• Published 12th Oct 2014
  • 3,852 Views, 518 Comments

DayBreak - MyHobby



After an attempt is made on Celestia's life, Twilight Sparkle must assemble a team to track down the assassin and bring her to justice. Danger awaits as they delve into the origins of both the attacker and alicorns.

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Speech

Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes against the chilling breeze that flowed through the Crystal Empire’s capitol. Snowflakes alighted her snout, only to disappear at a soft breath. She lifted her hooves to secure Rainbow Dash’s white scarf around her scarred throat. Stars twinkled overhead, bringing her a familiar comfort. She tried to focus on them, to give herself a brief respite from the problems she faced down below.

“Are you sure you wanna go, Twilie?”

The chuff of a steam engine overpowered the whistling wind. Twilight Sparkle lowered her ears and sent a glance at Blueblood’s private airship. The Sky’s Limit was being loaded with supplies and cargo for a return journey to Equestria, at Princess Twilight’s request.

She nodded to Shining Armor and stared at her hooves. She tried to speak, but even her strongest breath let out less than a whisper. “I need to make sure Mom and Dad…

She shook her head and reached into her saddlebags. Numbed hooves grasped the notepad while her trembling lips scribbled a quick message. Need to see if parents okay.

The chatter of Silver Lance and Twilight Amore carried over from the airship’s boarding ramp. They clamored after Rainbow Dash, assaulting her with questions about the Wonderbolts and movies and anything else that popped into their heads. Rainbow laughed right from her belly, answering their questions in her usual boisterous manner. Stories of incredible races and tidbits from the next Daring Do film kept them enthralled.

Shining Armor sat down and watched his children for a moment. He tilted his head towards his little sister. “I should have been there.”

She frowned and let out a tiny sigh. She brought her eyebrows together.

“If I had been there, maybe I could have given them some backup. I could have shown that assassin character what happens when they mess with the Sparkle family like this.” He swallowed hard and scuffed his hoof along the ground. “Instead, I was here…”

Brother and sister sat in silence, which was broken by distant laughter of kids staying up too late.

“You have to be careful, okay?” Shining Armor touched her shoulder. “You have to come out the other end of this, got it? St-stay with your friends at all times, or keep close to Aunt Yearling, or stick by the guards you trust. Just stay safe. I don’t know what I would do if you—”

Twilight Sparkle wrapped her forearms around him and pressed her face against his neck. Tears dripped from her eyes onto his coat.

He returned the hug. “I want to come with you. I wish I could. So bad.”

Twilight nodded. She flapped her wings to clear them of snow and took a step back from her brother. An ear perked up at the sound of approaching hooves.

Blueblood, Cadence, and Skyhook cantered across the landing field. Skyhook bowed to Twilight. “The ship’s almost stocked, Your Highness. We’ll be making the journey back to Equestria within the hour.”

Turning to Cadence, he added, “I’ll accompany Princess Twilight back home. I’m leaving Lieutenant Caution Tape in charge of Celestia’s security. If you have any questions, he’s the stallion you want to see. Will you be joining us, Prince Blueblood?”

Blueblood waved a hoof, staring up at his ship. “Oh, no, no. I’m staying close to Auntie. I’m just… saying goodbye.”

Cadence gave him a soft smile. “You’re gonna miss the Sky’s Limit, huh?”

“I… have this odd feeling,” Blueblood said, “like I might never see her again.”

Shining Armor gave him a half-grin. “You aren’t precognitive, are you, Cous’?”

“I hope to the Creator I’m not.” Blueblood bobbed his head to Twilight. “You take care of yourself—”

Twilight grabbed him in a quick hug, which shut him up with a whoosh of breath. She hopped over to Cadence next, and gave her a nuzzle to boot.

Cadence returned the tight embrace. She whispered into Twilight’s ear. “Whatever happens, whatever occurs, remember that your friends are with you wherever you are. In spirit, but also when you physically need us. If you find yourself sinking, hold on to us. We’re the dry ground.”

Twilight wiped her eyes. She placed a quick kiss on Cadence’s cheek, and did the same to Shining Armor. She gave a wave to Blueblood, and then trotted off to the boarding ramp, Skyhook close behind. The wind intensified as the ship’s propellers whirred. Shining held his wife and children close. Blueblood held a hoof up to keep his flowing bangs out of his eyes.

