54. Our Virtues
Tension hung in the air after Sunny’s assertion of my resurrection. It was an extremely bold claim. Ragnhild would not tolerate lies and, in the scheme of things, saying a pony died, met a dead alicorn, and returned was pretty fantastical.
The magnificent purple dragon’s head cocked, her amber eyes staring down at Sunny’s determined face. It was as if she was trying to smell the truth or intimidate it out of the golden mare.
It was truly an impressive sight to watch the two of them locked in ocular combat. The aura surrounding the beast flared. It was an attempt to throw Sunny off, but she did not budge. Neither would give on that front, but it was the matron’s turn to speak.
“You suggest to me that Silent Knight was slain and restored to life?” the matron asked, her tone very flat and guarded.
“No, Matron. That wasn’t meant as a suggestion. I state it as fact. Silent Knight was slain in the defense of Princess Luna and was restored to life by Princess Celestia. She has mighty powers when it comes to the restoration of the body,” Sunny replied as she puffed out her chest.
This was shaping up to be a very different negotiation than the ones I’d had. Ragnhild and I negotiated as if we were playing a game of chess. We always tried to outmaneuver each other. Sunny was going at this head on.
“Nocturna herself once regaled to me about the powers of the alicorns of the sun. I do not doubt them. Your claim, however, has a flaw in it. If what you say is true, then what need would you have of me, pony?
“If Silent Knight spoke to Nocturna herself, why would I have knowledge of her that she, herself, does not? In regards to her domain, what could I know that she would not share?” Ranghild challenged.
It was an excellent challenge, too. One that cast all the more doubt on my claim and, in our current circumstance, on Sunny’s words.
My eyes briefly wandered to the keep. It helped my mouth remain shut as I fought the urge to step in. Why had Nocturna kept this a secret from me? Was it trust? Perhaps if I seemed not to be myself, Ragnhild would slay me and the virtues would remain beyond the grasp of Maristella.
Sunny had not spoken yet. The look on her face remained the same, but she was struggling. Without warning, Ferrel stepped to her side and lifted her head to meet the dragon’s gaze. “Great Matron, with your permission, I would answer this question.”
Everyone’s attention shifted to the ancient unicorn. The matron's amber eyes shifted from one mare to the other before she said, “Indeed? Then by all means, answer, Oracle of Kalinda.”
“Silent Knight’s mistress does not fully trust that he cannot be manipulated by her enemies,” Ferrel explained. “Were Nocturna to simply share with him all that he needs to know, only he would know, and were he to be manipulated, her other allies may never know. Thus, we come before you as a group, instead of as an individual, to seek your knowledge and wisdom.”
My wings twitched. Ferrel had just called my trustworthiness into question. That might bite us.
Ragnhild briefly looked back at me before replying, “Your explanation, while clear, leaves much to be desired. If Nocturna does not trust Silent Knight, why should I?”
And there it was.
Dream Pop hopped up onto Sunny’s back so she could, I suppose, be closer to the dragon’s maw. “Great Mistress! May I speak?”
With an amused flick of her foreclaw, the gargantuan dragon replied, “Why not? I am finding this tale more and more curious.”
“Nocturna does trust Silent Knight, and we do, too! The problem is, as I understand it, he only has so much time before some dark magic makes it possible for bad ponies to read his thoughts. That is why we need to get the information and use it before that happens.”
Read my thoughts? Dark magic! I should have negotiated. I really should have negotiated. Lady Nocturna, why couldn’t you have just told me where these things were? Why place a dragon in my way? What could she possibly… My eyes focused on the keep again. Ah.
Without addressing Dream Pop's statement directly, Ragnhild turned her attention to the remaining two ponies. “Nox pony, you are Nocturna’s own. Do you trust Silent Knight?”
“Completely, Great Matron,” Tranquil replied.
The dragon’s eyes fell on Miley. “And you, Miley Hooves?”
“Yes, ma’am! He’s my boss and friend. He’d never hurt us. He’s just had a lot of bad stuff in his head. So we’re going to help him, and to do that, we need the Virtues of Harmony, but Nocturna didn’t say where they were. She just told Silent Knight that an ally was guarding them, and he figured that had to be you or someone you knew.”
Everypony else turned to stare at Miley. She’d just given away everything we needed and our predicament.
Ragnhild chuckled deeply, the sound rumbling within her great chest. She reached out and scooped Miley up in her claw.
Everypony tensed and my jaw set. I could get to my sword. I could attack her from the side.
Miley quivered in the grasp of Ragnhild as the dragon brought her closer to her maw.
To our surprise, the ancient beast actually smiled. “You, I like the most, Miley Hooves. I shall speak to you, as you’re too fearful to be duplicitous. You want the treasures of Kalinda and Nocturna, then?”
Miley stammered, “Y-y-yes, ma’am. Please. Thank you. We need them to stop Maristella. She’s a bad pony.”
Ragnhild’s tail lashed when Miley had spoken the name of our enemy. It was the only time I’d ever seen her impulsively react to anything spoken. “I see,” the dragon rumbled before setting the mare back down with the others.
