Fortune Favors The Bold

by TheEquestrianWing

Reunification

Bronze Star nervously looked around at the five stunned mares. Each one of them was gazing at him inquisitively. More specifically, they were staring at his wings and horn. Of course, he could hardly blame them. If he saw somepony sprout new appendages, he probably would have been shocked as well.

After an awkward period of silence, he glanced off to the side, rubbed the back of his head, and conjectured "I guess I have some explaining to do."

"Quite so," Applejack bluntly agreed.

Bronze Star thought about making something up, but he was not certain that the mares would actually believe him. He turned to Twilight Sparkle for help. Seeing the desperation in his eyes, she merely sighed and suggested "I suppose we should just tell them the truth, Bronze."

"'Bronze?'" said Rainbow in perplexity, "Did she just call you 'Bronze?'"

"I thought you told us your name was-" Fluttershy began.

"Yes, that was what I told you," the gold stallion interrupted her, "But some of the things I said at our first meeting aren't entirely true. However, Twilight is right; it would be wrong of me to continue keeping the facts from all of you. After everything the seven of us have been through together in the past few hours, you deserve to know the truth."

The five mares stepped closer to Bronze Star and listened intently. He tentatively contemplated how to start his explanation, and ultimately, he began with "Firstly, I think a proper introduction is in order. As you have probably already surmised, my name isn't Gold Streak. It's Bronze Star."

Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie gave a collective gasp at this. In response, Bronze Star scoffed and bluntly stated "Apparently, you've heard of me."

"Of course we have, darling!" Rarity enthusiastically remarked, "You're a member of the Canterlot Royalty!"

"Not only that; you're Princess Celestia's son!" Pinkie Pie jubilantly exclaimed.

"Yes, that's correct," Bronze Star candidly admitted. He was trying to sound as though the matter of his true identity was no big deal, but the mares were not bothering to contain their excitement.

"Well, I'll be darned," Applejack remarked in amusement, "All this time, we've had a prince in our company, and none of us ever suspected it."

"I take it this is your actual appearance?" Rarity presumed, gesturing to Bronze Star's form.

"Yes, I've had these wings and this horn since the day I was born," Bronze Star apprised them.

"This explains the holes in your jacket," Fluttershy recalled.

"And the one in your mask," Rainbow Dash added in.

"But it doesn't explain why you hid them," Pinkie Pie pointed out.

"That was his decision," Twilight Sparkle enlightened the mares, "This happened when Princess Celestia appointed him and me to the Summer Sun Celebration's inspection committee. Bronze was concerned that if he went to Ponyville like this, his presence would be too distracting, and that it would impede the townsfolk from completing the preparations. However, he still really wanted to come, so Bellerophon came up with a solution that would allow him to blend in without drawing attention from the locals."

"So, what exactly did you do?" Rainbow Dash inquired in interest.

"We used an illusion spell," Bronze Star replied, "One that doesn't just cover the targets. It also renders them incapable of being detected through physical contact. For almost all of the past twenty-four hours, I haven't even been able to feel my wings or my horn."

"Why do you suppose they're visible now?" queried Fluttershy.

"The Elements of Harmony must have neutralized the spell," Twilight Sparkle hypothesized.

"That would make perfect sense," Bronze Star acknowledged. Inwardly, he had a more unpleasant but still plausible theory. His mother was the one who cast the spell. He had read somewhere that many spells wear off when serious harm is inflicted onto their caster. He wondered if it was possible that something happened to his mother; something very grim and horrible.

He decided not to share this idea with the mares. They had already been through a tremendous ordeal, but at the end of it, they had triumphed over a supposedly invulnerable enemy. He did not want to spoil their good mood by generating more anxiety.

Pinkie Pie asked curiously "So, what's with the cape?"

Bronze Star informed her and the others "Earlier on, shortly after we entered the Everfree Forest, you may recall that Twilight and I described an artifact known as the Shroud of Valor. This is it. However, as to why I'm wearing it, I have no idea."

"Oh, I think you do, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle declared, "And even if you don't, I certainly have one."

"What do you mean, Twilight?" asked Bronze Star.

"Nightmare Moon tried to attack us, but you threw yourself in front of us before she could," the lavender mare in the tiara reminded him, "I'm certain you know as well as I do that she tried to use an incineration spell on us. You must have known there was only way that stepping in could have ended for you. Yet you decided to go ahead and intervene."

"Well, I had to choose between the six of you and myself," Bronze Star pointed out, "It was an easy choice."

All of the mares – including Twilight – were flabbergasted when they heard this, but in a good way.

"You were willing to give your life to save ours?" Applejack assumed.

"Even though you've known us for less than a day?" Rainbow Dash supplemented.

"Yes, I was," Bronze Star affirmed, "I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Nightmare Moon would have killed you. So I did what I had to do to prevent that."

"That's so sweet," Fluttershy softly uttered.

"You're… so amazing," Rainbow Dash muttered, containing her awe.

"I never thought I'd be in somepony's debt," Rarity observed, "Now we're all in the debt of a prince!"

"Don't know how we could ever thank ya, sugar cube," Applejack stated happily.

"We can start by saying 'thanks,'" Pinkie Pie proposed. She turned to the gold stallion and remarked, "Still, that must have been really scary, putting yourself in harm's way like that."

"I was somewhat hesitant," Bronze Star disclosed, "But I managed to cast aside my fear."

