All the Queen's Horses

by Bluespectre

Chapter Thirteen - Time to say goodbye

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

The classroom was in full swing. Bellowing fillies and colts vied with each other to try and make themselves heard over the cacophony while notes were scrunched up and thrown to their respective recipients – willingly or otherwise. Somewhere within it all, buried beneath the chaos of rampaging children, a small silver-grey filly sat with her forelegs over her head trying in vain to block out the interminable noise.

“Hey Silver, y’all okay?”

Silver opened her eyes and shifted in her seat. Was something pulling her tail?

“HEY SILVER!”

Silver Spoon jumped in alarm and span round to face, “Oh...Apple Bloom.”

“EH?”

“I SAID, YES, APPLE BLOOM!”

Suddenly the noise dropped to almost tolerable levels as a teacher walked in and began pinning up something on the class noticeboard.

The yellow filly with the vibrant red bow in her mane motioned to her friends, “Y’all wanna walk back a ways with us tonight, Silver?”

Silver shook her head, “I can’t, papa’s coming home today and I have to be there to welcome him back.”

“That’s really sweet!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed with a clop of her forehooves, “Has he been away for long?”

Silver shook her head, “Not really. We had a telegram from some of mama’s sewing circle to say that the court had finished early and they should be back tonight. If the ship’s not late of course.”

“I’d love to go on one of those ships! They’re sooo cool!” Scootaloo’s tiny wings buzzed with her excitement, “I wish we could go and see it.”

“I could always ask Rarity if she’d take us. Hey, maybe we could get a tour of it too!” Sweetie Belle added hopefully.

Apple Bloom sniffed, raising her muzzle and pulled off a surprisingly good impersonation of her older sister, “Bit too modern if y’all ask me. It’s all about tradition with us here Apples, an’ all that thar jiggery pokery an’ steam watchamacallits ain’t what good earth ponies needs to be messin’ about with.” She snorted and crossed her forelegs with a serious expression on her face, “No sir!”

The other fillies began to laugh. Secretly, Silver smiled with them. She liked the girls, but she’d never quite felt like she really fit in with them, regardless of how much they’d tried to include her in their time together. In truth, she still wasn’t sure what to make of it all. Both her and Di had teased the ‘cutie mark crusaders’ horribly during their time in school and yet, here they were, doing their best to be friends with her regardless. Fiddling Fetlocks, she already felt absolutely awful about her behaviour and to rub it in even more Apple Bloom had even given her one of Golden’s precious diaries! Well, more ‘loaned’ really, and she hadn’t even thanked her properly nor asked how she came by it. Still, it was more papa’s thing than hers, wasn’t it? She was planning on surprising him with it tonight, that was if he didn’t get back so late she was in bed of course, and then there was the possibility the Apples might actually want the diary back. She sighed; it would work itself out in the end, she’d just have to have a word with the girls later. By the sounds of things though the class was finally coming back to some semblance of order, just as a very familiar pink filly dashed in looking distinctly flustered.

Silver leaned across to the puffed filly, “Di? It’s not like you to be late. Are you alright?”

Diamond Tiara nodded, trying catch her breath, “Uh-huh.” She took out her hankie and rubbed a spot on her muzzle, “How do I look?”

“Uh...fine.” Silver peered at her friend who was rapidly moving her head from left to right as though she was expecting something to leap out at her at any moment, “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Di laughed suddenly, “Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?!”

“I...don’t know.” Silver frowned. Her friend had a rosy tint to her cheeks and her mane was a little unkempt, but other than that she looked perfectly fine. She watched the pink filly adjusting her tiara and smiled – it felt good to be with a friend. Not that the three girls sitting behind her weren’t friends too of course, she quickly corrected herself, it was just that Di was her friend. She took a breath and let it out slowly as a familiar mare walked in sporting a new mane cut and a set of finely tailored panniers. Miss Cheerilee looked up at the noticeboard and spoke to the other teacher quietly before turning to the class with an expression that made Silver’s smile fade from her face like dust in the breeze. The magenta mare with the smiling daisies cutie mark nodded to another teacher who had appeared by the doorway and was simply standing there… waiting.

“Class.” Cheerilee’s voice cut through the background hum of chatter, immediately commanding attention and absolute silence. “The following students are to go with Mister Three Foot.” She cleared her throat, “Violet Days, Chart Step, Delice Spring and Silver Spoon.”

“Silver?” Di looked round at her friend in shock, “What’s going-”

“No talking please. Now, collect your bags and off you go. The rest of you take out your exercise books and carry on reading the ‘Essential Guide to Equestrian Flora and Fauna’ from where we left off yesterday.” Cheerilee held a hoof out and the selected children obediently began to file out one by one without so much as a single word passing between them.

“Pssst, Diamond Tiara, what’s going on? Is Silver in trouble?” Sweetie Belle whispered to the pink filly in front of her. But Di, her attention distracted, only had eyes for the vanishing form of her friend. What was going on here? Those fillies and colts were all… their parents were… oh, no. Cheerilee had left the room leaving a number of confused children in wake staring around at the empty desks and a very pale looking pink filly. Diamond Tiara climbed down from her desk, ignoring the hissed warnings of the three girls behind her. Before her, was her goal. It filled her vision, blurring out the rest of the world around it and beckoning her, calling to her, and chilling her heart. Di’s eyes went wide; it was a notification of some kind, a list of names of children from all the different classes at the school, and at the bottom she read:
Notice to all teachers and students from the Directorate of Equestrian Education.

It is requested that any students, parents or teachers who have family, friends or acquaintances who took ship on the Barbary Star Line steamship CMS Queen of Waters, please inform their head of year of head at their earliest convenience.

Your regional D.E.E board member together with a representative from the shipping office shall be in contact with your school administration shortly.

Meanwhile, any enquiries may be made at the below address:

Passenger Enquiries, Barbary Star Line Head Office, Barbary Buildings, 101 Crest Street, Canterlot.

Respectfully, Director Camphor Parchment.

“What does ‘take ship’ mean? You mean like, sailing on it?” Scootaloo moved closer, staring up at the message.

“I think so” Sweetie Belle replied, “But-”

“HEY! Look out the window!” One of the colts, a thin tangerine coloured unicorn with a blue mane and tail stood up on his stool, his forehooves leaning against the window frame, “There’s ponies outside with cameras!”

There was an indefinable pause and before the almost predictable rush for the windows. The students pushed and shoved each other aside in the scramble to try and reach the best vantage point to see what was happening outside. Leaping up and down, Scootaloo’s wings buzzed furiously, but no matter how much she tried she couldn’t get much more than a few feet off the ground. Still, it was just enough to see over the heads of the others, “Hey, I can see Silver Spoon!” she called to the others over the din, “Her mother’s here, and so are the parents of the others. There’s lots of reporters taking pictures and the teachers are trying to push them out of the way...”

“Diamond Tiara? Where are you going?” Sweetie Belle turned back to see a lone figure walking out of the room into the corridor. Di didn’t bother to reply. Silver had told her that she was expecting her father back today, and although the message didn’t state it specifically, it was obvious that something had happened. Something… terrible. She walked down the hallway into the girls bathroom and turned on the tap to splash her face. Of course, all of this could be nothing but total speculation. It was entirely possible that Silver’s father was perfectly fine, in fact he could even be on his way home right now. After all, the message didn’t actually say the ship had sunk, right? But...but why else would they pick the fillies and colts whose parents or family had been on that ship? She knew Silver’s father had been on there, as well as Violet Days’ grandparents, Chart Step’s older brother and father too. It was simply too much of a coincidence, and especially now that Silver’s mother had come to collect her – and that was something that never happened! Sebastian, or that smelly gardener of theirs, would bring Silver to school or take her home, but her mother? Di sighed, splashing more of the warm water onto her muzzle; the last time Silver’s mother had come to the school had been for the parent teacher conference. This, this whole situation, was something that would no doubt become clearer in time, but right then she just wanted to be with her friend. If something had happened to Silver’s father, if...if he had...then what would happen then? How could they cope? A sudden flush of cold ran down her spine; what about her own father? Was he alright? He...he wasn’t on that ship was he?!

The bathroom door opened, “Diamond Tiara? Are you in here?” Cheerilee glanced around the room and caught sight of the wide eyed filly, “Come on now, classes have been cancelled for the day. We’ve sent word to everyponies family to come and collect them. You can wait in the class or play outside, but no wandering off school grounds, understand?”

“Miss...” The damp filly slowly approached, “Is...is my daddy…?”

Cheerilee closed her eyes and mumbled under her breath. It was that blasted notice wasn’t it? She’d told them not to put the stupid thing up, and in the classrooms of all places! ‘Oh, they’re just children, they wont understand what it all means’, they’d said. No, of course not, they were all walking around blind, deaf and mute weren’t they! Cheerilee felt a shiver run down her spine, “No, Diamond Tiara. As far as we know, your father was not on board.”

“But Silv’s father was...wasn’t he?” the pink filly asked.

Cheerilee shook her head sadly, it was pointless avoiding telling her the truth now, “We believe so. Until all the survivors are brought back and accounted for we won’t know for certain of course, but for now we’re sending everypony home to be with their families.” She tried a reassuring smile, “Silver will be alright, her mother’s taken her home.”

Di stared at the tiled floor, her eyes stinging with tears, “But she won’t be alright, will she? I know her father can shout a lot and sometimes he’s scary too, but...but she still loves him. He can’t be...” She swallowed, her words fading into nothingness.

“Diamond? Listen to me.” Miss Cheerilee leaned down and put her forehooves gently on the little filly’s shoulders, “We still don’t know for sure if Lord Spoon is safe or not. He could be on his way home right now, but just in case, please, don’t go round to Silver Spoon’s house. I know she’s your friend and you want to be with her, but this a time when you need the love of your family. You’ll be able to see her again soon, but not right now. You understand why, don’t you?” Di nodded silently. Cheerilee stood up, “Good girl. Now, come along back to class and we’ll wait for your family to collect you.”

What else was there to say? Di nodded her head dully and slowly followed the magenta coated mare back to the classroom. It was nearly empty now, most of the students having simply walked home or had parents come and collect them. As always, she was one of the last to leave. The afterthought, the unwanted child – unwanted even by the school. As nice as Cheerilee was being to her right then, she wasn’t fooled… not now. Perhaps once, when she’d believed that the nice smiles and the jolly, pleasant demeanour were all genuine, but after hearing what had been said in the staff room that day, Cheerilee had shown her true colours alright. Di shook her head and climbed up into her chair; some things never changed, did they? The sky was still the sky, the fluffy white clouds casually floating across that perfect blue canvas of the world as beneath it the grass still grew, the rivers still flowed and the night followed day as surely as it did every day. For Silver however, for her father, the day had come to a halt as the world outside, uncaring and unfeeling, carried on as it would until the end of days. At Di’s her own father wasn’t on the list… She looked up suddenly and stopped herself; no, he wasn’t, she already knew that. Di groaned and covered her muzzle with her forelegs. Life had been so strange lately, what with that bizarre dream she’d had, falling ill in the barn, those horrible teachers wanting to get rid of her and so, so much more. It was like being on a merry-go-round that was quite pleasant at first, but slowly, inexorably, began to pick up speed to the point she wanted desperately to get off. Today… today she really did.

There was knock on the classroom door.

“Um...hello?” A painfully thin china blue and black patched colt pushed an ink stained muzzle into the room, “Miss Cheerilee?” He looked around and blinked his large blue eyes in surprise, “Oh, is nopony here?”

Di ignored him and just let herself sink deeper into herself.

“I’ll just leave these here then – hot off the press!” The colt dumped a pile of newspapers on the end of the teachers desk and trotted out. A minute later Cheerilee reappeared,

“Diamond Tiara? Your-”

She didn’t get a chance to finish as the blur of pink shot past her into the corridor and out the front door. “RANDOLPH!” Di launched herself into the startled stallion’s chest, her eyes staring up at him anxiously, “Is...is...”

The old stallion, a little taken aback by Diamond’s uncharacteristic behaviour, gently moved her away, “Is everything alright, Miss?”

“Father...is he...is he alright? Is he safe?” Di tried to swallow back her fear, but her hooves were trembling horribly, “Is he-”

“He’s at home, Miss” Randolph said almost casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Di sank to her haunches and stared up at the sky; father was at home. He was there, at home, and he was safe. The Rich family’s butler helped her into the carriage, “All set miss?” He closed the door and gave Di a wink, “There’s a carton of your favourite juice under the seat. I’m not sure if its still chilled though.”

Woodenly, Di reached under the seat and pulled out the drawer. Sure enough, there was a carton of ‘Old Thatchers Traditional Orange and Carrot’ and beside it a still warm cheese and onion pasty with a bag of salt and vinegar crisps. She stared at them, her heart racing. She always used to be so sure, so, so sure, and now… now everything was spiralling out of control and-

“Shhh…” Randolph reached into the carriage and held the weeping filly to his chest, “Come on now, young miss, everything will be alright, you’ll see.”

“How, Randolph? How?” Di’s tears began to fill her eyes and soaked into the old butlers overcoat, “Everypony hates me! And…. and I’ve done such awful things too, and...” She choked back a cry and shoved her muzzle into Randolph’s chest even harder. He didn’t seem to mind; he
never did. Good old Randolph – always there, always helping, always considerate. Other than father and Silver, he was her only real friend. She sighed and gave him a nuzzle, “Thanks.”

“Hmm? For what, miss?” Randolph asked.

Di sniffed back a tear and gave him a smile, “For the snacks!”

Randolph watched her for a moment and then barked out a laugh, shaking his mane, “You’re most welcome.” He turned back to the front of the carriage and began strapping himself in, “Home time?”

“Home time” Di echoed, and with a neigh from its driver, the carriage lurched forward, taking the the young filly back to her family.

The route back was unusually free of traffic for this time of day, not that there was really much around Ponyville to begin with, but this was… eerie. She’d thought she could hear shouting earlier but the sound of the carriages wheels and Randolph’s hooves clopping on the road leading out of town quickly drowned out all other sounds. Fortunately it wasn’t a long drive back to the Rich’s home and the carriage was soon turning into the neatly kept driveway. It was, at least by noble standards, a modest home. Neat, modern, and well kept, the manor was more of a large house than a stately home and from the very outset that had been completely by design. Filthy Rich’s tastes were the polar opposite of Silver’s father’s: from the age of the building, the fixtures and fittings, even right down to the bright and cheerful colour scheme. How much of Di’s mother’s influence had gone into the Rich family’s home was unknown as Filthy had begun to amass his fortune from a surprisingly young age and was wealthy well before he’d met her. By then the house was already built, but Di had always suspected her mother would have been happier in one of the more traditional manor houses where she could lord it over the ‘peasantry’ as she called other ponies. Watching the house looming into view, it struck Di as a little strange how her mother had turned out the way she had. In fact where Lord Spoon was the opposite of Filthy Rich, the Rich family home was the total opposite of her mother. Jolly colours of yellow, pink and white were everywhere. Bright magical lanterns lit both the interior and exterior when there wasn’t enough light from the large windows that brought the warming sun into the home. By comparison Spoon Manor was like a tunnel: all dark, cold, stale and unforgiving. In some ways… like the very mare who was staring at her from the open doorway.

“What’s going on, Randolph? Why is she home early?” Spoiled Rich demanded imperiously.

The old butler bobbed his head, “The school have closed for the day ma’am following the news of the sinking. Lord Rich sent to me to collect the young miss.”

“Hmph! Quite...” the pink mare clucked her tongue, “Well come inside then Diamond Tiara, I’m not standing here keeping the door open all day for you.”

Di jumped down from the carriage and smiled at Randolph who bowed to her in reply.

“Put your things away and go and get on with your homework, Diamond.” Spoiled Rich pushed the door shut and fussed with her mane as she frowned at her daughter, “I don’t like the way you’re so familiar with that old stallion. It isn’t seemly.” She trotted over to the window and stared out at Randolph as he put the carriage away for the night, “Ponies will talk, Diamond, and I won’t have any stains on our family name, do you understand?”

“Yes, mother.”

“I’m not sure you do” Spoiled huffed, “I’ll be having words with your father about this.”

Di groaned inwardly; mother was forever ‘having words with father’. It never made any difference anyway. Father would just agree with whatever she said and then simply do something completely different regardless of what his wife demanded. Whether Spoiled realised it or not, father generally got his own way but had a remarkable talent for making his wife believe the outcome had been down to her decisions, not his. Perhaps one day Di would be able to develop that very talent. She stared at her cutie mark and sighed; one day…

Di jumped in fright as her mother clopped her hooves together noisily, “Stop daydreaming Diamond Tiara!”

“Yes, mother.”

“Don’t you ‘yes mother’ me, you insolent girl!” Spoiled’s mood was rapidly souring, “Get upstairs!”

“Dear?” A familiar looking stallion wearing a neat navy blue and black waistcoat and low collared shirt trotted in, “Hello, Di, how was school?”

Diamond Tiara beamed happily at her saviour’s timely appearance, “It was fine thank you daddy.”

“For the five minutes you were there!” Spoiled nickered, “Honestly, Filthy, I don’t know how she’s going to learn anything there if those imbeciles keep sending her home at the drop of a hat.”

The sand coloured stallion chuckled, “It’s not that often, love.” He mussed Di’s mane and kissed heron the forehead, “Anyway, you heard news didn’t you?”

“I’m just glad we weren’t on that horrible thing!” Spoiled snorted, “I always said it was a death trap. Whoever ever heard of an iron ship?!”

“It’s quiet common now, Spoiled, you know that.” Filthy began tickling Diamond who squeaked in delight and tried a vain attempt at escape, “There’s a list of survivors and missing up on the town hall notice board.” He paused and then suddenly grabbed Di, lifting her into the air, “Who’s daddy’s big girl?” Di laughed and whooped as her father spun her around the lobby faster and faster until finally succumbing to a tight hug from the well groomed stallion. “Come on little one, you get yourself upstairs while your mother and I have a chat, okay?”

“Yes, daddy!” Di grabbed her school panniers and dashed upstairs.

Filthy fussed his mane back into place, a broad smile still across his face.

“You spoil that child” Spoiled admonished, “It’s no wonder she’s hanging around with the likes of that Spoon girl.”

The stallion’s face darkened causing Spoiled to take a step back suddenly, “Silver Spoon’s father was onboard that ship.” He took a breath and walked over to the table, trying to keep his voice calm, “Try and show Di some compassion, dear, her friend may have lost her father.”