Sunny had seen it, too. She stepped up and set a hoof on Miley before addressing the dragon, “Yes, Matron. We need them to settle Nocturna’s business once and for all. We also need them to protect Silent Knight. He is of our brood, and I know that you take protecting your own quite seriously.”
“You speak true, Captain Day. Protecting one’s brood is the greatest task of any matron. I respect your desire to do so. Nocturna sought to do just that. Despite that fact and the honesty of the Miley Hooves, I am afraid, however, that we cannot negotiate.”
That was a strong tactic to take immediately. We’d have to really butter Ragnhild up to shift her from that position. My companions had given too much away. Although at this point I wasn’t sure we needed the knowledge any longer.
“And may I ask why?” Sunny replied, defiance in her voice.
“Is that not obvious? As I said, you seek the treasures of Kalinda and Nocturna. These are not mine to give. Unless you’re suggesting that a dragon such as I would scavenge and take them as my own in the absence of their masters?”
Dream Pop lifted one foreleg, the other smashing down on the back of Sunny’s head. “No, Matron! We would never do such. Can we negotiate for your knowledge of where they may be?”
Ragnhild’s head gave a long shake. “No, Great Wizard, for that is also not mine to share. In truth, not being able to negotiate with such curious ponies does bring me great displeasure. As a token of my great generosity, I shall instead give you this:
“You are welcome here today, and today only. Come and go as you please. You may explore this city as you desire, so long as you do so in a respectful way and leave my brood at peace. Good day, ponies and Miley Hooves.”
Clever dragon.
Ragnhild turned to me and dropped her head so that she could be at my level. “Silent Knight, you honor your word and bring esteem upon the Knights of the Moon, as well as yourself. You spoke true and did not interfere even as I took your friend in claw. As such, you and your knights are welcome here always.”
I bowed low. “My gratitude, Great Matron. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“The obsidian are known for just that,” Ragnhild replied before she smiled at me. It was genuine, but with all of the teeth and the size of her maw, it still looked like a threat. She then made her way off into the darkness, leaving the square relatively empty beyond a few curious dragon whelps.
When she was out of sight, Sunny stomped her hoof. It was forceful enough to send Dream Pop tumbling off. To my surprise, the earth pony tucked, rolled, and then ended up on her hindhooves with both forelegs in the air in a pose that was reminiscent of a circus act.
“Oh, I’ll give her the business!” Sunny spat. “We’re going to negotiate!”
When she started off in the direction Ragnhild had walked, Dream Pop hurriedly jumped to grab her. “Wait! Wait, Sunny! I think she helped us.”
I stroked my chin. I was thinking so, too. In fact, I was almost certain of it.
“What do you mean?” Tranquil asked softly.
“She has no reason to let us go exploring in her lair,” I said. “It isn’t of any value to the princesses and offering something of no value is an insult.”
“I’m insulted!” Sunny huffed.
Ferrel looked around. “Be that as it may, Sunny Day, a dragon matron would not lightly insult the princesses of Equestria.”
Miley gasped. “The virtues, they’re here! Aren’t they?”
Dream Pop nodded. “Smarty shoes! I bet they are. Since they weren’t hers and she is protecting them, she couldn’t say so outright, but she basically said so.”
“Great, so we just have to go over an entire city in a single day. Easy!” Sunny grumbled.
I shook my head. “No, Sunny, I don’t think we do.” I turned to look up at Nocturna’s keep once again. It was a looming, frightening fortress. How the nox ponies had ever viewed it as fashionable, I didn’t know.
There was something inside that I knew about. Something that had frightened me in the past. “I think I know exactly where they are.”
Dream Pop followed my gaze up to the keep. “Makes sense to me!” She started trotting away from us and up the large stairs that led to the ancient hold. She seemed unfazed by the grotesque, winged statues that stared out at us all.
They didn’t bother me so much anymore, either. When I’d first ventured inside, I’d been alone and afraid. I had no idea what or who I’d find. “Come on, ponies, there is something inside I think you’ll enjoy seeing. Assuming you don’t gallop off in fear.”
Miley squeaked, “Why would we gallop away in fear?”
Sunny started up the stairs. “Didn’t Silent Knight tell you? The nox ponies of old used to sacrifice earth ponies to ward off the ghosts of this mountain. Now that they don’t do that anymore, there are ghosts everywhere.”
My ears flicked at that. It seemed Sunny had flipped the switch from serious to silly again. Surely Miley wouldn’t believe such nonsense.
“Nuh-uh! You’re not going to scare me, Sunny. I know that is a lie,” Miley replied.
Tranquil cleared her throat. “Do not be so certain, Miley. As shameful as it is to admit, Sunny speaks the truth.”
That was unexpected.
Miley gasped, “No!” and started trotting the opposite direction.
Ferrel looped a hoof around Miley’s and started to trot up the stairs, pulling the little mare along. “Come, Miley Hooves. I shall protect you from the ghosts and spirits. They will think twice before crossing an Exemplar of the Unicorn Temple.”
Sunny cackled and rushed up the steps. “As if one pony would be enough to save her!”
“You should all remember we’re guests here, show a little respect,” I said as I went up after them and pulled one of the large double doors open.