"That's why you're wearing the Shroud of Valor," Twilight Sparkle pronounced. She looked around at the others and explicated "It is written that only an act of selfless, benevolent, indisputable fortitude can summon the Shroud of Valor. Bronze Star has done plenty of valiant things since this fiasco began. He confronted Nightmare Moon when nopony else would. He defeated that ogre single-hoofedly. He sent Bellerophon to aid whoever generated the distress beacon. However, what he did just now was probably the most courageous act that anypony has done in a long time. By risking his life on the spot like that to save the rest of us, he practically became the embodiment of bravery. That was enough to bring forth the Shroud of Valor."

"That does make sense," stated Rainbow Dash, "But I'm still a little confused. How exactly did the Shroud of Valor keep us safe?"

Bronze Star answered this question: "In ancient times, the Shroud of Valor had a variety of different functions. Its most popular form was a type of mystical shield. While the Elements of Harmony may be powerful beyond comprehension, they are not imperishable. For that reason, somepony decided that it would be appropriate to pair the Elements of Harmony with the Shroud of Valor. That way, the Shroud could protect the wielders of the Elements from even the most extreme dangers. Just as it did today."

The five mares from Ponyville were deeply fascinated by this knowledge. Each of them gazed down at her respective necklace with a look of amazement.

Applejack turned to the mare in the tiara and told her "Gee, Twilight! I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey, but I reckon we really do represent the elements of friendship."

"Indeed you do," came a strong, majestic voice from the right side of the chamber.

Bronze Star and the six mares turned in the direction of the voice. At first, that part of the tower seemed to be deserted, as nopony was there. Then the group was met with a wonderful sight.

Through the windows, they could see a bright yellow light climbing up the horizon. It quickly expunged the surrounding darkness as it ascended. The Sun was rising in the distance. That provided a huge amount of relief to the mares, but the presence of the Sun was not what pleased Bronze Star the most. He realized that since the Sun had returned, that could only mean that a certain somepony had as well. A moment later, his notion was validated.

When the Sun reached its peak in the sky, another white light flashed through the tower. When the light faded, Princess Celestia appeared in its place. She stood before the seven young ponies and smiled down at them.

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy all bowed to her in reverence. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle remained standing, but they were overcome with joy.

"Princess Celestia," the lavender mare gasped.

She eagerly trotted over to the white Alicorn, but Bronze Star reached her first. He stated in elation "Mother! I… I was so worried about you. I'm so happy you're alright!"

Princess Celestia smiled down at him and said "I'm happy to see you're safe as well, Bronze Star. And I'm so proud of you. You've done a marvelous job of performing your royal duties."

Although he was still very enthusiastic, Bronze Star became a little perplexed by this statement. He asked his mother "What do you mean?"

"In my absence, you saw the town of Ponyville through this crisis," Celestia elucidated, "You never lost sight of your goals, you led these mares through the Everfree Forest, you overcame Nightmare Moon's efforts to stop you, and – as the garment you're wearing indicates – you demonstrated incontestable courage in all that time. You represent everything a true leader of Equestria should represent. I am honored to call you my son."

Bronze Star felt a tear of happiness and pride come to his eye. He threw his front legs around the Alicorn, hugged her tightly, and told her "I love you, Mother."

Celestia closed her eyes, returned the embrace, and told her son warmly "And I love you, my dear Prince."

The five mares in necklaces all went "Awwwwww…"

When Bronze Star pulled apart from his mother, the mare in the tiara stepped forward and had her turn to embrace the large mare. Celestia continued to smile and announced "Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. I knew you could do it. "

Although she did not refer to it directly, Twilight knew she was referring to the discovery of the Elements. She muttered in surprise "But... you told me it was all an old pony tale."

Princess Celestia calmly reminded her "I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart."

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle were intrigued by this. Celestia had forecasted this. She had not sent them to Ponyville just to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. Her real motivation for doing that was much greater. In her own way, she had enabled them to acquire the Elements of Harmony and the Shroud of Valor and use them to stop Nightmare Moon.

Celestia turned to the front of the tower and added in "Now if only another will as well. Princess Luna!"

Bronze Star and the six mares looked in the same direction. In all this time, they had not noticed that they were not alone. Although Nightmare Moon was gone, a slightly smaller Alicorn was lying at the base of the platform. She was surrounded by a small cloud of black smoke which was rapidly dissipating. She had a cobalt-type coat, an indigo-type mane, and light blue eyes. She was wearing two pairs of dark blue slippers, a black vest with a crescent moon on it, and a black tiara. Her cutie mark was a crescent moon surrounded by a patch of black. Bronze Star thought she looked strangely familiar. He tried to think where he had seen her before.

When she was addressed by name, the blue mare looked up and gasped in surprise. Princess Celestia gradually approached her and stated in her usual authoritative tone "It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister."

"Sister?" everypony else repeated in unison. Bronze Star then remembered where he saw the blue Alicorn before. Back in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, she had been in several of the stained-glass windows. Whenever she appeared in one, she had almost always been alongside Celestia. Bronze Star had always wondered who she was, but nopony ever told him, not even his mother. Now he understood why.

Celestia crouched down next to Princess Luna and asked her "Will you accept my friendship?"

There was a tense interval of silence as the white Alicorn waited for an answer. Bronze Star and the six mares leaned forward in interest, and Pinkie Pie leaned so far forward that she tripped. She fell onto her chest and said "Whoa!"

Luna gazed down at the ground for a short while. Then she rose to her feet, stood against the larger mare, and exclaimed "I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!"

