The Line

by Sooks

Ch.22 - Life

For the first time in forever, Celestia actually had a vacation. The kingdom had effectively shut down in celebration, leaving little to be handled at the top. There were, however, a few matters to be dealt with, and a few that she wished to deal with.

The first was dealt with quietly, and as quickly as possible. Half the challenge of fighting changelings is the battle, and half is the clean up. Every enlisted officer was ordered to report for a "routine medical exam," during which they would be hit with the revealment spell Celestia had devised. Faculty had to be drilled, security trained -- so far as they could see, the changelings had been defeated to the last drone. But Celestia had believed them to be gone once before.

The second matter sat on a pile of cushions, polished and perfect if it weren't for the violet spots that adorned its surface. Celestia knew so little of dragon eggs, there was no knowing if the spots meant anything. She tapped her horn against the hard surface and felt within. It was alive, so very alive, and full of fire. She had no doubt it was her friend's whelp.

"Your Highness," one of her advisors said, "is it wise to be messing with a dragon egg?"

"It is no different than a chicken egg, really." Celestia retracted her magic. "But this is the egg of a magically gifted dragon. Two of them, even. It will not open only with the passage of time." She pursed her lips. "This egg must be infused with a great deal of magic to hatch."

"Surely you could hatch it then, Princess? I cannot think of any pony with as much power as you, if you don't mind my saying."

"Thank you, but I will not." The alicorn stroked the side of the egg. She swore she felt its cargo stir within. "This is not the time for baby dragons. The wounds are too fresh, the hatred too strong. It would not survive us. In time, maybe, we shall forgive enough to let a dragon live among us, and learn from us." She smiled to herself. "Besides, I would very much like to meet the little pony who can hatch a dragon egg. Their potential for good or for evil would be just as mighty as the dragon's, I imagine."

~*~

Everything was wrong.

The coffee was much better, and her bed was much softer, but nothing felt right to Comet Shimmer anymore. She couldn't sit and read for hours at a time like she had before. The filly was constantly looking over her shoulder or scanning the skies. The flitting shadow of a bird or a passing pegasus would set every nerve on fire, every sense acute. Her house became preferable to wandering the city; it was controlled, it was predictable. It was safe.

Her room was too quiet. And night after night, she would burst awake with a muffled scream and not be able to shut her eyes for hours. She would stare at the map, now hung above her bed, and stare, not really absorbing what it was saying, and try to avoid thinking about the places on it she had been to. On a few occasions, her parents would find her thrashing in her bed, and had comforted her when she scared herself awake. They would all imagine it away in the morning, and drink their coffee, and carry on with their day. It was her family's way of telling her they didn't blame her for anything, and she was thankful for that. But the filly knew. She wasn’t just different.

She was broken.

The knowledge scared her. She told her parents as much, and they gave her all the help they could. But how could they know? She had gone to war, in part, so that neither of them would have to know. So she was alone with her thoughts as they ate at her day to day life.

One night, as the shadows danced in the corners, and half lost memories clawed at her mind, Comet found Lily's address in Cloudsdale. The filly snatched up a roll of parchment and her quill, and she wrote. She wrote and wrote, anything and everything that came to mind until the sun was creeping through her window. When all was said and done, her envelope looked more like a small package. But a few days later, a letter almost as long arrived from the rambunctious pegasus. All it took was one reading, knowing that her wingpony was as hurt as she was, and Comet was off to Cloudsdale. Just being close again seemed to aid the fillies, and over drinks they devised a plan.

The two of them started writing letters to their friends, sending them far and wide across Equestria. And to their great relief, they started writing back. Mailboxes were stuffed with correspondence as Cyclone Company wrote each other back and forth, keeping up with each other's lives and keeping each other sane. And when they could, the we all sure to meet up. It helped, more than she could express, to know that they were still out there, and that she was not alone in her confusion. But nothing could help Comet shake the feeling that the war was still right behind her.

One late spring day, the filly made her way down to the recruitment office to check in about her discharge. She had filed it weeks ago, but they were receiving so many resignations, they couldn't hope to process them in a timely manner. Still, she had finally received a notice to appear, so appear she did. The secretary had to search through two mountains of manilla envelopes before she found hers half way through the third.

"Sorry for the wait." The secretary leafed open the folder. "Sgt. Comet Shimmer, your honorable discharge has been denied."

"...What?" Comet vaulted up on the desk. "What!? How, why!?"