Sunny trotted through, her tongue poked out in my direction. She was the very image of maturity. It never failed to amaze me how fast the mare could swing from dead serious to beyond silly.
I waited for everypony to get into the keep before pushing the door closed and breathing a sigh of relief. “Alright, that was an interesting negotiation. Good job, everypony. Keep in mind that our words and actions are still representative of the kingdom. We won’t have any privacy.”
“Okay, we get it, Silent. I’ll be professional,” Sunny replied.
Tranquil looked around in wonder. I rarely saw her break out of her reserved state, but she looked thrilled. “We’re in Nocturna’s keep. I’ve heard so many stories about it, but this is unreal. Look at her balcony of address!” Her hoof pointed up.
That was a place I was familiar with. It was my first exposure to the alicorn’s power. I’d also seen it during its glory days via a memory crystal. The foyer of the keep had been preserved almost like a courtyard, even if it was inside.
Two floors up was the balcony itself. It jutted out from the walls and allowed a pony to look down and address those below her. On either side were long staircases that would have been guarded.
The blue glow that was cast from above was still present, exactly how I remembered it. Only this time I was not full of frightened anticipation. I knew what it was and I suspected it held what we needed.
“That is where we’re going,” I put in as I pointed above.
The tip of Ferrel’s horn illuminated, casting a subtle silver light. “I can feel it from here. There is a great deal of power in this place.”
Sunny’s nose wiggled. “You know, I hadn’t noticed at first, but yeah, you’re right.”
Miley looked around. “This place is creepy.”
Dream Pop happily bounced. “Creepy awesome!”
“We’ll want to go upstairs to the balcony. I have a feeling that is where we need to start,” I explained.
“But we’ll get to explore the whole keep, right?” Tranquil asked hopefully.
“Right?” Dream Pop parroted.
I cleared my throat. “Perhaps we should focus on the potentially alicorn-ending villain first and then come back for the tourism?”
Tranquil sighed. “Point taken.”
Dream Pop’s nose wiggled as she gave a resolute but silent nod.
With a frightened Miley, indifferent Ferrel, and overconfident Sunny, the disappointed pair started making their way up one of the grand stairways that flanked the balcony above.
On the first occasion I’d been here, I’d crept my way up. This time, I ascended the stairs with determination. I knew what I would be facing: a magically enchanted stained glass mural. A mural that imparted fear. Where better to hide a set of powerful artifacts?
My training as a Knight of the Moon had sought to harden my mind from outside influence. Not that it was remotely enough to stop something as powerful as Maristella, but I wondered if it would at least help against the stained glass.
There was no harm in letting my companions go first. I simply lingered near the stairs to see how they reacted.
Sunny was first, her bravado still getting the best of her. She trotted onto the landing and around the half pillar that framed the back of the balcony. When she stepped into the glow of the stained glass, she froze, staring at it with wide eyes.
“Sunny?” Miley whispered.
“Come along, Miley Hooves,” Ferrel said, practically dragging the petite mare with her.
When the pair got into the light, Miley squeaked and couched down, burying her eyes behind her forelegs, peeking out.
Ferrel stood at Sunny’s side, her head tilted curiously. The aura didn’t seem to impact her as much.
Dream Pop and Tranquil exchanged glances.
“For science?” Dream Pop asked.
“For knowledge,” Tranquil replied before the two went together, hoof in hoof. As they stood in the glow of the stained glass, I could see the most subtle of tremble along their forms before both of them knelt in submission.
Sunny and Ferrel’s will was remarkable. I took my time walking around the pillar, trying to admire the artwork for what it was beyond a defensive tool. Nocturna stood proudly at the center of the piece.
It was clear she was at the height of her power given her size and stature. The waves of power began to crash into me. My senses were assaulted and my legs urged me to kneel. I didn’t, however, I forced myself to continue to look.
Nocturna was attending to her nox ponies. Many were depicted as small, draconic-winged figures. They all stood beneath a full moon in the heavens that matched one on the alicorn’s flank, bright, and full with the symbol of an owl overlaid, surrounded by twinkling stars.
My body froze as my eyes met hers. They appeared cool with the glowing blue light radiating through them. The real ones had been far more welcoming. Welcoming was not the intent of this place, however, and the stained glass beckoned me to prostrate myself or take flight. I chose neither. I took a step forwards. “I am a Knight of the Moon,” I whispered. It was all I could manage.
All of the ponies in the stained glass were insignificant. They worshiped at Nocturna’s hooves. Only one pony could stand in her presence: the blue unicorn that would one day become Princess Luna.
That gave me the power to step forwards again. “I am a Knight of the Moon.”
Ferrel muttered, “Alicorns, give me strength, for I seek nothing more than to flee this terrible place.”
I set my hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “Yes. That is why I believe this is what protects the Virtues of Harmony. This is our test. We have to be brave, everypony. I don’t think there is any true harm to be had.”
“She put them behind a spell so powerful that it implores ponies to run in fright? Brilliant,” Ferrel replied. Though she was frightened, she did not show it.
“How… How do we get them?” Miley whimpered from beneath her hooves.