She nuzzled against the white mare as tears started flowing from her eyes. Celestia's eyes quickly became wet as well. She sniffed once and said in response "I've missed you, too."

Bronze Star and the mares were touched by this display of affection. Pinkie Pie pulled a handkerchief out of nowhere and used it to blow her nose. Then she sobbed hysterically for about four seconds. Immediately after, she brightened up and announced "Hey, you know what this calls for?"

The other eight ponies turned to her, expecting her to continue. However, all they got was silence.

"What, Pinkie?" inquired Rainbow Dash.

"I'll tell you when we get back to Ponyville," the pink mare responded lightheartedly.

"That may be for the best," Twilight Sparkle remarked, "Although the Sun is back in the sky, Ponyville still needs to know that Princess Celestia is safe."

"Twilight's right," Bronze Star coincided, "We should get back to the town as soon as possible. But first, we should probably find Bellerophon."

Celestia turned to her son and queried "Why do you say that?"

"Less than an hour ago, we spotted a distress beacon," Bronze Star explained, "I sent Bellerophon to answer it, and he hasn't come back yet. I want to ascertain that he's alright."

"Oh, he's fine, Bronze Star," Celestia assured the gold stallion.

"How do you know that, Mother?" Bronze Star asked her.

Before the white Alicorn could respond, Princess Luna raised an eyebrow and muttered in interest "'Mother?'"

Although Luna had been present during Bronze Star's reunion with his mother, the blue Alicorn had not heard anything that had been said in the tower until her sister addressed her by name. She had noticed that Bronze Star was an Alicorn, but she had not considered the possibility that they were related.

Celestia gestured for her son to come forward. He complied and trotted towards the two mares. When he reached them, Celestia formally introduced her son and her sister to each other. "Luna, this is your nephew, Bronze Star. Bronze, this is your aunt, Princess Luna."

At first, Bronze Star and Luna merely gazed at each other, unsure of what to say. Then Bronze Star smiled and extended his right front hoof. Luna tentatively took his hoof in hers, and he shook it firmly. She slowly smiled in return and stated calmly "I don't know what to say… except thank you. Thank you for saving me from my own madness."

"There is no need to thank me," Bronze Star informed her. He gazed over his shoulder and stated "These mares are the ones who truly deserve your thanks. Still, I am delighted to meet you, Princess. I hope we'll have time to get better acquainted later on. But first, there is something else we need to discuss."

Bronze Star turned back to Celestia and enquired "How do you know Bellerophon is fine, Mother?"

"Essentially, it was because of him that I am here," Celestia expounded, "Do you by any chance know a mare named Noble Edict?"

"She's Ponyville's chief of security," Bronze Star replied.

"Did Noble Edict tell you about a cloud of energy she found in the Everfree Forest?" asked Celestia.

"Yes, she said it appeared out of nowhere a few days ago," the gold stallion recalled.

"I was being held prisoner inside that energy cloud," Celestia apprised him, "It was Bellerophon who made possible my release, along with Noble Edict and SIG Sauer."

"Noble and SIG were there, too?" Bronze Star noted.

"SIG Sauer was the one who launched the distress beacon," Celestia informed him, "Noble Edict and Bellerophon arrived shortly after. Together, the three of them managed to liberate me from the energy cloud."

"Well, bless them for that," Princess Luna commented.

Celestia lightly scoffed at this. Then she finished her explanation with "Once I was free, I did not linger for long. However, from what I could tell, Bellerophon was unharmed. As was Noble Edict."

"What about SIG Sauer?" Bronze Star inquired.

Celestia did not respond straightaway. Instead, she gazed off to the side, as if she was worried about how her answer would affect her son. This silence was enough to tell Bronze Star that something was wrong. He stepped forward and asked ruggedly "What happened?"

Celestia sighed and explained to her son "SIG Sauer was assaulted when he went to investigate the energy cloud. I do not know who his attackers were, but they wanted him dead. Although he managed to hold them off, one of them stabbed him in the chest."

"Is he…?" Bronze Star began anxiously.

"As far as I know, he is still alive" Celestia guaranteed the gold stallion, "However, when I left the site, he was quite weak and barely conscious. I ordered Bellerophon and Noble Edict to take SIG Sauer back to Ponyville so he could receive medical treatment."

Bronze Star took in everything his mother said. He looked around at the mares and declared "We have to get back to Ponyville now."

He started trotting over to the staircase on the other side of the tower. Before he was halfway there, Twilight Sparkle stopped him and said "Bronze, aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Your wings and horn are still visible," the lavender mare pointed out.

"So?" Bronze Star remarked a bit sarcastically.

"Don't you think the citizens of Ponyville will be a little… surprised to see that their ambassador has grown some new appendages?" Twilight Sparkle conjectured.

The male Alicorn realized she was right. Although Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash now knew who he really was, the rest of Ponyville was still oblivious to his true identity. He wanted to keep it that way, but that would not be possible if he showed up in Ponyville with his current guise. Before he went anywhere, he had to do something about that.

Bronze Star turned back to Celestia and asked her "Mother, do you suppose you could cast that illusion spell again?"

"I could, but not right now," the white mare replied, "A spell of that magnitude can only be performed once every twenty-four hours. I used it shortly before noon yesterday, and it's not even ten o'clock yet. It'll be at least two hours before I can cast the spell again."