“You don’t know that for sure” Spoiled sputtered. She fussed with her dress and raised her muzzle imperiously, “You saw the list did you?”

Filthy nodded, “He wasn’t on there.”

“But they’re still searching?”

“Of course.” Filthy let out a long sigh, “It’s going to mean trouble for all the shipping lines now, and a huge insurance settlement for the loss of the ship, not to mention the payouts for the families who’ve lost ponies.”

Spoiled’s eyes went wide, “Insurance? But… they’re insured through your company! Dear Celestia, we’ll be ruined!”

“Don’t be so melodramatic, Spoiled.” Filthy gave himself a shake, “We have contingencies in case of something like this happening. It’s just a bump in the road, that’s all.”

“A bump in the road?!” Spoiled face was like thunder, “This is going to cost millions! How can you be so calm about this?!”

The sand coated stallion span round, his blue eyes flashing, “Because ponies have died, Spoiled, died! Don’t you care? Is money all you think about?”

Spoiled tossed her mane, “Hah! Says the pony with three bags of money for a cutie mark.”

“Oh, don’t bring that up again, please...” Filthy hung his head, It was pointless losing his temper with Spoiled – it never did any good anyway and only ever succeeded in making her moody for the rest of the day. He glanced down at the table and noticed the newspaper, “Strange time for the paper to arrive.”

“It’ll be that useless rag from the school,” Spoiled huffed, “Childish musings from-”

“Good goddesses!” Filthy’s eyes went wide, “Have you seen this?!”

Spoiled, her interest piqued, moved closer, “What’s so...oh...OH! Oh this is...this is priceless!” She burst out laughing, “Oh how delicious!”

Filthy shook his head in amazement, “Delicious? Bloody hell, Spoiled, what in Celestia’s name were they thinking? Children shouldn’t be looking at things like this!”

Spoiled took the newspaper from her husband and stared at the photograph of a very familiar magenta mare draped around a huge red stallion, and by the look on her face, she was enjoying every moment of it.

“Please tell me you knew nothing about this, Spoiled,” Filthy snorted, “You’re on the school board, don’t you check things like this?”

“Of course not!” Spoiled replied huffily, “We don’t check silly foals pretend newspapers.”

“Silly foals?!” Filthy was nearly incandescent with fury, “This… this is… Dear goddesses, Spoiled, I’m lost for words, I really am.” He sat down and rubbed his muzzle, “To think my daughter goes to a school where they distribute bloody pornography of all things to the students, and the star of the piece is their own blasted teacher!” He looked up suddenly, “I don’t think it’s funny!”

Spoiled cover her mouth with her hoof, “Oh, I don’t dear...” She gave herself a shake and took a deep calming breath, looking down at the newspaper with the headline ‘Best bucking season ever!’ “I think this can be dealt with… most satisfactorily.”

The door to lounge closed with a click that was barely heard upstairs in the plush and well appointed bedroom. Diamond Tiara flopped onto the bed in a whirling mix of emotions that had her reeling between being both sad for her friend and also happy that her own beloved father was home safe. Poor Silver; as much as she wanted to see her, Cheerilee had probably been right – it was a time for family. The photograph on the shelf told her all she needed know, really. A scene frozen in time from last year, the two friends showing off their cutie marks to the camera had always made her smile. Of course, the fact that they both had their tongues sticking out cheekily had never gone down well with mother, but since her father had been the one who actually took the photograph in the first place, it had been left unmolested – and pride of place in its silver filigree frame. She sighed and stretched out; with finishing early from school she had plenty of time to get her homework finished and then she could have a quiet read or play outside. Still, it wasn’t the same without Silv, but she’d manage. Di rolled over and jumped down from the bed to set out her home work and paused, staring at her grooming kit. She usually brushed her mane and tail out just before bed, but it was such a chore sometimes, and what with everything that had happened today already weighing down on her like a tonne weight, she wasn’t sure she could be bother doing anything at all. Resignedly, she picked up the brush as set to work; at least if she could get it done now she wouldn’t have to worry about it later and mother couldn’t complain about her appearance at dinner as she nearly always did.

The brush slipped easily through Di’s tail, snagging once or twice, but a well maintained and groomed tail ‘paid dividends’ as grandma had told her – and she’d been right too. Sure, sometimes it was late and you were tired, but waking up in the morning with a crinkled, knotted mess didn’t exactly bode well for the rest of the day. When that happened, and it had occasionally, she’d had to have a shower, wash, condition, comb, brush, and once even had to have the knots cut out. That hadn’t ended well at all: mother had, almost predictably, been the first to spot the disastrous mess and had been all for keeping her at home for the day. Father had however, again predictably, agreed for Di to go to school after she’d been to the manedressers as an emergency appointment. Fortunately, the manedressing salon was owned by grandma and opened early, so the situation was, if not completely diffused, at least lessened. Of course she was still late for school, but thankfully the ‘new style’ had gone down a storm with the other fillies – much to Di’s surprise. She instinctively stroked her mane and grimaced at the memory. As much as she’d enjoyed the attention, the manedresser had been forced to cut her tail to match the shorter mane and her nether regions had been left feeling horribly exposed, not to mention draughty. She’d ended up spending the next couple of weeks wearing a skirt to cover herself, something she hadn’t done since the regimented days at Wheat Halls, and that brought back more unpleasant memories than she’d ever care to recall.

Di removed her tiara and gave her mane a quick spritz with some mane spray. She loved the fresh smell of it too: apples, freshly peeled and juicy… Running the comb through her mane she smacked her lips. She quite fancied an apple actually, and decided to pop down to the kitchen and have one of the staff peel one for her, core it and slice it into sections. Now that was civilised! Her mind made up, Di finished her grooming and got up to head downstairs, her mind set on the prospect of a crunchy, sweet… She stopped in her tracks, her ears twitching. Somepony was shouting downstairs and she could hear the odd word reverberating through her floor; it sounded like… father? Di
dropped to the floor and scrabbled at the rug, pulling it to one side so she could press her ear to the floorboards. Taking a breath, the curious filly listened:

“...interested in the slightest. Can’t you understand that?”

“Oh no, of course not, you always know best dear.” Mothers voice.

“And now the sarcasm!” Her father sounded livid, “Listen to yourself, Spoiled, do you have any idea what this could mean for our family?”

“Yes! Money, power and prestige, all the things we don’t have!” Spoiled snapped.

“Rubbish. We have plenty of money, Spoiled and-”

“WE DID HAVE!” Spoiled’s voice screeched out making Di flinch, “That cursed ship will leave us destitute! Penniless! We won’t have a bit to our name and we’ll end up living like beggars in some filth covered shack!”

“For the goddesses sake, will you drop the amateur dramatics, Spoiled.” Father’s voice dropped to what Di could only consider to be a low growl, “Try and act your age for once.”

“How dare you!” Spoiled shrieked.

“And how dare you!” Father roared back, “You bring me something like… like that, and you expect me to put our family’s name to it? Do you know what that would mean if the wrong ponies found out about it, Spoiled? Do you?”

Di’s mother’s voice changed to a plaintive, wheedling, “Dear, please, I know you’re angry right now, but I was only thinking about us, and about Diamond’s future.”

There was a loud bang, “Damn it, Spoiled, don’t you dare, don’t you DARE start trying that on me!” There was a pause, “You haven’t got a clue what the royal court is like outside of your precious little clique, do you? Let me tell you: it is merciless, uncompromising, and utterly, utterly ruthless. There are ponies there who would love nothing more than to hang another noble family out to dry to boost their owns prestige and they wouldn’t give a damn what your family’s bloody name or heritage was. This...this FARCE, Spoiled, would give them exactly what they want – it would destroy us.”

“It could make us, dear.”

Filthy’s voice resonated like distant thunder, “Damn it Spoiled, what the hell is wrong with you? You want to know what this really is? Do you? This is treason! We could both hang for this!”

“For Celestia’s sake, keep your voice down, “Spoiled hissed, “do want the whole house to hear?!”

“I don’t give a damn!” Filthy bellowed, “The answer is no, Spoiled, do you hear me? NO!”

The heated conversation came to an abrupt halt with a door slamming and the sound of hooves stomping out of the house angrily. Di sat up; Celestia’s furry ears, her heart was racing fit to burst! Her mother and father didn’t argue like this! Never! She gave herself a shake, trying to make sense of what she’d heard. Mostly it meant nothing, except that bit about living in a shack. A shack! Goddesses above, what a nightmare! That couldn’t be right, could it? Father had sounded so serious too, much more than normal, and mother? Well, mother never changed did she? Di hated that plaintive, whining voice she would put on when she wanted something, even more so than the all too familiar haughty, cold and cruel persona that lay beneath the thinly disguised veneer of innocence. Strangely she’d always thought that her father was completely taken in by it. In reality, or at least on this occasion, it appeared quite the opposite. Perhaps she’d just pushed him too far this time or it was something so serious it really could make them homeless. Whatever it was, she was simultaneously both proud of her father, and frightened. Di looked around her room, absorbing the floral wallpaper with its pinks, blues and dainty white flowers. There was her wardrobe with her books and trinket collection, her photograph of herself and Silv, her desk, bed… it was all still there. But for how much longer? Would she find herself having to live in a sty like… like that horrible yellow filly and her blank flank friends? She shivered and scrambled under the duvet to peer out of her protective fabric cave at the world beyond the window. Suddenly, going outside to play didn’t seem like such an attractive prospect. At least here, under her covers, she was safe from it all: warm, snug and quiet. She groaned and stretched her legs out. Tomorrow was still a long way off; just a few minutes wouldn’t hurt…

A banging on the door brought her round. “Diamond Tiara? Where are you?” The duvet was suddenly wrenched away, allowing the bitter taste of reality to slam in around her like an ocean breaker, “Didn’t you hear me? I’ve been calling you for hours! And what in Equestria are you doing under there, are you completely stupid? You could smother yourself you silly fool!”

Di squeezed her eyes shut and pulled herself off the bed.

“I don’t know what’s got into you my girl, but you’d better take a tumble to yourself or you’ll end up a failure like all those other rejects you go to school with.” Spoiled huffed and walked to the bedroom door, “Now get yourself straightened out and come down to dinner before you embarrass your father and I any more than you have already.” She didn’t even wait for a reply as she stormed out of the room.

Di trotted over to the mirror and, after a quick brush, nodded to her reflection. Her eyes were a little bloodshot unfortunately, but other than that she was still very much her father’s daughter. A yawn forced its way out of her mouth and she rolled her shoulders; that wasn’t like her to just nod off like that. Maybe it was just the way everything had been happening lately getting to her? Still, regardless of the cause she didn’t want to be late for dinner – or was that ‘later’? By the sounds of things they hadn’t stood on ceremony and were well into their main course when she walked in.

“Are you alright, Di?” Filthy Rich asked, “Your eyes are all red.”

“She was lying under the duvet again” Spoiled cut in, “Nearly smothering herself too. I don’t know how many times I’ve told her about that, but she never listens, does she?”

“Di?” The sandy coloured stallion ignored his wife and raised an eyebrow to his daughter.

Diamond smiled, “I’m fine, daddy, thank you for asking.”

Di’s father didn’t seem convinced. “Hmm...” He picked up a pencil and made a note in the diary he habitually kept beside him, “I’m going to have a word with the doctor tomorrow. You shouldn’t be falling asleep in the afternoon like that at your age, Di.” Di groaned. “And never mind that young lady,” her father continued, “you’ve probably still got a bit of that cold you had lingering somewhere. The last thing we need is you coming down with colic.”

“That’s an intestinal disorder dear” Spoiled corrected.

Filthy sniffed, taking another roast potato from the tureen being held by one of the servants, “Grandma Gilded had a cold and left it unheeded. The silly old bugger thought doctors were all quacks and couldn’t be trusted.” He took a mouthful of his hay backed carrot with a dollop of horseradish and nodded to himself, “She had complications, got colic, and the next thing you know...” he tapped his hoof on the table, “Dead, just like that.”

“Well, I’ve got no sympathy for stupidity” Spoiled huffed, “You see, Diamond Tiara? Even adults make mistakes and this is why you need to work hard at your studies instead of gallivanting around all hours of the day and night with foolish fillies who’ll lead you into bad ways.”

“Yes, mother.” Di said, nodding.

“Is school open tomorrow?” Filthy asked. Spoiled nodded. “Good.” The sand coloured stallion gave his wife a meaningful look, “We have matters that need to be discussed, love.” He turned to his daughter, “After dinner I want homework done and an early bed, Di. If you’re feeling peaky, I want you to get a good nights sleep. Yes?”

“Yes, daddy.”

“Good girl.”

*******************************

The three fillies glanced at her and then looked away. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, the inseparable trio, had finally given up on trying to speak to her, especially since she’d made it quite clear that she’d wanted nothing to do with them on more than one occasion. Galloping alicorns, they were so persistent! Why wouldn’t they simply accept that not everypony wanted to be their friend? To them it seemed to be such an alien concept as to bring them to the conclusion that the object of their attention must have something wrong with them – a personality dysfunction that they felt compelled to ‘put right’ by forcing their ‘friendship’ down their subjects throat whether they liked it or not. Apple Bloom was the youngest of those bumpkin farmers. Di had met Applesmack, or whatever the older sister was called, and she hadn’t been impressed, especially not with that big lummox brother of hers that had been all over Cheerilee like a cheap suit in the photograph. The way they spoke too – oooh! It made her tail twitch just to think about it! Did they do it deliberately? Nopony else in Ponyville spoke like them, and they sounded as if they were out of one of those ‘western’ radio plays father liked to listen to. She didn’t! Horrible, nasally irritating noises that were barely coherent - simply awful! Then there was Sweetie Belle. She was probably the least irritating of the three cutie mark-less ‘crusaders’ as those bumbling dullards called themselves. Sweetie was the daughter of a family of what father had called ‘wannabe’s’ whatever that meant, but at least she had a brain in her head. Not that it made that much difference of course when you considered she was having to divide out the intelligence between the three of them – and the other two’s heads were about as full as a vacuum. Lastly was Scootaloo, the flightless dodo and the ‘muscle’ of the trio. What that buffoon lacked in brains and flying capability she made up for in primitive levels of violence; Silv had seen that first hoof. If that orange freak thought she’d ever forget what she’d done to her friend she had another thing coming. Anypony, any pony, who made a fool of her would get their comeuppance – one day.

There was still no sign of Silver Spoon, nor the other ponies who’d been sent home. It was to be expected in the circumstances she supposed, and life, such as it was for young students in school, carried on much the same as it ever had. Miss Cheerilee would start the class, the seemingly unending drudgery of mind numbing lessons dragging on until home time and then it would repeat the next day. This day however, sat beside the empty desk, Di overheard something that made her ears perk up, and there was only one pony in class who had that awful country drawl - it was Applebloom:

“…an’ the school commisioner called round an’ spoke to A.J ‘bout it, an’ she said she din’t know nothin’!”

Di felt a rush a blood to her cheeks, but said nothing.

“Yeah, Shady Daze has got a lot of answering to do. Rainbow thought it was hilarious but there’s an awful lot of very unhappy parents out there who won’t see the funny side of it.”

Di rolled her eyes. That was quite articulate for the dodo.

“Rarity said that there’s been a full enquiry into the matter and they may shut down the Foal Free Press, and after all the work we did to keep it open too.” Sweetie Belle groaned, “It’s not fair!”

“Do you think the picture’s real?” Scootaloo asked.

“Ah don’t think so” Applebloom replied, “Big Mac an’ Cheerilee? Come on Scoot, half a Ponyville would know if those were… you know.”

“An item?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yup” Applebloom replied.

The door banged open and one of the students rushed in, his mane sticking out in all directions, “Hey, everypony! Have you heard? Miss Cheerilee’s been suspended from the school for gross...gross...”

“Misconduct?” Somepony called out hopefully.

“Yeah, that was it!” the newcomer called. He suddenly turned to the door and peered out, “The replacement’s here, so keep it to yourselves!” In a blur, the young stallion dashed back out.

“What’s that mean then, ‘gross misconduct’?” Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle frowned, “I think it means you’ve done something really, really bad.” She stared at the door as the brown coated stallion with the hourglass cutie mark and black mane and tail trotted
in,

“Um, hello class, I'm your, er...” he paused and stared at a note that had been taped to his foreleg, “Um… substitute teacher?” He looked up as though noticing the class for the first time and his eyes went wide, “Yes...Yes! I’m your substitute teacher!”

Somepony started sniggering which only made matters worse. The new teacher looked round in a fluster and the books he was carrying started to topple. In a flurry he lunged for them, catching them with the tips of his forehooves and lost his balance. Everypony watched in open mouthed amazement as the brown stallion squeaked in alarm while trying to catch the falling books, all the while heading inexorably muzzle first into the desk. Di couldn’t watch. A loud crunch and thump was followed by a collective intake of breath from those in the class who were still watching. Slowly, Di opened her eyes and quickly had to cover her muzzle to stop from laughing. There, under a pile of paper with a text book slowly slipping off his muzzle, sat the dazed new teacher with the most stupid expression on his face she’d ever seen. Oh, it was priceless! Beside her, the white coated Sweetie Belle dashed forward and with the aid of her magic began helping to extract the walking disaster from his intellectual burial mound.

“Thank you my dear.” The teacher picked himself up and with the aid of another couple of students, stood before the class, his books now beside him on the desk, “I expect introductions are in order.” He turned to the blackboard and reached out to pick up the chalk and froze. “Ah...hmm...” He looked down at his hoof and the pulverised white powder, “Better get another piece eh? Still not quite got the hang of these things dontchaknow!” The odd stallion picked up another piece of chalk in his mouth and wrote:

DOCTOR TURNER

He spat out the chalk, “Horrible stuff! Still, quite good for the digestion I hear. Not so sure if that’s right of course. Could be I suppose...”

“Excuse me...sir?” Scootaloo held up her hoof.

“Ah! Yes! Um...Miss?”

“Scootaloo, sir.” the orange pegasus replied.

The stallion barked out a rather nervous laugh, “Quite! Well, Miss Scootaloo, we’re all here to learnaren’t we, so what’s your question?”

“Um, are you really a teacher?” Scootaloo asked, “It says ‘doctor’.”

“Teacher?” The brown stallion rubbed his chin a moment and consulted the note taped to his foreleg once again, “Well I was in one of my earlier ‘incarnations’ if you will. A lovely little place on the side of a mountain – turned out to be an active volcano would you believe! That brought that career to a sudden and rather warm ending I can tell you.” He stared up at the ceiling for a moment and cleared his throat, “So...what was your question again?”

