Of Laurels & Lace

by WritingSpirit

Voyager's Arc: Truth Or Dare

The mellow daylight shimmered with the shadows of trees shading the pair, the singing chirp of the haven's birds melodic under the warm brilliance of the sun.

Winter stirred, before opening his eyes, shielding them under his hoof. With a content sigh, he glanced down at the mare that laid on his chest, stifling a small yawn before a grin formed on his lips.

It's been the fifth time in the month that he and Pinkie had ventured here; the same place they had first shared a kiss underneath the dazzling fireworks, far from the watching eyes of the other ponies back in the palace. They had always sneaked out the palace the same way with success, though this time the visit was completely different for the mare.

"Pinkie," Winter muttered, gently shaking her hoof.

There was an inaudible mutter, before she started shifting, yet her head slumped back down, still enjoying her deep, comfortable slumber.

A soft chuckle flew from the stallion's mouth, before he shook her again.

"Pinkie, we have to go."

Another small mumble emanated from the pink mare, before Pinkie lifted herself up, rubbing her tired eyes.

Her mane draped across her head like a gloomy curtain as she glanced up at the stallion, the fresh tears of lost hope springing from her eyes.

Winter tried not to think about their discussion last night; the one where the pink mare broke down into a tirade of endless sobs. The guilt from it all only stung him deep, the whiplash of emotions only painfully reminding himself of his once-comforting predicament.

"We've talked about this last night," he said in a stern tone at the whimpering mare, though it only shivered with remorse and apologies.

"Both of us have to move on."

Pinkie just sniffled, before hesitantly nodding.

"But I don't want to..." she whined, wiping her tears away.

"Come here," the stallion beckoned in his soft, tender voice. In response, the pink mare shifted to his side, lying again onto his chest.

She smiled a sad smile as the same, strong set of hooves were wrapped around her, clinging her against Winter tightly in a cradle of warmth. A small tear leaked from the corners of her eye, trailing down her cheeks.

Winter nipped at her ear, making her giggle. He chuckled as well, before teasing:

"You really are a big baby, aren't you Diane?"

His 'punishment' for the comment, as the Patriarch would effortlessly put it himself, was a small, enticing kiss on his lips. He tried not to chuckle at her playful grin, returning the kiss with his own on her cheek

"You really know how to please a stallion," he continued, brushing her mane aside.

"You're still... going along with your plan, aren't you?"

Pinkie's smile faded suddenly, looking down dejectedly at the blades of grass around her.

Her tight embrace with the stallion split apart, only making Winter blink in surprise. She clenched her hooves tightly as she trotted away, reeling herself from his attempts to comfort her.

"Pinkie..." he called her in a disheartened tone, quickly following after her.

"You know I don't want to see you like this."

There was no response from the pink mare, prompting him to sigh in defeat.

"I just... wanted you to be happy, Pinkie. Happy for me and-"

"Happy?!!"

Her shriek made a few birds flutter out from the forest, the Patriarch taken aback himself.

Winter watched as she panted, venting out her anger with her brows furrowed in rage. She gritted her teeth forcefully, holding back her tears which were already pouring out like a shower.

"Happy...?" she repeated again with a shiver, this time in a more quieter tone.

"Do I look happy to you?"

"Pinkie, I just-"

"DO I?!"

Her fierce roar only shunned the stallion, before he replied, his confidence collapsing immediately:

"No. No you don't."

"But I need your permission," he continued.

Pinkie stood in her unnerving silence, her head wrenching in the turmoil seas of thought.

"Please?" the Patriarch pleaded, cupping her hooves tightly in his own.

The mare just shuddered slightly, wiping the endless flow of tears off her cheeks. She tried to say 'no', yet it couldn't rush out of her mouth, trapped underneath her web of anxiety.

She felt her throat lurch, her head surrendering to her inner voice amidst her mental debate; if it is what's best for him, and for the both of them, there's only one answer for that question.

"If... I-If it makes you happy, then I'll go along with it."