"Okay," Bronze Star acknowledged. He let out a deep sigh and thought aloud "Looks like I'll need an alternative. How else can I keep my wings and horn hidden until twelve o'clock?"

"I might have half a solution," Twilight Sparkle proclaimed, "If you keep your wings folded and wear the Shroud of Valor over them, you may be able to let them go unnoticed."

"That sounds like a good idea," Bronze Star stated. He retracted his wings and pulled the Shroud of Valor over them. Then he adjusted the cloak so that the lump was unobtrusively concealed. After this, he pronounced "All I need now is something to cover my horn. Anypony got any ideas?"

Initially, nopony had anything to say. Then Applejack trotted over to the gold stallion, removed her Stetson, and held it out to him. She freely offered "You could borrow my hat, sugar cube."

Bronze Star was a little stunned by this proposal, but he was not resistant to it. He looked the orange pony in the eyes and asked her "You sure about that, Applejack?"

"Course I am," the farmer replied, "You just saved me and my friends from certain death. This is the very least I could do to thank you."

"Go ahead and take it," Rainbow Dash advised, "AJ doesn't part with her hat very often."

Bronze Star merely shrugged and accepted the Stetson. He placed it on his head so that it covered his forehead. Fortunately, it was tall enough to hide his horn. Once it was on properly, he asked the mares "How do I look?"

Rarity looked away and held her hoof over her eyes. She muttered in displeasure "I must say, that hat does not go with that exercise uniform or that cloak."

None of the others considered herself a fashion critic, so they had no complaints about Bronze Star's disguise.

"Now that that's settled, shall we travel to Ponyville?" Princess Luna proposed.

This was the third time somepony had made this suggestion. This time, nopony objected to it.

…

It had taken Bronze Star and the six mares more than three hours to find the Castle of the Two Sisters in the dark. In the light, they managed to get back to Ponyville with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in under one hour.

When they arrived at the border of the Everfree Forest, Luna requested for the group to stop. She was hesitant about going any further because she was nervous about how the locals would react to her presence. In a way, she had the same problem as Bronze Star, but it was not her wings or horn that she was worried about showing in public. Instead, it was her face, but there was no way she could hide that.

Luna knew that there was no way she could avoid appearing in public, but whenever she did, she wanted to leave everypony with the right impression of her. She felt that just showing up so suddenly would not have been an ideal way to accomplish that goal.

Bronze Star suggested letting the Ponyvillians know in advance that Luna was coming, and that she was coming with Celestia. He proposed that he and the six younger mares feed this news to the town while the two princesses remained at the edge of the Forest. The eight mares all approved of this strategy, so they agreed to it.

Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash went back to Ponyville together. They thought about how they would break the news that Celestia was returning and that she was bringing her long-lost sister with her. They considered just spreading the word throughout the town, but they felt that this approach would be too time-consuming, even if they split up. So instead, they decided to gather everypony in one place, and once the entire town was present, Bronze Star would make an announcement.

When they entered the town, they immediately discovered that the overall mood was much livelier than it had been when they left. The townspeople were starting to come out of their homes, and the Royal Guard had loosened up their security grid. Noble Edict's officers were still patrolling some of the larger civic buildings. Bronze Star and the mares soon reached the center of the neighborhood and separated there. They each headed to a different part of the town and went door-to-door instructing the ponies in that area to assemble in the town square.

Bronze Star encountered Bellerophon near Town Hall. The palomino stallion was talking with the mayor, but when he noticed the gold stallion approaching him, he excused himself from their conversation and gave the prince his attention.

Both stallions were very busy, but they took a moment to fill each other in on certain events. Bellerophon informed Bronze Star that SIG Sauer had been rushed to Ponyville Hospital. Although he was no longer in any danger, Noble Edict had stayed with the pine green Unicorn. In turn, Bronze Star enlightened Bellerophon on how he and the six mares managed to locate all of the Elements of Harmony and use them to vanquish Nightmare Moon. He also explained the relevance of the Shroud of Valor.

When Bronze Star mentioned that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were at the edge of the Everfree Forest waiting to enter the town, Bellerophon suggested sending out a chariot to carry them in. Bronze Star liked this idea. After all, Celestia and Luna were going to appear in public together for the first time in a millennium; they may as well make a grand entrance.

Bellerophon left Town Hall to find a chariot and two available members of the Royal Guard. Before he left the building, Bronze Star informed the mayor that he planned to make an announcement in the town square. Since most of the townsfolk were still unacquainted with him, he was hoping that she could formally introduce him to them. She gladly agreed to do so.

Twenty minutes later, Bronze Star met up with the six mares in the town square. He saw that the town square had been decorated with streamers, banners, balloons, and many other adornments. Evidently, Pinkie Pie had been multitasking. He also noticed that Twilight Sparkle had removed her tiara, and the other mares had removed their necklaces. They had done this because the townsfolk had been asking too many questions about the Elements. For now, they were keeping them in the library.

Bronze Star did not have this problem. Nopony seemed particular interested in the Shroud of Valor. The most he got from anypony was an occasional derisive comment about his attire. Truth be told, he was expecting those. A cowboy hat, a combat uniform, and an antique cloak could hardly constitute a matching set of clothes.

One of the mayor's aides had moved a podium to the middle of the town square. The mayor stepped up to it and cleared her throat. Then she broadcasted "My fellow Ponyvillians, the events of the past few hours have been extremely hectic on all of us. Nopony can deny that. However, there is no need to be afraid any longer. The worst is now behind us. The Sun is in the sky, and better yet, the mare responsible for that is very nearby. Here to provide more explicit details on this matter is Ponyville's temporary new ambassador, Gold Streak."