Rainbow Dash flitted about, building up their cloud-cover shield as she went. Before long, the Sky’s Limit was lost in the skyline.

Blueblood shrugged on a red cloak to keep out the biting cold. “I don’t believe sending her back there is wise.”

“Have you ever tried to keep Twilight from what she wants?” Shining Armor shook his head. “It’s safer this way for everybody.”

“Shiny…” Cadence patted Lance and Amore from behind, urging them ahead. Once they were at a respectable distance, she flicked an ear downward. “This is serious. I kind of agree with Blueblood. This is borderline dumb. We’re sending her right back to where she got attacked.”

“We’re not sending her anywhere; she made the decision on her own.” Shining Armor chewed his bottom lip. “No matter how much I argued.”

“You should have included me,” Cadence said. “If I had been there—”

“It’s Twilight.” Shining Armor glanced up at the moon as it peeked out from behind a cloud. “It’s arguing with Twilight.”

“Which you’ve done successfully—”

“In the face of overwhelming evidence.” Shining met Cadence’s eyes, his eyebrows feeling heavy on his forehead. “And I can only point out that she almost died so many times before it rings hollow.”

Blueblood coughed.

Shining Armor sent him a glare. “Does the back row have something to say to the class?”

Blueblood rolled his eyes. “Don’t get your chainmail in a knot. May I respectfully request we move past decisions that have already been made and focus on the ones that have yet to be decided?”

“Oh, kiss my cutie—”

“Boys,” Cadence said with a low, deliberate voice, “the insults aren’t helping anybody’s case.”

Shining snapped his mouth shut. He swallowed hard before speaking again. “It’s been a week since we got the news about Mom and Dad. She isn’t just rushing into this. She’s planned it. She’s coordinated with Luna. She is absolutely sure of herself.”

Blueblood shook snow from his overcoat. “Whatever we need to tell ourselves to be able to sleep at night.” He rubbed his head beneath his horn. “I suppose it’ll do more good to worry over Auntie’s condition.”

Cadence rested a wing across his back. “They’ll find a heart before the last week is through. Believe it, Blueblood.”

“We don’t have a week to diddle around with,” he hissed. “We have days before she runs out of magic. Days. And then she’ll just… fade.”

They paused before the towering structure of the Crystal Palace. It reached high into the sky, burning with light from within. Silver and Twilight were already pattering up the stairs towards their rooms, where they’d spend the night with wide smiles on their faces.

Blueblood passed through the four pillars holding the building up and stepped into the courtyard. The Crystal Heart hovered in the center. It rotated slowly as sparks of magic drifted off it to the ground. He leaned against a pillar and stared at the artifact.

Shining Armor walked to the entrance. He paused at the first step. “You coming?”

“I’ll catch up.” Blueblood huddled into his coat. “I just need a moment to myself.”

Shining shrugged and trotted upwards. Cadence gave Blueblood a quick glance, let out a hum, and followed her husband.

The Heart turned, and Blueblood sighed. His horn tingled in the presence of the immense magic flowing through the device. If he looked to the horizon, he could see an aurora of magical colors shimmering against the dark sky. Energy filled the air, touching every living thing. Every crystal and mountain. Every forest and ocean.

“Magic, magic everywhere, and not a spark for Aunt Celestia.”

Blueblood gritted his teeth. He reached out to touch the Heart with a spell. His shimmering blue magic was swallowed up by the crystal, drawn in like water to a sponge. He couldn’t grasp it, because it merely added his power to the immense reserves within, to be released when the Crystal Empire was in danger.

To be released at the command of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

Blueblood grunted. “Oh, Queen Platinum, if you only knew where your glorious lineage has found itself.”

“I don’t think she’d be too disappointed.”

Blueblood glanced up. Fleur circled around the heart, two steaming mugs carried in her magical grip. She set one beside him and settled herself against the same pillar. “She would see that her kingdom and her family have been well taken care of.”

“Perhaps, but wasn’t it her family’s job to care for her kingdom?” Blueblood waved a hoof indiscriminately. “Fat lot of good we’ve contributed to that.”

Fleur blew on her drink before taking a ginger sip. “It’s hard to follow up Sombra…”

“Yes, but it goes beyond the Crystal Empire.” Blueblood took a swig and spit it out instantly. “Bleugh! What in the blazes—?”