Tranquil flared her wings from where she was bowed. It was a nervous gesture. She eventually settled them back to her body. “We must find the will to touch the glass in a similar method to the conservatory. That has to be it.”
Dream Pop pushed her back hooves into the carpet, forcing her body forwards. “That is a good hypothesis, Dusky, even if my body is screaming no. Come on, everypony. Fight your way there!”
“Together then,” I said as I reached a hoof out for the stained glass. Every instinct told me not to do it, and my own hoof fought against me. It trembled and wriggled, trying to go in a direction opposite of what I wanted. This place was not meant for ponies such as myself.
The others were similarly struggling. Quivering hooves reached out as individual battles of will were waged. Ferrel took a deep breath and then exhaled. Her hoof moved forwards with a stern willfulness. When she came in contact with the glass, she whispered, “It is safe.”
“I am a Knight of the Moon!” I said sternly to my hoof. It listened and went forwards, touching the glass.
Sunny’s back legs were simply not moving. She had a foreleg planted firmly on the floor while the other reached out. The golden mare kept going until she tipped forwards and fell onto her face. Despite that, the foreleg that was outstretched was on the glass.
Dream Pop and Tranquil were working together. They were pushing with their hindlegs and using the carpet for momentum. Tranquil reached forwards with a wing to make contact while using her forelegs to hold onto one of Dream Pop’s.
“Almost there!” Dream Pop grunted before finally pressing her hoof to the mural.
“Come, Miley Hooves, it is safe. Hurry, before our will fails,” Ferrel urged.
Being this close to the stained glass of Nocturna was excruciating. Not painful, exactly. It just felt like the absolute wrong thing to do.
Miley didn’t move at first. She was just hiding under her forehooves. “I’m not scared!” she shouted.
The little mare slinked forward along the floor like a caterpillar, her forehoof extended. A few more scoots brought her into contact.
We all stood there, touching the glass, fear raging in our mind. Nothing happened.
“Silent?” Sunny whispered.
“Yes?” I replied.
She glanced at me. “Say the magic words?”
“Alohamora!” Dream Pop shouted.
Miley’s teeth chattered as she whispered, “Nothing is happening. Are we at the wrong place?”
Ferrel shook her head. “I think not. The portal seems clear. The key is the mystery.”
“I have never read of anything like this in the archive,” Tranquil put in.
“I could blast it. I should blast it,” Sunny droned, her eyes fixed on the glass.
“No!” Dream Pop squealed. “We should hug!”
“What?” I asked in confusion. Our eyes fell to her.
“We should hug! The elements didn’t work until Twilight made friends. We’re friends. Friends hug!”
“Forgive me, Dream Pop, but your obsession with hugging is confusing. Was the one by the wagon not enough?” Ferrel asked.
Miley quickly scooted over and hugged Dream Pop’s foreleg. “Hugs make me feel less afraid. There isn’t any harm in it, and there are never enough hugs in the world!”
Tranquil pressed close to Miley and Dream Pop, wrapping her wing over the latter’s back. “Agreed.”
It was hard to argue with that. At best, Dream Pop was right. At worst, we’d just look silly. I joined them.
Ferrel merely shook her head and followed along.
“I could still blast it,” Sunny muttered.
“No, Sunny Day, come and join this ritual first,” Ferrel urged.
Begrudgingly, Sunny did. She was acting quite brave, but there was tension there. I don’t think she appreciated the feel of the magic being focused against us.
When we were all embracing, Dream Pop called, “Now touch it!”
In unison, we did so, and the weight of the stained glass’s aura shattered. The fear and trepidation melted away and—much like Miley had said—the hug made me feel better. We lingered there, holding onto each other with our hooves on the mural.
Without warning, the keep started to tremble. The pale light cast through the stained glass went out and the half pillar to the left began to twist. As it rotated, a door came into sight, revealing a new glow. A warm, golden one.
Dream Pop cheered, “Hugs win the day again!”
We lingered for a moment. There was no reason to, but we did. Hugs were a wonderful thing.
Ferrel slowly disengaged and headed towards the opening. “My apologies for doubting you, Dream Pop. If this day calls for a third hug, I shall not question it.”
I chuckled. It was interesting to watch Ferrel live in our world. She hadn’t for hundreds of years.
I followed after her. “One challenge down. Hopefully, we don’t have another and, if we do, hugs are the answer.”
The newly revealed door led to a square chamber behind the stained glass. It was a simple, unassuming stacked-stone room that shed radiant light from another piece of glasswork. Yellow, orange, and red, glass pieces had been imbedded into the floor, creating a six-pointed sun that dominated the very center of the chamber
Each point reached out to the base of a beautifully hewn alabaster pedestal. A fact I only knew because of my cousin, Runic. He’d have loved this place. Calcite alabaster was easy to work with and had a warm, almost honey-colored look when finished.
A master craftspony had carefully sculpted a raised circle onto each pedestal. She or another pony had then carefully built a unique mosaic for each one out of the same glass pieces as the floor.