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The stone door slid shut behind them with a loud click as Stellar and Sidus stepped out from the empty cavern which once held the ruins of Calormor, back into the stone tiles of the mausoleum.

Around them were a field of coffins, with narrow paths for them to walk in. The butler himself could scarcely remember how much ponies were buried here, though it doesn't matter now.

He turned to his friend, who was gazing down at the platform before them, letting out a nostalgic sigh.

The powerful, firm statues that stood around them brought back the memories of the days before Harrow took the throne, reminding them of the volley of cheers with assortments of blades, guns and daggers raised into the air.

Sidus looked down in sentimental yearning, remembering the day he was invited by Pendulum to be a part of the now-obsolete group. His rage erupted a little, his teeth gritting in exasperation.

"It's the past, Sidus," Stellar reminded him.

"We have bigger problems to attend to now."

All at once, his fury of emotions seemed to have calmed, letting the distant echo fade back to the deeper recesses of his mind.

"Seems one of our friends doesn't appreciate Calormor vanishing like that," he mused grimly.

"The Patriarch has plans to seek out her motive," the butler explained.

"It seems there has been a few disturbances in their relationship recently."

Sidus just scoffed indignantly, his friend giving him a look.

"Marefriend starting to see how ignorant they are?"

"It was a Palgiot that brought you to where you are today, Sidus-"

"And a Palgiot that ruined my dreams as well," he shot back callously.

"All this time, my life was living in Pendant Lakes and working with Sicarius. Now, my only darn duty is to flip out a pair of binoculars and watch two little pesky tweeters fighting on the trees. My life of adrenaline and action reduced to mere birdwatching... a blasphemous crime in itself, I tell you-!"

"Enough, Sidus," Stellar cut in, crossing his hooves.

"You can't expect good things to last forever, don't you?"

The assassin just grumbled under his breath, his head turned away with ignorance.

His friend just rolled his eyes, shaking his head with disappointment at his friend and muttering under his breath:

"Stubborn pony you are, Sidus."

Descending down the pyramidal structure, the two of them took a turn, heading into one of the small antechambers in the mausoleum, the dust sweeping across the stone slabs like paddy fields in the wind.

The gushing blare of water quickly filled their ears as they ventured deeper into the subterranean catacombs, ignoring the few watchful skulls that were etched into the walls as torches, with wax dripping from the empty eye sockets.

"And suddenly you're concerned for the well-being of this place," Sidus queried.

"Morteoro is stirring," the butler warned with a grimace, making his friend frown.

"I intend to request for a better fortification for this place from the Patriarch, but it seems he has other distractions as of the situation at hand."

"You mean to say that she..."

Sidus stopped, trying to manage out the confusion and shock in his head.

"I-I see... and when did you expect that will happen?"

Stellar reached for the wall, his hoof touching on the cold surface of the stone switch built inside a niche, he glanced down at the torrential column of water before him, raining down from a ever-spinning waterwheel constructed above, before splattering upon a brown granite ring, forming a curtain of water shielding the center of the cavern from the eyes of the ponies.

With a small grunt, the butler pulled the switch down, a loud grinding of stone against stone responding immediately. The cascading waterfall started to diminish, the remainder all falling into a deep pit of water behind the ornate, iron-grilled platform, the curtain of droplets on the stone ring ceasing as they parted, beckoning the two stallions to step inside.

Sitting quietly and patiently on the bowl of a bird bath was a luminous glass cube, glowing a fiery dark red in its demonic splendor. Its edges were covered in a fine brass frame, a few droplets landing on its cold surface.

Both Stellar and Sidus frowned at the red lexicon, watching it flare up in their presence.

"Harrow had trouble sealing this fellow up," the assassin joked.

"He wouldn't be too happy if this guy springs up again."

"Not to mention Axle himself," his friend mused.

The deceased Palgiot himself was buried amidst the cluster of coffins at the top of the pyramid, overlooking the mausoleum like a sentinel even in his death.