"It's been placed on hold, Sergeant." The unicorn mare showed her the documents. A royal seal adorned the process form. "There's a note as well: you are to appear at Canterlot Castle to resolve the matter, 'come at any time.'" The secretary shrugged. "Sorry, Ma'am. This is far beyond my level."

"No, thank you. I'll go find out what this is all about. Can I take that?" Comet accepted the envelope and made her way out as calmly as possible. What could the princess possibly want with her now? The flight over could have been a minute or an hour, she wasn't paying attention. She set down in front of the castle gates and showed the documents and note to the guards on station. They let her by with a quick salute, and she managed her way through the pearly maze of vaulted halls to the throne room. From the looks of things, the day court was still in session, so she got in line to see the princess.

How anypony could deal with such tripe for two hours, let alone a whole day, the filly could not comprehend. She wished she had brought a book. Finally the herald called her name, and she walked down the hall to address the monarch.

"Sgt. Shimmer," Celestia smiled. "It is a pleasure to see you again. How have you been?"

"Well enough, Your Highness." The filly dropped the envelope in front of her with a resounding smack. "If you had wished to see me, there must have been less cruel ways to let me know. Arrest warrants, armed escorts, take your pick." Hushed conversation rolled through the audience. The filly's gaze remained fixed on the monarch, her lip curled into a demanding frown. "So, what can I do for you?"

Celestia smiled her motherly smile. "I always have a reason, my little pony. Come, let us take a walk. Ink Well," she nodded to her attendant, "We shall be back momentarily." The unicorn nodded, and Celestia led Comet down a sunlit hall. "You see, Comet Shimmer, I could not allow you to resign the Guard before I made my proposition. You were quite eager to leave, so I had to slow down the gears, as it were."

"So you sabotaged my discharge?"

"In a sense, yes. The process is complete, and when I give the word, the last stamp will relieve you of your rank and duties. But before that, allow me to explain why. Even for one so long lived as I, I cannot hope to know everything. My opinions and my understanding, as you know, can be gravely flawed. I need ponies by my side who can advise me, correct me, and stand both with and against me when the situation calls for it. A pony who reveres me cannot do these things. But you do not revere me. In fact, I am fairly certain you despise me still."

Comet rolled her head from side to side. "You put your life on the line, same as us, when we needed you to. I can't hate you that much."

The alicorn laughed. "I'm glad to hear that. As for the hold on your discharge, that is more of a technicality. A distinguished rank in the Royal Air Guard would bypass the usual need for a research degree in one field or another. You would remain on, officially, as a military advisor, counseling me in such matters."

"And what would I really be advising you on?"

"Oh, anything. Everything. Ponies are never so one dimensional. Clover the Clever was Princess Platinum's advisor in matters ranging from international relations to home decor," Celestia chuckled, "though her opinions in the latter were often disregarded, as I understand. Of course, if you are set on resigning, we can discuss a scholarship to a university of your choosing, provided you agree to the position. I imagine, however, you may find a university rather disagreeable, given your current disposition."

A bolt of panic zapped the filly. "I don't follow, Ma'am."

Celestia frowned. "Please do not take me for a fool, Comet Shimmer. You saw through me, once, and you are hardly as convincing of an actress. You are not as well as you might pretend to be. I see it in your eyes. War does not suit a mind like yours, but I fear it has not let you go yet. Can you honestly say a life of sedentary study would be comfortable?" Comet shut her eyes. She wanted it to be. She felt herself stretching after it, but it was beyond her grasp. A gold plated hoof on her shoulder brought her back. "What I offer is an opportunity to rebuild. Help me, travel with me, advise me, and I shall do what I can to help you."

"...Why me?" Comet said.

"Because you have no reason to lie to me, or to tell me what I want to hear. You’ve proven your dedication and your honesty. I would help everypony if I could, but I will at least help those that I can. So, Comet Shimmer, do you accept?"

Comet looked out the window. Canterlot, the city she had known since she was a foal, glittered in the spring sun. She had never left this city before Basic. But after meeting her comrades and learning of their homes, after seeing the endless deserts of the south, after learning of a dragon empire that had risen to prominence before the first pony tribes, it seemed so small now. Nothing felt right, like clothes she had not worn in years. She did not know how to fix herself, and there was nothing waiting in her future. She sighed.

"Princess Celestia, I accept."

