley chowder and a small baguette, both steaming, the aroma wafting into Tiger’s nostrils. “It’s a new recipe that I worked on with some of the others in the galleys.”

Tiger blinked. She’s speaking! A buckin’ diamond dog female is speaking full sentences! How the buck did that happen? “I…uh…thank you?” she said, somewhat confused.

“You’re quite welcome,” the bicche said with a smile. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Adjutant,” she said to Spinnaker, “I’ll be late for my classes.”

“Thank you for your efforts, Maizy,” Spinnaker said with a smile. The bicche curtsied and departed. As the diamond dog left, Spinnaker said, “And I’m guessing right now you’re wondering why a diamond dog – especially a bicche – can speak full sentences, much less talk about education?”

“No kidding! I mean, diamond dogs are stupid enough, but bicches – all they’re good for is breeding, right? I mean, that’s sad, but that’s their culture.” Taking the spoon in hoof, Tiger took a bite of the baguette and the chowder. “Wow! This is great! And she made this?”

“Yes, she did. And she’s a friend of mine, so I would appreciate laying off the specism,” Spinnaker growled, catching Tiger by surprise; the soft-spoken mare seemed to do a 180 in her personality for a second. Then she softened again and said, “But I suppose that’s not your fault. That’s we were all indoctrinated into believing they were stupid, and diamond dogs like Maizy suffered as a result. Hopefully when we succeed, that won’t be the case any longer.”

“Succeed? Succeed at what?” Tiger said, demolishing the food before her. Either she was starved, or this was the best food she’d had in ages – or both.

“That’s not for me to say,” Spinnaker said. “The Commandante can explain it better than I ever could.”

“Well, I’m ready to go,” Tiger said, leaping off the bed. But the moment she hit the floor, pains jolted up her legs and her wings stiffened as every pain receptor in her body fired at once. It was all she could do to bite of the scream of agony and she knew it reflected on her face.

“Are you sure you’re up to this? You’ve been out for two days and Cloister said it would be best for you to rest up even for a couple of days once you woke up again.”

“I’ve been out for two days?”

Spinnaker nodded. “Your abilities are unformed, the Commandante said – like a pegasus flying for the first time, it took a lot out of you.” Spinnaker approached, the look in her eyes worried. “I’ll help you back into bed. You really should rest, Miss Lily.”

“No, I’m going to—” A knock at the door sounded again, interrupting her. “Lemme guess: that’s a dragon that’s a cleaning lady, right?”

“Not to my knowledge; our lone dragon’s our accountant.” She went to the door opening it to see Candlewick standing there, hitched to a wagon. “What’s up, Candle?” she asked.

He flashed his sister a grin, then looked at Tiger. “Hello, Miss Lily. Maizy informed us that you were awake again, and the Commandante felt that once you were awake, you were not the type of mare that would just sit and wait. But since Cloister informed us that she didn’t think it was okay for you to move about just yet, she asked me to get a wagon, so I can take you to the Commandante’s home.” Candle then looked at Tiger and asked, “I promise I’ll be as gentle as possible, but I doubt the Commandante would be offended if you needed to rest a few more days.”

“No, I want to get to the bottom of this.” With some gentle help from Spinnaker, Tiger got into the wagon, and they were off. As they departed the room, she was surprised to see that it was a small cottage. As they left, Tiger took a look at her surroundings and found they weren’t in the badlands any longer – she had no idea where they were. The terrain was mountainous, rugged, and lush, similar to the Canterlot Mountains, but that’s where the comparisons ended. The skies were clear, and there was no dropoff to a plain below; if anything, they seemed to be in a hidden valley where the mountain range split in two.

“There’s the fields, and farms, where we grow most of what we need,” Spinnaker pointed out as they walked. The buildings on the far side are the granaries as well as chandlers and all the industrial parts of the compound.” They moved a bit more down the dusty road before Spinnaker pointed to a series of huts on a nearby ridge. “And over there are the schools, both for the young ones and a separate building for the adult diamond dogs that want to further their education.”

“Diamond dogs don’t value education,” Tiger said. “Theirs is a culture that values brawn over brains.”

Candlewick and Spinnaker looked at each other and the sister nodded. Candlewick turned back to Tiger and said, “Don’t let Notary hear you say that. He’s proud of having memorized all of Aristrotle’s Analytics.”

“The Organon?” That was one of the oldest and hardest books in Equestriani classical history, dating back to Aristrotle, one of the seneschals of the historical queen Faust. Tiger knew a few well-educated unicorns who had a hard time wrapping their heads around it.