Scootaloo sighed, “Are you a teacher?”

“Yes!” Doctor Turner nodded emphatically, “Absolutely, definitely and altogether positively I AM a teacher, ha, ha!” He gave a dramatic bow that had some of the students in conniptions, “And now my dear students and fellow seekers of knowledge, I shall begin todays-”

“Excuse me?” There was a knock on the door, “Is Diamond Tiara here?”

Di’s eyes swivelled to lock onto the suited figure of Three Foot, one of the teachers she’d overheard speaking about her in the staff room. She gritted her teeth and lifted her hoof, “I’m here.”

Three Foot nodded to her, “Can you come with me please?” Reluctantly Di followed the chestnut coated stallion out into the corridor. “Thank you, Doctor, you may continue your lesson.” Three Foot nodded to the surprised looking replacement teacher and shut the door firmly. Thankfully it wasn’t far to the school office, but what made it worse was Three Foot’s continued silence – it was… ominous. Was that the right word? Di felt a shiver run through her, but steeled herself for what was to come.

The door opened and Di was ushered inside.

Four ponies sat at the table: Mr Flask, Miss Hubbub the tan coloured school secretary, a pinstripe suited earth pony she hadn’t seen before, and...oh, no...her mother. Those aquamarine eyes stared painfully at the little filly standing in the centre of the room.

“Take a seat please.”

Diamond climbed onto the hard stool and steeled herself to face whatever was to come. The adults were probably no more than six foot or so from where she was sitting, but right then, right at that moment in time with the four ponies all watching her like a bird watching a worm, she felt terrifyingly isolated. Even so, she lifted her muzzle and faced them all.

Miss Hubbub cleared her throat, “Diamond Tiara, you no doubt know who everypony is here already apart from Director Parchment?”

Di’s eyes swivelled towards the copper-brown coated stallion with the short white mane. His brass coloured eyes made her blood go cold. He was the director of education? She pressed her hoof into her leg to try and distract her racing heart. The director nodded to Miss Hubbub and checked the sheath of notes before him, “Diamond Tiara...” He frowned at the papers and shook his head, “Can I ask you, have you seen the latest copy of the school newspaper?” He took out the familiar publication and pushed it before her, “The ‘Foal Free Press’, I believe?”

Di shook her head, “No.”

“But you took a copy home for your parents, didn’t you?” The director asked.

Di nodded.

“So how can you claim you didn’t see it?” the stallion asked.

Di swallowed before answering, “I didn’t read it. I don’t even remember taking it home. I guess I must have picked up a copy on my way out.”

The director huffed, “Are you usually this forgetful, Miss Tiara?”

Spoiled snorted suddenly, “Diamond Tiara had just found out her best friend’s father had gone down with that ship, Director. Considering the cock-hoofed way the matter was handled I'm surprised the whole of the student body wasn't permanently traumatised.”

Flask nodded his head, “I think we can give an allowance for Diamond being distracted considering the circumstances, sir.”

The corner of the directors mouth curled up, “Quite.” He leaned back in his chair, “You do understand what this is about, don’t you Diamond Tiara?” Di shook her head. “Miss Cheerilee, your own class teacher, has been suspended from working at the school pending investigation into lewd conduct that may bring the whole of the education department into disrepute.” He pointed to the newspaper, “This photograph of your teacher in a...’compromising’ position with a stallion is not the sort of thing anypony should be reading about in a newspaper intended for foals, fillies and colts.” He banged his hoof down on the desk, “What I want to know is how this happened.”

Miss Hubbub spoke next, “Diamond Tiara, we’ve spoken to Shady Daze and he said he doesn’t know. Apparently the headline was supposed to be about apple bucking with a photograph of said activity. Somehow this was replaced with a very private and very personal photograph without the editors knowledge just before it went to press.” She shook her head, “It is unfortunate that the school had agreed to give Shady Daze the afternoon off regular classes to have the paper published before home time and he hadn’t noticed the replacement picture.” She sighed, “It is a decision we now obviously regret.”

Di lifted her muzzle, “And what does this have to do with me?” she asked imperiously.

The director frowned, “We believe you had some sort of grievance with Miss Cheerilee, Diamond Tiara. Is this true?”

Di shook her head, “No.”

“Diamond Tiara, you were involved in the, erm ‘bucking incident’ that left Silver Spoon in hospital, were you not?” Mister Flask asked.

“Mister Flask, asking a child a loaded question is hardly fair.” Spoiled leaned forward, catching the stallion in her cold gaze, “By her own admission, Diamond Tiara was there, but suggesting she was ‘involved’ in her friend being brutally attacked is simply bending the facts to fit your own conclusions.”

The director shook his head, “But you were there, were you not?” he asked. Di nodded.

Flask picked up where he left off, “Were you angry with your teacher over the way she handled the situation?”

Di shook her head, “I was disappointed.”

“Oh?”

“Scootaloo should have been expelled” Di said, and nodded to the director.

Director Parchment grimaced, “Fortunately decisions of that nature are determined by the education authorities, and not students.”

Flask consulted his notes before continuing, “We understand that there have been numerous incidents of bullying, swearing, and obstructive behaviour dating back to your first days here following your transfer from Wheat Halls, Diamond Tiara.” He turned a page and adjusted his
reading spectacles, “I also understand you were...” he glanced over at Spoiled, “in attendance during a serious assault on a child at Wheat Halls?”

“I object!” Spoiled bellowed across the table. Her eyes flashed angrily, “What happened at another school has absolutely no bearing on what we are discussing here today. Mister Flask is trying to soil Diamond Tiara’s character with unfounded accusations.”

“Upheld.” The director cleared his throat, “Mister Flask you will constrain your line of questioning to matters pertinent to this enquiry.”

Flask bobbed his head, “My apologies Director.” He turned back to Diamond, ““Diamond Tiara, do you harbour ill will towards Miss Cheerilee?”

Di shook her head, “No.”

“But you disagreed with her regarding Scootaloo’s punishment?”

“I did.”

Miss Hubbub spoke next, “Diamond Tiara, you were taken to the staffroom by Miss Cheerilee and she spoke to you about your behaviour, didn’t she?” Di nodded. “What did she say? Can you remember?”

Di hung her head and took a breath, “She...she wanted to expel me from the school.”

The mare leaned forward, “How did that make you feel?”

“I was...upset.”

“Not angry?”

“Not at first, I-”

“So you became angry later?”

“Objection!” Spoiled leaned across the table, “You are harassing the child!”

Director Parchment sighed, “Miss Hubbub, please remember the age of Diamond Tiara. She is not on trial here, we are merely trying to establish what happened, yes?”

Miss Hubbub nodded, “My apologies Director.” She turned back to the pink filly, “Did Miss Cheerilee leave you alone in the staff room at any point?”

Di nodded, “Yes.”

The tan mare made a note on her writing pad, “Do you remember seeing a photograph there?”

Di shook her head, “No.”

“I see.” Miss Hubbub leaned back and the director tapped his hoof on the desk in thought, “Tell me, Miss Tiara, did you have need to call into the print room before class that day?”

“No” Di replied.

“But you were late for class were you not?”

Di shook her head, “I got there before the teacher. I wasn’t late.”

“I see…” The director took a breath and leaned his chin on his hoof, “Perhaps you can explain to us why Sunny Daze said he saw a pink coated filly with a purple and white tail leaving the print room just before classes were due to start?”

“I can’t answer that” Di replied.

“Can’t or won’t?” Miss Hubbub asked.

Di swallowed, trying to keep her voice level and free of emotion, “It wasn’t me.”

“How many students match that description in this school?” The director asked.

Flask shook his head, “One.”

“I see.” The director turned to Diamond Tiara, “And you say you were nowhere near the print room
on that day?”

Di shook her head, “I’ve already said it wasn’t me in the print room.”

The four ponies fell silent before the director asked, “Diamond Tiara, you understand the gravity of what we are discussing here today don’t you? A teacher, your teacher, could have her employment here terminated because of the actions of one of her students.” He tapped the newspaper, “Now you say you don’t hold any ill will towards her, but you need to understand that right now the evidence we have is not making this look good for you.”

Di frowned, “I don’t understand.”

Miss Hubbub answered, “Miss Cheerilee stated that she had the photograph in her panniers when she was at school the day she spoke to you in the staffroom. She was intending to take the photograph to be framed but found when she got to the shop that the photograph was missing. She explained that she had found her panniers had fallen open at the school in the staffroom but she hadn’t checked to see if the photograph was still there. Upon returning to the school to check, there was no sign of the photograph.” She turned a page of her notes. “The missing photograph then somehow finds its way into the printing presses replacing the headline picture with the one we see here.” She motioned towards the newspaper. “In the first instance, Miss Tiara, we can confirm that not only were you in the staff room, but you also had the opportunity to take the photograph.” She glanced at the others before continuing, “In the second instance, you, or at least a pony matching your description, was seen leaving the print room just before the newspaper went to print.” She rubbed her eyes with a foreleg, “Diamond Tiara, you must see that this is not looking good for you.”

The director fixed Di with his unusual brass coloured eyes, “Diamond Tiara, did you take Miss Cheeriliee’s photograph?”

Di shook her head, “No.”

“Did you replace the photograph in the print room with Miss Cheerilee’s photograph?”

“No.”

The director sighed, “Any other questions?” The other three ponies shook their heads. “Very well then, you may go back to class.”

Shakily, Di climbed down from the stool and stumbled slightly before recovering her balance and headed out the door. Her heart was thumping like a bass drum, filling her ears and making her feel light-headed. Suddenly a pressing urgency took her and she broke into a gallop, bursting into the bathroom in a blur of pink, purple and white before shoving her muzzle into the toilet bowl and emptying her stomach. Again and again, her tummy heaved, emptying that mornings breakfast, her drink, everything inside her, down into the depths of the cold white porcelain. Oh goddesses…why? Why had she done that? That horrible mare, Cheerilee – who cared what happened to her? She and all her lower class ilk were in bed with one another as it was, and that was all glaringly apparent from the way she’d treated Scootaloo. Celestia’s ears, she’d treated the girl like she was the victim and not the one who had kicked Silver Spoon in the face! Oh dear, poor Scootaloo, she didn’t know what she was doing did she? Oh boo, bloody hoo! That magenta tart had this coming, they all did. They all hated her, all of them, and to think she’d begun to think that maybe, just maybe, she was wrong! What a joke! But she’d found out the truth of the matter, hadn’t she? Not only were the plebs trying to have her expelled, but then those three ‘cutie mark crusader’ vermin had tried to steal her only friend! Well, that was that then wasn’t it… If ever any evidence was needed to show that she was right, then that was it. To hell with Cheerilee, to hell with those three imbeciles and to hell with this stinking school and everypony in it!

Slowly, Di got up, flushed the chain and rinsed her face and mouth in the sink. She’d get herself back to class and hopefully put this whole mess behind her. The incredible relief of getting out of that office and away from the stares of those adults had nearly made her wet herself, but instead her stomach had rebelled and now she had the bitter taste of bile in her mouth. She opened the door; she’d call by the canteen and see if they had any mints from the tuck shop and… “Mother!”

The salmon pin mare glowered down her muzzle at her daughter, her darker purple mane so full of hairspray it barely moved – but her eyes… Dear Celestia, Di had never seen those aquamarine orbs so full of anger. Spoiled said one word, “Home.”

And that was that. Outside, Randolph stood ready with the carriage and helped Di and her mother into it. He said nothing, but his eyes said all she needed to know. She was going to catch the full fury of her mother’s anger when she got home and there was nothing she could do about it. In fact, there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do now was wait and try to weather the storm that would be sitting there, waiting to be unleashed. If the goddesses were on her side then there was hope that her father would be home and be able to defuse the situation, or at least reduce it to a level she could handle. Unfortunately, judging by the lack of carriages in the garage as they turned into the driveway, help would be a long, long way away. For now at least, her mother was quiet and Di could only pray it would last, as forlorn a hope as that was.

The door to the lounge closed behind her.

Spoiled walked over to the drinks cabinet and poured herself a large measure of gin. She didn’t bother with the tonic this time, instead she simply took a large mouthful and winced as it went down before topping her glass up again. Slowly, she turned to face the pink filly standing by the door. She took a breath and stared at her trembling hooves, her ire building by the moment. “Why?” she asked quietly, “Why did you do that?”

Di closed her eyes.

“LOOK AT ME GIRL!” Spoiled shrieked, “Don’t you DARE close your eyes when i’m speaking. I asked you a question, now answer it.”

Di swallowed, “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t know what to say...” Spoiled gritted her teeth and slugged back another mouthful of gin, “You did it though didn’t you?”

Di tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come out no matter how much she tried.

“ANSWER ME!”

“Yes, mother. I did it.” Di felt like running and hiding, or just running… running until she could run no more. She was so tired of this, so, so tired.

“Why?” Spoiled asked quietly, “What in Celestia’s name possessed you to do such a thing?”

“Because she wanted to throw me out of the school” Di replied a lot more calmly than she felt, “She wanted to expel me.”

Spoiled eyes went wide, her mouth hanging open in shock, “She… SHE WHAT?!” The salmon pink mare was incandescent with rage, “How do you know that? HOW?”

“I was outside the window of the staffroom when I overheard them” Di explained calmly, “It was the day I caught a cold.”

“Oh...Oh, goddesses above! This...this is killing me, KILLING ME!” Spoiled poured herself another measure but she was shaking so much a good quantity of it splashed onto the thick white carpet. Normally she would have been furious, but now her anger was focusing in another direction, “I can’t be doing with this, Diamond Tiara, I can’t...” She sniffed back a dribble of mucus and glowered at her daughter, “Why would she want to expel you?”

“I...” Di cleared her throat, “Because I called Scootaloo a bad name.”

Spoiled took a swig of her gin. “What?” she asked, “What did you call her?”

Di swallowed, “I...I...”

“TELL ME!” Spoiled shrieked.

“A BASTARD!” Di yelled, “I called her a bastard because that’s what she is!”

“And she wanted to expel you because you called her that?!” Di’s mother slammed the glass down on the table and began to pace in a purple fury, “Yes...yes, it’s all starting to make sense now. That little bitch and her precious proles all piss in the same pot as it is, and hearing the truth hurt their precious feelings did it?” She barked out a laugh, “Oh, that is so RICH!” She snatched up the bottle, noticed it was empty and snorted, “Driving me to drink now… damned wretches. They’ll do anything, anything to sink this family, and I’ll be damned if I just sit back on my haunches and let it happen.” She nodded to herself, “Yes… I think we need to turn the pressure up on our school friends and have a little exercise in cleansing.” Spoiled grinned menacingly, “Yes...well done, Diamond Tiara, well done indeed.” She waved towards the drinks cabinet, “Fetch mummy another bottle will you?”

Di did as she was told and dashed over to the white and gold painted cabinet. She’d always been fascinated by the way the sunlight reflected in the brightly coloured bottles with the contents of blue, orange and gold. The smell however was something she didn’t like, and now her mother reeked of it. Quickly, she flicked the catch and lifted down the bottle, tottering over to her mother as she balanced on her hind legs.

Her mother snorted and snatched the bottle from her, “I suppose I should commend you, Diamond Tiara, you may have actually helped rid this family of one of our adversaries – albeit a small one.” Spoiled grinned to herself, “However inadvertent it may have been, the means truly justified the ends. In fact, you may just have the makings of a fine noblemare after all.” She poured herself another glass and sighed loudly, “Oh, a fine mare indeed!” Suddenly she reached over and grabbed Di in a gin soaked hug, “My daughter, the heir to the Rich family fortune, will not be a doormat to anypony… ANYPONY!” She gave her a kiss on the muzzle making Di freeze in surprise, “You are your mother’s daughter, Diamond Tiara. Some day, some day… you will be just like me...” She began to laugh, “Just...like...me!” Spoiled let out a roar of laughter that made the bottles in the cabinet rattle, “But just one word of advice,” she said quietly, and grabbed Di’s muzzle between her forehooves, “Don’t. Get. Caught.” Her eyes narrowed and then she suddenly laughed out loud, “Or make sure you can lie your way out of it! Ah, today was magnificent… MAGNIFICENT!”

The door opened and Filthy Rich walked in, sniffing the air, “Spoiled?” His gaze took in the bottle, “Goddesses, it stinks like a distillery in here.” He leaned towards her, “You’re drunk.”

“Like a goddess!” Spoiled bellowed, “Come and have a drink with me, my handsome stallion!”

Filthy Rich glanced at his daughter, “Diamond, go to your room.”

Di scrambled for the door, her heart hammering in her chest. As quick as she could, she dived through, reached for the handle and pulled it closed behind her. Spoiled’s voice followed her out,

“Come on then, Filthy, don’t you know? It’s bucking season!”

The howls of laughter followed Di out into the lobby and through the front door into the waning light. Tears streaming from her eyes, Di ran for all she was worth, off into the sunset and as far away as she could from the looming horrors of a future where she didn’t just act like hermother… she became her.