~*~

The alarm had barely managed two seconds before an indigo hoof smacked it to silence. The shower water barely touched the mare before she jumped out and donned her fresh pressed, blue collar and gold pins. She had learned very quickly to have her thermos of coffee ready by the door well before she had to leave, or she would forget it altogether. A moving out gift from her father, he had taught her how to make coffee just the way he did. Somehow, his was still better. She snatched it with a wing as she bolted through the door, tucked it into her bag, and took to the air with practiced ease. It was only a five minute flight to work, but she would need at least a half hour to get everything in order before she was expected.

Not a day went by where Comet Shimmer was not busy from sunup to sundown, and most days she was busy even after that. Her polished lieutenant insignia removed her need for a college degree, but that didn’t excuse her from knowing everything she needed to. And there was so much she needed to know: histories, strategy, international relations. She couldn’t say she didn’t enjoy it, but she had nothing left in the tank when she went to bed each night.

It helped that she was assigned to apprentice under one of the princess’s more experienced advisors, a unicorn stallion by the name of Sunspot. He worked at one speed -- his own -- and expected Comet to keep up. But so long as she was working hard, he always helped her with whatever she needed. It was fair, she admitted, if not easy.

Being an apprentice, the mare expected to have less of an opportunity to speak. Princess Celestia seemed to have other ideas in mind; regardless of title, nopony was denied the right to enter their voice. That said, the chiroptequus did seem to offend a few ears when she would “advise” the princess on matters she strongly opposed. Yet the princess never excused her from the room. Sometimes the mare would win the arguement, other times not. As the months sped by, she began to understand the weight Celestia had carried every day for over a thousand years. If this is what she had wanted Comet to see, then she had succeeded.

The most interesting parts of her job were the diplomatic voyages the mare attended, some taking her to other cities, some to other countries. When their paths crossed, Comet never failed to meet up with her friends. So many of them were getting on with their lives, though all of them could sense the scars hiding under each other's fur. Sometimes, their meetings would be little more than them silently enjoying each other's company. It was on a visit to Cloudsdale that Comet had the chance to meet up with Firefly, Rainbow, and Lily. Word got around before she arrived, and Fir Bough, Dewbead, and Stratus were at the dock to greet her.

Rainbow Blaze and Firefly were married only a few months following the end of the war. Where Twilight Velvet had made a stunning bride, Firefly looked about as uncomfortable as a flea ridden dog. But she soldiered through when she saw Rainbow Blaze burst into tears at the sight of her. He was like a giant, blue teddy bear sometimes, she told the girls in confidence. True to her word, their captain made sure the after party was one to rememberer. Unfortunately, while they did remember it very fondly, few could remember with much clarity. The chiroptequus had not seen them since, and she greeted them both with a hug.

Comet was surprised, at first, when Stratus met her with the others at the dock, his collar adorned with the insignia of a Wing Sergeant First Class. She had heard Firefly had yet to quit the Guard, but she didn’t know he had stayed on. He saluted her, and she returned the gesture with a smile.

“I’d have thought you would quit, Screwup,” Comet mocked.

“Funny how things work out, huh? Boss wanted me to stick around.” He nodded at the fuschia mare. “Says I have a knack for leadership or something.”

“Somepony’s gotta lead the company after I burn this rag.” Firefly tugged at her collar irritably. As if she had been giving Comet a moment with her friends, Celestia chose that opportunity to stride down onto the dock. “Your majesty.” The ponies bowed.

“Captain, it is a pleasure. I hope you have been well.” Celestia bid them to rise. “I understand you have a proposition for me?”

“I do, Your Highness. Shall we walk?” The group set off through the cloud streets, their wingless kin assisted by cloud walking spells and the occasional piggyback. “Cloudsdale, as you know, is the core of the Royal Air Guard, and with not much else to do now, I get to see what all is going on. And frankly, Ma’am, it’s concerning.”

“Oh, what do you mean?” Celestia raised an eyebrow.

“We have a group of talented, now extensively trained pegasi who are unparalleled in combat and strategy. They’re quitting the Guard, burning their uniforms; war’s over. We have a circle of commanding officers who -- off the record?” She waited for Celestia’s permission. “Our commanders are a bunch of fat idiots who didn’t know how to fight a war going into this, and still don't coming out. I would rather throw myself off the side of this city than follow their orders again, Ma’am.”

“I see your thinking, Captain. What would you recommend?”