“It’s something for your headache.” Fleur nodded with a wry smile. “Drink up. Come on.”

Blueblood wrinkled his snout. “As I was saying… Ever since Periwinkle abdicated and gave the kingdom to the alicorns, we’ve done nothing but live off of the Royal Treasury and fly airships.” He slapped a hoof against the ground. “And then the right proper original pony kingdom reappears and… and Celestia doesn’t even consider reinstating my crown…”

Fleur pressed her lips tight and stared at her brew. If Blueblood looked closely, he could see her chewing the inside of her cheek.

“Alright, spit it out,” he said. “Let whatever comment you have come out and have its day.”

“I…” Fleur brushed a lock of mane behind her ear. “I don’t believe she was… I mean, it was probably… She was right, wasn’t she?”

Blueblood lowered his eyebrows and turned to the Crystal Heart.

“Cadence has been training since her ascension, and you…” She took a gulp. “You aren’t the most experienced statespony—”

“Oh, imagine that.” Blueblood laughed. “Imagine that the pony who hasn’t received a single responsibility in his life is bad at handling responsibility. Imagine!”

“Then maybe you should take some responsibility!” Fleur coughed before swallowing a bit of her bitter drink. She flicked her eyes to her husband, then tilted her ears against her scalp. “Not in the kingdom, but in your own life. Do something with what you have.”

“I can only make so many investments.” Blueblood scoffed, scowling into his mug. “I can only attend so many business meetings. Dulcimer handles that for the most part, regardless.”

“You rely on that stallion too much.”

Blueblood clicked his tongue. “Who else do I have to rely on?”

Fleur de Lis breathed deep and let it out with a huff. “Finish your tea, Husband.”

“Maybe I can start taking charge right this second.” He lifted his nose into the air. “I can take the responsibility to never drink this disgusting herbal mishap every again.”

Fleur rolled her eyes and took the mug from him. “I could add honey if that would help…”

“Unlikely.” Blueblood tossed his mane with a snort. “I don’t know what benefit it is to trade a migraine for an upset stomach.”

Fleur stood up. She set her jaw and turned towards the stairs. “I’m going to bed. I suspect you’ll be along shortly?”

“Don’t wait up.” Blueblood laid his stomach on the ground and rested his chin on his forelegs. “I’m going to take a quiet moment to think.”

“Fine.” Fleur stomped a hoof. “Fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Blueblood wrinkled his forehead as he watched her set off at a fast clip-clop. He lifted his eyes to the Crystal Heart’s gentle gyrations. “Why do I get the feeling I’m missing something important?”

***

Rainbow Dash soared through the Sky’s Limit’s open loading ramp. Her hooves touched wood and came to a rumbling, running stop. The cloud-cover was looking pretty slick, even if she said so herself, which meant it would be smooth sailing the rest of the way to Canterlot.

She hopped her way up to the observation deck and let herself flop onto her back. She let out a prolonged, over-exaggerated moan. “Whoa, I am bushed!

She opened one eye to see the lone alicorn passenger of the vessel. Soldiers and sailors spared her a glance, then went about their duties. Twilight Sparkle didn’t move, aside from a slight twitch of her ear.

Rainbow rolled onto her belly and scooted her way to Twilight’s side. “Okay, so maybe a standing ovation wasn’t in the cards, but you gotta admit I did a good job, right? I mean, that’s some classic ‘Rainbow Dash’ outside that window.”

Twilight gave her a slight nod.

“’Cuz weather manipulation’s always been a hobby of mine. And vocation.” Rainbow Dash tapped her hooves together. “It’s just something I do pretty good. Usually turns out alright. Usually.”

Twilight shrugged. Her wings shivered against her back, knocking loose a feather.

Rainbow trailed the feather’s fall with her eyes. She spread her wings and waved a hoof. “So we’ve got a couple days before we arrive. Sounds like the perfect time to plan all the fun things we’re gonna do when we get back. I say we need some serious R and R time with the girls. I’ll hook up my projector and we can watch a few movies in the den. Snarf popcorn until we burst. That kinda thing.”