**************************

The fire crackling merrily in the hearth pulling Silver Spoon’s thoughts away to a place where only a gentle warmth and the glowing of the logs dwelt. It was a place of quiet, of calm and simply… existing. The pops and hisses of the logs as the flames gradually consumed them was like
the curse within her: silently eating her away, inch by inch, yard by yard, until all that was left was the ashes of what was once a living thing. The log felt nothing, the flames didn’t care – neither did the world. Her father, her brusque, shouting, temperamental and loving giant of a stallion… was gone. Silver blinked away a tear and smiled sadly at the tiny wisp of flame that popped up from another part of the log as if trying to sneak away from the rest of the fire. No matter how fiercely it burned or how determinedly it clung to existence, it, like the log it fed upon, would soon be gone. Silver touched the necklace around her neck and closed her eyes; she knew inside her, in her heart and in her very soul – her body was failing. At least one day, maybe soon, she would be with her father again in the herd. She’d miss her mother of course, she loved her very much indeed, but this was something she had no control over. As painful as it was, when she left… she wouldn’t be alone.
Silver glanced out of the corner of her eye to the table where the letter lay. That letter, that cursed, evil letter. She hung her head and nickered under her breath; it wasn’t the letters fault of course, that was simply the herald of the end of a chapter in her family’s life. No, it was that ship… it was life… it was the world itself. As the princesses were the incarnations of night and day, the bringers of light and dark, so too was life and death two aspects of the same cycle of existence. Maybe somewhere there were two more alicorn princesses – the princess of life and the princess of death. When you thought about it, it made sense. After all, why not? And if they they did exist, she would like to meet them – and kick them so hard they would be walking around cross eyed for a week. Silver snorted; she hadn’t smiled once since the letter came, nor had her mother who had become a recluse, locked in her bedroom. Only Sebastian and Mrs Cream were able to speak to her now, and even that was sporadic. Meals were taken up and the empty plates returned, but of Lady Spoon, Lark Wing, there was no sign. Occasionally, Silver had tried to speak to her but the only sound she’d ever heard was the heartbreaking sobbing of a broken mare. Silver didn’t know what to think, nor what to believe. It wasn’t like the letter said that he was dead, did it? It said he was missing, but… but that meant he could be still alive, right? She nodded to herself and put the fireguard in place ready for the night. With a sigh, she got up and stretched. She shouldn’t be staying in so much, the lack of sunlight was ‘bad for your coat’ as others constantly reminded her, but if papa did come back then somepony had to be here to welcome him home. It was just… it didn’t feel like he was really gone, regardless of what she knew everypony else was thinking, and to her shame, occasionally even her. Silver gave herself a shake and neighed in frustration; even she didn’t know what she thought now! If everypony would just stop offering them sympathy all the blasted time and just show some optimism, or give them a little hope, then that would give them at least a spark of light in their now dark world. But no, it was all ‘sorry for your loss’ and ‘may you walk in the light of the goddesses’ and all that silliness. Tossing her mane, Silver trotted over to the carved chest and took the next diary out. The last one was still with Miss Sparkle, but surprisingly that had apparently been the next book after all. She frowned for a moment in thought; now that was strange! Coincidences did happen of course, and where magic was concerned it probably happened a lot more than usual. Miss Sparkle had cautioned her against reading the diaries until she’d been able to fully analyse the one she had, but there was something almost addictive to reading them – like a story you simply have to follow to the end. Initially the diaries seemed to have been about war and battles, but for some reason the ones Silver had been reading contained very little about that and had been following Golden’s journey through the trials and tribulations of the military academy. Some of it wasn’t quite what she’d normally like to read of course, not after reading about ‘that’ sort of thing, but every romance book she’d read had a level of… kissing and cuddling. She screwed up her face in thought; nope, she couldn’t recall anything about boys having their bottoms spanked before. Shrugging, Silver fished out the next diary in the series and slipped it into her nightie before trotting upstairs. For a moment she paused and listened; mother must be asleep. It was as quiet as the grave...

Mrs Cream walked slowly past her and gave her a pat on the head,“It’ll be alright, little Miss, don’t you worry. Your mother’s a strong mare, and she’s got a lot of friends to help her too.” She gave her a wink, “And us too, don’t forget.”

Silver smiled; Mrs Cream always seemed to have a way of making her smile, regardless of how awful everything seemed in the world around her. She paused, “Where’s Rinse? Will she be back soon?”

Mrs Cream shrugged, “Who knows with that one, Miss.” She chuckled, “A young mare like her can have her pick of the stallions and have her own head turned so very easily.” At Silver’s confused expression she lifted a hoof and beamed, “Oh, she’ll be back, don’t you worry. She’s just a little late that’s all.”

“I miss papa.” Silver said quietly, “I want everything to go back to the way it was before he got on that horrible ship.”

The older mare nodded and gave the little filly a hug, “Shhh… don’t fret now, Miss. We don’t know for sure if anything bad happened to him or not, do we? Don’t give up hope… Never give up hope.”

Silver smiled and gave the sweet smelling mare a hug in return, “Thanks Mrs Cream.”

“You’re welcome Miss” the bubbly mare replied, “Now, off to bed, eh? I’ll have some sweet-cure haybacon for breakdast and a hot cup of tea for you to look forward too.”

“And maple syrup?” Silver asked hopefully.

Mrs Cream laughed, “Oh, I think that can be arranged!” She gave Silver a wink and watched the little filly vanish into her room. It was a strange world sometimes, and cruel… very, very cruel.

Inside her bedroom, Silver took out the diary and placed it on her nightstand before hanging up her nightie. Slipping between the cold sheets she groaned happily. As terrible as things could be, there were some things in life that were a constant – and the wonderful feeling of cool clean sheets against your fur was one of them. Reading the diary and losing herself in the story would help take her mind off the real world for a while, and right then that sounded like exactly what she needed. Twilight’s warning still buzzed around her head like a moth bashing into a lantern, but that was that diary, not this one...right? Come to think of it, that particular diary had come from Apple Bloom, hadn’t it? So why was Twilight so interested in it? Silver shrugged and snuggled into the pillow, taking off her glasses and placed them on the nightstand. Taking a breath, she let her body relax, and turned the first page…

********************

Light flickered around her. It was full daylight outside, but the heavy iron grey clouds had gathered above like a funeral pall to smother the sun which had now been reduced to little more than a faint pale glow. Around the large room with its tall arched windows, oil lanterns flickered, adding their yellow light to the ominous feeling pervading the proceedings. Golden stood behind a table beside one of the senior officers assigned to represent her, while before her the court martial board of four officers, all in full dress uniform, sat watching her with expressions as neutral as the grey stone walls of the hall.

The brigadier adjusted his spectacles and frowned at the sheet of paper in front him, “You have read and understood the charges, First Lieutenant?”

Golden stood like a statue, “I have, Sir.”

“Do you have anything to say before we proceed?”

“No, Sir.”

The brigadier nodded to the red mare sitting beside him, “Colonel Fan, you may proceed.”

Colonel Fan… wonderful. Golden felt like crawling into a corner; the colonel was a legend in the army and had fought griffins, minotaurs and, if the stories were true, even a dragon. She was the one many of the cadets looked up to and admired. Golden had herself once… once.

The red coated mare began, “Lieutenant Spoon, the charge of dereliction of duty is a very serious one. We have all read your report on the incident during the training exercise and although we accept your version of the events as recorded, we find your decision making to be… faulty.” Colonel Fan fixed her with her emotionless green eyed gaze, “A sick comrade, as according to your testimony you believed her to be at the time, could have been left to wait whilst you went to join the rest of your troop. Once there you could have sent some of them down to collect her and made arrangements for a medevac. Instead, you waited out the weather until morning, leaving the rest of your troop unaware of your location, and leaderless.” She cleared her throat, “Do you have anything to say in your defence?”

Golden nodded, “Yes.” She awaited the colonel’s nod before replying, “As I have explained in my report, the decision I made was based upon the condition of Cadet Fair Lace and the poor weather, as well as the failing light. The map we had was entirely inadequate and to leave her alone in that situation could have resulted in her death.”

“Are you medically qualified?” the colonel asked.

Golden shook her head, “No, but I know a sick mare when I see one.”

The colonel watched her for a moment in silence, “But she wasn’t was she.”

“I didn’t know she was pregnant, no.” Golden replied.

“But you suspected.”

Golden took a breath, “No. Not at that time.”

“So as far as you knew, she could have just had a cold or been simply unfit, yes?” Colonel Fan
asked.

“Yes.” Golden replied.

“Hardly life threatening conditions, First Lieutenant” the Colonel said pointedly, “Let me ask you, First Lieutenant Spoon: do you think that given the conditions on the mountain and ‘condition’ of Cadet Lace, that you could have done things differently?”

“Objection.” The officer beside Golden stood up, “My client is being asked to speculate on what she could have done and not what she did do.”

The brigadier leaned across and spoke to the colonel quietly before answering, “Upheld.”

“Let me ask you another way, then” the colonel said clearing her throat, “Do you believe that what you did at the time was the best course of action given the information and knowledge at your disposal?”

“Of course” Golden said levelly, “I did what I had to do to protect one of my troop.”

“One of your troop,” the colonel said calmly, “not the rest? Didn’t you spare a thought for them?”

“Epsilon Troop was more than capable of setting up a camp for the night without my presence” Golden replied a little irritably.

The colonel narrowed her eyes, “And who was in charge of Epsilon Troop when you were not available, First Lieutenant?”

“Second Lieutenant Fair Lace.”

“Of course.” Colonel Fan sighed, “The only other junior officer on your troop happened to be the one who was ‘sick’, correct?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“What about next in line?”

“That would be Sergeant Still Brooks, Ma’am.”

The brigadier up from his notebook, “And where is this pony?”

Colonel Fan turned to one of the other officers who began leafing through a pile of notes, “It would seem that Sergeant Still Brooks was… consumed, sir.”

The brigadier nodded slowly, “I see.”

Golden felt a shiver run down her spine but resigned herself to what was to come. The questions and answers continued unabated; some mundane, some hinting at flaws in her character, but mostly seeming to chip away at her confidence in herself and her decision making abilities. Whatever their agenda was, it was all too painfully clear that the decision was already made and that this, this… sham, was all but ceremonial. Golden closed her eyes and sat down as the summing up began:

“First Lieutenant Spoon, by your own admission you admit that you stayed behind with a member of your troop, Second Lieutenant Fair Lace, as you believed her to be sick. You subsequently discovered that Second Lieutenant Fair Lace was actually pregnant and she is currently in the
academy medical facility. You decided, First Lieutenant to-” The brigadier looked up in surprise at the cream coated pegasus fighting his way through the doorway and swore under his breath.

“Sorry about this, everypony!” the newcomer gasped as he heaved his way in carrying boxes of files. He was followed in quick succession by another two ponies carrying even more.

“Captain Vane, what is going on here? We are in the middle of a court martial!” Brigadier Metal Flake slammed his hoof on the desk, his eyes narrowing angrily, “Explain yourself immediately or I’ll have you thrown in the guard house!”

Vane stopped in his tracks and looked up at the senior officer levelly, “Didn’t you get my note?”

Metal Flake blinked in surprise, “What? What note?!”

“The one stating that I will be representing the accused. In this case, First Lieutenant Golden Spoon.” Vane shook his head, “I submitted the papers this morning.”

“‘This morning’ is too late, Captain Vane” Metal Flake snapped, “Take your travelling circus and get out!”

“Article fifty five?” Vane said raising an eyebrow.

“What?” The brigadier turned to one of his officers who quickly started rummaging through the large book before her and, after finding the relevant section, began to read it out to the court:

“Article Fifty Five. Any sworn officer of the Equestrian Armed Forces under investigation by courts martial may request an independent defence council with the permission of a senior military council officer. In such cases, time for preparation of such a defence may be extended for up to two weeks.” She looked up at the brigadier, “It goes on, but those are the main points, sir.”

“Two… TWO WEEKS!” The brigadiers eyes went wide, “And who, Captain Vane, is this senior military council officer that you are referring to?” He tapped a hoof on the desk, “Come on, out with it.”

Vane shrugged, “Flight commander Dove of the central air command, Brigadier.” He reached into his tunic and produced a scroll, “It’s all signed and sealed. If you wish to see it, sir? She said to pass on her regards.”

“DID SHE!” Metal Flake coughed loudly, “Did she now...”

“Nasty cough you have there, sir. Would you like me to send for the orderlies?” Vane asked politely.

“No I bloody well do not!” The brigadier took a deep breath and sat back in his chair, “Since you have missed the proceedings thus far, Captain, then I need to ask you: do you have anything new to bring to the court? If not, we shall proceed to the summing up and bring these proceedings to a conclusion.”

Vane smiled and held out a hoof to one of his ponies, “Yes, sir. I appreciate how much time and work the court has put in this morning already, and I have no intention of invoking article Fifty Five A, as I believe we would all benefit from an early finish, don’t you?”

The brigadier spoke in rapid and hushed tones to the ponies either side of him and sighed, “Very well, Captain Vane, you may proceed.”

“Thank you, Brigadier.” Vane rolled his shoulders and indicated the box on the table before him, “May I produce for the court ‘exhibit A’.” The officers looked on in surprise as Vane’s subordinate began distributing fresh paperwork to them all. “These are a set of panniers recovered from the site of the ursan attack.” He pulled the sad remains of the torn and ragged panniers Golden had last seen in the wreckage on the mountain. “You will of course notice the teeth marks.” It was impossible to miss; far from being mere holes, the panniers seemed to be mostly hole with scraps of fabric barely holding any discernible shape at all. He motioned to the clerk of the court, “Would you care to read out the name on the inside, please.”

The clerk dutifully walked over and read aloud, “Second Lieutenant Fair Lace. There is also a symbol for Epsilon Troop stamped underneath.”

“Thank you.” Vane motioned to the panniers, “Would you care to take a sniff?”

The clerk’s eyebrows shot up, “I’m sorry?”

“Sniff them and tell the court what you smell” Vane said with an encouraging smile.

The clerk of the court turned to the judges and was met with a wave of a hoof. Resignedly, he leaned forward and gingerly sniffed the torn fabric, “I can smell wet earth and damp cloth. There’s another faint background smell, but I can’t quite put my hoof on it.”

“And being exposed outside for a length of time in wet conditions it’s not surprising” Vane announced. “You may sit down, Lieutenant.” Watching the clerk retake his seat, Vane leaned his hooves on the table before him, “If it pleases the court, I would like to call my first witness.”

The door opened and something small and hairy shot into the room at high speed before leaping onto the desk in front of the brigadier. “BISCUITS!” he shouted in surprise as the small ginger coloured dog began licking his muzzle, “What...is this a joke, Captain?”

“Not at all sir.” Vane lifted the wrecked panniers in his hoof, “Biscuits...” Barking, the hairy beast dashed across the desk and launched itself into the panniers, worrying them for all he was worth.

Colonel Fan stood up, staring at the dog curiously, “I presume that you are trying to make some sort of point here, Captain?”

Vane nodded, “Correct Colonel.” He called to one of the soldiers waiting outside who promptly appeared with a lead and took the excited canine away. “I’m sorry about that, Brigadier. We hope you don’t mind us borrowing a member of your family for short while. Your wife told us it would be alright.”

“My wife...” The brigadier closed his eyes. Resignedly he waved a hoof for Vane to continue.

“Dogs noses are much more sensitive than an equines, which is why neither the Lieutenant there nor any of Epsilon Troop were able to detect the smell.” He nodded, “The smell of aniseed.”

The Colonel looked to the clerk of the court who nodded, “That was the smell, sir.”

“It would have been many times stronger when it was originally infused into the panniers of course,” Vane explained, “But as much as the damage and their time exposed to elements has diminished the scent, to young Biscuits there, there was no mistaking such an attractive scent.” He next took out a book from another box and passed it to the clerk who presented it to the officers. “You will find on the pages I’ve marked, the section on the characteristics and habits of ursans. You will also find that they have a particular attraction to aniseed and an exceptionally highly attuned olfactory organ – in other words, a very good sense of smell.” He took out another smaller box and passed it around the court, “Exhibit B is a rag we found tied to a tree along the route the ursan took from its cave to the camp site of Epsilon Troop. Young Biscuits’ nose came to the fore once more and was able to locate several locations along the route where we were able to find more fiber fragments from other similarly infused rags.”

“Is this pertinent to this court martial, Captain?” Colonel Fan asked, “You appear to be talking about the causes of the attack on Lieutenant Spoon’s ponies rather than the actual charges laid against her.”

Vane nodded, “That’s true, Colonel, however if the court will indulge me, the facts will make themselves apparent as we continue.”

“Well get a bloody move on will you?” the brigadier huffed irritably, “You’ve already purloined my blasted dog and now you’re hijacking my court!”

Captain Vane nodded, “Of course, sir.” He walked into the middle of the courtroom and ruffled his wings, noting with a slight smile the look of discomfort on the brigadiers face. “Officers of the court, I contend that the ursan was deliberately woken up and lead to the camp ground of Epsilon Troop with the intention of attacking Second Lieutenant Fair Lace.”

“WHAT?!” The brigadier slammed his forehooves on the desk before him as he shot out of his chair, “This is absolute madness, Captain! You are seriously suggesting that there was an assassination attempt on one of Epsilon Troop?!”

Vane raised an eyebrow pointedly, “Yes.”

Colonel Fan frowned, her expression as hard as stone, “That is a very serious charge, Captain. I trust you have more proof than a dog with a keen nose and some rags?”

“I do.” Vane reached into one of the boxes and brought out a cage containing a small green creature that looked like some sort of tiny imp crossed with an ant. It shrieked furiously at its captor, gripping the bars and waving its large abdomen threateningly. “Exhibit C, one Formicidae Illuminatis Insanus.”

“A flash bug...” Colonel Fan observed quietly.

Vane nodded, “A flash bug.”

The brigadiers eyes were all but bulging out of his head, but gradually he lowered himself back into his chair as he mopped his forehead with a hankie passed him by the clerk of the court. “First dogs, and now he’s bringing bugs into my court...”

“Not just any bug, sir.” Vane explained, “The flashbug is a creature that emits a bright flash of light and a loud bang when agitated to disorientate attackers.” He tapped on the cage, setting the creature to shrieking even louder, “Quite an excitable fellow isn’t he?”

“What is it doing in here?!” The brigadier shouted over the noise, “Get to the blasted point!”

Vane nodded, “The point, brigadier, is that these creatures are currently being used in research in the academy’s science department. We currently have nineteen of them according to the latest inventory.” He slipped a cover over the cage and put it back into the box, “There were twenty.”

“So?” the brigadier asked.

“We found the remains of one of the cages in the ursan’s cave” Vane replied.

Colonel Fan took a sip of her water before leaning forward and fixing Vane with a look, “Captain, the court appreciates the work you have done to bring this most serious matter before us. I think I can speak on behalf of the rest of the court when I say that we will be looking into this matter as soon as these proceedings are concluded.” She took a breath, “However, as the brigadier has already stated, this matter is entirely separate to the issue of Second Lieutenant Spoon’s charges.”

The brigadier nodded, “Thank you, Colonel.” He turned to the Captain, “Do you have anything actually pertinent to this investigation, Captain Vane, or perhaps there’s some more wildlife you would care to share with the court?”

Vane shook his head, “Only this, sir.” He opened a map case and Golden’s eyes went wide in surprise – it was her map case! When had he- “I would like to call my witness, Sergeant Hard Case.”

The Colonel nodded and the doors at the back of the court room were opened. A moment later, the chestnut coated earth stallion Golden knew all too well, marched in like he was on parade. She watched as he slammed his hooves down and saluted smartly,

“Sergeant Hard Case reporting as ordered, sir.”

Captain Vane took out piece of paper from the map case and passed it to Golden, “Do you recognise this map, First Lieutenant?”

Golden stared at the stained and grubby piece of paper. She nodded, “Yes, that is the map I was using on the day of the expedition.”