“It wouldn’t be feasible to maintain a trained army without a war to fight, but we need somepony capable of retaining the skills and knowledge so that it can be passed on when the need arises. I’m imagining an elite team, the best of our pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns respectively, both soldiers and strategists, who can maintain our knowledge so we don’t lose it in between wars again.”

“That certainly is a more viable option. And who would lead this elite force, Captain?”

“Not me, Princess, not forever. I would be willing to help get it started,” Firefly said, “but the long term command would belong to somepony less bitter. Maybe this guy,” she pointed at Stratus.

“I mean no disrespect, Captain, but I am surprised that I am not receiving this recommendation from the admiralty. Did you suggest it to them?”

“One, yes. After that, I decided it wasn’t really worth the effort. Between you and them, one of you knows the value of action.” Firefly snorted. “As for the team itself, I’m not sure about the exact setup. I was hoping we might be able to discuss it-”

“Actually, Ma’am,” Comet cut in, “there’s a precedent of sorts.” Her saddlebags were never without her notebook. Early CE history had been her reading material for the past week, so it was fresh in her memory. “Shortly after the beginning of the Celestial Era, an elite team of pegasi were singled out for their exceptional performance. The group unofficially disbanded about three hundred years ago, but the company is still on active record. They didn’t carry such an official role as what Captain Firefly has in mind, but I believe it would suit the task.”

“May I see?” Celestia held the notebook in front of her and smiled fondly. “The Wonderbolts, hmm? Yes, I remember something about them.” Comet laughed inwardly. Celestia seemed very hesitant to reveal her age when it was not necessary. “Very well, Captain. I believe your idea holds a great deal of merit. Shall we discuss the details this afternoon?”

“Gladly, Your Highness.”

“Wonderful. And this time, Captain,” the princess winked, “what do you say we get the admiralty involved?”

“If you think it best, Princess.” Firefly saluted.

~*~

Silver Raindrops sat on a bank of cloud and enjoyed the summer sky warming her coat. Willow had a show tonight, with Wren Song and the twins performing as guests, and for the first time in months, she would be able to attend. Willow’s career as a singer had grown healthily over the years, and tonight’s show was sure to draw a crowd. They would have to leave the bimonthly get together early for it, but some of their old comrades were promising they would attend.

Of all the weddings following the end of the war, theirs had, oddly enough, gone the worst. They had taken their time, after the war was over, to be sure that they still wanted each other. As it turned out, they did, even more so than they had in the months spent in the south. But when the day came, only one of the brick red mare’s brothers attended. Blood, he told them, was apparently not as thick as Baltimare water. It had taken them more than an hour to coax Rain out to the altar, and even then it had only been by something Willow had said or done that neither of them would speak of. But whatever disdain Rain’s old family showed for her husband, her new families more than made up for. Willow Wisp, as it turned out, was from a line that seemed more appropriate to the twins, if their vibrant enthusiasm was any indication. The after party lasted until near sunup, by which point the bride could only smile. The groom never left her side.

Willow had fretted over her like a mother hen when they had started talking about moving to Cloudsdale. Her wing had never properly healed, and while she could fly and glide, a cloud city was not the best location to have even a minor aerial disability. But the mare had insisted; she wanted to be closer to her new family, and she wanted for their foal to actually know her godparents. Rumor had it they were thinking of a child of their own. Rain could not imagine Firefly with a foal, but Rainbow Blaze could pull it off.

A little bundle of yellow fur was curled up against her chest, sleeping gently while the rest of their picnic went on. The already long locks of rosy pink hair covered her face, and every so often the foal would bat it away in her sleep only for it to drift back. Rain smiled at her child. Even though she could walk now, the little one seemed to prefer the company of her mother rather than attempt to chase after her father. He worried sometimes that she was too quiet for her own good, but the mare would only laugh and tell him he was fretting.

When the foal really warmed to her father was when he sang. No matter how hard she bawled, the sound of her father’s melodies soothed her, and she would giggle and reach for her silly dad. The yellow oaf doted on his two girls, and the mare loved him for it. Her husband had been worth surviving the war for. Her daughter was worth everything that came after. The foal stirred a bit and let out a soft gurgle.

“My dear little Fluttershy,” Rain cooed, and hummed a soft tune.

~*~

Stratus Drifter leaned back across the bleachers. His Wonderbolts were just finishing up their morning exercises, and he’d need to give them a go over. Well, they weren’t his, per say: they were still Dewbead’s first and foremost, and Summer Seas, while not enlisted anymore, managed so much of the backend that he might as well be her X.O. But he operated most of the field work, and whenever she called it quits, he would be top dog. He’d even managed to snag a new nickname among the elite fliers.