The mosaics were familiar: a heart, a hummingbird, a lit candle, a lion’s head, a fruit tree, and an owl. A single metal disc stood on the top of each pedestal, each facing the center of the room.
“These symbols match the ones in the conservatory!” Dream Pop squealed happily as she hurried over to the pedestal that bore the etching of a fruit tree. “This one is mine!” She peered at the disc of bright gold that shimmered in the light of the tile sun. “Ooh, something is written on it, but I don’t know this language.”
Sunny Day trotted to the pedestal with the inscription of a heart. That disc was copper in color. “This one, too,” she said.
“And this one as well,” Tranquil added in as she peered down at the dark, silvery disc resting on the pedestal with a lit candle carving.
I made my way to the pedestal with the lion’s head on it. It was the same symbol I’d set my hoof on at the conservatory. The disc there was seemingly made of the finest silver. It, too, had an inscription.
“This is temple script,” Ferrel said absently as she studied the white metal disc standing on the pedestal of the owl.
“What is temple script?” Dream Pop asked with genuine interest.
Miley’s head was about an inch off her disc as she peered at it curiously. Hers was the color of a shiny brass button.
Ferrel explained, “Long ago, before all ponies wrote in the same language, the Unicorn Temple needed a method of communication for all members to understand regardless from whence they’d come.”
“Can you read it, Exemplar?” Tranquil asked.
Ferrel’s horn lit and her magic illuminated the disc in front of her. She slowly lifted it and took a closer look. “From experience comes wisdom, and only the wise may stand against the darkness.”
As she uttered the words, the metal started to glimmer. Ferrel’s horn suddenly went out, but the disc continued to float. It started to rotate and a beam of white light flickered outwards from its surface. There was a brief flash and when my eyes readjusted, there was a white, metallic laurel interwoven into Ferrel’s mane, the silhouette of an owl where the two branches intertwined.
The mare blinked as if her eyes were still impacted by the flash. She looked at each of us in brief confusion. “Was I gone again?” she asked. It was a question I had not heard in quite some time.
“No, not that I could tell,” I replied.
“I see…” she said softly before turning to her left and walking to Sunny. The way she moved was more akin to how she had prior to the loss of her powers. “Lift the disc in your magic, Sunny Day. You will now receive its power.”
“Uh, okay,” Sunny replied, not sounding wholly confident. Despite that, she did as she was told.
While the disc was wrapped in Sunny’s magical grasp, Ferrel read, “There can be no victory without love. Love all equally, even those that stand against you.”
Sunny’s disc started to float on its own, breaking the attachment with her magic. It drifted towards her heart as red beams of light swelled from its center. This time I closed my eyes and, even in doing so, I could tell there was a flash.
When they were open again, I could see a copper heart affixed to Sunny’s breastplate. She looked around in confusion, her eyes distant and unfocused.
Ferrel moved on to Miley, who looked quite uncertain. “Miley Hooves, take up your disc and fear not.”
Miley did as she was ordered, holding it out in Ferrel’s direction and keeping it as far away from her own body as possible.
“Humility is a quiet power that few understand. Be humble in the face of opposition and, in turn, humble it.”
A soft glow ran up the middle of the disc before it started to intensify. It grew brighter and brighter until the it split the metal into two parts that started to creep up Miley’s forelegs. I turned away only for a moment. When I looked back, Miley was admiring a new set of foreleg bangles.
She sheepishly smiled as she admired them both. They were bright brass and fit well above her hoofguards. Beautiful metallic feathers jutted out from them, giving the appearance of small wings.
“Tranquil Dusk, it is now your turn,” Ferrel said as she approached the nox pony.
“I hope I’m ready,” Tranquil replied as she lifted the disc with her wing tips.
“Those that hope dare to imagine a better world. Hope is the light in the darkness. Cherish it.”
The disc gleamed brightly before spreading out across her left wing. Its form changed to that of a small platinum wing cuff that fit delicately on the bend of her wing. A lit candle charm dangled from it.
Tranquil held her wing up, staring at it with great pleasure. Her tail slowly swished back and forth as she seemed fixated.
Ferrel turned to me. “Silent Knight.”
I nodded. There was nothing else to say. I scooped the disc up in my wings the same way Tranquil had.
“Courage comes not from being the greatest warrior, but from doing what must be done when the time is right.”
The disc started to glow and I could feel warmth and energy start to ripple along my wing and into my body. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before, even death. A feeling of peace surged through my mind.
There was nothing more to fear in the world. No matter what came, I could face it and would not need to do so alone. There would be ponies at my side. Together, we could stop the darkness.
Together, we could draw out Maristella and defeat her. The glow around me brightened. I could feel the power building on my right foreleg.
You must outplay your opponent. Maristella will not clumsily reveal herself as some arrogant villain. To draw her out, the prize must be worthwhile.”
The prize must be worthwhile.
I smiled. I knew now what had to be done. As the light faded, I looked down to find a guard on the upper part of my right leg. It was made of silver and inscribed with the head of a lion. It was the most beautiful piece of armor I’d ever seen.
Dream Pop was standing on her hindlegs, hopping back and forth. Her disc was cradled to her chest. “My turn, my turn!”