“If it pleases the court.” Vane held up the map and passed it to the officers, “I can confirm, as can every pegasi and ground trooper involved in the rescue and recovery mission, that this map coincides with the area the ursan attack happened.” The officers peered at the map and nodded, passing it back to the Captain. Vane turned to the sergeant, “Sergeant Case, did you or did you not provide full instructions to Epsilon Troop prior to sending them out on the field exercise?”

“Yes sir, I did, sir.”

“And who provided the map for the exercise?”

“Cartography department, sir.”

“Which you then amended to show the route you wished them to take as well as the various landmarks and rendezvous points, correct?”

“Yes, sir, that is correct, sir.”

Vane’s voice dropped back to a more normal level, “How often have you run this exercise, Sergeant?”

“Once a year with each intake of cadets, sir.”

“And the route is always the same?”

“Yes, sir.”

Vane passed him the map, “Is this your map, Sergeant?”

The silver maned sergeant peered at the tattered piece of paper before straightening back up, “No sir, that is not the map I left with Epsilon Troop.”

“‘Left’, sergeant?” Vane asked curiously, “Did you not give the map to First Lieutenant Spoon?”

The sergeant swallowed, “No sir.”

“What did you do with it?”

“I...” Sergeant Case closed his eyes for a moment, his composure apparently rattled, “I brought the map from the cartography department together with the orders for the exercise which had already been discussed in class. I was running behind due to… unexpected circumstances, and so I put the map into the first lieutenants map case which I then left on the table in her quarters.”

“First Lieutenant Spoon was not present?” Vane asked.

Sergeant Case shook his head, “No sir, Epsilon Troop were in the mess hall for dinner.”

“What time was this, Sergeant?”

“Around seventeen thirty that evening I believe, sir.”

“And what time do Epsilon Troop normally leave the mess hall?”

“Eighteen hundred prompt, sir.”

Vane nodded slowly, “So, there was half an hour between leaving your map in the First Lieutenant's quarters and when dinner period finished. Give about ten minutes for Epsilon Troop to return and so we have a window of around forty minutes where the map mysteriously changes from the one you claim to have left in the First Lieutenants map case and this one appearing.” He held up the grubby hoof drawn map. The Captain held out his hoof and his pegasus helpers took out a large scroll which they unfurled and, taking one side each, slowly lifted into the air. Vane flicked out a telescopic pointer which he passed to the startled looking witness, “Sergeant Case, would you please indicate to the court the precise route you marked on the original map?”

The sergeant nodded, taking the pointer and, holding it in his fore hooves, pointed to a large clearing marked on the map, “This is the assembly area used by the academy. The route follows the Manticore Mountain trail up to the first rendezvous point, here, then continues up past the second point and finally to this point here...” He pointed to another clearing higher up the mountain but still
well inside the forested area.

“Essentially, what were Epsilon Troops orders, Sergeant?” Vane asked.

“To follow the trail, taking ten minute breaks at each of the rendezvous points before reaching their destination which had been marked as ‘Camp Echo’ on their map before sundown. Once there, the troop was to set up camp for the night and return to the assembly area by sixteen hundred hours the following day for extraction.”

Captain Vane nodded and turned to the court, “Sirs, if I may...” He took the pointer and indicated a point on the map to the east of the area the sergeant had pointed to, “This is the location my flight found the remains of Epsilon Troop’s camp following the ursan attack.” He addressed the sergeant once more, “Are you certain, sergeant, absolutely certain, that you did not make a mistake and send the troop to this clearing by accident?”

Sergeant Case shook his head, “No, sir.”

Colonel Fan stood up, peering at the map, “How can you be so certain, sergeant? Think carefully.”

The sergeant puffed up his chest and stood to attention, “We use the same route every year, ma’am. I know it like the back of my hoof.”

Fan frowned, “But there is another trail up to that point where the Captain found the camp site, yes?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And it isn’t used?”

Sergeant Case shook his head, “No ma’am. We used to use it around ten years ago but it was discontinued.”

Fan’s brows drew down, “Why?”

The sergeant’s reply chilled the room, “It’s in ursan territory, ma’am.”

The brigadier stood up next, “First Lieutenant Spoon, you can read maps can you not?”

Golden nodded smartly, “Yes, sir.”

“And you covered the route in your class, did you not?”

Golden shook her head, “No, sir. Sergeant Case said the route would be marked on the map which he would provide prior to the exercise. I found the map and orders in my quarters after we returned from dinner.”

“You didn’t question them?” Metal Flake asked, “You didn’t wonder why there were no rendezvous points marked on the map you used?”

Golden closed her eyes a moment and tried to will away the bitter chill that flared in her heart. Had she made a terrible error of judgement? Could she have prevented this?

“Well?”

Golden took a deep breath, “No, sir. Sergeant Case told us he would be testing us and I assumed this was part of that test. Due to the route, I determined that we would have little time to rest before dark and pressed on to reach the campsite before we lost all light.”

The brigadier glanced at the officers on either side of him, “Thank you, First Lieutenant, you may sit down.” For a moment, for just the very briefest sliver of time, his eyes seemed to glaze over as though staring off to a point in the distance which only he could see. Golden felt a shiver run through her; what was going through his mind right then?

The senior officer took a deep breath and leaned on the desk before him, “Officers of the court, do you have anything to ask the witness.”

The answer was short and to the point, “No.”

“Captain Vane,” The brigadier asked, “do you have any more you would like to add?”

The pegasus officer nodded, “I would like to go straight to my summary if I may, sirs.”

Brigadier Metal Flake nodded, “Proceed.”

“Officers of the court,” Vane began, “My client followed her orders as laid before her as any good soldier would do. She did not question them as she had no reason to believe they were in error. Due to the route taken, and a combination of the poorly made map, the weather and a soldier who was unfit to be taking part in such an exercise, First Lieutenant Spoon was put in an untenable situation. She made the decision to put her troopers life first and constructed a makeshift shelter for the two of them to protect them until dawn.” He gave his mane a shake and motioned towards the large map, “Considering the failing light, the terrain, and the poor quality of the map, to continue up the trail would have endangered both First Lieutenant Spoon and Second Lieutenant Lace. I am certain that the ponies of Epsilon Troop would have been more than capable of setting up a camp for the night without their officers attendance.” He cleared his throat, “I contend, sirs, that First Lieutenant Spoon was set up to fail.” He stood on his hind legs and clopped his fore hooves together, “Firstly, the map provided by Sergeant Case mysteriously changes, leading the troop into an area known for being inhabited by ursans. I believe this change was made during the time between Sergeant Casedelivering the map between seventeen thirty and the troop returning shortly after eighteen hundred hours. Secondly, there is the matter of the ursan itself which-”

The brigadier banged his hoof down on the desk before him, “Enough.”

Captain Vane blinked in surprise, “Brigadier, this is a very serious matter which-”

“-I SAID ENOUGH!” The senior officers metallic eyes gleamed brightly in the lamplight as he shot to his hooves, nostrils flaring.

Colonel Fan placed a hoof on his foreleg before addressing Vane, “Captain Vane, as we have already discussed, the matter at hoof today relates to First Lieutenant Spoon’s actions and decision making on the day in question, not the ursan nor causes of that attack.” She cleared her throat, “We are aware that the Lieutenant lead a successful rescue mission to recover the survivors of her troop and also took down an ursa minor single hoofed. These actions have not gone unnoticed.” She glanced at the other officers, “I believe that we need to take an adjournment. You shall have our decision shortly.”

The clerk of the court stood and announced, “All rise.”

And that was it. Golden found herself lead away from the others and deposited in a back room like a bag of dirty washing. She didn’t know what to think, and simply sat staring at the blank walls and the cup of tea that had materialised in front of her. She supposed somepony had brought it for her, but she couldn’t remember who. What was Vane saying in there anyway? Aniseed? Dogs, bugs and ursans and...and...oh goddesses, her head! This was a nightmare she was caught in, that was it, and at any moment she’d just wake up and be wrapped in Vane’s forelegs and...wait...Vane? Hadn’t he said everything would be alright? He had, hadn’t he! Was that...was all that a trick, a lie to get her into bed with him? Oh, no...maybe it was! Maybe, but… but he was fighting her corner in there, but…

“First Lieutenant, come with us please.”

Oh Celestia, this was it! They couldn’t have come to a decision so quickly could they? And… and now she really need to go to the bathroom! Hell fire, this couldn’t possibly get any worse could it? She snatched a mouthful of tea before the guard lead her back into the courtroom.

“All rise.”

The officers filed back in before taking their seats, followed by the rest of the court. Golden remained standing as the brigadier adjusted a pair of reading spectacles on his muzzle, “First Lieutenant Golden Spoon, we have listened to the evidence provided by your defense as well as written testimony from surviving members of Epsilon Troop and the pegasi rescue teams.” He took a breath, “We accept your version of events as well as the facts as laid out before us. We reject that you believe you had no choice but to set up temporary camp with one of your troopers, regardless of mitigating factors, and it is our belief that you should have prioritized organizing the rest of Epsilon Troop and sent a recovery party to collect Second Lieutenant Lace. We believe that you should have questioned the map you received as it ran contrary to the information you received during the classroom session – specifically the lack of intermediate rendezvous points.” The brigadier huffed, “We believe that the disaster that befell your team was avoidable and your failure to act upon the questionable nature of the map you used indirectly lead to the deaths of many of your troop.” He closed his eyes and licked his lips, “First Lieutenant Spoon, we find you innocent of the charge of dereliction of duty.” Golden’s legs trembled at the verdict, but the brigadier continued, “On the second charge of reckless endangerment, we find you guilty.” He cleared his throat, “Second Lieutenant Golden Spoon, it is the decision of this court that you be removed from this academy with immediate effect in accordance with article ninety seven of the equestrian military regulations.”

Golden’s mouth opened, but no words came out.

“Do you have anything to say?”

Golden's head span and she slumped back in the dock, quickly caught by the guard. “I...i’m being expelled?” she croaked.

The brigadier nodded, “You have until tomorrow morning to pack your personal possessions. Transport has been arranged for you for o-nine hundred.”

The colonel spoke next, “First Lieutenant, I assure you that this is not a dishonorable discharge. No dishonor will be placed upon you nor your family name and your actions to save your comrades will be recorded.”

A tear trickled down Golden’s cheek.

“All rise” The clerk of the court announced. “Court is dismissed.”

***********************

The fire had gone out. In some respects it was a metaphor for how her her own fire, her own spirit, was now as ashes within her soul. Once she had been so reluctant, and then later she had actually begun to enjoy her time at the academy and to push herself to achieve – to become the best she could. That was then…

Golden sat on the floor in her room, the steel grey clouds outside hanging in the sky as if they were going to suddenly drop down and crush every living thing below. She wished it would; all she wanted now was to disappear – but of course, that was what she had to do now wasn’t it? Collect her things, hang up her uniform tunic, take anything owned by the academy back to the quartermaster and take the nine o’clock carriage back home. Home… That wasn’t home now. This was home. The wind moaned past the window – a lonely cry from a world that was witnessing yet another dream, yet more hope, snuffed out as easily as a candle. Golden lifted her muzzle to the heavens, tears trickling down her cheeks and dropping onto her tunic. Who the hell cared if it stained now… nothing mattered now…

She hadn’t heard the door open, nor the pony approach her.

“Golden?”

The white mare, her voice as broken as her heart, didn’t look round, “What do you want.”

“To be with my friend.”

Golden gave a mirthless laugh, “A friend...” She took a deep breath, “That’s all I was the other night, was it? A friend?”

“Golden, please, don’t do this.”

Vane stood his ground as the white mare rose up like a dragon from the sea, her tear stained and blood shot eyes locking onto his, “Don’t do what?” she bellowed, “Tell me, Vane, don’t do what? Come on then? OUT WITH IT!”

Vane never moved, his expression infuriatingly neutral, “Do want to talk to me like an adult, or just scream at me?”

“I want to scream at you!” Golden slammed him in the chest with both her hooves, backing him into the door, “You...you lied to me! You said you’d be able to help me, that you had everything under control, and… and you took advantage of me!” She bared her teeth, “Damn you Vane, Damn you! I trusted you!”

The cream pegasus closed his eyes a moment, “I took advantage of you?” he asked. Vane huffed, “I think you have a rather skewed memory of events, Golden.”

“Buck you, you rat!” The mare abruptly released him and stalked away to her cabinet, angrily flinging the door open and snatched the bottle of rum out, “Now, you’ve said your piece, so get out.”

“What are you going to do?” Vane asked.

“What’s it to you, anyway?” Golden pulled out the cork with her teeth and spat it across the room, “I don’t give a toss what you do, but for me? I’m intend to be so pissed that they’ll have to carry me out at o-nine hundred SIR! On the bucking dot SIR!” She snapped off an exaggerated salute, neighing so loud it made the room shake, “To hell with everything, to hell with the world, with this stinking academy, and ponies who lie about being your friend. I don’t have any friends, do I? Not bloody one! You’re all out for yourselves and you don’t give a flying buck about anypony but yourself and your own damned self interest.” She pointed to the door, “Get the hell out of here,
Vane, I never want to see you again.”

Vane stood and watched as the mare turned her back on him and shook his head. “One of the reasons I came here, First Lieutenant, was because somepony wants to see you.”

“Oh, do they now?” Golden snorted sarcastically, “And what ‘military regulation’ is that under, Captain Vane? Sixty Nine?”

A voice behind her answered, “Ninety Seven.”

Golden span round, the bottle raised as though she were about to throw it. She froze. Beside Vane, standing in the doorway, was a tall white mare with blue eyes, blue mane and tail, and swathed in a dark blue cloak with gold and silver needlework. It was like looking in a mirror. The mare adjusted the cowl of her hood and watched Golden curiously, and silently. There was something about this mare that made Golden’s mane twitch; was it the way she was watching her? Or was it the burnished armour she could see just beneath the cloak? Whatever was going on here, every part of her was telling her to simply be quiet and to listen, regardless of how much she wanted to rage at the world.

“First Lieutenant Golden Spoon?” The mare asked.

Golden nodded, “I am. For now.”

“My name is Guard Commander Ramrock.” The newcomer took off her panniers and took out a scroll tube, passing it to the stunned Golden Spoon, “These are your new orders.”

“My…my what?” Golden’s hooves trembled as she shook out the scroll from its protective tube and gave her eyes a rub before reading:

For the attention of First Lieutenant Golden Spoon, Epsilon Troop, Equestria Military Academy, Fort Bridleway.

By command of Her Royal Majesty, Princess Celestia, you are hereby ordered to report to the Royal Guard training grounds principia at your earliest convenience. Please confirm your attendance with the bearer of this message.

Respectfully,

Colonel Bright Water (Commanding).

Golden put the scroll down and stared at the white mare, her mouth dry. As if by magic, a cup of water appeared, pushed into her hooves. She took a sip. “Your answer, First Lieutenant?”

“I...” Golden blinked, “I have to go to the royal guard headquarters?” A shudder ran through her, her words fading like the light outside the small room, “The...the princess has commanded me to go...”

The white mare in the cloak furrowed her brow, “You are being transferred to the royal guard, First Lieutenant. My apologies if I did not make myself clear, however you appeared to be a little...upset.”

Golden’s eyes went wide, a look of befuddlement crossing her face, “I...yes...yes, I was.” She looked at the scroll, “I don’t understand, I’ve been court-martialed. How could the princess know that and...why would she want to...transfer me?”

Ramrock nodded stiffly, “Her majesty has been following recent events at this academy with interest, particularly since the incident involving the ursa major.” The officer tossed her mane, “I have been given the authority by Princess Celestia in accordance with regulation ninety seven of the military codex, to offer you a transfer to the royal guard. Your rank will be decided upon completion of the standard aptitude test, however your current rank will remain valid until such time as the high command has fully assessed your entry.”

Golden stared at the scroll, her hooves trembling.

“You answer, please First Lieutenant?”

“I...” Golden swallowed and looked up at Vane, “Yes...yes, I...I do. I mean, where do I sign?”

Ramrock’s horn glowed with a deep blue light, floating the scroll from her hooves and placed it neatly back in its case. Golden watched it slip into her pannier as the saviour of her future spoke, “You do not sign. In the guard, your word is everything.” Ramrock stood tall, “A sky chariot will collect you and your belongings tomorrow morning at twelve noon. Will that allow you enough time to pack and say your farewells?”

Golden nodded, “Yes...yes it will.” She stared down at the pony’s hoof and carefully reached out and shook it.

“Welcome to the guard, Guardspony Spoon.” Suddenly Ramrock took a step back and slammed her hoof to her chest, the sound of metal clanged loudly in the small room, “Walk forever in the eternal light of the goddesses. Hail Princess Celestia.”

Golden stood to attention and repeated the gesture, “H...Hail Princess Celestia!”

And with that, in a flurry of her blue and silver cloak, the mysterious mare turned and vanished from the room leaving a leaden silence in her wake. In the stillness the clock on the wall sliced the seconds away with deafening certainty until Golden realized that deep throbbing ticking… was her own heart. She took a sip of the water in a mesmeric haze of disbelief. Everything that had happened was sweeping through her life as a hurricane strips a leaf from the tree, spinning it helpless out of control in a direction that not even the goddesses could predict. Ursans, courts-martial, and now… now she was one of the royal guard. How…? How could this happen? The door slowly closed, and with that final click, she was alone in the room - in the silence. Blinking suddenly, Golden’s world dropped in around her, filling her mind, her soul and heart like ice water. Vigor, strength and a renewed purpose howled through her, sizzling along muscles and nerves. She smiled and looked to the door...

“STOP RIGHT THERE!”

Vane stopped in his tracks and waited.

Golden trotted up alongside him. He didn’t look back. “Get your arse back in that room, Captain. Now.”

Vane’s voice was low, his commanding tone she had first heard on that terrible mountain very much in effect, “You ordered me to leave, First Lieutenant, remember?”

Golden snorted, “I don’t give a damn about that, Vane. You’re my friend, remember?”

“A friend who took advantage of you?” Vane took a breath and slowly looked round at her, “I shall report myself to the guardhouse and await your official compl-” The blow took the pegasus by surprise, knocking him back a step. He paused, checking his teeth and spat a gobbet of blood out from where his lip had been cut. “Nice” he said quietly.

“There’s more where that came from!” Golden dropped into a fighting stance, “Now do as I-”

Vane span faster than Golden thought possible, his hoof slapping her across the face, “Now we’re even.” The Captain huffed, dropping down into a crouch and readied his wings, “Goodbye, First Lieutenant.” The pegasi’s wings bit the air a second before slamming into the ground. Vane’s muzzle thumped into the earth; soil and damp grass spilling into his mouth as the tall mare grappled him.