The stallion looked over his schedule for the day. Oh, shit. Lt. Thunder Clap was coming in… now, with a bunch of young fliers looking to join his company. Stratus straightened his coat and bounded down to the field just before the green mountain appeared. Behind his impressive form, a gaggle of young recruits trotted in mostly even ranks. The charcoal pegasus could not believe they had looked that young at one point.

“Lt. Ogre, you tall block of mean spirit.” Stratus saluted and shut one eye. Thunder rolled his good eye and returned the salute. “What do you hear?”

“Nothin’ but the rain, Atlas. I brought you some sacrifices.” He sidestepped so the recruits were in plain sight. “Captain Stratus Drifter on the field. Attention!” Their salutes were better than expected.

Stratus hid his smile as he paced back and forth. “So, the lot of you want to join the best damn aerial company in Equestria, huh? Well tell me this, kiddies: why should I let you in?” Silence answered. “I asked you a question, nuggets.”

“Sir,” one of the fillies barked, “because we are the top of our class and the most capable in any tested situation, Sir.”

“What’s your name, Recruit?”

“Spitfire, Sir.”

“Do you know what your most valuable asset is, Spitfire?”

“Strength, Sir.”

Stratus smirked. “If you guys are the best, I don’t want to see the worst.” A few hushed laughs went through the group. “It’s the ponies beside you, Recruit, that matter more than anything else. They’re going to see you through the worst that war, or life, has to offer. They’ll watch your back in battle, and carry you on their back in between. If you win the fight, but fail them, then you’ve lost.

“And that’s why we’re going to start today off with some team exercises. Wings up, and get to that cloud in under two minutes. I’m counting.” Taking the hint, the recruits sped off in multi colored blurs towards the distant cloud. Stratus checked his stopwatch and chuckled. True to Stargaze’s skill, It still worked after everything it had been through. A lot of things from Cyclone Company still worked, to tell it true.

~*~

Comet Shimmer could never decide which event was more surprising. First, she ran into Night Light one day, but that was not an unusual occurrence. The unicorn had returned to the castle guard, and never again complained of a slow day. She knew he was waiting, just chomping at the bit for the chance to walk up and salute her. Despite his own promotions, she was still perhaps one rank ahead in the grand scheme of things, which meant he had to salute. She could see why he had hated it.

No, running into Night Light for the upteenth time was expected, even looked forward to. What was unusual was the mini Night Light trotting beside him, except the miniature’s fur was snowy like his mother’s. Comet had heard Velvet was pregnant, but time must have slipped by her again. The boy was a true gentlecolt -- everything his father did, he worked hard to emulate, from his speech to his dress. She nearly burst into laughter at the home-sewn soldier’s collar he wore around his neck, the same colors as his dad’s, but told the colt it suited him well. The indigo mare assured him he was going to make a filly very happy someday.

She stayed much more in the loop for the coming of their second child, and was honored to bestow upon the foal her first story book. But for all her awareness of the Light family, the filly still surprised her when she appeared in the castle one day, hot on Celestia’s fetlocks. And even stranger, a baby dragon was riding on the lavender filly’s back. Comet had to ask Celestia later, to confirm where the whelp had come from.

“I thought it best to wait some time before we attempted to hatch it,” the princess explained. Comet could hardly believe little Twilight was the one responsible for his hatching.

"Princess," Comet whispered, "I don't think I can help with this one." Yes, it was just a baby. Yes, she knew the truth about the incredible mind of a dragon. But its eyes dredged up things she had thought long resolved. Celestia put a hoof across her back.

“Of course, Miss Shimmer. You won't have to worry about young Spike. We’ll teach him to love, I assure you.”

“I’m more worried about it receiving love,” the mare whispered. She knew she would not be the only one.

“Having watched him with Twilight Sparkle for some time now,” the alicorn smiled, “I don’t think that will be an issue.”

Night Light and Twilight Velvet never properly declared Comet Shimmer to be their children’s godmother, but with how often she saw them and looked after them, particularly during the hours Twilight Sparkle would spend in the library, she effectively was. Something in the way they played, and learned, and smiled, and just were, told Comet that it had all been worth it. But she couldn’t sit on the thought for too long. Dodge Province was finally growing again, and there were concerns about the new towns encroaching on buffalo lands.

Comet Shimmer had work to do.