"I do believe that Miss Peridot would've had knowledge of this location already, seeing how we had to pass through here in our exit from the South Gate."

Sidus just sighed with dejection, the small drop of water trickling down his head making him quip with interest:

"Can't believe they built this under a lake."

"Lakes," Stellar corrected, referring to the grand, refreshing sanctuary that stood above them, hiding the stone, crypt-like entrance into the underground tomb. There were many times the Crux Four had ventured down here, though he himself had never been as nervous as this visit.

"For this time, I guess we'll just have to wish for the best."

"And if the worst happens?"

The butler flinched at his friend's question. He bit his lip, glancing at uncertainty at the glowing box, who seemed to laugh maniacally at their distress.

"Well," he replied, stepping out of the circular rotunda, flipping the stone switch back up. The granite circles above their heads start to rotate once more, with the torrential rush of water once again overtaking the roofless, pillared center.

His cold frown was evident, his face showing the uncertainty that he and Sidus, not to mention the rest of Pendant Lakes, had shared.

"If the worst were to happen..."

"We'll have no choice but to act spontaneously."

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"Harmony. Ever since I met you, I've been longing to tell you that..."

Winter groaned for the sixteenth time out of frustration, pacing about the library with his hooves crossed. With a sigh, he tried to run the lines down again, this time settling himself down on the chair.

Pinkie was there as well, trying her best not to laugh out loud, though the stallion could already hear her snickering behind a small book, much to his annoyance.

"You're not helping, Pinkie," he said soberly, stopping in his tracks.

The mare just rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at the nervous stallion.

"It's not like I intend it to happen anyway."

He have to admit she was right. After all, when Winter broke out the news during their little escapade in the woods last night, she immediately broke down in despair. It was lucky she decided to accept it this morning, though there was still that trace of denial lingering over her.

The Patriarch turned back, restarting his aimless pace as he began his rehearsal:

"Harmony. Ever since I met you, I've been longing to tell you that you're the most beautiful and generous mare that I had ever met. Of course, there are many mistakes that I've done in life-"

"Like kissing another mare~!" Pinkie interrupted, before bursting out in laughter.

Winter just shook his head, trying not to groan as the pink pony slammed her hooves on the table with merriment, her body convulsing with an endless wave of guffaws, which only heightened as he gave her a stare.

Stifling a sigh, he sat across Pinkie as her laughter died down, the mare now wiping a few tears of joy. The stallion rolled his eyes, leaning against the velvet chair.

"What am I going to do with you..." he muttered halfheartedly, his lips breaking out into a smile at the other pony's gleeful grin.

"I don't know!" Pinkie replied meekly with a sarcastic shrug.

"Have a little fun, maybe?"

"Well, I'm not really finished with my script, thanks to your interruptions," he replied, giving her a cynical stare. The pink pony just responded with a sheepish laugh.

"So it seems I have to decline."

"But can't you just relax for a moment?" the pink mare whined.

"It's not like it would hurt just stretching your back and have some time off, hmmm?"

Winter blinked for a second, slightly blushing at her suddenly sultry tone. Pinkie just responded with a playful giggle, with her chin leaning against her hoof, her frizzy mane bouncing frivolously.

"W-Well," he stammered, scratching his mane, "I might need some... uh... time to think of this for a while..."

"Yay!!" she screeched triumphantly.

"What shall we do then?"

Before the Patriarch could respond, Pinkie gasped loudly with delight, hopping in her seat.

"Ooh! Ooh! I know what we can play! I know what we can play!"

The stallion sighed, before asking:

"What is it?"

"Truth or Dare!!"

Winter only stared blankly at the mare, who looked like she was about to erupt from happiness.

"What?"

Another loud gasp of shock came from Pinkie, the pink pony's jaw agape with disbelief.

"You... I-I.... you mean.... what....you..." she stammered, before holding a deep breath and shouting out:

"You don't know how to play Truth or Dare?!!"

The shake of the Patriarch's head only shocked her even more, before she pouted, her face flurried up with determination.