“No...” Golden spat, twisting Vane’s leg, “Now, we’re even.”

Vane winced, snorting in pain, “Are you… going to break that… or what?”

Golden glared into Vane’s eyes, pinning her ears menacingly, “You will promise upon your honor as a pegasus and an officer, that you will come back with me to my quarters?”

“But...”

“Promise me!”

“Ow! Yes…!” Vane hissed.

Golden heaved, “You’re still my friend?”

“Damn it, Golden...bloody hell, yes!” Vane gasped, “Get off me for Celestia’s sake, you’re breaking my bloody leg!”

Abruptly Golden complied, releasing the flustered pegasus. Picking himself up, Vane glowered at her angrily, “You’re a bloody maniac, you know that?” He flexed his wings and squeezed his eyes shut in pain, “Buck it...”

Golden moved forward and sniffed imperiously, “That’s what you get for being huffy, Captain. Perhaps you should bear that in mind the next time you walk out on a mare who loves you.”

“You…?” Vane stared at her, “Don’t be such a...” He sighed, “Oh, Golden...” The captain turned and started walking back to the white mare’s quarters, “You coming or do want to break both my wings?”

*************************

The Captain winced and then, surprised at the results of the bandaging, nodded with a smile on his face, “For an earth pony, you’re full of surprises.”

Golden passed him a drink, “For a pegasus, you’re a pain in the arse.” She smiled, “Sir.”

“And don’t you forget it!” Vane let out a guffaw of laughter and stretched his legs out in front of the small fireplace, “Regulation size hearth… bloody misers.”

“May as well use all the wood up then” Golden replied, pushing another log on the fire, “I suppose I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

“Aye.” Vane sighed, “A new start, and a new life awaits, Guardsmare Spoon.”

Golden snuggled in next to the cream stallion and gave his ear a gentle nip, “I’m sorry I hurt your wing. I thought I was just squeezing your leg.”

“It’ll heal” Vane smiled, “I should know how to fall by now. Anyway, it’ll be right as rain in a week. I’ve got some medicine that’ll be just the ticket.”

“I… I shouldn’t have done it” Golden began but a hoof on her muzzle brought her up short,

“It’s fine, honestly, now stop that you’re ruining the mood.” Vane chuckled, “Just… keep doing what you’re doing – a little harder though.” He let out a deep moan as Golden’s teeth did as he asked, “Oh yeah...that’s the spot...Celestia’s flanks that’s wonderful.”

“Hey, don’t be nodding off on me!” Golden beamed, giving the pegasus a playful push, “I want to know what was going on in that courtroom today. Full story now young stallion, and no fibs!”

Vane laughed and leaned his head against his mare, “Exposition time, eh?”

“Just get on with it!” Golden laughed.

Another hard nip sent a shiver through Vane’s body, “How could I say no?” He smiled, “I called in a few favours, that was all really. At first though it was the teeth marks that made me think there was something else at play. The ursan’s tracks and the teeth marks – it looked like it had made a bee line straight for them. The smell of aniseed was still potent then too.” He tapped his muzzle, “Pegasi senses, see?”

Another nibble made him shiver as he continued, “My boys found the remains of the rags along the route the ursan took. It wasn’t hard to follow, and it was the boffins who found the remains of the flash bug cage. One of their crew told me about it in the mess, and after a few drinks, we went back to the lab and… had a look at the inventory.”

A warm breath in his ear made him flinch, “Is that all you did?”

Vane nodded slowly, “I promise. Besides, i’m not into stallions.” He frowned, “I think he liked stallions though...” “Sorry, sorry!” Vane laughed as Golden tickled his ribs, “I’ll get back on track.” He took a breath and sighed, “So we had part of the puzzle, but the issue with the map had me foxed. I wasn’t certain, as pegasi have a different training regimen to earth ponies, but I asked myself why we had been told to keep an eye out so far away from your location. I know the weather was bad, but we should have seen or heard the flare the troop sent up when the ursan first attacked.” He snorted, “Of course, we know why now, don’t we?”

“Took the wrong path, eh?” Golden said. She took a long lick along the edge of Vane’s ear, smiling at the result.

“Mmm...” The Captain closed his eyes, “You were, to use an overused phrase, set up to fail.”

Golden sat up, “We were set up alright.” She shook her head, “Vane, I know I’m leaving tomorrow, but...I want to know...who did this?” She looked into the big bronze eyes of her lover, “You know, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question – she knew the answer already. She’d known it since the court martial.

Vane nodded, “I believe so.” He raised an eyebrow meaningfully, “I think you do too.”

“Oh goddesses!” Golden shot to her hooves, “Fair Lace! That bastard will-”

Vane’s hoof stopped her in her tracks, “-Will be on his way to the palace dungeons.” He looked up at the clock, “Right about now, I’d say.”

Golden slumped back down to her haunches, helped by a soft and kindly wing. The one she hadn’t accidentally broken she noted with a wince. She hung her head and pushed her muzzle into Vane’s mane, “Why, Vane, why would he do something like that? How can a pony be so… so, evil?”

“How?” Vane kissed Golden’s foreleg gently, “Greed, jealousy, anger, hate, even love; they’re all very powerful emotions that has warped the mind of many a pony.” He began to nibble Golden’s leg down towards her hoof, “In this case, it was fear.”

“Fear?” Golden asked.

“Mmhmm.” Vane lifted her hoof and held it to his cheek, gazing up into her blue eyes, “Smelt’s father is Metal Flake.”

Suddenly Golden pulled away, “THE BRIGADIER?!” she gasped, “Smelt is his son?!”

“Family shame, dishonor, perhaps even dishonorable discharge.” Vane shrugged, “Imagine the army finding out that one of their cadets in her first years at the academy had been made pregnant by the camp commandants own son – also, incidentally, a cadet at the very same academy.”

“Oh Celestia...” Golden closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath, “That… that scum, he...he murdered my friends, he killed them!”

Vane sat up and faced her, “I know, but he’ll get his, don’t you worry. Your friends will be avenged, I can assure you of that.”

“But...the brigadier...Smelt.” Golden nickered angrily, “His father won’t just sit back and let his son be tried in court - it’ll be a whitewash!”

Vane raised an eyebrow, “Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about that. Ramrock won’t be going back to Canterlot alone; she’ll be taking her newest guest with her tomorrow too. I believe the princess wishes to meet him and, er...deal with the matter personally. Right now our murderous friend Smelt is in the guardhouse and will, rather ironically, be joining one of Equestria’s finest on their flight to the palace – one of the very mares he tried to murder.” He chuckled, “Probably not the best company on the journey, but at least you won’t be sharing a chariot.”

“I can’t believe it...” Golden shook her mane and took a sip of water, “Vane, how did you do all this? The dog, the flash bug… If it wasn’t for you.”

The pegasus officer shook his head, “Just another glorious day in the corps.” He chuckled, “I’ve been around, broken a few hearts, you know the drill.”

“Broken hearts?” Golden raised an eyebrow, “Are you going to break mine too?”

Vane shook his head, a sad smile crossing his face, “I’m not the one leaving.”

“Please, Vane...don’t, I...I don’t want to think about that right now.” Golden shuddered, “I’m… i’m not a good mare you know. I hurt you, I told you I loved you and played with your heart, and now… now I’m leaving.” She started to turn away, “I don’t want you to hate me, but I’ll understand if you want to go.”

“Go where?” Vane gave his mane a scrub, “I don’t understand.”

“I’m leaving for the capital tomorrow, remember? Good goddesses, Vane!” Golden threw her hooves up in the air in exasperation, “I’m joining the royal guard! I’ll probably never see you again! I’ll… I’ll never… I’ll...”

Vane gave her a shove, “Oh stop it. For the goddesses sake, Golden, you’re not a weak mare and the school foal tears don’t suit you.” He suddenly lunged up and grabbed her, tackling her to the ground. “You know,” he said gazing into her eyes, “Sometimes its nice to be on top.” He gave her a kiss on the muzzle, “And now I’ve got my guardsmare all to myself...” Vane brushed his muzzle down his mare’s neck, smiling at her happy whimper. He moved his mouth to her ear, breathing softly, “Guess who’s pulling your chariot tomorrow?” Golden froze as Vane chuckled cheekily, “Guardstallion Vane, at your service ma’am.”

“I really hate you, you know.” Golden whispered.

Vane grinned, running a hoof down her chest, “Mmm...and I’ve been such a naughty boy too. Shall I show you… how naughty?”

****************************

Golden reached a foreleg over the sleepy stallion and gave his ear a gentle nip, “Hey...come on, you, we have to get up.”

“Bugger that...” came the muffled reply. Vane pulled the covers over his head, “It’s too early.”

“I know, but we have to.” Golden wrapped her legs around him and squeezed, “Ooh, you’re so warm!”

“Agh! Golden, I can’t breath! Watch the wing!”

Golden chuckled and playfully worried his ear, “I’d stay in here all day if I could, but orders are orders, and besides I need to see everypony before I go.”

“Want me to come too?”

Golden shook her head, “No, it’s fine mister sleepy. Since you’re super organised I guess you had all your gear ready before last night, right?”

Vane smirked, “Something like that.” He slipped the covers off himself and squeezed his eyes shut as he stretched all four legs, “Nah, I’d better get up. I’ll go and see my crew before we get off and I’ll come back and give you a hoof. I’m sure you don’t need me trampling all over your special time with your buddies.”

“Oh, bugger off!” Golden laughed and threw a pillow at him, “You know you’d be welcomed.”

Vane caught the feather stuffed missile and shrugged, “I know love, but sometimes it’s just nice to be with friends. Maybe it’s a pegasus thing.”

“No, it’s a pony thing” Golden sighed, “You’re right. You get yourself sorted and I’ll see you back here before noon.”

“One last thing...” Vane leaped from the bed and grabbed Golden around the neck, kissing her on the mouth and moaning under his breath, “Don’t be too long, okay?”

“Still too much energy left, huh?”

Vane gave her a wicked smiled, “Something like that.”

Soon, Golden was walking over to the medical wing and nodded to the tired and rather bored looking guard standing by the double doors. Saluting smartly, the weary stallion let her in without another word as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It seemed somepony must have told him she would be coming this morning, and she certainly wasn’t going to waste what precious time she had arguing with the fellow about her treatment the last time she’d tried to get in to see her friends. Golden’s nose twitched and she stifled a sneeze; the aggressive smell of antiseptic hit her almost immediately, together with a hint of fresh paint and floor cleaner. If there was one thing to be said about military medical facilities: they were efficient – and spotlessly clean. Inside the curtains were still drawn and the lamps burned brightly, yet despite the early hour, there were already signs of life. Golden peered through the round glass window in the door and sighed; this was going to be awkward, but… damn it, they were still her friends.

The well oiled door opened with a faint swish of air.

“Oh, goddesses, what time is it?” The green and white patched mare groaned and sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes, “You’d better have brought tea and not coffee this time, you bugger. That stuff made me fart all bloody morning and...” She blinked in disbelief, “Trips?” Her eyes went wide, “Bloody hell, it is! It’s Trips!”

She reached out a hoof… the other one, just a… bandaged stump. Golden flinched almost imperceptibly, but managed to keep a smile on her face as she took her friends hoof, “Hey, Verdant, how’ve you been keeping?”

“Oh, you know: five star service, hot and cold running stallions, on suite facilities – can’t complain.” The maimed mare looked up at her officer and smiled broadly, “We’ve missed you, you know.”

Golden stifled the pained cry that tried to escape, but the prickling in the corners of her eyes wasn’t so simple to suppress. She swallowed, trying to keep her composure, “I’ve missed you too. I tried to come and see you all but...”

“Yeah, the miserable buggers don’t like pones to see us cripples, eh?” Verdant chuckled, “Still, better a bit chewed than swallowed if you ask me.” She waved the stump at her officer, “Hope the bastard thing choked on it.”

Golden closed her eyes as the horror of it all gripped her heart in its vice like grip, “I’m sorry, Verdant, if I’d been there with you then-”

“-You’d have been trapped in with us,” Verdant huffed, “Good plan there, boss!” She rolled her eyes, “Hey look, we’ve heard all sorts of things about what’s had been going on around camp. The quacks don’t like us ‘being bothered’ but the girls love to know the latest goss, and the cleaners and cooks have really got their lugs to the ground.” She leaned forward, “So, is it true about Fair Lace and that stallion, whats-his-name, Smelt?” Golden nodded. “Cor!” Verdant shook her head in amazement, “We thought it was all bollocks, but then we heard about that pegasus chappy poking about and you know what the grapevine’s like here.” She leaned back against her pillow, “Unreal...”

“So much for military intelligence,” Golden smirked, “You lot know more about what’s going on than anypony else at the academy. Good goddesses, Verdant, I only found out last night about all this.”

“Did you?” The bed ridden mare shrugged, “Guess you were more in the dark than we were then.” She giggled and gave Golden a cheeky wink, “Ah, don’t worry about it. Anyway, is it true then? You’re leaving us?”

The way she asked made Golden’s heart throb. She didn’t want to leave her troop, her friends, but… what choice did she have? Besides, judging by the information network the medical wing apparently had, Verdant already knew. “I am. The academy want me gone and the royal guard made me an offer I can’t refuse.” She closed her eyes, “I… I know it’s the chance of a lifetime but… it doesn’t hurt any less to leave you all behind.”

“Oh belt up!” Verdant sniffed, wiping a tear away from her muzzle, “You’ll start me off next you bugger.” She gave Golden’s leg a squeeze, “Look, go for it, you’ll regret it forever if you don’t. And don’t worry about us either; the palace have sent us all honourable discharges and a pension you could buy a bloody mansion with. Honestly, Trips, you have no idea!” She paused in thought for a moment, “You know, I’m not sure why, but the princesses have taken a personal interest in this business and as far as I’m concerned, other than being snacked on by an ursan, things couldn’t be better for me.”

Golden nodded, “I still wish things could have been different. None of this should have happened. You should never have been hurt - none of you.”

“Yeah, but if wishes came true then we’d all be alicorns, right?” Verdant let out a throaty laugh, “Anyway, with all this dosh I’ll be up to my fetlocks in stallions and I’ll still be able to get about on three pins, don’t you worry.” She waggled her eyebrows, “Hey, are you and that pegasus, you know…?”

“We’re...um...yeah” Golden blushed.

“Damn...” Verdant giggled, “I never guessed.” She leaned over to the mare in the next bed, “Guess I lost the bet, Wheels.”

A voice from the bed called back, “Fifty seven bits, I make it.” The purple mare with a bandage over one eye and the ruin of one ear gave Golden a wave, “You go girl!”

“Wheels?” Golden looked around at all the faces peering back at her. All of them, without exception, looked at her with nothing but kindness, and… love. Tears began to leak from her eyes, “Oh...oh, Celestia, girls I’m...”

“There she goes again” somepony said.

“Too emotional you know. Needs to get that under control when she’s working for old sun butt.” There was a round of giggles.

“Hey, Trips,” Somepony called out, “What’s it like, you know, with those wings and feathers? I heard they’re really soft and can tickle a girl in all the right places.”

A raucous bout of laughing resounded around the room and Golden could feel her cheeks and ears burning.

“Oh she knows, she knows!” Somepony laughed, “Look how red she is!”

“Sod off you rotten lot!” Golden grumbled.

“Yeah, but you gotta love us” Verdant said kindly as the laughing eventually faded away. She nodded to her old officer, “Come and see us when you can. Old comrades stick together, eh?”

“Duty, Honour, Commitment, Loyalty.” The old motto came to Golden’s mind as easily as taking a breath, “I don’t think I really understood what it meant until now.” She looked at the faces looking back at her. All those lives, changed forever, and this didn’t even include the girls that hadn’t been physically injured but sent home on indefinite leave. She sighed; to hell with the academy, to hell with the army. This was nothing to do with them. Duty, honour, commitment, loyalty: that was about these ponies, these mares who looked at her not as their officer, but as their friend. To them, she would always be Trips, their stumbling white coated officer. To her, they would forever be her friends and the girls of… Epsilon Troop. She stood up and slowly walked around the room, hugging and speaking to each of her old comrades in turn, writing down their addresses and saying not goodbye, but farewell – she would see them again, and what stories she would be able to tell!

All too soon however those farewells, the hugs, tears and assurances of future visits placed her on the path to her final destination before she would set off on the journey to a new life at the palace: the one that lead to her best friend and, she supposed, her smaller unborn friend too. Vane had informed her that Fair Lace had been surreptitiously moved to another part of the camp, and away from where others could potentially ‘discover her condition’ as she’d been told. Of course they both knew that the real reason was so that the academy didn’t lose face from an exposed scandal, but Golden was under no illusions that with the information network the other cadets had clearly established, it was only a matter of time before half of Equestria knew about it. Come to think of it, from what Ramrock had said, it was a safe bet the princess was already fully aware of the entire situation, and not just the business with the ursan, otherwise why would she have had him arrested? Pah! It wasn’t even worth thinking about anyway; scum like that deserved to- Golden looked up – raining. Damn it. She gave her mane a shake and clucked her tongue, increasing her pace. She’d only just washed it too, but… flying in a sky chariot… wouldn’t that make a mess of it anyway? Still, regulation length it was and as for style? She’d seen Ramrock’s and military regulation length was still the same there – maybe even more so. Goddesses, she hoped she didn’t end up an emotionless… ‘rock’. Smirking to herself, Golden walked alongside the short wall, past the stone carved balls which somepony with a peculiar sense for the aesthetic had obviously thought was a good idea to stick on top of a plinth for some reason, and stumbled into the armoured corpse lying on the ground.

Golden jumped back on instinct, dropping into a defensive stance. What…? This was… The hair stood up along her back and she automatically reached for a sword she didn’t have – but he did. Quickly and quietly, Golden reached down and slipped out the sword from the guard’s scabbard and held it clamped in her mouth while she checked for signs of life – none, but he was still warm… Golden’s heart rate suddenly began to race as cold realisation washed over her instinctual army training; oh, goddesses… Fair Lace! Her friend was in here: her pregnant, unarmed friend. She took a breath, pushing away the fear, the fear that would do nothing but get her and friend killed. Fear could heighten the senses but also dull your wits – it had to be controlled, channelled and used to serve you, not dominate you. Golden’s ears swivelled, her nostrils flared, every one of her senses trying to detect any sign of danger. She breathed slowly, her eyes watching for movement and hidden points where an assailant could hide. So far there was nothing – no signs of life nor any sound… only silence. She gave the body of the guard a quick check; he’d had a perfectly neat thrust to spine, probably killing him instantly. Judging by his posture he’d been helped to the ground to avoid making a sound. That meant there was likely to be more inside. Gritting her teeth, Golden glided up to the doorway and checked the shadows for danger; so far, so good.