Mayor Mare turned to the gold stallion, held a hoof out to him, and stated "Mr. Ambassador, if you would…?"

Bronze Star nodded and took her place on the podium. He slowly gazed around at the massive crowd before him. With the exception of some of the hospital's staff and Noble Edict's security forces, the entire town was gathered there. He had given speeches in public before, but most of the time, the audience was a small platoon from the army, navy, or another branch of the military. He had never given a speech to a crowd of this magnitude. Plus, back in Canterlot, everypony knew who he was. Here, he was the stranger; only a hoofful of ponies had even met him.

Fortunately, he was used to crowds and new faces. In the long run, he hardly considered these to be complexities. After a few moments' silence, he began his speech with "Please forgive my apparel."

Most of the audience laughed at this opening statement. All of them had noticed Bronze Star's rather unusual appearance, and some were wondering why he was dressed that way. Although it was mostly irrelevant to the matter at hand, Bronze Star just wanted to clear the air before he got to the important part.

Once the laughter died down, Bronze Star continued with "I am pleased to see that you are all still capable of being amused. That's a sign that even amidst this terrible ordeal, you have all retained our hope. And in everyday life, hope is everything. Hope is what drives our ambitions. Hope is what motivates us to prosper. Hope is what sees us through the present. Hope… is why we are no longer in danger."

Bronze Star paused for a moment to allow these words to sink in. Then he continued with "As you know, less than six hours ago, Nightmare Moon appeared in this very town. She eloquently declared that she was hard-set on blotting out the Sun for eternity. As you can see, her plot failed. That is all because of ten very heroic ponies. My colleagues Bellerophon, SIG Sauer, and Twilight Sparkle and I teamed up with your own Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Noble Edict. Working together, we overpowered Nightmare Moon and ended her plot. Now the Sun has returned, and so has Princess Celestia. You'll be pleased to know that she will be here very soon."

At this last statement, many murmurs of excitement, relief, and happiness came from the crowd. Clearly, everypony was elated to hear this news.

After about twenty seconds, Bronze Star raised his front hoof for silence. Then he continued with "You should know that she is not coming alone. When Nightmare Moon was beaten, she did not simply disappear. Instead, she transformed back into Princess Luna, Celestia's sister. Luna has repented for her past actions, and she has renounced her lust for power. She is not to be a target of your fear and contempt any longer. When she enters the town, I would ask that you greet her the same way you would greet Celestia. Is that understood?"

There was a collective mutter of agreement throughout the audience. Some were a little hesitant, but they were willing to comply. Bronze Star smiled and wrapped up his speech with "Please remain where you are. I shall return shortly."

Then he stepped off the podium and trotted towards the Everfree Forest. The six mares accompanied him. So did a few of the other citizens, such as the grey blonde cross-eyed Pegasus Bronze Star saw at the Ponyville library. Despite Bronze Star's request, some of the other ponies were too eager to wait to see Celestia.

When they reached the edge of the Everfree Forest, the group found that Celestia and Luna were not alone. Bellerophon and two Royal Guards had arrived with a chariot, which the princesses were standing on. There was still room on the chariot for two normal-sized ponies, so the princesses invited Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle to ride with them.

Before the Royal Guard started pulling the chariot towards the town, a thought flashed through Bronze Star's mind. He gazed down at Pinkie Pie and asked her "Hey, Pinkie, you remember earlier, when you said 'you know what this calls for?'"

"Yeah, I remember that," the pink mare replied.

"You told us you would give us the answer when we all returned to Ponyville," Bronze Star recalled, "So, what does this situation call for?"

Pinkie Pie gave a wide smile, galloped towards the town, and produced two bunches of confetti out of nowhere. She tossed the confetti into the air and yelled "A party!"

The sounds of jubilant music and cheering filled the air. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and the ponies who had joined them all trotted into town. Bellerophon and the Royal Guard followed close behind. Many of the town's pedestrians waved at the chariot's occupants as it passed by. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle waved in return, but the princesses remained motionless.

When the chariot reached the town square, it stopped. Everypony stamped their feet in praise and delight. Two small fillies took a necklace of flowers, flew up to Princess Luna, and placed the necklace around her neck. The blue Alicorn seemed a little perplexed, but she smiled in gratitude at the fillies. By this point, Spike had joined the crowd. When Bronze and Twilight stepped off the chariot, the baby dragon ran over to the lavender mare and hugged her tightly. Bronze Star smirked and patted Spike on the back.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie gathered behind the three of them. Then they all turned their attention to the chariot. Princess Celestia got off of it and approached the group. She was focusing on all of them, but her attention was primarily on her son and her apprentice.

Bronze Star was grinning as widely as anypony else there. However, Twilight Sparkle did not seem to share his joy. She was perhaps the only person in the entire crowd who was not smiling.

Princess Celestia inquired in concern "Why so glum, my faithful student? Are you not happy that your quest is complete and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?"

"That's just it," Twilight Sparkle responded. She gazed over her shoulder at the others and expounded, "Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them."

Bronze Star understood what she meant, and so did Princess Celestia. Luckily, the tall white Alicorn was very wise; she soon thought up a solution for this dilemma. She said to the young dragon "Spike, take a note, please."

Twilight's assistant quickly took up a quill and parchment. He wrote down everything Celestia said: "I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville."