"Everypony knows that game!" she exclaimed, somewhat disappointed, though her smile widened.

"Here! I'll show you!"

Slowly, Pinkie explained the basic rules of the game to the stallion, who listened attentively and nodded throughout her long talk. The two laughed a few times as the mare demonstrated a few dares to him, before finally finishing with a wink.

"So, rookie," she nudged Winter with a playful smirk.

"Are you ready?"

"As always," the stallion replied with a cunning smile.

"Let's see... 'Truth'!"

"Alright then! Hmm..."

Pinkie stopped to think for a moment, her head squeezing out her brain juices from the deep crevasses of her mind, before finally popping out:

"Do you think Harmony's a little Miss Grumpypants the first time you met her?"

"Well... I-I..."

The mare tried to hold back her giggle while Winter sighed, waving his hoof in defeat,

"Alright, alright. A little bit."

He then steeled his determination, a devious smile forming on his face, a nod beckoning the other pony to make her decision.

"Alright, then! Dare!"

"Seems you want to raise the stakes a little, eh?" he joked, watching the mare giggle.

"Let's see.... I dare you to... act like my butler."

With a cough, Pinkie cleared her throat, standing up with a benevolent bow.

Winter chuckled as she sauntered towards, her face completely somber, her voice deepening as she spoke:

"Does Lord Palgiot wish to continue the game?"

The stallion laughed heartily in his seat, the pink mare smiling delightfully at that.

"I would love to." he replied in the same tone, before stating his decision:

"Dare."

"My turn!!" she squeaked happily.

I dare you..."

"To give me a kiss!"

"What?"

Winter's eyes widened his surprise at her proposed dare, unable to believe what she just said.

"You want me to what?"

"Give me a kiss!" she repeated gleefully, oblivious of the deep red blush on the stallion's face.

"It's an easy dare, Winter! As if you never kissed me before! Come on, Winter, there's no fun in backing out now!"

"But we've talked about it-"

"Plus, in a Truth or Dare game," she continued yapping, ignoring Winter's protests.

"You can't really back out of the dare! If you do, then it'll be cheating in a game! Aha! That would mean you're a no good, little creepster cheater!!"

"Pinkie."

"I mean, it's such an easy dare to do! It doesn't hurt to at least try it out once in awhile cause otherwise if somepony puts you in that kind of position, you wouldn't know what to do it when you're forced to do it. Maybe in like Truth or Dare contests or parties..."

"Pinkie?" he tried again, without success.

"...or maybe Harmony would even want you do it! That would mean it's a perfect time to practice on playing Truth or Dare right now before it's too late! After all, it's just a matter of time that you go according to your plan-"

"Pinkie!!"

Winter's shout broke her off immediately, the whole room plunging into silence.

"Pinkie, we've talked about this," he stated clearly, looking at the mare's slightly startled expression.

"Yesterday night will be our last time we would kiss."

"But..." she began, giving out a small whimper.

"But I thought you liked me..."

"I do, but once Harmony and I get married, we can't... meet like this anymore."

The stallion noticed her mane starting to flatten, only showing her rising despondency. Biting his lip. he pressed on, his hooves clenching tightly yet nervously.

"And all these kissing... I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have done it at all."

"Why are you lying to yourself?"

Winter gazed up, surprised at her suddenly cold mood. Her usually puffy mane was now draping over her neck, her teeth grinding in anxiety.

His eye caught a few tears dripping down her cheeks, claimed only by the cold surface of the marble floor. She started to shiver, prompting him to reach her shoulder.

"Pinkie, I-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!"

Out of the blue, Winter felt himself tumbling backwards, crashing into the tables.

He yelped out in pain, fondling his brazened cheek, which was now a faint red with a brash imprint of a hoof mark onto it. Gazing up at Pinkie, he held his breath as she stood before him, her expression of fury and wrath,

"So you hated me all this while?" she muttered coldly, grabbing him by the throat.

"P-Pinkie.... just let me explain..."

"So all this time.... everything was just.... a trick?!"