Candlewick shook his head. “No, ma’am, that’s just the first volume of the Analytics. Notary’s got all seventeen parts memorized. Anyways, here we are.”

Tiger stood before a simple cottage, no different than the one she’d just left or any of the others in the area. In fact, the only thing differentiating it from the others was the sign in front which read COMMAND. As Spinnaker gently helped Tiger out of the wagon, Candlewick unhitched himself and went over to knock on the door. “We’re here,” he said, “and we brought Miss Lily.”

“That’s good,” a female voice said as the door opened wide, and Tiger found, of all ponies – Kamali standing there. “It’s good to see you again, Tiger,” the zebra mare said demurely. “I’m glad to see you’ve recovered so quickly.”

Tiger blinked. “Okay, now I know I’m losing my mind,” she drawled. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Kamali – thought you’d be halfway back to Zebrabawbe by now.”

“Kamali is dead now,” the zebra mare said with a wide, beatific smile. “I am now Cloister.”

“Huh? Oh, what the buck is going on, Kamali? And…why aren’t you rhyming? Don’t zebra shamans always speak in couplets?”

“I will explain later, dear friend,” the mare who now called herself Cloister replied. “As for now, you must meet with my betrothed.” Turning to Spinnaker and Candlewick, she said, “You two can return back to your duties. I’ll take care of Tiger from here and escort her back to her cottage when we’re done.”

“Are you sure, Cloister?” Candlewick asked. “I wouldn’t want t—” Spinnaker elbowed him in the side, and he got the hint. “Well, I’ve got candles to make and time waits for no one! See you later, Miss Lily!” With that, the two pegasi flew off, headed towards the far end of the valley.

As the two departed, the zebra went up to Tiger and said, “I know you have questions, but I ask that you wait until my beloved has had time to speak to you. He will answer all then, I promise – and you may ask me whatever you wish, old friend.”

“Friend? Ha!” Tiger laughed. “Kamali, you and I were never friends. You were a merc, one I hired via your employer to do a job that you all bucked up. I gave you the money because you were smart enough to make it out alive, but that doesn’t make us buddy-buddy!”

“You weren’t friends with Kamali, true,” the zebra answered, “but she is nothing but a bad memory now. I am Cloister and I strive to be everything she wasn’t – including a friend to those she should have been.”

“Yeah, yeah, friendship is magic, whatever,” Tiger said as Cloister gently led her into the home. Unlike the cottage she was in, this one was decked out a little finer though generally still simple and somewhat monastic.

“And she finally appears. You are far stronger than I ever suspected, Redsprite,” a pegasus stallion said as he approached. She looked at him and found him odd-looking. A deep brown color, he wore the same red berets as the pegasus twins did, as well as an olive-colored shirt. His neatly-trimmed black beard matched a short but neat mane and equally-trimmed tail, and he seemed far fitter than the average pegasus did; if he wasn’t the military type he was certainly an athlete of some kind.

“Welcome to the Bastion, Miss Tiger Lily,” the stallion said, with a smile both on his face and his deep-green eyes. “I am Chaff Guarana, the Commandante of the Weather Underground, and it is my hope that you will join us in our struggle, and use your powers to aid our cause, Redsprite.”

“Look, my name is Tiger Lily, not Redsprite,” she retorted.

“I understand, but that’s what you are – a special pony, a pegasus pre-ordained since the time of the Discordian War. After all, how many other ponies can do what you do at the wave—” he unfurled a wing for emphasis, “—of a wing?”

“I didn’t start doing that until the other day when I accidentally killed….” The emotions hit her again. She’d killed her best friend in an accident, and she’d lost all as a result. She could never see her family again, never return back home – never be with Silver. And it was all Rarity’s fault.

“Because you were never taught what you were,” Chaff told her. “The truth of your birth was hidden away from you by the Sun Tyrant, who lies to her people to keep them in check. Here, we can offer you the truth and how to control your powers, and to use them for good, not for domination against innocents.”

“Sun Tyrant? Are you talking about Princess Celestia?”

“Princess,” he spat the word as if it were an epithet. “An unearned title, stolen from the heads of unicorns who equally did nothing to earn it. But I understand your hesitancy: once, I too believed in her majesty…until I found the ugly truth buried underneath the sugar-sweet lies.” He pointed at his cutie mark, a shield crossed with two spears. “I wanted to be a doctor, to heal and treat the wounded. That was even in my birth name, Caring Hooves. But I had the ill-fortune to be born into the Pansy family, and my father refused to have his son, a scion of the legendary Commander Pansy, work as a doctor. He forced me to join the Guard – and clearly I was born for it, as my mark claims…but it is all a lie.