Rainbow tried to ignore the glazed look in Twilight’s eyes. “Of course, that’s after you visit your parents and see that they’re okay. Definitely gotta give that priority. But maybe you’re burnt out with movies. Maybe we ought to do something else. Take a trip or something…”

She pumped a hoof. “I got it! November just started, so winter’s right around the corner. We gotta take you for another tour of Cloudsdale when it brings snow and stuff to Canterlot. It’s a real bustling place when the holidays come around. Pretty as a snowflake all by itself. A giant snowflake, but… you know…”

She rocked on her hind legs. She bit her lip and rubbed her pinions against Twilight’s folded wings. “That sounds like fun, right? Singing Hearth’s Warming Carols, roasting marshmallows by the fire, watching the world turn white thousands of miles below… With all of us. All six of us together again. That sounds good, right? It sounds like something you wanna do, right?”

Twilight Sparkle brushed her mane away from her cheek. She turned her head to Rainbow Dash and gave her a small smile and a bob of her head. Her eyes went to her hooves as she faced the window.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes stung. She wiped her snout and got to her feet. “I’m gonna grab something from the mess. You hungry? Want a sandwich or something?”

Twilight Sparkle rubbed her belly. She mouthed “Yes, please.

“Awesome,” Rainbow said, her voice cracking. “I’ll get right on that. Back in a dash. Like, a split-second.”

She trotted swiftly through the airship to the small galley in the midsection. The cook and his assistant were hard at work preparing breakfast, which wouldn’t be served for another couple hours. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “’Scuse me. You guys got stuff for a quick snack?”

“Yeah, Blueblood always keeps something around for munching.” The cook waved in the general direction of the refrigerator. “Check the fridge. There’s some cheese on the second shelf.”

“Thanks.” Rainbow Dash swung the door open and dug through the contents. Cheese was there, yeah, and so was a bottle of mayonnaise. A few greens and a slice of bread later, it would be a full sandwich. She stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth and set about building one, her hooves a little unsteady in the wake of minor turbulence. She set two plates on her back and tiptoed back onto the main deck.

She slid a plate in front of Twilight, who hadn’t moved. “Check it. One-hundred-percent premium cheese salad sandwiches. My specialty.”

Twilight grasped the sandwich in her hooves and brought it to her mouth. A large bite was followed by a sigh as the muscles around her face relaxed.

“It’s pretty cool that you can eat solid foods already,” Rainbow said. “I guess that’s the power of ambrosia, am I right?”

Twilight stopped chewing. She let out a choking sob. Setting the sandwich back on the plate, she made her way to the cabins at a fast walk and slammed the door behind her.

Rainbow’s wings jumped out at the loud crash. She winced away from the plate and stared at the closed cabin door. Her ears fell.

The crew members watched her sit still for a moment before returning to their work.

Rainbow Dash left the sandwiches where they were and dove through the airship’s loading ramp. She wheedled through the air until she rose above the envelope. She hitched herself to the ropes running along the sides, securing the airship’s gondola fast. A low moan brought her to her knees.

She felt the wind blow through her mane and feathers. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the feeling of weightlessness she got when she was soaring above the mountaintops. When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but the thick, dark clouds she had used to conceal the airship. She frowned and sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry, Twi.”

She slammed a hoof. “I’m sorry I suck so much at this!”

She flopped to her side, wiping the tears frozen to her cheeks. “Why do I suck so much at helping?” She blew her multicolored mane from her eyes. “What would Pinkie Pie do?”

She widened her eyes and spread a silly grin across her face. “‘Uh oh! Looks like Twilie-Wily got a boo-boo! Better have a “Super-Sorry You Lost Your Voice to a Blood-Thirsty Assassin” party! Bring me the cake with a giant scar!’”

She covered her eyes with a hoof. “Blech. Even my inner Pinkie sucks at being comforting.”

“Captain Dash?”

“Horseapples!” Rainbow Dash shot to her hooves, quick to wipe the crystallizing dampness from her coat. She threw a salute to the pony that had managed to sneak up on her. “Uh, Commander Skyhook, sir. Just keeping a lookout, sir.”

Skyhook flapped his bat-like wings as he hovered over the airship. “Sure. You’d better head inside. The temperature’s gonna drop pretty quickly once we reach altitude.”

“Right. I knew that.” Rainbow Dash unhitched herself from the envelope and flapped her way upward. “Um. Anything else I should know?”

Skyhook’s left fang dug into his lip. “That some things take time and you shouldn’t give up?”

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck. “Right. I knew that, too.”