A look of utter joy came across Twilight Sparkle's face. The other five mares gathered around her and cheered in happiness. The lavender mare told her mentor gratefully "Oh thank you, Princess Celestia! I'll study harder than ever before."

Princess Celestia merely nodded in acknowledgement. Then she turned to her son. He was gazing up at her hopefully, as if he was expecting her to say something else. As it turned out, she did. When Spike was ready, Celestia continued with "And furthermore, let the record show that Gold Streak is to be recognized from this day forward as Canterlot's official ambassador to Ponyville. May he continue to represent the qualities of unity and leadership as he represents this marvelous town."

Bronze Star smiled in appreciation as Spike finished the letter, rolled it up, and marked it with the royal seal. All around him, the surrounding ponies cheered. He gazed up at Celestia and stated in a formal tone "It will be my honor, Princess."

…

Although the wave of fear in Ponyville had lifted, there was still plenty of stress to go around. For instance, Ponyville Hospital had been reopened for less than an hour, and the staff already had a new patient. His name was SIG Sauer, and he was a government agent from Canterlot. Some of them had seen him earlier that morning at Town Hall, but outside of his name and occupation, they did not know anything about him. The town's chief of security Noble Edict and Princess Celestia's chief of staff Bellerophon had brought him in. Bellerophon had left shortly after this, but Noble Edict had stayed at the hospital.

At this time, a female Earth Pony with a white coat, a pink mane, blue eyes, a nurse's hat, and a red cross for a cutie mark was seated at the receptionist desk in the lobby. She was studying the contents of a clipboard in silence. Apart from the occasional security guard making his rounds, she had been alone for the past forty-five minutes.

At one point, she heard the front entrance open. The Earth Pony looked up, expecting to see one or two of her fellow Ponyvillians enter. Instead, four members of the Royal Guard stepped inside. The nurse watched as they split into pairs and stood on either side of the entrance. Then Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Bellerophon, Spike, and a few more of the Royal Guard passed into the room.

The white Earth Pony quickly rose to her feet out of respect. Princess Celestia calmly approached the desk and stated "Excuse me, Nurse…"

"Red Heart, Your Highness," the nurse replied, "I believe I speak for everypony in this building when I say that we are relieved to see you."

"Thank you, Nurse," the white Alicorn remarked, "But right now, it is not myself I am concerned for. We are here for one of your patients. I am certain you know which."

Nurse Red Heart nodded, picked up her clipboard, and stated "Come with me, please."

Celestia and her company followed Red Heart through the adjoining corridor. As they walked, she informed them "Mr. Sauer is in the Emergency Room. He's being prepared for surgery right now."

"Who will be performing the operation?" Bronze Star inquired.

"That would be Doctor Sharp Seams," Red Heart responded, "He's the surgeon on duty. If you have any questions about Mr. Sauer's condition, you should direct them to him."

"Where can we find him?" asked Celestia.

"Right here, Your Highness," said a voice from the intersecting hallway. Everypony turned and saw a male Earth Pony approaching them. He had a tan coat, a teal mane, orange eyes, and a scalpel for a cutie mark. He was dressed entirely in scrubs. He turned to the white Earth Pony and told her "I'll take it from here, Nurse."

Red Heart nodded and headed back to the lobby. The tan stallion led Celestia and the others to the Emergency Room. On the way, he apprised them "Mr. Sauer is looking at a minimum of three hours in surgery. The damage inflicted by that knife was extensive. The blade pierced through a cluster of nerves in his midsection. There's also evidence of severely torn ligaments and internal bleeding. An X-ray revealed that at least one of his ribs was broken. We are hoping to begin operating as soon as possible."

"Couldn't you start now?" Bronze Star queried.

"If the stab wound was the only problem, we could," Sharp Seams informed him, "However, there's another, more serious complication we must account for. When Mr. Sauer was stabbed, a deadly poison was administered into his bloodstream. It's slowly eating away at the oxygen in his red blood cells. We've got him on life support for now, but we'll have to remove the poison soon. Otherwise he'll succumb to oxygen deprivation."

"So, what type of procedure do you have in mind?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Ideally, we'll have to fix both problems at once," Sharp Seams explicated, "We're going to patch up the open injury and extract the toxin from his bloodstream simultaneously."

"Sounds like a risky approach," Bronze Star remarked, "Can you give us any type of prognosis, Doctor? Any idea of what SIG's chances may be?"

Sharp Seams did not respond straightaway. They walked in silence for a while, but when they reached the door to the Emergency Room, the surgeon turned to the others and told them "Mr. Sauer's chances are not very promising. But I can assure you that my trauma team and I will do everything we can to save him. If you'll excuse me now, I need to speak to the anesthesiologist."

Doctor Seams opened the door to the Emergency Room and went inside. Although this area was restricted to medical personnel only, there was a window on the wall next to the ER's door. This allowed Princess Celestia and her companions to observe everything that happened inside. Half a dozen other physicians were there, all of them clad in scrubs as well. They were busy moving tools and equipment around an operating table. They were already ready to save a life. All they need now was a patient.

A few minutes later, they got one. Three more doctors wheeled in a bed. SIG Sauer was lying flat on his back on top of it. He was dressed in a hospital gown, and an oxygen mask was over his face. His eyes were shut and he lay totally motionless, but he was still conscious.