Ferrel walked close and managed to read through the motions and cradling. “Benevolence in the face of darkness brings heart to your allies. It cannot be mistook for anything but harmony.”
There was a final flash of light and Dream Pop spun around in confusion. “It’s gone!”
Miley Hooves giggled. “No, it isn’t! Look at your pigtails.”
Dream Pop’s head tilted as she let one flop over into her face, a hoof running through it. Her disc had transformed into barrettes for her mane. One on each side held the pigtails in place. The mare gasped in delight.
Then, Dream Pop turned her attention back to us. “Did anypony else have a flash of… something?”
I nodded. I certainly had.
“Indeed,” Ferrel replied.
Tranquil still stared at her wing cuff. “I as well.”
“Me, too!” Miley replied.
We then all turned to Sunny who was still standing about, looking off into the distance.
“Sunny?” I asked.
Without warning, Sunny gasped happily and stood on her hindhooves. She threw her forehooves up and wiggled her hips. “Yes! YES! In your face, Twilight Sparkle! Now Sunny Day has her own magic jewelry!”
The golden mare tapped the heart-shaped metal on her breastplate and shouted, “How do you like me now you nerdling mega-virgin!”
It was at that point that I knew Sunny was completely okay.
“What is wrong with being a virgin?” Ferrel asked, her head tilted.
“Yes! What is wrong, indeed?” Tranquil Dusk put in, her nose tipping up.
Miley squeaked, “Wait! Ferrel, you’re like super old! You mean to say you’ve never… you know… with a stallion? What about a mare?”
“I have not,” the exemplar replied resolutely.
“Buh!” Sunny stammered before coming back down on all of her hooves. “But that is s—”
Dream Pop stuffed a hoof over Sunny’s mouth. “Super okay! Everypony is different and special. They’re allowed to decide when and if they want to be intimate with other ponies or even gryphons!”
“But they’re missing out on it! Stallions feel—” Miley’s next words were indecipherable as I’d looped a foreleg around her face and pulled her up against me.
I cleared my throat. “What Miley was about to say is that Dream Pop is right and everypony is entitled to living the way they want to live. Now, as much as I love hearing the five of you discuss the intimate details of your lives, can we please focus on the fact that we just found the Virtues of Harmony?”
Sunny quickly nodded. “Right. I think I was… here.” She stood back up and started sliding her hindhooves back while pumping her forehooves. “In your face, in your face! Suck it, Twilight!”
Miley wiggled her hooves between her face and my foreleg. She whispered to me, “Why is she like that?”
I leaned in and whispered back, “She thinks they’re rivals. Princess Celestia told me that Twilight Sparkle thinks they’re friends. Twilight doesn’t understand that Sunny is being sarcastic when she’s seemingly being nice.”
“Oooh. Neat!” Miley chirped.
While Sunny celebrated in her own way, Ferrel looked to me. Our eyes met briefly and then hers flicked down. “We should return to the palace.”
“We should, yes,” I replied. “Come along, everypony. You can come back and explore when this business is done.”
Sunny started prancing towards the opening. She hadn’t pranced in a while. That was nice. “Yes! Let’s go! Somepony get me a quill and paper. I want to send Twilight a letter. Dear Twilight Sparkle…”
Miley squeaked, “No! Let me tell you something about humility.”
“And benevolence!” Dream Pop put in.
Tranquil laughed. It was genuine and rare. She trotted off after them.
Ferrel and I lingered a moment. I then slipped a wing over her back. “Let’s go. We have a lot of work to do in a very short period of time.”
The mare looked over at me and nodded. “Indeed. For Equestria.”
“For Equestria,” I replied.
Please be mindful of those who haven't read and use the spoiler tag!
If you are enjoying this story, please consider taking a look at Crystal and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, Q&B AU wiki, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon. We also have lovely art! Drop in sometime.
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Alas, the Miley Hooves subspecies of the sweety Pony proves to be as reliable as ever....
And Sunny should know that she is like, 3rd or 4th. Place in the Twilight Sparkle ranking of rivals....
Let's fucking GOOOOOOOO!
Time to do battle!
Awesome chapter as usual! Loving how everything is coming together. Keep it up.
With every chapter, you seem to improve your writing, and the weight of the story, perfectly combining wit and wonder. And with a chapter as vivid as this, how can I not get excited for the finale!?
We're almost coming to the end, aren't we, my friend? I honestly cannot wait!
That was a very endearing scene, and Sunny you're so fantastic you goof.
I both love and am embarrassed by Sunny. Considering it's Sunny, I feel that even she would agree.
Negotiation definitely went a different way than I expected, but that is *ahem* Super Okay!
And if I had a dollar for every time I smacked my head and went, "Really?" I'd have several dollars.
Benevolence, Hope, Courage, Humility, Love and Wisdom. Worthy virtues indeed. And I get the best/worst sense of foreboding/excitement about what exactly would be a big enough prize to draw out the forgotten winter.
Wisdom, Love, Humility, Hope, Courage, Benevolence. Some of those qualities are also Fruits of the Spirit mentioned in the Holy Word. YAY! I'm also very elated that Silent Knight and his five companions have found the Virtues needed to at last combat the evil Maristella! I also think that Crystal WIshes would squee with joy and excitement if she were see her husband's newest fashion statement!