She rolled her head, followed by her shoulders. “Aw, heck. I’d better get some shut-eye. See you tomorrow, Commander.”

She plummeted downward, opening her wings at just the right moment to send her looping into the ship. Commander Skyhook followed at a slower pace. The Sky’s Limit floated south towards Equestria, its passengers quiet.

***

Care Carrot stepped into the dark room, lit only by the reading lamp at the bedside. She thought about knocking, or turning on the overhead lamp, but decided against it. She cleared her throat. “Hello? Mrs. Velvet?”

Twilight Velvet closed her novel and set it on her chest. Her face was wrapped in thick bandages, there to protect her broken nose and fractured cheekbone. Her jaw was sore, but she managed to speak all the same. “Care. Have a seat.”

Care pulled a chair closer to the hospital bed. She tugged her ponytail over one shoulder. “How is Mr. Light?”

“Sleeping peacefully. The surgery went well.” Velvet cracked a smile through scabby lips. “It’s gonna take more than a knife to put that geezer in the ground.”

“Good.” Care hugged herself loosely in the chilly room. “I… I’ve been meaning to speak with you about what happened.”

Velvet nodded. She waved a hoof at a side table pushed against the wall. “Mind pouring me a drink? My magic ain’t great when I’m on medication.”

Care lit her horn with a cheerful pink glow. A pitcher was tipped, a cup was filled, and Twilight Velvet accepted it with her hooves.

“Thanks,” Velvet said. “Now that’s a refresher.”

She balanced the cup on top of her book’s cover. “What did you want to talk about? Give it to me straight.”

Care poured herself a glass and took a sip. “I’ve been thinking about what you said the day we met. About how you should only kill if there’re other peoples’ lives on the line.”

“That’s generally how I feel about it, yeah.” Velvet rested her head against her pillow. “It’s something I’ve instilled in my children, it’s something I’d discussed with the soldiers under my command, it’s something I demand of my police officers daily… You might say I believe that statement pretty firmly.”

A word caught itself in Care’s throat before she could speak it. “And—and the other day, when we were attacked by Hurricane… and I was just gonna shoot her…”

Velvet’s mouth remained a thin line. She rolled a hoof. “And?”

“And I…” Care brought a hoof to her forehead. “And I kinda spat in the face of your philosophy, didn’t I?”

Velvet shrugged her shoulders and shimmied down into her covers. “If you were one of my kids, I’d be telling you that I’m too old to wait for ponies to beat around the bush. Since you’re not, I’ll just shoot for asking you what you really want to say.”

Care wrinkled her nose and rubbed her forehooves together. She kicked out with a hind leg. “Pony feathers. I don’t have a point. I was just… hoping it would come out. I can’t—” She tapped her horn. “I can’t make any sense out of all this, Mrs. Velvet! With Hurricane, and the assassinations, and the fighting, and everybody getting hurt, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do!”

“There’s more where that came from,” Velvet muttered under her breath.

Care slid to her feet and paced around the room. “Every time we fight Hurricane, she hurts us. She hurts us badly. I want to see her stopped. I want to see her stopped dead in her tracks. I want her to be utterly destroyed. I thought I was doing better, but when I was right there, in the same room as her, I wanted nothing more than to kill her.”

She swished her tail. “And I’m not sure if that makes me a bad person or not.”

Velvet took a slow sip. She swished her water in the bottom of the glass.

Care glanced her way. “People tell me I won’t feel any better if I kill her, but the number of ponies that can stop her is shrinking. If I take revenge, what does that make me?” She shook her head “How can you live out your philosophy and still be a soldier?”

“Because when you’re out on that battlefield,” Velvet said, “everypony’s life is on the line. Your teammates are relying on you, the friends and family you left behind are relying on you, and the entire country is relying on you. If you fail to act, the consequences will fall on them.”

She downed the rest of her drink and set the cup on the table. “I believe the way I do because I consider every life to be a precious, irreplaceable thing. Precious things can be broken, and they can become diseased, and when that happens they become dangerous to everything else that is precious on this earth. So we—the kind of people who are strong, sure, steadfast—take up arms and stop them.”

With a groan, Velvet rolled onto her side. She stuck a hoof out of the blankets to get her IV free. “I wouldn’t have batted an eye if you had shot Hurricane right in her face. That would have been the end of it for me. She would have been defeated, and I could have gone back to my life.” She pursed her lips. “But that’s not what you’re worried about. What sort of life would you have after doing that?”