“A lie?” How can you cutie mark be a lie?”

“Easy: they’re one of the ways the Sun Tyrant controls us. Did you know that a pony can, with diligence and effort, work to be as good in their desires as they can in their ‘natural’ talent? And what of the ponies whose cutie marks aren’t as clear? They’re ‘told’ or are deluded into believing something vague, when they have the chance to be something better. What does your cutie mark mean?”

“Well, er, I’ve always thought it meant I fight like a tiger, which is why I’m good at martial arts!” she boasted.

Chaff laughed. “And what if I told you when you were young that they were tally marks? Would you be a guard or a mathematician? Or if you thought them to be licorice sticks – would you be a confectioner of great renown?”

The thought confused Tiger. “I…I don’t know.”

“And most ponies never will, because they believe the lies passed down by the Sun Tyrant.” He looked at her and said, “But as part of officer’s training, I learned there was a better way. I learned we could be more than just toys for the royalty and nobility. I learned of the past, of the ancient Pegasus Statocracy, where you earned your way; and the Earth Pony Republic, where every hoof counted – none was left out. For years I toiled, trying to balance what I’d grown up with against what I’d learned during my studies in the military wing of the Canterlot Library. And one day, I found I could take it no more.” He waved his hoof, bidding her to sit down on the nearby couch. “And I deserted, just as you did. Left the Guard and did not come back.

“I changed my name, my very identity and wandered Equestria for years, looking at the world with new eyes, seeing the injustices that had been placed in our world. Seeing diamond dogs – intelligent creatures who have been told for decades that they are only good for manual labor and that their females are worth even less. Gryphons, who were forced to live like ponies if they were born in Equestria. Zebras and donkeys, given second-class status, all because they were not a part of the three tribes called ‘ponies’, even though we are all supposedly of a greater equinal species!”

He shook his head. “And on my travels, I gathered others of like minds to me. Diamond dogs who wished to be better than they were told they were. Donkeys and zebras who burned with a yearning for equality. Gryphons who wished to be treated as such, not as mutated pegasi! And even a dragon who wished to be free of the stigmatization his species was accused of. All of us, together! Here, we found a valley where we could live in peace – our Bastion! – where we could form our Underground and be free…and work to help others break their shackles.”

“Okay, I’m thinking you’ve got a bad case of CMFIS,” Tiger accused.

“Only the kind that sets you free, Miss Lily,” he said with a laugh. “We named our group the Weather Underground, both for the fact that most of our group are pegasi and for the fact that we weather the lies of Equestria until we can bring the clear skies of truth once more. And now fate has delivered us the chance to finally strike a blow for equality! And that blow is you, Tiger Lily.”

“Uh, no thanks. Leave me out of your crazy-plot plans,” Tiger commented. “I’ve got my own gig, like—”

“Rescuing your husband from the so-called 'Royal Family'?” Chaff inquired. When Tiger looked at him wide-eyed, he grinned. “We have a network of sympathizers who help to see the truth behind the lies. And I have been told that your husband, Silversteel, has been claimed by a member of the nobility as her – please excuse the term, for I mean no offense – colt-toy.” When her eyes narrowed in anger, he nodded sadly. “He is just as much a victim as you are. Did you know he is what they call a Monolith? The result of another Crown program designed to create super-warriors to do the Sun Tyrant’s merciless bidding? But she didn’t count on you getting free and getting to us…nor will she count on our forces helping you to get him back.”

That was music to Tiger’s ears. “You will?”

“Of course. We could use his help to train ground troops to help us throw off the yoke of oppression. But I will warn you now: we can do nothing to gain him back until we train your powers in full. And it will not be easy: you are the first of your kind and there is no roadmap to follow. It may take years, but I swear on everything that we will help you gain your husband back if you join with us.”

“Years?”

“I understand that seems a long time, but what is worse: leaving him in the trap for years only to rescue him…or die trying to rescue him now and leaving him for eternity in the clutches of the Oppressors?” He looked at her and saw she was thinking. “I understand you have much to think over, so we will end our conversation now. I will have my betrothed take you back to your cottage to let you rest until you are fully capable of moving around on your own…though I do have a request, if I may.”