There was a sniffle from the mare, though her grip on Winter's throat was still tightening, only making the stallion turn blue, his hind hooves flailing and writhing about in the air.

"A... A lie...?"

"P-Pinkie...." the stallion managed to gasp out.

"Tr... Truth...."

"ENOUGH!!" she screamed into the Patriarch's face, throwing him back into the tables.

Winter slammed onto the wooden surface, letting out an agonized cry as he gasped for air. He crawled towards the bookshelves, hearing the sound of Pinkie's hoofsteps approaching closely.

"Pinkie... p-please," he tried, turning back to face her rage.

"Don't do anything you would regret doing."

"Like what?!" she shouted, grabbing one of the chairs and raising them up high.

Without warning, she slammed it onto the stallion, earning a yowl of pain from him. He raised his hooves in self-defense, spitting out blood and managing to answer as she lifted the chair once more:

"Like killing the pony who loved you."

Everything suddenly stopped; the aura of hatred dissipating, the hellish wrath in Pinkie's eyes.

She lowered her hooves down, releasing the chair from her tight grasp with a loud 'thunk' against the floor.

Winter just pushed himself up, limping towards the pink mare, who was completely frozen in shock, her gaze glued to the floor with her eyes widening with realization.

"Wh... what have I..." the stallion could hear her mutter, her sobs starting to form.

Pinkie felt a hoof on her shoulder, her gaze turning to the stallion's concerned face.

He brought her closer, his breath tingling in her ear as he asked:

"Truth or Dare?"

The mare blinked in surprise at first, before giving her answer with a quiver:

"Truth."

The Patriarch suddenly embraced her, only surprising her even more. She shuddered with content at the warmth wrapping around her body like a scarf, though nothing prepared her for the question he was about to ask:

"If Harmony and I never met, would you say 'yes' if I proposed to you instead?"

The silence overwhelmed the room, the mare torn in a state of denial.

Winter waited patiently, feeling the tears of the mare dripping against his shoulder. The warmth radiating from her pink coat simmered in his heart, his mind flashing back on their previous encounters.

"Yes."

"Your turn, then," he responded, unfazed by her answer.

"I'll pick 'Dare'."

Pinkie just whimpered, her mane brushed aside gently with a sway of the stallion's hoof. His embrace was strong yet docile, fueling the sensation of need inside her chest.

Her challenge sounded more like a request, the mare putting out hesitantly in words:

"I dare you... to... to give me a kiss... please..."

Despite his reluctance, Winter gave her a smile.

The pink pony turned towards him, leaning against her chest. The stallion stroked her mane neatly, nipping at her ear with a soft whisper, which also conveyed a painful reminder:

"One last time..."

With that, he pressed his lips against hers, making her heart burst with heavenly satisfaction like beer to an alcoholic, fulfilling her craving for his taste. His tongue encircled at the corners of her mouth, relishing the sweet, lust-filled moment in his undoubtedly secret desire for her.

Pinkie felt herself leaning against the bookcase, mercilessly and willingly assaulted by his rapturous flair of his tongue, feeling the warm taste of both their saliva slopping amidst each other's mouth. She squeaked suddenly, her face flushed with embarrassment and arousal as she felt one of his hooves reaching down, caressing her waist.

Suddenly, his lips parted, leaving the mare panting with lust as he asked a question:

"Do you love me?" he asked.

"Always..." was her reply, before their lips locked once more.

The euphoria was stronger this time, leaving them clinging at the edge of ecstasy. Their lust blossomed to their hooves, which started to caress each other's bodies, admiring the figure that the other pony possessed.

Reaching down between her hooves, Winter jerked upwards suddenly, making her cry out in pure bliss. She started a furious moan, though it stopped once his hooves parted, now fondling the side of her blushing cheeks.

Their lips separated again, the mare now squirming as she succumbed to her need.

"Please..." she begged, falling onto the floor with her tears running down her face.

Winter's eyes watered, the stallion himself treasuring this one last moment with her.