Speaking of which, I think it would be awesome if Silent was also equipped with the Triforce of Courage along with the Master Sword. Then, he'll become...A TRUE BEARER OF COURAGE!!!!!!
Also, in regards to Sunny's comments about Twilight being a virgin, that won't last very long when (or rather if) she gets hooked up with Flash Sentry, her soul mate!
Why don't pony hero teams ever get the classical cardinal virtues?
i.ytimg.com/vi/ol5NMStK0qw/hqdefault.jpg
Those quotes were awesome and you should feel awesome.
Interesting chapter.
I would love to see a side story/one show of nothing but interactions between Sunny and Twilight.
This new group is very interesting.
Benevolence, Hope, Courage, Humility, Love and Wisdom, are definitely some good virtues. I wonder what exactly would be a big enough prize to draw out the forgotten winter.
Was that supposed to be ominous? That sounded really ominous to me. Silent, you already died once, please don't do so again.
Never change, Sunny, never change
ok now we have the 6 parts of the puzzle.
and everypony s supper pumped.
as is this chapter wow this is a awesome chapter.
but with this much good their is going to be bade creeping up before to much longer.
I never know that Sunny has a thing for Twilight.
Cue epic "Level Up!/Transformation" fanfare
It's great to see these characters come so far!
"For Equestria?"
For harmony.
Alright, who's the Joker that keeps giving me ludicrous "thumbs downs" on my comments for this story? Because I personally find that utterly disrespectful and discouraging; I would appreciate it if he/she would refrain from doing so.
Welp, the most important thing in this chapter is definitely the fact that Sunny rekt Twilight. Sarcasm in case you're not sure.
8103290 PROBABLY has something to do with you mentioning one of the two most polarizing subjects there is. Religion or Politics, either is gunna get you on the bad side of somebody, so you might wanna cool your jets on either of those two, turbo. Cos it's really offputting for most people even if you are super into it. And it wasn't me because you are right, it is disrespectful and rude.
But on another note... Chapter!!! Yay! Silent did well in holding his tongue. Goes to show that often more can be learnt from listening than from assertive action. Unless your Fluttershy. Then you need to be assertive. At least once.
8103865 It's my right to express my religious values, for I do have the Freedom of Speech protection under the United States Constitution and I don't care how "polarizing" it is to others.
Oohhh man. Miley's interaction with Ragnhild is the best, and Sunny is hilarious. I'd wanna see her flaunt in front of Twilight. Dream Pop started feeling less like the odd one out in the group; she's shown what she can add in the previous chapter, and she continues to prove her worth despite previously not having any background in this whole adventuring business. Totally dig it.
I smiled. I knew now what had to be done.
And so the race to figure it out is on!
8104064 8103865
Forgive me for chiming in, but from what I can see, Jade just provided an explanation to your question. Up to you whether or not you want to do something with it. You're totally free to express your thoughts, just as anyone else is free to express theirs, be it through comment or up/downvote or otherwise.
Now I gotta get my theories done by the time the next chapter appears. Oh dear... Let's get going then!
8104111 Thank you VERY much for your positive and pleasant response. Also, I initially assumed that I was downvoted for my Legend of Zelda references (including the drawing of the Master Sword video). Because when the Virtues of Wisdom and Courage came into appearance in this chapter, I couldn't controll myself with the zealous nostalgia.
Oh no! They ended on a high note and things are looking really good for them. Something is going to go wrong again soon. I just know it!
Looking forward to seeing what Silent has in mind and what the opposition will attempt to counter with. Should be fun for everyone, except Crystal. She's probably still freaked out about the whole load that has been dumped on Silent's shoulders and the fact that he's already used one more life do over than most others can. Still, fun times ahead.
OMG I love love loved this chapter. Sunny is priceless
It's interesting to see the story connect back to what the show is all about. Everything got pretty dark there for a while, but it still boils down to one thing: Friendship is magic. Literally. Well played, Anzel. Well played.
If they beat Maristella by hugging her, I swear to whatever deity that'll listen that I'm gonna scream.
8102894 Spoiler tags, if you please. We don't wanna ruin anybody's day.
8105693
Thought I had them added, thanks for the heads up.
8102658 yes, yes they are...
SK with the virtue and triforce of courage? Talk about OP
8105958 If you think that's something, just imagine what it would be for Templar Ferral if she also had the Triforce of Wisdom with her Virtue: then she would be...A TRUE BEARER OF WISDOM! Even if she's technically not a royal princess.
Gotta be careful with this line of argument, Sunny, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Though it would be helpful if Silent could pop in with a "No pony should know that this" anecdote about Ranghild like he had about Luna.
Honestly, full disclosure was probably a better option than being all secretive. If Ranghild really is a reliable ally of Nocturna that would be left with the Virtues, Nocturna's plan for these ponies to acquire them may simply be something she'll cooperate with.
Miley confirmed to not be a pony by someone who might actually know if something weird is going on with her. I'm guessing transformed hairless primate. Thus the clumsiness, she's not used to being a quadruped.