“What’s that?”

“Cloister would like you to attend our wedding in two weeks. She says you are an old friend of hers, and she wishes you to be her Mare of Honor. Would you do us the honor?”

“I….” Tiger Lily was confused earlier, but she was completely perplexed now. “I’ll…talk to her.”

“Thank you.”

The wagon ride back was anything but; Cloister decided to take Tiger on an extended tour of the Bastion in order to let her see the grounds as well as so they could talk. Pulled by an earth pony, as the two went along, silence ruled for the first few minutes until Tiger said, “So, marrying him, huh? How long have you known him?”

“A few years – I’ve been a spy for the Underground for years. And while I will admit we…‘entertained’…each other, I was doing it as Kamali, not as who I am now. But a week ago, he gave me an offer I could not refuse, an offer that meant the world to me.”

“Oh? Let me guess – a pile of money the size of the Lonely Spire?”

Cloister’s response was to laugh. “As if such a thing existed. No. It was To Belong.” Tiger looked at Cloister as if she’d lost it and the zebra smiled winsomely. “I’ve never told anypo…anyone – we use the ancient species-neutral pronouns here in the Bastion – of my desire. In Zebrababwe, there are houses of nobility, respected because of their pure zebra bloodlines. But there is one exception to this: House Malindi, whose members are of pony blood. It shows in them – they are the only zebras with pony cutie marks. And yet they are respected not because of the talent of their family members, though that is considerable. No, they are, rather, exempted from contempt because their pony ancestor was said to be the lover of the Sun Tyrant before he escaped to Zebrababwe and took a zebra mare for his wife.”

“Let me guess: you are not a member of House Malindi?”

“No. I was of House Agebani…until my mother made a great mistake. She fell in love with a donkey – my father – and though they did not marry, their relationship bore fruit: me.” Cloister bowed her head slightly, as if in shame. “You knew me as Kalima the shamaness, but that is a lie – I was never a shamaness. While I look wholly zebra, I have the curse of donkey blood within me: I have no ability at magic whatsoever, including zebra alchemy.”

“But I’ve seen your potions! I’ve seen what you can do!”

“Yes, I have created medicines, poisons and the like…but it is chemistry, not alchemy. I cannot create vigors, nostrums, nor palliatives. And as for speaking like a shamaness?” She chuckled as she added, “Anyone can speak in rhyme if you simply practice all the time.

“My goal was with the money you gave me and other bits I’d saved, to return to Zebrababwe and bribe the right zebras to allow the king to create a new House for me, one with which I could use as a powerbase to utterly destroy House Agebani. But,” she sighed with the sound of a mare in love, “Chaff showed me a better way.”

“Oh?”

“He saw me as me, not as a half-mare, half-jenny. And he offered his own hoof in marriage, to give his undying love and affection so that he would free me from the cycle of hatred I’d bound myself in.” Cloister’s face was radiant as she said, “You don’t know how intoxicating true freedom is until you have it. And the day I became Cloister and became his betrothed? I was a free mare. Now I am in the cause, and someday I will end House Agebani, but only to break their shackles as we work to make a better world.

“We will help you get your stallion back. Not for money or a favor, but because he is yours and he deserves to be free. But you must trust us when we say it will take time – and a shortcut to sacrificing yourself will only ensure his slavery will be eternal.

As they stopped at the cottage, Cloister took Tiger’s forehooves in her own. “Lastly, I hope you will accept my offer to be my Mare of Honor. You may not have been Kalima’s friend, but I count you as one and hope you will do the same in return.”

“I…I don’t know what to say.”

“I hope you will say yes to both when I return on the morrow,” Cloister said. “And I hope that when you choose a new life with us, you will be prepared for the rigors of a new life so that you may save that of the one you love. Good night, Tiger.”

---

Rainbow sighed. It was turning out to be a really, really not cool week. First, at Luna’s insistence-but-not-insistence-insistence, she’d had to break off her relationship (if you could call it that) with Roughwind. While surprisingly he wasn’t too offended – it was the kind of loose relationship they had, after all – she still felt bad for the stallion. He was, she hated to say it, better in bed than Soarin’ was, and while she really didn’t have the same feelings for Roughie as she did for Soarin’, having him out of her life was kinda a sore spot.