"With pleasure," he replied, wiping her tears away.

The third in the row, their lips clashed once more, their tongues thrashing about fiercely like swords in the damp battlefield as they kissed on the floor. Pinkie felt her hoof starting to sting with pain from the intense grip of the stallion over her, pinning her down onto the marble tiles, yet she doesn't care.

She moaned loudly once, before reducing it to soft squeaks as Winter worked his tongue in again. There seemed to be no end to the lasciviousness, blossoming intensely with sweat dripping onto the marble floor.

Neither noticed the small pair of eyes that watched from the small crack of the door, her horror only outmatched by her anger.

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The stroll down the corridor was a quiet one.

Pinkie sighed plaintively, gazing out of the terrace of Palgiot Palace, down at the spiraling pathway towards the majestic town of Pendant Lakes below. It was reminiscent of Canterlot, in a mystical kind of way, seeing how active the town is even at night.

The town was a majestic dandelion of lights, shimmering flamboyantly despite its novelty as a small, antique town. Ponies of all ages were still doing their duties, tirelessly sauntering about the pavements and cherishing the cooling presence of the night.

The mare herself once ventured down the town with Primrose, busy checking out one of the few churches that dominated the plazas. She nearly slept during one of the choir gospels; the result of forceful silence by the priests after her endless wave of talking.

Wearing a small grin, she continued down the terrace, remembering her library session with Winter in the afternoon. The queer taste of vanilla still lingered in her lips, making her pucker them to have a savor of it.

The Patriarch should be in his room now, getting ready for his proposal towards Harmony. She had knew full well it would happen sooner or later, though, she smiled, she was never prepared for it.

Oh well, Pinkie thought to herself. If he's happy, then I'm happy.

"Trust me when I say the Celestia-be-damned truth to your bucking face! It's OVER!"

The door before her suddenly slammed open, making her flinch in the spot.

She blinked in confusion, watching as Harmony emerged from the room, galloping off with small tears flying in the wind. Winter soon followed, though he noticed Pinkie's presence in the corridor.

"Where did she go?" the stallion frantically asked her.

"Pinkie? Where did she go?!"

"D-Down the corridor!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks!"

Before he could rush off, however, Winter felt a firm grip on his shoulder, making him turn.

"Winter, what happened?" Pinkie asked, utterly bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"Did we.... got caught?"

"Seems Harmony spotted our game in the library," he mused, before heading off.

"I think you'll have to come along as well. It might be better for the both of us."

They turned around the bend, quickly galloping after the mare, who was already running off down the terrace, sniffling loudly as she pushed a maid away, the trays of warm porcelain teacups and glass plates clattering onto the floor.

"Harmony!!" Pinkie called out, though it only fueled the other mare's desperate escape.

"GO AWAY!!" she screamed, clutching her head.

The pink unicorn stumbled for a moment, before making a sharp turn to the ride, galloping frantically from her pursuers. Winter soon did the same, trying his best to chase after his marefriend.

In response, she suddenly pummeled into one of the guards, snatching his musket.

The Patriarch skidded to a halt, Pinkie doing the same beside him as Harmony raised the musket, aiming it at the both of them, her eyes warped in frenzy.

"Don't you dare move!!" she screamed in her loud sobs, the gun shivering in her hooves.

"ANY OF YOU!!"

"Harmony, we can talk about this-"

"There's NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT!!" she shot back, firing one of the bullets into the air.

Pinkie yelped at the loud sound of the gunshot, cringing stiff on the spot. Harmony's glare only struck terror onto her, her former friend now shouting with spite:

"You used me, Pinkie!! You used me to get him!!"

"No!" she began to protest.

"It's not what you think-"

"Is it?!" she sneered, her gun positioned towards the pink mare.

"You didn't think I see you guys kissing in the library?! How much longer do you think the both of you can hide this from me. JUST HOW MUCH LONGER?!!"

"Harmony!!"