The building was small, normally only being used for storage and was generally ignored by the majority of the cadets. As such, it was the ideal place for sequestering somepony you didn’t want anypony to speak to until they could be quietly sent away. Unfortunately, this also meant that Golden didn’t know the internal layout of the building as she well as she would have liked, but she still had one advantage, as disturbing as it was: the trail of blood. Following the grisly trail she quickly found the second guard inside a side room slumped across a pile of storage crates, just as dead as the first. Golden adjusted her grip on the sword and moved up to the doorway where the dark smears of blood indicated the direction the guard had been dragged from. Golden blinked; damn it all… this was it then. Taking a steadying breath, she kicked the door open and moved inside, keeping low, checking the corners, the angles, the shadows, maintaining cover and… Empty.

The bed was there, along with...something moved…

“...Trips...”

“Lacy! It’s alright, hang on old girl, I’m here.” Golden moved around to the back of the bed, seeing the hoof, the blood… “Oh, no...”

Brown eyes looked up at her helplessly, “Get out!” she gasped, “He’s-”

Golden hadn’t seen the walk-in cupboard, had she? What a fool, what a stupid, stupid fool! Golden didn’t see him move, but she saw the look in those crimson eyes – the same dead look as those of the guards he’d murdered. There was no life in this creature, only intent – and his desire to kill. Moving instinctively, Golden flinched away, Smelts dagger glancing off her sword as she twisted but still managing to nick her chest through sheer momentum. The copper coated stallion had apparently expected to chalk up another kill with the same efficiency as his first two victims, but now… now he’d lost his stride. Smelt leaped back, shifting his stance and lunged again, sweeping the blade up and around. But Golden was faster, her fore hoof kicking her opponents blade away while bringing her own up and slicing deeply into his neck. Smelt gasped, staggered, and fell to his knees as the dagger skittered away across the tiled floor. Golden backed away, watching the stallion’s breathing slow even as the pool of dark red blood began to spread out like ink on blotting paper. She’d never killed anypony before, and now, for this male, she didn’t feel anything at all.

“Lacy!” Golden hurried to her friend’s side and stretched out her hooves to touch her, but paused, her basic medical training kicking in. She had to check for injuries before she tried to move her or else she could end up causing more harm than good. Golden put the sword on the bed and knelt down, “Are you hurt? Where?”

The amber mare squeezed her eyes shut, “Everywhere...” she gasped, “That bastard tried to… to strangle me.” Fair Lace huffed, “After he beat the stuffing out of me first, the rat.”

“Can you stand?” Golden asked.

Lacy nodded, “Barely. Goddesses give me a...” Lacy’s eyes went wide, the image of a crossbow reflected in those large brown orbs.

Golden grabbed her, pulling her away even as the bolt hissed past her ear, nicking it painfully as it embedded itself into the wall behind her with a dull ‘thunk’. She was already up, her sword in her forehooves, but Ramrock had beaten her to it. Their swords clashed. The guardsmare’s face was as hard as the steel of her sword, her emotionless aura… unyielding, “Stand down, First Lieutenant.”

Golden stared at the blue eyed guardsmare and reluctantly complied.

“First lesson” Ramrock said, her fore hoof pressing down on Smelt’s head, “A fight does not end when you have struck your opponent. Only when they are dead.” She leaned down and checked the stallion’s pulse, “Still alive. A good cut, First Lieutenant, but not deep enough to sever an artery.” She shrugged, “He’ll still be fit to answer the princess.”

“He murdered the guards outside” Golden said levelly.

“Indeed” Ramrock replied, “Surprisingly accomplished for a cadet. A shame; in other circumstances he may have been guards material. I shall be interested in what he says when he is put to the question.”

“Put to the…?” Golden began, and stopped. She didn’t want to know.

Outside the door, hooves clattered up the stone steps before rumbling over the wooden floorboards. Guards, armed and ready, headed by a certain cream pegasus officer, charged in. Vane took one look at Ramrock and bobbed his head, “Everything in order, Commander?”

The white mare looked up from her prisoner and spoke in her now familiar emotionless monotone, “We’ll need the medical officers to stabilise him before our journey.” She turned to Golden, “I’ll arrange for a doctor to see to this mare. Do not be late.” And with little more ceremony than that, the guardsmare and several of the academy guards, hoisted the bleeding furry mess that was Smelt onto a stretcher and carried him out like a hunting trophy. Behind them, the two friends watched in amazement.

“Doesn’t say much, does she?” Lacy muttered, keeping her voice low.

Vane and Golden helped her back onto the bed. “Not really” Golden said with a chuckle, “But I suppose that’s the guards for you.”

The amber mare raised an eyebrow, “Your new home, eh?”

Golden sighed, “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you know about it, Lacy, everypony else seems to.”

Her friend grinned, “You don’t seem as happy about it as I imagined. You’re not still worried about leaving are you?”

“I...” Golden huffed, “Maybe… A little. Everything’s happened so fast though, I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.”

“I bet he does.” Lacy cocked her head, indicating the cream stallion sitting quietly just outside the doorway, “That’s our boy, is it?”

“Vane’s… special to me.” Golden hung her head as she felt her cheeks flush, “He’s joining the guard too.”

“Hey, do they have married quarters over there?” Lacy let out a laugh, “You could get up to all sorts then, and in the comfort of your own home, too!” She held up a hoof apologetically at her friend’s furious gaze, “Sorry! Sorry!” Fair Lace sighed as her laughter died away, “Seriously though, Trips, what’s up eh?”

“Up?” Leaning back against the bed, Golden gazed up at the ceiling, “I just… I don’t know, I’m a mess.” She tried a sad smile, “I don’t know when I’ll see you again. Both of you.”

For the briefest moment Lacy’s face bore a look of cold uncertainty, but in the amber mare’s typical style, only a heartbeat later she was her old self again, “Hah! Don’t you worry about that, we’ll be fine!”

Golden lifted her friend’s hoof, “Are you sure? Lacy, I don’t want to-”

“Oh, shut up!” Fair Lace rolled her eyes, “I was doing perfectly alright until you walked in, you daft bugger. Well, other than being half murdered of course.” She coughed, “Happens all the time.”

“Lacy?” Golden looked at her in concern.

Fair Lace tried to shift herself to get more comfortable, “Damn it… that sod really did a number on me...”

“Vane? Vane!” Golden’s shouts produced a cream muzzle around the door, “Where’s that bloody doctor?”

Vane disappeared and a second later, “He’s here.”

The camp doctor, with several nurses and porters in tow, quickly began checking Fair Lace over and shooed Golden and Vane from the room. Outside, Golden stood staring into the trees at the side of the path, her expression one of sheer exhaustion. Good goddesses, couldn’t things please go right for once? Just once! Was it really that much to ask?! Celestia’s arse, she seemed to attract bad luck like a blasted lightning rod. She shuddered as Vane placed a foreleg around her neck and gave her a hug,

“Golden? Try not to worry yourself too much. At least we can thank Celestia your friend’s alive and in good hooves - unlike those poor buggers Smelt got to first.”

Golden left out a pent up breath and leaned her head against his neck, “I know...”

Vane checked his pocket watch, “Come on, we’d better get our gear together, but if we’re quick, we’ll be able to check in on Fair Lace before we go.”

And so they did. The next hour was a whirlwind of activity for both Vane and Golden: readying their belongings, cleaning and tidying, saying their final farewells, until eventually, all done, the two were ready for the journey to the capital, the castle of the two sisters, and a new life in the royal guard.

“First Lieutenant Golden?” A purple stallion approached her, his doctors coat flapping in the cool breeze.

“Yes, sir?”

The doctor nodded, “We were able to stabilise Lieutenant Fair Lace. She, and her foal, are two very lucky ponies.”

“And her foal? You don’t mean…?”

The doctor lifted a hoof, “No, no, the foal is still where a baby that age should be. The Lieutenant was lucky she didn’t miscarry though, and it was lucky we got to her when we did.” He smiled, “And when you did, from what I hear.”

“She is, that is, they, are going to be alright?” Golden asked.

The doctor nodded, “We’ll have to keep an eye on her for a few days, but she’s young and healthy, so I think she’ll be perfectly fine – just a bit sore.” He reached into his pocket and fished out a note, “She asked me to give you this.”

“Eh? But...” Golden began, but the doctor stopped her,

“She’s sleeping. We gave her something to help her relax and she dropped right off.” The purple medical officer gave her a smile and turned to the Captain, “You off now then, eh? Goddesses help us all.”

Vane chuckled, “Aye.” He gave the doctor a quick hug, “Say goodbye to your patient for us when she wakes up, Canal, or Her Ladyship here will buck you into next week.”

“Her...hey!” Golden nickered, “You cheeky sod!”

“If anypony needs a good boot, it’s you!” The doctor gave Vane a playful shove, “Look, I’ve got to get back, but you take care, okay?”

“I will, I promise.” Vane gave the stallion another hug, “Tell mum and dad I’ll write soon, yes?”

“I will.” Canal peered at Golden, “Take care of each other you two, you only have one life remember.”

Golden nodded and watched the doctor trot away, “Relative?”

“Brother” Vane replied quietly. The tinge of sadness in his voice was faint, but unmistakable, “We used to be close, but army life...”

“Yeah.” Golden put her forelegs around him, “And...thanks.”

“Thanks? I didn’t do anything” Vane snorted bitterly, “I should have been there when-”

“You have a crystal ball, do you?” Golden laughed and turned away, “As a pony who always seems to be one step ahead all the time, I think you can be forgiven this once.” She nodded to the waiting sky chariot, “Our transport awaits it seems.”

Placated, even if only a little, Vane snorted and hurried after his mare and the task of loading their uniforms, armour, equipment and personal effects into the sky carriage. Beside it, the chariot seemed a lot smaller, but there was still more than enough room for two. Thankfully the thing came with enough straps to hold down a hydra, let alone a nervous earth pony mare. Golden glanced at her friend, “I suppose you’re stuck in here with me after what I did to your wing.”

Vane smirked, “I think I can live with that.” He gave her a quick peck on the muzzle, “Anyway, you can make it up to me later, can’t you?”

“Mmm! I’m sure!” Finally strapped in, Golden took the opportunity to read the note Fair Lace had sent with the good doctor.

“What’s it say?” Vane asked.

Golden closed her eyes, her voice strained, “Give… give him...”

“Oh, give it here...” Vane took the note from the shivering mare and cleared his throat before reading aloud, “’Give him one from me’.” He glanced up at Golden and winked cheekily, “To which I say – and why not?”

First Lieutenant Golden gave the captain a bop on the nose, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight as she moved into his embrace,“Oh… shush...”. She didn’t care if anypony was looking, not any more. Neither of them felt the chariot leave the ground as it took to the air, whisking them off to a future as guardians of the two most powerful creatures in Equestria.

********************

Silver stretched her legs and yawned widely, wiping the moisture from her eyes. Had she been crying? No… just tired. She yawned again and put the diary back on the nightstand. It had been quite a relief to read that Golden hadn’t been expelled from the academy, but then she sort of knew already anyway, because if she had, how could she have risen to become Colonel of the Royal Guard? So far as she knew, that meant that Golden had been in charge, right? Silver shrugged; she didn’t know that much about the army and soldier stuff – that was the sort of thing boys were into, not girls. Still, it had been quite frightening in places, especially with that monster, Smelt! What a horrible, horrible pony. She hoped that the princess locked him away for a very, very long time – preferably forever! Snuggling herself into the bedding, Silver moaned and smacked her lips; she still couldn’t sleep, and now she wanted to know what happened when Golden got to the castle. What a place for the diary to finish! For a moment she stopped and pondered: was she descended from Golden and Vane? Did that mean that she was...that she was part...pegasus? The scandalous thought popped into her head like a firework, and instinctively she peeked down at her flank – nope,
definitely no wings!. But… that wasn’t that unexpected really though, was it? After all, it wasn’t unheard of for earth ponies and pegasi to give birth to a unicorn – unusual, certainly, but they were ‘genetic throw backs’, or something like that anyway, she wasn’t certain. Although, now that she thought about it, her family were all earth ponies weren’t they? One after another, going back generations, right back a thousand years to when Golden Spoon and Weather Vane met. Silver shivered and kicked her legs in excitement – she had to know now! Quickly and quietly, she ducked under the covers and slithered to the edge of the bed before sliding down to the floor savouring every last drop of warmth. She snatched up her thick dressing gown and slippers, flinching at the chill air that had snuck in through the window she’d left open. Father would have gone ballistic if he’d… Silver froze and gave herself a shake, gritting her teeth as she pushed the negative thoughts away. Father was safe, he would be home soon – that was all that mattered. Mother may well have gone to pieces with worry, but she wouldn’t – not her, not the descendant of one of Equestria’s greatest warriors. And not only that, but also the descendant of a pegasus officer who had fought an ursa major, and won! Silver picked up her hooves and lifted her muzzle – she was the lady of Spoon Manor, the product of years of good breeding, and a soldier of the goddess. She smiled and neighed softly under her breath: she was a warrior of the sun, a warrior of the Celestian army and the edge of her princess’s sword – and she would bring down her wrath upon her enemies, crushing them and… Silver stopped and listened. All she could hear was the wind outside, the occasional creak of the house settling and… and the eyes staring at her…

“ARGH!”

“GAH! Bloody hell fire!”

“D… Di?” Silver’s heart was thundering in her chest and ears alike, “Is...is that you?”

“Silv?” Diamond Tiara emerged from under the table, the pink filly almost invisible in the darkness, “Oh...oh, Silv!” The small creature launched itself at her friend and grabbed her in a furry and rather pungent embrace, “Oh, Silver! I...I’m so cold! I...”

“What’s that smell?” Silver sneezed, “Di, you’re covered in coal dust!” She pushed her friend away and looked her up and down, “You’re completely covered in it! Did you-” She saw the open doorway and beyond it, the kitchen, “Did you come in through the coal cellar?!”

Di nodded, “Silv… I’ve run away from home.”

“Oh, Di...” Silver shook her head, “Come on, lets get you a bath and a clean up.” She looked down at herself, “Me too, I think.” She clucked her tongue, “We’d better clean up the evidence too.”

At Di’s questioning expression, Silver motioned towards the kitchen door, the tiled floor, and the trail of black sooty hoof prints. “I’ll get the mop...”

The unfamiliar work was, to Di’s surprise, actually enjoyable. Not only did it help warm her up, but the hot water and lemon scent of the cleaning fluid was oddly soothing. She guessed that it was probably because she was doing something other than crying and sniffling in the cold and unforgiving darkness of that horrible coal cellar. She’d been too frightened, and embarrassed truth be told, to knock on the front door and risk being told to…to go...home. She never wanted to go back there again! NEVER! Di plunged the mop back into the water, splashing it up her hind legs and snorted angrily. That horrible, horrible mare! Nopony liked her, and it was no wonder was it! Father liked her of course, or at least he seemed to, but he never saw what she was really like did he? Oh no, he never saw the horrible, manipulative and vicious monster she really was! And what was more, she was terrified that she was becoming… like her. Oh, why, why had she put the stupid
photograph on the printing press? What madness had possessed her to lead her to do such a spiteful and wicked thing? This wasn’t her! She didn’t… she didn’t do things like that! Did she? Di took a deep breath and pushed the mop into the strainer, squeezing most of the water out and began to dry…

“Di?”

“Hmm?” The pink and black smudged filly looked up at her smiling silver-grey friend.

“Ready for a bath?” Silver asked.

She was, and how! Di trotted gratefully after her friend through a dark wooden doorway and along the corridor beyond. She didn’t think she’d ever been down here before, and as much as the rest of the house felt old already, this one was positively ancient! The walls and even the arched ceiling were completely unpainted, comprising of little more than cut stone blocks set with iron sconce at regular intervals that Silver must have lit, judging by the taper she carried in her mouth. Amazingly the young filly had actually walked along this forbidding hallway in total darkness, lighting these… candles? Good grief! She knew Silver’s father was into old things, but this? This was like being in a castle from one of her fairy stories! She… wait… why did she feel so warm? “Silver?”

The silver grey filly blew out the taper and glanced over her shoulder, “Yeah?”

“Why is...” Di swallowed, “Why is the floor so warm? Everything’s mad of stone and should be cold, but-”

“It’s a hypocaust” Silver replied.

Di frowned. She didn’t like being ignorant of things, especially when Silver made it sound as if it should have been obvious. “A what?” she asked.

“A hypocaust” Silver repeated, “There’s a fire outside which Crisps keeps tended. The hot air blows through a gap under the floor and warms the flagstones.” She grinned as she opened the door to the steam filled room beyond, “And it heats the water too. He’ll have gone to bed by now but it should still be hot enough for us.”

Silver trotted into the steam, followed by her opened mouthed friend. The room they were in was fairly small, clearly not intended for more than around four ponies to use at any one time, and continued the theme of cut stone and candles. Buckets, stools, sponges, cloths and mirrors were provided for washing, while here and there small leaded light windows let in just enough moonlight to illuminate the surroundings, adding an ethereal feel to the steam that hung in the air over the perfectly still water of the large bath which lay beyond the archway.

Di’s eyes went wide, “I’ve never seen anything like this!”

“Well, there’s a reason for that, but you must promise me you’ll keep it a secret – forever.” Silver’s voice was deadly serious and Di nodded her agreement without hesitation. “You know the old castle of the two sisters that’s in the forest?”

“No?” Di shook her head emphatically, “Come on Silv, don’t tell me you believe that load of old rubbish, everypony knows that’s just an old wives tale! The princess’s live in the palace in Canterlot.” She nodded to herself, “Yes. Definitely Canterlot.”

Silver rolled her eyes, “They haven’t always, silly.” She waved at the bath full of hot, inviting water and took off her now filthy nightie, necklace and glasses, “The castle was destroyed in the fight with nightmare moon and the rest of the city was eventually abandoned when Canterlot was built.”

“What, everypony just got up and moved? Just like that?” Di asked in amazement.

Silver shrugged, “I guess. Anyway, what was left behind just sort of got forgotten and the forest gobbled it up. Papa said that he and grandpa used to do a lot of exploring when they were younger, and one day they found the ruins of it.”

“And?” Di asked.