And then she’d heard about what happened to Goldie and all the other pegasi while the attacker had gotten away. Rainbow felt incredibly guilty about that; if she’d returned to Equestria in time, there would have been no way that traitor pegasus would’ve gotten away – she might have been a powerful range attacker, but you had to be able to hit what you were aiming at, and Rainbow’s stock in trade was pure, unadulterated speed. Combined with her sonic rainbooms, she knew she could have taken down that pegasus. But she wasn’t here for that.

“Rainbow,” Spitfire said as they sat in her office, “you’re starting to creep me out. Stop that or I’m going to tell Aunt Firefly on you.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You know, all those years I was absolutely just fanfillying over you only to find out that Aunt Junebug is your mom? Uggh, I feel stupid for not knowing that!”

“You know, all you had to do was ask. I knew you were my cousin the day I met you; I just thought you were keeping it on the downlow because you didn’t want to seem like you were getting a big head for being related to me.” She leaned back in her chair. “Now, the reason I brought you in here is because I need to talk to you about what we’re going to do in the aftermath of Tiger Lily’s betrayal. We lost a lot of good stallions and mares as a result. Not just the ones who were killed, but those who won’t fly again, like Sgt. Sunstreaker or Ens. Golden Sun—”

“Goldie’s going to fly again,” Rainbow insisted. “Once she comes out of her coma, if I have to bust my flank to get her back into shape, I will, but she’s going to fly again, Spits. Don’t you dare say otherwise!”

“Rainbow, I’m not going to argue with you about the prognosis. What I’m here to tell you is that because of the situation, I’m going to have my hooves full running the training academy to make sure we can rebuild the squadrons. As a result, I’m going to have to step down as CO of the Wonderbolts, and Soarin’’s assuming command. What I was going to ask you is if you can take command of Star Song.”

“I’d rather stay with the Wonderbolts, Spits.”

“Rainbow, look, I know that’s been your lifelong dream. But we need ponies where we can fit them right now. And you did agree that even though you outrank us all as a Knight, you’d take a temporary rank of lieutenant so you could fit in the Guard structure – and we need our lieutenants to step up to command.”

“I guess.”

“Look, we all rotate positions in command situations, so we’re prepared. In a few years, Soarin’ will have to rotate out of the Wonderbolts’ CO spot. Who knows: maybe Captain Armor will recommend you for the spot? He’s the one who gave Soarin’ the position and that didn’t come lightly. You want to lead the Wonderbolts, Rainbow? Just like you have to earn a spot on the team, you have to earn command – and the way to start is get command experience elsewhere.”

“In that case, I’ll do it. Tell Star Song they’re about to get the coolest commander in Equestria!”

---

“Stupid ex-Blank Flank!”
“Dummy!”
“Oh, that’s so original, you dork!”
“Like ‘ex-Blank Flank’ is such a stroke of genius?”
“Tail-lifting freak!”
“Talentless hack!”

It was the first night home in days and Rarity was already regretting it. “Sky,” she said to her cousin, “I can’t thank you enough for watching the girls while I was otherwise occupied.”

“Look, you’re my cousin and so’s Sweetie and I adore you both, but I’m not getting any sort of Hazardous Duty Pay!” Sky yelped. “They’ve been like this for days over those two damn tickets, and if they ask me to play referee one more time, I’m going to take them both as high as I can fly and then drop them from that height!”

“I’m guessing you want me to solve this?”

Sky rolled her eyes. “You’re the Knight – can’t you just zap them with that Element of yours?”

“Doesn’t work that way, I’m afraid,” Rarity responded as she watched Sweetie and Diamond Tiara continue to shout at each other. “Though believe me, if I did, I would have used it quite some time ago.”

“Braindead harridelle!”
“Stupid, stupid moron!”
“You’re such an idiot!”
“Oh yeah? Who’s the one going to the Mage Academy?”
“I’m an earth pony, you idiot! I can’t go to that school!”
“Who’s the idiot, you idiot?”

“Girls….” Rarity began. She’d had enough of this.

“Why on Earth doesn’t Celestia just send you to the moon?”
“Maybe because I’m not trying to pretend to be an alicorn, unlike some horned freak I know!”

“Girls….”

“Freak? The can’t do magic, can’t fly idiot’s calling me a freak?”
“No, the smart and rich filly’s calling your ex-Blank Flank plot a freak, you plothole!”

“Girls….”

“Plothole? How long did it take you to think that up?”
“Not long at all – I just needed to look at your face!”