Charter's booming voice snapped into her rants, the pegasus suddenly darting in with a stern expression on his face. Primrose was right there as well, only able to express her shock at her friend's crazed behavior.

"Put the gun down, Harmony," he warned, slowly approaching the pink unicorn.

Despite that, she only raised the gun a little higher, her rifle swapping targets out of pure confusion and hatred.

"Nopony moves unless I say so!!"

"Harmony, just put down the gun!" Winter shouted, trying her best to snap her out of it.

"Don't you see? We're your friends! We're all trying to help you-"

"SAVE YOUR BUCKING LITTLE WORDS FOR THAT SLUT!!"

Pinkie could only gasp in shock, her hooves clenched in denial.

"H-Harmony...?"

"Don't you use that tone now," the Patriarch pressed on, warily approaching the mare.

Harmony started clutching her head, her migraine searing like an accursed brand, yet her grip on the musket on her other hoof still remained firm, whirling tightly as she slowly backed away from the approaching ponies surrounding her.

"Stay away from me!!" she screamed, waving her gun about.

Her back finally touched the smooth surface of the stained glass windows, the pressure around her flaring up with the agonizing jolt of pain in her head.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"

The neglected sound of cracking made Pinkie's ears perk, making her shout immediately:

"Harmony!! The window!!"

Suddenly, the loud shatter of glass filled the air as Harmony gasped, her eyes widened in horror as she fell backward, her tears leaping in the invading rays of the moonlight. The world seemed to slow around them, with Winter being the first to react with a leap towards the mare, trying to reach for her hoof in vain.

The pink unicorn closed her eyes, her mouth opened in a silent scream, letting the weight of gravity ensnare her. Only one thought ran through her mind, twisting into her head like a drill.

"He was right..."

"HARMONY!!!" Winter shouted as the pink unicorn fell into the gaping darkness, his hoof reaching out into the air around them.

Pinkie, Charter and Primrose could only look in horror, with the caramel mare being the only one stifling a gasp. All of them were frozen onto the spot, looking down into the black spiral of the night.

"Get Stellar," the Patriarch muttered, before whirling back in a bout of rage.

"GET STELLAR NOW!!!"

Immediately, the guards galloped off, their weapons rattling against their red uniforms. The four of them stepped back, with Winter being the first to clench his hooves.

"Get me a lamp," he demanded, wiping his tears away while Charter nodded, speeding off as a request from the stallion, not wanting to anger him any further.

"Winter...?" Pinkie tried to call him, though he merely responded with a grimacing stare.

She stepped back, a small tear dripping across the floor with her hooves tucked together in regret, her head hanging low with remorse.

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

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Present Day

"You want us to what now?"

"Like Ah said," Applejack repeated once more, looking at the crowd of ponies before her.

"The Princesses have requested for some assistance from some of these dragons."

"Like, finally!!" Lyra exclaimed gleefully, earning a look from Bon Bon.

"So," the pale beige mare cleared her throat.

"You want us to just fly off to wherever they are on a pack of dragons, and just.... wait?"

"Exactly," was the orange mare's reply, earning a chorus of uncertain murmurs among the residents of Ponyville.

The townsfolk had gathered just outside the town hall after Applejack was relayed of the alicorn's orders from Jovern. The black dragon himself was there as well, along with his younger brother.

"Ah said if the Princesses need our help, then we had to follow her orders, whatever in tarnation they are!"

There was a moment of silence, before the mare spotted a raised hoof.

"Yes, Doctor Whooves?"

"So, pardon me if it gets a little offensive," the stallion replied with a sheepish grin.

"But is it prominent that our arrival to this... Pendant Lakes... must be exemplary?"

"Seems that way ta me," Applejack replied.

"Ah just need a bunch of volunteers ta help. We need all the help we can get?"

"But why dragons?" somepony asked in the crowd.

Immediately, everypony started questioning once more, with Jovern and Kane looking skeptically at the ponies before them, their tongues flicking with annoyance, with the crimson dragon whispering to her:

"Seems, Applejack, that we have a dire situation here."