Care sat on the cold hospital floor. She let her ears droop down. “I don’t want to be this angry. I don’t want to hate anybody. I don’t know what would happen to me if I took revenge, but I know it wouldn’t be good. How can I keep fighting her with all this baggage?” She hung her head. “How do you stay sane?”

Velvet let out a low chuckle. “Who said I do?”

Care ventured a tiny smirk. “A thousand stories of a thousand adventures, all revolving around the unstoppable legend known as Twilight Velvet.”

Twilight Velvet was able to conjure a brief grin. “Every word of those stories is true, and don’t you forget it.” She nestled back into the bed with a sigh. “I do have a trick to staying sane, though. It might work for you…”

Velvet nibbled her lip as she mulled over her thoughts. “Passion… is a good thing. The drive and desire to get things done is good, Care. The urge to fight is a good thing. The strength to never give up is a good, really good, darn good thing. Don’t try to wipe that out. It’ll just leave you a hollow husk.

“What—what a lot of passionate people forget is that…” Velvet stretched and cracked her back. “Ow. They forget that if they focus on the bad things that need to be fixed, their entire outlook is going to be colored by negativity. They’re going to see a world that is just… just wicked and unfixable and disgusting. Their passion goes towards tearing down the nasty things. They become argumentative and spiteful.” She blinked back a sting in her eyes. “I think that’s… that’s Hurricane. She was the bravest of the Founders, but now it’s all about destroying what she sees as wrong.”

She reached out and prodded the center of Care’s chest just over the heart. “But if you focus your energy on building up what’s good and right with the world… If you put your passion and drive towards making it a better place… If you fight for what you know to be true and good and pure… If you face the world with the attitude that what you do today can make tomorrow better… Then, you’ll have a much better life because of it. You’ll be fulfilled, pumped up, ready for round three.”

Care met Velvet’s eyes. She set her jaw and nodded softly with a sigh. “I see.”

Velvet awaited further reactions. Finding none, she swallowed a lump. “Care, if you take one thing away from this whole hokey speech, it’s this: Don’t fight against something evil, fight for something good.”

Care slumped and gritted her teeth. “But… what if—”

“Hay.” Velvet touched Care’s chin. “Chest out. Stomach in. Head high. Celestia chose you to be the leader of her personal security force. You don’t have anything to prove to anybody. Least of all me.”

Care’s lip twitched. “But you’re my hero.”

“So follow my example and be a hero.” Velvet patted her cheek. “Get out there and fight for Equestria. Fight to protect Celestia, not to stop Hurricane. Fight to make your friends and family safe, not to see your enemies destroyed.” She smiled wide. “Keep it up and one day those stories are gonna be about you. Then you can have this same conversation with the upstart new recruit looking for her place in life.”

Care wiped her cheek before the tear could fall. “Wh—where can I start?”

“I’m not the only member of our team who got hurt last week.” Velvet grasped her book and popped it open to her bookmark. “I think there might be a few who need a friend.”

Care got to her hooves and shifted her weight from one to another. She bobbed her head and trotted towards the door.

“One last thing, Care.”

Care Carrot half-turned to look at Velvet.

Twilight Velvet bowed as much as she could from her position on the bed. “Thank you so much for saving my life. I’ll never forget it.”

Care walked through the door with her head held just a little higher.

***

The world tasted gray to Blankety Blank. He couldn’t sense the emotions in the air. Not those of his nurses, or his doctors, or the guards on constant watch. His horn would take some time to regrow, so things weren’t likely to change anytime soon.

He rubbed the chitin on his foreleg, which had only just started to harden. White gradually faded to black as his natural armor came together. His spongy legs could support his weight, save for the one with the punctured knee. His sensitive breathing organs were hidden beneath blackened plates. His multifaceted eyes grew less pained as a film of phlegm covered them.

But he still couldn’t taste emotions.

He sucked on a candy cane. The sugar would help his body produce just enough magic to survive, but the sooner he could munch on some real, honest-to-goodness love, the better. He stared at the closed door of his guest room at Twilight Sparkle’s castle, listening to the clatter of guards on the other side. He wasn’t sure where he was going to get love once he could eat it. He did know that it wasn’t going to be from them.