The three doctors who brought SIG Sauer into the room rolled him to the center of the room. Three of the other doctors helped them move the pine green stallion from the bed to the operating table. Once he was secure, Sharp Seams inserted an IV into SIG's left front hoof and told one of his colleagues "Alright, put him under."

This doctor – obviously the anesthesiologist – stepped up to the IV bag and used a syringe to administer the anesthesia. The drugs quickly took effect; SIG Sauer felt himself become quite drowsy. However, he still had just enough strength to tilt his head to the left. When he did, he saw Princess Celestia and Bronze Star standing at the window to the room. The sight of his leaders together and unharmed was enough to set his mind at ease, and he managed to form a weak smile on his face.

Bronze Star tried to smile back, but he could not even bring himself to beam. SIG Sauer's smile soon dropped and he lost consciousness. The doctor at the front of the table turned his head away so that it was facing the ceiling. Then Sharp Seams commenced the operation.

Princess Celestia decided that she and her associates did not have to watch anymore. They left SIG Sauer and his trauma team to their work. However, their business at the hospital was not yet concluded. They still needed some clarity on who attacked SIG, and what their motivation was.

The group made their way to the security office, which was where Noble Edict was waiting for them. Princess Celestia ordered her guards to remain outside. Then she, Princess Luna, Bronze Star, Bellerophon, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike entered the room.

Noble Edict was leaning against the wall, shuffling through some files. She looked up at the five ponies and the dragon as they joined her. When she saw Bronze Star, she scoffed and cheekily remarked "I hope that costume is not how you dress everyday… Your Highness."

Bronze Star was alarmed by this remark. "You know…?"

As Noble Edict nodded, Bellerophon enlightened him "Due to some… extenuating circumstances, we saw it necessary to bring her into the circle."

"Don't worry, sir," the red Earth Pony told the gold Alicorn, "I have not told anypony else. The only ones in this town who know are the seven of us and Mr. Sauer."

"Actually, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity all know, as well," Bronze Star informed her.

"I should have guessed, seeing as how you're wearing Applejack's hat," Noble Edict commented.

"Yeah, she was kind enough to lend it to me," Bronze Star illuminated. He removed Applejack's hat, set it down on a table, and stated "I'll give it back to her later. For now, we have business to discuss."

"I'll say we do," commented Spike, "Before you guys came back, the last thing I remember was collapsing at Town Hall. What happened since then?"

"In a nutshell, we eliminated Nightmare Moon, we rescued Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and SIG Sauer was assaulted," Twilight Sparkle apprised him.

"Let's start with that last issue," Bronze Star proposed. He turned to Noble Edict and Bellerophon and demanded "Who's the scumbag responsible for putting SIG in this hospital?"

"Scumbags, plural," Noble Edict corrected him, "There were five of them total. Three of them moved to Ponyville about two weeks ago. Their names were Soapstone, Petal Picker, and Dense Miasma. The identities of the other two suspects are currently unknown."

"What were they doing out there?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Luring SIG Sauer into a trap," Noble Edict replied.

"Why?" asked Bronze Star in concern.

"They needed his blood," Bellerophon replied.

Obviously, these vague, concise answers were rather inadequate. Spike and Princess Luna knew nothing of this matter. Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star knew a marginal amount, and Princess Celestia only knew a little more. Even Bellerophon and Noble Edict did not have the full facts, but they did have enough to fill in the blanks on their own. The two of them started at the beginning, and quickly brought the others up to speed.

They covered everything from Noble's discovery of the energy cloud to when she, Bellerophon, and SIG Sauer managed to free Celestia from it. Once they were done with their explanation, everypony and Spike was left stunned.

"This is quite a lot to process," Twilight commented.

"Indeed," Bronze Star observed, "But are you certain that SIG Sauer is safe?"

"Yes, all five of the people who attacked him are dead," Noble Edict notified him, "I sent out some of my agents to retrieve their bodies. My hope is that their autopsies will reveal something more."

"But I thought you just said SIG was no longer in danger," Spike pointed out.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean the danger is gone altogether," Bellerophon clarified, "We suspect that this conspiracy might not be over yet. The amount of planning and detail that went into it is extraordinary. Even more extraordinary was the conspirators' level of commitment to this plot. One of them was willing to take her own life to ensure its success."

"Then she died for nothing," Princess Luna perceived, "Such a shame she chose to throw her life away like that. But I know firsthand what obsession can do to people."

"The difference is that you were saved, Your Highess," Bellerophon pointed out, "That mare was already too far gone when she swallowed that poison. Even if we tried to talk her out of it, she would not have listened to us."

"Well, at any rate, that mare's well-being is insignificant in the long-run," Bronze Star declared.

Now that the matter of the energy sphere had been explained, Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle had their turn to recall everything they had been through in the Everfree Forest. Bellerophon was able to assist them up until the part about SIG Sauer's beacon. The two younger ponies had to recount how they had acquired the Elements of Harmony and the Shroud of Valor on their own.

Partway through the explanation, Bronze Star got out a quill and three sheets of parchment from his knapsack. He wanted to take advantage of his horn while he still had it, so he used his magic to write on the parchment with the quill. Nopony interrupted him by asking what he was doing.

By the time he and Twilight wrapped up their elucidation, Bronze Star had finished writing on the parchment. He rolled up the three pieces individually and fastened them with the royal seal. Then he wrote down a few more lines on the front of each of them.

Spike stepped up to the prince and asked him in interest "What are you up to, Bronze?"