"Everypony quit your yappin'!"

Immediately, the growing ruckus died down, making way of Applejack's voice as she cleared her throat.

"It's no question that the dragon's decided to take their first move, but that doesn't mean we have ta strike back as well, don't we? In fact, these dragons are the only hope to reachin' the town in no time at all!"

Fluttershy raised her hoof meekly, prompting the orange mare to look at her friend.

"Yes, Shy. What is it ya wanna say?"

"Um.... Don't we as... uh.... ponies.... that we.... um... as ponies, of course..."

"Go on~?" she beckoned the yellow pegasus, who held her breath as she continued speaking:

"Don't we... you know... um... have to work together for... um... the safety of Equestria?"

Applejack pondered for a moment, before clicking her hooves onto the stage.

"That's right!" she shouted.

"What m'ah friend here said was completely true. We have to work together, even if it was our most hostile of enemies, for the safety of our land!"

There were a few agreeable nods, though the orange mare wasn't done yet.

"Sure, they had burned our fields black with their flames! Sure, they had took us hostage in our houses. Sure, they made the Princess sign a treaty we never wanted to make!"

"But we're now fightin' against the same enemy, so why not we work together! Am Ah right, or am Ah right?!"

The responding silence was nearly nerve-wrecking for her, the orange mare planning to hastily step down before a bright crimson hoof was raised into the air.

"Ah'll believe in m'ah sister's words," Big Mac bellowed, steeling with determination.

"Despite what the dragons did to us, she was right; we're both fighting the same pony! And now Celestia demands our help, and we're given the chance to become heroes!"

Fluttershy soon followed suit, suddenly frowning with determination, much to the surprise of everypony else.

"That's right! We must forget our past mistakes! We must build a better future for all of us! For all of Equestria!"

Soon, a couple of voices followed in agreement, their nods accompanied by the sounds of cheering.

"We must work together!" some of them chorused. "For Equestria and for the Princesses!" the others cheered.

The whole crowd, or more affectionately put, the whole of Ponyville then rallied, their hooves raised in the air. The sight only made Applejack smile with warmth, before she roared:

"Then let's see why we're the toughest ponies in all of Equestria! Let's show them what we can do!!"

Everypony cheered gleefully in unison, their hooves clopping beatifically with their heads held high.

The orange mare on the podium smiled, her heart tingling with the warmth of the unity she had finally bridged with the dragons. She let out a relieved sigh, before feeling a scaly paw on her shoulder.

"That was one heck of a rally." Kanov'hin mused with delight, the two chuckling among each other.

"Never knew you had that fighting spirit in you, Applejack. Couldn't have done it better myself."

Applejack could only blush as the dragon gave her a proud peck on her cheek, before she hugged his colossal snout, nuzzling it passionately.

"Aw shucks...."

"Come on, you little lovebirds," Jovern teased with a hearty chuckle, flapping his wings as he hovered into the air.

His face, steeled with determination, gazed forward into the distance. With a sigh, he glanced back at the newly-formed couple, the orange mare now clutching tightly on his younger brother's scales, with many of the other ponies following suit on the platoon of dragons behind him.

With a grin, he readied his claws, kicking the dust behind him, before soaring off into the distant sunset, admiring the glimmering spectacle before him, with only a single thought lingering in his mind, stirring his determination for the mission he was given.

To Pendant Lakes it is.

Comments

[WritingSpirit]

Chapter 64

Most cheerful chapter name, I think.

Nearing the end of the Arc it seems. Estimation: about an approx of 2 - 3 chapters left.
Some things would be explained in due time, particularly Harmony's summoning of the demons, which would involve the certain him she mentioned.

[Fury of the Tempest]

So... either the him is Winter.... or the one I call Kane. The pony behind it all.
I'm still a little uncertain om why Harmony got so emotional... I mean, she was never like that at the beginning... and why she still loved Winter at the start of the story but hates him now.

[MasterSpike]

I never was a fan of pep talks. This is no different, sorry.