“ATTEN-HUT!” a new voice bellowed in the room. Both Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara came to a complete stop as they saw the figure of Silversteel standing there, looking at both of them like they were new recruits on the first day of training. “Ladies, I am very disappointed in you,” he said, his voice dropping down to normal but still holding the same sharp edge it did a second ago. “Sweetie, you are both nobility and a member of the Royal Family and it is your responsibility to behave as such. And Diamond, while you are neither, you are Rarity’s apprentice and the scion of a wealthy family in Ponyville and you have a responsibility to behave as well. And right now, both of you are acting foalish and embarrassing both yourselves and Rarity.”

“I….” Sweetie began, but Silver just stared at her.

“Well, she….” Diamond suddenly got the same treatment.

“Here’s what you two are going to do: you’re going to give Rarity the tickets, apologize to each other and then go think about what you’ve done. And then tomorrow, you can have one ticket each and you can use your allowances to buy any other tickets that you need.”

“But they’re expensive!” both teens cried at once.

“So? The loser was going to have to spend money anyway,” Silver replied. “This way the loser doesn’t have to spend as much, because there’s no loser – or winner either.” He pointed towards the stairs. “Now get going, girls.” Not in the mood to go another round of getting shouted at, both teens sullenly went up to their rooms.

“You know, Silver,” Sky said, “I’d kiss you right now if it wasn’t for the fact that my cousin’s about to.”

“My hero,” Rarity said, getting to her feet and doing just as Sky said.

“Shucks ma’am,” Silver drawled, pantomiming the movement of adjusting a hat. “‘Tweren’t nothin’.”

“Okay, aside from pretending you’re a member of the Apple family,” Rarity asked, “how did you do it?”

“Well, love,” he said, “between two daughters and the times I’ve spent drilling junior troops, you kinda get a feel for this sort of thing.”

---

“I’ve decided,” Tiger Lily said to Chaff and Cloister the next morning. “I’ve reached the point of no return. My best friend is dead, my husband has been stolen from me and the monster that’s responsible for it all runs free. I don’t give a damn about your cause, but I can’t defeat her without your help, so…I’m in.”

“It’s a start,” Chaff said. “I won’t force the choice on you; that will come in time. But you will need to discard the life you had and put Tiger Lily aside. Once we have won, you may return to that life. But for now, you must become someone else. Choose the name you will be for this life.”

“I see. Fortunately, I’d thought about that already.”

Chaff nodded. “And now that Tiger Lily is dead, who has taken her place?”

The mare who once called herself Tiger Lily sighed. I’m coming to save you, Silver. Please just hold on and don’t give up hope until I can kill Rarity and save you. “There is only one thing to call myself,” she said.

“I am now, and ever will be…Revanche.”

Comments

[BlueBastard]

3621430
I missed this comment earlier, so apologies. But regardless, if you wish to become one of the inner circle of AAG Pre-readers, you must do the following;
- Complete the Demon Trials of Ra's al Gul
- Defeat Ug-Thak; Lord of Skags
- Sacrifice a Shrubbery to the Knights who say Ni
- Explain the last two episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion in a way that makes sense
- Correctly say if it was Han or Greedo who shot first in the original cut of Star Wars
- and divine the location of the Decepticon Matrix of Leadership

Consequently, you could just do the easy thing and PM Shin to see if there's an opening.

3621858
Believe it or not, in the Sarah Connor Chronicles, this actually happened where a T-800 couldn't figure out its target as there were two guys with the same name in the same area, so it just decided to murder both of them.

[Spiritus Arcane]

While Chaff's movement has good intentions on the surface...it's a surface that seems to have several heaps of delusion piled on top. Plus I don't think much of their 'eyes and ears everywhere' boast if they couldn't be bothered to figure out that Silver's not even married at all(or maybe they DID and just see it as another deception by the 'Sun Tyrant.' ...Or they're just feeding Lily/Revanche's own delusions to get her on their side).

Also...recalling the events of DJ's arrival on Earth...getting a baaad feeling that Derpy and her family's deaths weren't some robbery gone wrong...

[fedback]

Omg....La causa vive, la revolucion continua.....comandante guevara VIVE!!!!

And as a little nitpick on my side she should have been called Revancha (spanishe for........i am actually not sure what is the english equivalent, is something between revenge an retry....and spanish is my first language), just to fit the whole Ernesto Guvara feel (you know spanish ann such)

[admkline]

I haven't finished reading this story yet so I may be wrong in the theory that just popped into my mind - Tiger Lily created the storm that separated Sandalwood/DJ from her birth parents Rarity and Silversteel!