Makes sense.
Now that's a silly story to scare Miley with, Sunny, we just had it confirmed that she isn't an earth pony.
I find it interesting how close Tranquil and Dream Pop are. Therapist/patient relationship, perhaps? I don't remember if it was said whether they knew each other before thia overall mission started.
Hugs, this is pony after all, that easily could be part of the solution.
I like how this worked with Ferrel reading off the Virtue choices. Nice parallel to Twilight back in episode two.
Oh you got me good with that one. Made me laugh. I am curious to see what these objects can do. And sunny's reactions were priceless as always. Awesome chapter. I see she is perfect for the Love virtue
Sunny! There is northing wrong with being a virgin. I agree with Dream Drop.
I literally binge read these 3 stories in 4 days. They are so good to read, keep up the great work!
I guess while I wait for new chapters I'm going to need to read the associated stories.
Kick some tail B-Team!
I just adore lines like that.
So Dream is basically the mad genius/Pinkie Pie of the group. Nice.
And what exactly makes one a mega virgin as opposed to a regular one?
8103290
Because the same people who preach tolerance and "love wins" have no understanding of what those two words mean.
Yes, they need to go into time-out, but...
As the Good Book says, and assuming I remember correctly:
Love thy neighbor.
Is it easy? No.
But doing the right thing regardless of one's faith or lack thereof is never easy.
8118409 Thanks for your understanding response, good sir.
Just from reading this chapter again, I realized something.
Miley did not say she was a virgin, and even almost directly said she wasn't. I can just imagine the first time Silent heard that Miley and Runic not-cuddled.
It probably involved Silent locking up like a door.
8127874
scandal!
yet another thing I didn't notice first time through. The Harry Potter spell for unlocking doors. *slow claps* anzel, you've done it again
Running behind on replies. What is this real life thing? Why must I adult? Anyway...
8102527 She'd prefer gem stars!
8102546 The Miley Hooves is an extraordinarily rare sub-species but one of the better ones.
8102586 Carebear stare! Wait... wrong show.
8102591 Thank you =D
8102610 Thank you very much! I've been focusing a lot more on quality over schedule lately and I do think it shows. The end does loom!
8102611 Sunny is my favorite for a reason =D
8102623 She makes us cringe, she makes us laugh, and she makes us feel. That is my Sunny! And yes, your spoiler tag there asks a great question.
8102658 Silent Knight as Link in, "The Legend of Equestria, a Silent to the Past." (We're working on the title).
8102733 In this case we're short two ;)
8102801 Thank you!
8102853 I actually would too! Perhaps one day... I shy away from writing M6 though.
8102894 That is the most important question. :)
8102971 Ominous indeed. Very much so!
8103026 I always have to balance the two ;)
8103077 Haven't you heard? They're rivals!
8103125 Thank you. It has been fun!
8103247 For friendship!
8103450 One day they'll have a showdown!
8103850 =D
8104111 You're running out of time to figure it out my darling!
Tick tock. Mr. Clockerson waits for no pony.
8104529 An elaborate game of pony chess. That is what we're after.
8104608 She really stole the show for sure. If not her than Miley and Ragnhild.
8105693 To be honest I had the same thought as I worked through Trials. We're still rooted in Equestria and I want to show the positive too.
8106383 Sunny does what Sunny does!
8106641 You make a very valid point about Ragnhild's relationship to Nocturna!
Ragnhild has been around. She knows a "not pony" when she sees one.
Tranquil and Dream Pop weren't really associated too well prior but, knowing Dream Pop, that rarely matters.
It is always good to scare Miley. That is just what ponies do!
8108059 I figured it was a fun little thing to throw in there.
8109098 Sunny doesn't know!
8111435 Welcome! Glad to have you =D
8114300 That's right!
8116796 That is, more or less, Dream Pop. Yup! As far as Mega Virgin... you'd have to ask Sunny.
8127874 Miley did not say that ;)
8132779
8116796 Well, in the O&O 2.5 Core Manual, the Nerdling prefix raises the Virgin suffix of an item or entity to a multiplier of the power of pie. The mega is just kind of automatic at that point.
8132779
Oh, Dream Pop... You little goofy wizard-lover
Quite a bit, I expect. There's any number of things that she might not think are important that you - or Silent or Sunny - would want spoken.
She did ... but it is.
To make you move in ways Maristella cannot predict?
But Ragnhild, you haven't taste-tested the rest of them yet!
Does that mean they can't talk to the dragons, or just they can't annoy the dragons?
Well, actually, aren't Miley and Tranquil also Knights of the Moon? SK has taught them, and they answer to his orders. That means they're welcome at any time.
Silly SK, you should know that there's always an infinite amount of time to complete sidequests before the main quest advances!
Cute, but wrong magic words.
Maybe you can bring him to visit later. Introduce him as the Knight Armorer.
Well ... that's one way to look at it.
Twilight would get that letter, and be all genuinely happy, and offer to throw her a party.
This was a very, very good chapter. There are quite a few moments that I wish had art to accompany them.
oooooh my god