His door rattled, which was followed by a voice. “Blank? It’s Care. Can I come in?”

Depends on whether you know how to open doors,” he muttered in a clicking, chattering language. Switching to a more pony-esque voice, he said “Yeah, go ahead.”

Care poked her head inside, chewing her lower lip. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“N-no. I molted a w-week ago, and my n-next interrogation isn’t for another hour.” He pulled a chair from a nearby desk and pushed it towards her. “Sit. What c-can I do for you?”

Care rested in the chair. “I wanted to apologize.”

“You did.”

“I know, but—”

“And I forgave you.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t…”

She trailed off. Blankety lowered his eyebrows. “B-but what?” he said.

“Um…” Care blushed bright red against her orange coat. “This isn’t my day for being prepared to talk.”

Blankety Blank hobbled over to his bed and rested on the edge. “Care, I’m hurt, I’m hungry, and I just plain don’t f-feel good. I want to rest. Please just t-tell me what’s on your mind and—”

“I do want to be friends!” Care blurted. She swallowed and spoke in a quieter voice. “I—I mean I do want to be friends.”

Blankety lowered his eyebrows. He focused as hard as he could, but all he could taste was a pale gray flavor. “Th-that’s a change.”

“I know.” Care blew a bang away from her forehead. “I’m sorry. Really sorry. I know… back on the train, you opened up to me and I pushed you away. That wasn’t cool. You were trying to help and I…”

She leaned back and stared at the crystalline ceiling. It twinkled in the light of Blankety’s lantern. “I’m tired of being on my own. I can’t do this by myself.”

Blankety Blank drummed his hooves on the bedspread. He shrugged and remained silent.

Care lowered her head to look at him. She let out a deep sigh, letting her lips fall into a soft frown. “And… maybe I can help you, too. That’s what a team does, right? That’s what friends do, right? Work together and help each other?”

“Yes.” Blank licked the tip of one fang. “But are we a team?”

“Kinda?” Care waved a hoof. “Pretty much? We have a united goal.”

“Y-yeah,” Blank mumbled. “Taking down Hurricane. R-real inspiring.”

“I don’t…” Care Carrot scratched her head. “It has to be more than that, doesn’t it?”

Blankety grunted. “I guess it’s most l-likely gonna end w-with her dead—”

“No, I mean, we fight for something bigger than that, right?” Care reached out and touched Blankety’s foreleg. “Something special and important to all of us.”

Blank sucked in a breath. Warmth flowed from Care’s hoof to his. A spark of something tingled on the tip of his horn. “I guess… What do you mean?”

“Daring Do. She was honorably discharged, without a home, unsure of the road ahead.” Care wrinkled her forehead as she thought. “Something similar happened to Turner. You were imprisoned, alone, and friendless. I—” She cleared her throat. “I was practically a filly who ran away from home. Life was looking pretty down for all of us, except for one thing. There’s this one thing we all have in common.”

A smile touched the edge of Blankety’s mouth. “Life was awful… but then Celestia happened.”

“Right. So she gave us all jobs, pointed us towards progress, helped us find purpose.” Care laughed, patting Blankety’s hoof and sliding back into her chair. “You three with the Knights of Harmony, and me with the Royal Guard. Some way or another, she saved all of us.”

She tilted her head. “Now it’s our turn to save her. And we can’t do it alone.”

Blankety Blank blinked his buggish eyes. “S-something’s different about you. I think it’s a good thing.”

“Maybe it helped that I had a little sense knocked into me by our mutual mentor.” Care bopped the side of her head. “Maybe I’ve finally come up against a wall I can’t climb myself. Mostly, I think I’m tired of being angry.”

“Me, too.” Blank glanced out his window and saw the moon sparkle in the sky. A silhouetted wing of pegasi soldiers flew through the light. “So what’s our n-next move, friend?”

“We train.” Care slapped a hoof against the other. “We build our strength back up. When we get our next opportunity to defend our country and our friends, we smash the threat to smithereens.”

Blank pulled his lips to one side. “To smithereens, huh?”

“Well …” Care grinned. “It pays to shoot for decisive victories, you know? You in?”

Bankety Blank flexed his injured knee. “Soon as I c-can stand on my own four hooves, I’m heading s-straight for the exercise mat.”

Author's Note:

Insert training montage!