"There are three people who need to know about what happened to SIG Sauer," the gold stallion revealed, "All of them live in Canterlot, so I'm sending each of them a letter."

"Since they're all in Canterlot, I could mail them for you," Spike offered.

"I appreciate the offer, Spike," Bronze Star told the dragon, "But the recipients are all very close to SIG Sauer. They need to be assured that we are just as concerned about him as they are going to be. I believe the best way to do that would be if somepony physically brought them these letters."

"You can leave that to me, sir," Bellerophon proposed, walking over to the gold stallion, "Your mother and I will be going back to Canterlot once the Summer Sun Celebration is over. I could see to it that the letters reach their destinations. In fact, I'll personally deliver them myself."

"Alright, Bellerophon," the male Alicorn coincided. He held the scrolls out to the tall Pegasus.

As Bellerophon took the scrolls in his front hooves, he stated "Out of curiosity, who are these three individuals and why is it so important that they know about SIG?"

"I've written their addresses and names on the front of the scrolls," Bronze Star illuminated, "Take a look at them."

Bellerophon examined the front of each scroll. They were all addressed to a different foundation. The first was to the Military Enforcement Corps. The second was to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. The third was to the Intelligence Bureau. The addresses alone gave Bellerophon an idea as to who the recipients were, and when he read the names, his suspicions were confirmed. Both his questions were answered at once.

Bellerophon looked down at Bronze Star and assured him "You can count on me, my prince. I'll have these delivered by tonight."

"Thank you, Bellerophon" the gold stallion remarked in appreciation, "If any of them have a response, please tell them they can forward it to me through Spike."

Bellerophon acknowledged this request and tucked the scrolls between his wings. Twilight then checked the time and noted it was past twelve o'clock in the afternoon. Enough time had elapsed for Celestia to perform the illusion spell again. When Bronze Star was ready, his mother cast the spell on his wings and horn, rendering them incapable of being detected visually or physically once more.

By now, there were only two more topics that needed to be discussed. First, there was the matter of the artifacts that had been found in the abandoned fortress. Princess Celestia decided she would take the Elements of Harmony back to Canterlot, but the Shroud of Valor would stay with Bronze Star in Ponyville. This was not because she only trusted her son to keep his relic safe. She merely felt that these objects were so powerful that it would be too dangerous for anypony outside of the Canterlot Royalty to possess them. Twilight Sparkle did not protest, and she was certain the other mares would not either.

The other subject had to do with Princess Luna. While the blue Alicorn was overjoyed to have been reunited with Celestia and vice versa, she was still unsure about going with her sister to Canterlot right after the Summer Sun Celebration. She had never been to Canterlot before, but she could imagine that she would attract quite a lot of attention everywhere she went. Even if it was nothing but adoration and praise, she was still not ready for that kind of publicity. She wanted to spend a few days in the company of as few ponies as possible before she faced the huge crowds at the capital city. She was not certain how she would manage this, though.

This time, Bronze Star came up with a solution. He invited his aunt to move in with him at the embassy. He told her that she would be welcome there for as long as she wanted to stay. Luna was a little hesitant at first, but Bronze Star insisted that there was plenty of room and that she would not be imposing. Plus, he wanted to get to know her better. Truth be told, Luna wanted to become more familiar with her nephew as well, so she eagerly accepted Bronze Star's invitation.

Now that everything of precedence had been resolved, the six ponies and the dragon decided to go back outside. After all, the Summer Sun Celebration was still going on; they may as well join in on the festivities. Even Luna agreed to participate.

They stepped out of the office and headed towards the front entrance. Along the way, they encountered one of Noble Edict's operatives. He asked the red mare for a moment of her time, telling her it was urgent that he speak to her. Noble Edict assured him that whatever he had to say to her, he could also say it in front of Princess Celestia, her sister, her chief of staff, her ambassador to Ponyville, her apprentice, and her apprentice's assistant.

The stallion reluctantly agreed and walked alongside her. Then he announced "We just finished retrieving the bodies from the Everfree Forest."

"Excellent," commented Ponyville's chief of security, "Did you have any difficulty bringing them in?"

"No, they were right where you said they were," the stallion informed her. After a moment of silence, he anxiously added in "All four of them."

At that, Noble Edict halted in her tracks, as did the others in her group. She slowly turned to her agent and uttered quietly "Did you say four?"

"Yes, ma'am," he affirmed

"When we left that clearing, there were five bodies," Bellerophon recalled.

"That's why I'm here," the agent apprised them, "When our team got there, one of them was missing."

"Which ones did you bring in?" queried Bronze Star.

"Soapstone, Petal Picker, Dense Miasma, and that huge one with no head," the agent replied.

"What about the cloaked mare?" asked Noble Edict.

"She wasn't there," the agent responded simply.

Comments

[Slashwing]

this was quite a good chapter even if I got lost closer to the end then I would have liked the talking seems to be getting better but this was more of it in this chapter so im not that sure

[The Infinity Doctor]

I find it interesting how everything tied together at the end of this arc, and the ending followed (but not too closely, which is a good thing, in my opinion) the end of 'Friendship is Magic'. I can only guess how the hooded pony will cause trouble for the six, as well as the rest of Equestria. You weren't afraid to kill off characters, even if they were just side characters as a part of the cult. I applaud you for that, I can't seem to do that, no matter how hard I try. Overall an interesting turn of events, now that the six know Bronze's true identity. I have to ask though, how will Spike know? Or will Twilight just tell him? Guess I'll have to find out later.