“Well… they sort of… used the stone.” Silver waved her hooves around her, “This is the bathhouse
from the castle.”

“WHAT?!” Di reared in surprise, “The princesses used to use this bath? This was their very own bath?!” She gasped and backed up a step, “It… it doesn’t look like...”

“I know,” Silver cut in, “but the castle was very old. Maybe this was a bathhouse for the staff?” She shrugged and pulled a chain on the wall, allowing hot water to pour out of pipe which she caught in one of the wooden buckets, “Come on, it’ll be easier if we help each other.”

“Help each other do what?” Di asked warily. She wasn’t sure about this at all!

“Come here silly, and I’ll show you.” Silver guided her friend over to a stool and made her sit still while she ladled water over her. “We need to get you wet first, lather in the soap, and then we can rinse you off.”

“What’s the point of the bath, then?” Di asked, “I like a shower at home, but we have a bath too. I don’t have a wash before I get into the bath! That’s like having two baths!”

Silver chuckled, “If you wash first, you’re not lying in your own muck, are you?” She began attacking Di’s mane with a generous amount of scented soap that was both invigorating and refreshing at the same time. “Tea tree extract” Silver explained, “Gets right through the grime, cleans your fur and makes your skin tingle too – it’s my favourite.”

Di sat and let her friend work, feeling the combs slide through her mane, tail and coat, marveling at the sensation of being washed by somepony else. She’d never had anything like this since she was a foal, and even then it had just been in the bath – not like this! She shivered; she could definitely get used to - “AHH!”

“Sorry!” Silver chuckled, “I have to rinse you off.”

“You could have warned me!” Di sputtered, “You frightened the life out of me!”

Silver nickered, “I did warn you, but somepony obviously wasn’t listening, where they?”

“Oh… just...” Di groaned and relaxed the best she could while her friend upended bucket after bucket over her.

“Done.” Silver stood back and admired her work, “Clean as a whistle!”

“Why would I want to look like a whistle?” Di lifted a hoof, “No… I don’t want to know! It’s probably some more weird Spoon family lore isn’t it?”

Silver shook her head, “Not really. I heard Miss Cheerilee saying it once and… Di? Di, are you alright?” Her friend had frozen, her eyes going wide and starting to fill with tears. Silver lifted a hoof in concern, “Di, I think we need to get you in the bath to warm up and-”

“NO!” Di stood up and looked at her friend in alarm, “No… Silv, I… I did something terrible! Really, really terrible!” She sank to her haunches as the tears began to well up, “I… I’m a horrible, horrible pony...”

Silver walked up to her friend and went to give her a hug, “Oh, Di, don’t say that, that’s not true.”

“It IS!” Di suddenly pushed the silver-grey filly away, “I’m… I’m becoming like her! I’m becoming a monster! I’m a nightmare! I… I have to get away, I have to run! I can’t stay here and-” Di gasped at the soggy, warm feeling of forelegs around her and struggled to get away, “Don’t! Please, please Silv, don’t...” The feeling didn’t go away, it just stayed where it was – warm, gentle and… protecting.

“I’m here” Silver said softly, “I’ll always be with you. No matter where you are, I’ll always be with you.”

Di closed her eyes and let the tears fall, letting out her sadness, her grief and pain as she rocked in the loving embrace of her best, and only friend. “Thank you” she whispered.

Time passed. Both fillies, washed, clean and happy to be in each others company, walked into the hot bath water and groaned in ectasy as the delicious heat soaked into their fur, skin and bones.

“Oh, I could stay here for-ever!” Di said loudly, and let out a resounding neigh, “This is wonderful!”

“Isn’t it?” Silver beamed, “There’s more rooms too, you know. A hot room, a cold room, and all sorts of other stuff too. But I like this one and the cleaning one best.”

“There’s more rooms?” Di asked.

“Mmhmm” Silver chuckled, “Papa said you went in there to get all sweaty and then you jumped into the cold water. He said it made you feel ‘young again’.”

“I think it would give you a heart attack!” Di laughed, “Bugger that!”

“Di!” Silver admonished, “Don’t say things like that.” She sighed, “So… want to talk?”

Di moaned and let her body float up to the surface of the delectably warm water. “You’ll hate me if I tell you” she said quietly.

Silver snorted, “Di, we’ve been through a lot together. I won’t judge you, you know that.”

Her friend sighed, “I know, It’s just… I guess I just wanted to hear you say that.”

Silver smiled, “Take your time.”

Di nodded and began recounting her tale. True to her word, Silver didn’t talk, she just listened, listened and felt her blood run cold. Finally, Di finished and gave her a nervous smile, “So, still want to be my friend?”

Silver sighed, “Oh, Di. What we going to do?”

“I’m not going back there!” Di shrieked, “I’m not going to become like her! NEVER!”

“What about Cheerilee?” Silver said, righting herself in the water, “We can’t just let her get fired for something she didn’t do. We’ll have to fix this somehow.”

“She’ll be fine! She’s an adult!” Di snapped, “Besides, she wanted to expel me, remember? She had it coming!”

Silver sighed. She knew what Di was like when she got like this, and usually she would just keep quiet and let it go until it all blew over. After all, she didn’t want to fall out with her best friend, did she? But there were times like this when the line had well and truly been crossed when she had no choice but to make her friend open her stubborn eyes. Silver took a breath and opened her mouth to speak…

“Silv?”

Silver nearly swallowed a mouthful of water in surprise as her friend addressed her in a voice that sounded… refreshingly mature. “Yeah?”

Diamond Tiara closed her eyes, letting the heat flow around her and free her mind from the worries that weighed down upon her, “I need to do something about this,” she said calmly, “I’ve got an idea, but I’ll need your help. More specifically, I’ll need Mrs Cream’s help.”

“What have you got in mind?” Silver asked curiously.

“Let’s get dry first, and then see, eh?” Diamond Tiara pulled herself up the steps and gave her coat a hard shake, “I’ve never had a bath you can swim in before.”

Silver smiled, “I don’t think they’re common. This needed completely rebuilding and was made long before I was born.”

“All the better for you to enjoy it, then.” Di passed a fresh towel to her friend, “I can’t believe that Celestia herself may have bathed in here. Just think; we’re bathing in the same bathhouse as the princess – both princesses even!”

“I hope it’s not the same water.” Silver mumbled. She gave her ear a rub with the towel and chuckled, “You know, I’m sure I saw some white hairs in there...”

“Ew!” Di quickly began rubbing herself with towel, “What if she peed in there too?!”

“Alicorn pee?” Silver started laughing, “Maybe it’s beneficial for a beautiful complexion?”

“Essence of princess piss, guaranteed to rejuvenate and reinvigorate the ageing pony.” Di stood on her hind legs, emulating some of the more typical adverts she’d heard on the radio, “Rub it on your haunches, rub it on your hocks, brush it on your fetlocks and all over your bol-locks!” She span in place comically, “Buy some today!”

Silver was rolling on the floor laughing beside herself at her friend’s antics. Oh, how she wanted to tell her off for using such words! But really, some of the things she came out with! Her father would have tanned her rump for saying such things! Her father… Silver sighed and wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes before jumping back to her hooves. “Come on, let’s get some milk and biscuits from the pantry. There’s chocolate-oat sweet cakes and full cream milk today.”

“Oh...my...goddesses!” Di squeaked, “Chocolate-oat sweet cakes! I loooove those!”

“Race you!” Silver took off, hotly pursued by the laughing pink filly.

Through the corridor, into the kitchen, the two pantry raiders filled plates with treats and mugs with milk which they both carried into the old study with its musty books, ancient clock, and still warm fireplace. Di snuggled herself into the large fleece throw and munched on a biscuit, “Do you have a quill and paper?”

Silver brought over the items from her father’s desk, laying them out carefully on the table. “All set.”

“Right...” Di licked the crumbs from her muzzle, “Let’s begin...”

Silver wrote as Di dictated, scratching the quill across the paper, dipping it into the ink, and repeating the process over and over until the letter was complete. Writing with your mouth was far from an easy process, unless you were blessed with magic of course, but Silver had been taught from an early age and had also studied the more archaic writing forms that she loved. Today, or rather ‘tonight’, she indulged herself fully, swirling the capital letters and curving the nib of the quill to add thickness to the letters or slim them into more elegant forms. She smiled, pleased with the result.

“Done.”

Di read the letter and nodded to herself happily, “A work of art, my dear Silver Spoon. In fact, I’d go so far as to say – deliciously so.”

“We want them to read it, not eat it!” Silver laughed, “Hey, I’ve just had an idea… hang on.” She got up and disappeared over to the box of diaries.

“What are you doing?” Di called over.

Silver clucked her tongue as she pored over the diary collection and groaned, “It’s nothing,” she said defeatedly, “I must have read the last one. What a pain, I’d been looking forward to that too.”

“To what?” Di asked, “Is it good?”

“I want to know what happened to Golden when she – Ouch! Blast it...” Silver hissed in pain as her hoof banged into the hearth. She must have been a lot more tired than she’d thought – now her legs and hooves were disobeying her! Giving herself a shake she leaned on the mantelpiece and checked her hoof: a small chip, nothing much, but she’d have to have Sebastian have a look at it in the morning. He was good like that and – “OW!”

Di appeared around the corner of the bookcase, “Silv? What in Equestria are you doing back here?”

Silver groaned, rubbing her head, “Is it bleeding?”

Di snorted and took her friend’s head in her hooves to examine the damage, “Nope, all in one piece here. No brains knocked out this time.”

“Oh, thanks!” Silver clucked her tongue, “What hit me?”

“Hit you?” Di looked about, “Was it this?” She motioned towards a small book that was sitting on the floor beside Silver’s hoof. Lifting it up she gave it a tentative sniff, “Phoo, it stinks!” Suddenly Di let out an almighty sneeze, “It’s thick with dust too!”

Silver looked at the small book curiously and then up to the painting of her ancestor. “Where did it come from?” she pondered aloud, “I leaned on the mantelpiece and then ‘bang’!” She rubbed her head again before returning to examine the odd little book. Suddenly her heart leaped in her chest, “Di… it… it’s another diary!” She snatched the book from the surprised pink filly, “It is!” Di jumped as her friend dashed over to the cleaning cupboard where her father kept all his book repair and maintenance equipment and began to take out a set of dusters and brushes. “Right,” Silver announced, “let’s have a look and see what it really is...”

Carefully blowing off the dust and grime that had built up on the small red book was a task that had Silver’s heart racing. It was a diary, definitely a diary – she’d read enough of Golden Spoon’s to recognize the elegant hoof writing with its distinctive flourishes straight away. Good grief, she’d even tried to replicate it! But as she worked, as she took away the accumulated filth of countless years, she kept wondering – where had it come from? She stared up at the painting above the mantelpiece, the mare with big blue eyes, the beautifully serene yet powerful expression…

“Are you done yet?” Di pushed her muzzle in to have a closer look, “Come on Silv, this is taking ages.”

Silver clucked her tongue, “Hold your horses will you?”

“Huh! And she tell me off for using bad words!” Di huffed.

Silver frowned at her friend but had to agree - it wouldn’t make any difference to open the book now or later, she’d done all she could. Hopefully if any of the pages were loose or crumbling, papa would be able to work his magic and fix it. He was good like that, and it was always a pleasure to watch him work too. She flexed her hooves and took a breath, “Ready?”

Di nodded, “Come on, I want to see what this is all about. It had better be something really cool or...” She frowned as her friend opened the book to the first page, “Oh great!” she huffed, “How are you supposed to read that?! It looks like sompony was sneezing while they were writing!”

Silver waved her friend’s concerns away; she was far more interested in the words written on the inside of the cover:

In the borders of the corners, of the likeness of a time gone by, your path will be laid.

“Which makes about as much sense as hiding a diary behind a painting” Di said dismissively, “You know, your daddy does have a library, right? I mean, what can be so special about-”

“What did you say?” Silver said suddenly.

“-such a small… huh?” Di blinked at her friend and shrugged, “What, that your father has a library? Yeah, he could have put it on the shelf and-”

“No! I mean, before that” Silver pushed.

Di clucked her tongue irritably, “That it was behind the painting?”

“Yes! That!” Silver stood up and hurried to the mantelpiece, “How do you know it was there?”

“Well, duh! There’s a load of dust on the mantelpiece, see?” Di motioned to the wall, “There also a scuff on the wall where it must have slid down.” Di gave Silver a bop on the nose, “Maybe if you had your glasses on?”

Silver reached up and touched her muzzle, “Oh!” Blushing she gave a nervous chuckle, “I think I left them in the bathhouse.”

“Nice going Clover the Clever” Di snorted, “Anyway, how can you still read that if you haven’t got your specs on?”

Silver opened her mouth to speak but paused, “I… I don’t know.” She looked about the room in surprise. Everything seemed so… clear. “Maybe it’s the lighting in here?”

“Don’t ask me!” Di huffed and wandered back to the sofa and the warm throw, “Come on then, if you’re that determined to read it.”

Silver smiled. It was good to see Di back to her old self, even if it was a facade. She could live with that, and she knew that her friend would talk when she was ready – she always did. “Yes, Di.”

The pink filly rolled her eyes and held up the large throw and snuggled into her friend for warmth and the comfort of being near somepony who simply… cared. Di held up the plate of chocolate smothered treats, “You read, I’ll be on biscuit duties.” She passed Silver a biscuit and took one for herself, “And now for the next thrilling installment of Golden Spoon and-” She looked about, “Silver? Silv… I…” Di blinked in surprise, her heart rate increasing, “Silver?!” A hoof touched her shoulder and she nearly screamed. It was Silver, her eyes holding the same fearful cast as her own. “What… what’s going on? Silv, I don’t like this, I don’t...” Di moved to her friend’s side and closed her eyes. This couldn’t really be happening, could it? Where were they? It was… it was ruins, blackened and split rock, ice blue walls and what looked like… bodies. Oh no...oh no, no, no!

“Feather?” The voice sounded oddly familiar but older somehow, and deeper, as though bearing the weight of an age. “Feather? Are you here? Please, love! It’s me, it’s alright now! Please!”

Silver and Di watched as the white mare, approached. Her mane was bedraggled and sweat soaked, her armour scuffed and dented from battle. Blood stains marred the familiar perfection of the normally pristine white coat, but it was her eyes – dear goddesses, her eyes… Silver swallowed; was this… Golden? Her ancestor, the mare who had in some ways become her heroine and role model since she’d found her diaries, hadn’t looked like… like this! Her body was toned, muscular, and yet her eyes were sunken and bloodshot with dark shadows that spoke of hard campaigning, or at the very least, a need for rest and some real sleep. She looked almost haggard and… frightened?

Golden checked one of the bodies on the ground; it was a pegasus stallion, his body shot through with what looked very much like the same sort of crossbow bolts Silver’s father kept in his collection in the basement. Quickly, the mare moved on, hurrying from body to body, looking for signs of life, checking for a pulse, a breath… something. As Golden moved she became more desperate, her ears swivelling and twitching this way and that, her eyes, those pain filled eyes staring around the room wildly. For a heart stopping second, and perhaps not even that, Silver felt the white mare had seen her, but no… Golden, this world, this was all the past, the past from long, long ago. It was strange though; normally when she read the diaries they seemed to pull her in and she’d see the world as if she was actually Golden herself, but this… this was different.

“Hello, fancy meeting you here.” Silver squeaked and turned to face somepony she hadn’t seen for what felt like years. The colt raised an eyebrow, “Happy to see me?”

“Erin?” Silver blinked in surprise, “What… what are you…? What’s going on?”

“Good question” the grey colt replied, “Very good question actually.” He looked around them at the architecture of the huge hall with its vaulted ceiling, tapestries and banners. Once, it must have been really quite beautiful. Once. He sighed and turned his big yellow eyes on Silver, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?!” Silver looked around in alarm, “Wait, where’s Di?”

“Your pink friend with the candy cane mane?” Erin quipped, “She’s sleeping.” He waved a hoof nonchalantly, “This isn’t for her, Silver.”

“What isn’t for her?” Silver gave herself a shake, “I haven’t passed out have I?” A sudden feeling of alarm ran through her. Di didn’t know about the tears and if she was asleep it could be hours before anypony came to check on them. What if… what if she couldn’t wake up? What if she… if she died here? She’d be trapped in this dream like place for-

“Silver!”

“Wha…?!” Silver gasped and took a step back in surprise.

“Get a grip girl, you’re fine, you’re in the memory within the diary.” Erin rolled his eyes, “Are girls always like this?”

Silver lunged forward and grabbed the colt in her forehooves, “Yes! When we’re reading a book and end up in an alien place surrounded by dead ponies, then yes! I think any normal girl would be!”

Erin sighed, “Look, Silver, I don’t know everything, alright? But you’ve read the other diaries, haven’t you?”

Silver nodded, “They weren’t like this!”

“No.” Erin frowned in thought, “No they weren’t.” He scratched his mane and motioned to Silver to follow him over to the weeping Golden. The two of them stood there in silence and watched helplessly as the white coated mare openly wept, her tears falling to the crystalline floor of the great hall. “The magic here is different,” Erin said quietly, “The diaries were… different.” He shook his head, “I can’t really explain it, but here the magic feels older, as though it was waiting.”

“Waiting?” Silver asked nervously, “Waiting for what?” She didn’t like where this was leading.

Erin shrugged, “Like I said, it’s only a feeling. I’m not much more than a memory myself after all.” He gave Silver a sad smile, “I’m sorry.”

Silver’s heart thumped in her chest. The young colt seemed so helpless despite the aura of unfathomable age he emitted each time she met him. In some respects she supposed he was a part of her, or at least, a memory that lived within her. Maybe once he’d been a part of her father, and his father before him – or mother – going back through the centuries to Golden and beyond. She held out a hoof, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t think we’re in danger here.”

“No” Erin huffed, “I don’t think so.” He nodded towards one of the bodies on the floor and gave it a prod. His hoof passed right through it. “The dead can’t talk, nor can they harm the living. Their souls have passed to the afterlife and the fields that grow beneath the moon of the goddess.”

“Moon?” Silver frowned, “You mean Luna?”

Erin chuckled, “I suppose so.”

Silver watched the grey colt walk over to another of the crumpled, forlorn lumps that had once held one of those very soul’s he had talked about. This discarded lump of ravaged muscle, sinew, bone and fur had been filled with life: a living, breathing creature whose beating heart and eyes were full of the light of the goddesses’ world. Now, it was no more than an empty vessel – a husk of nothing that would return to nothing… in time. She moved closer, her eyes taking in the broken wings, the pure white coat, the deep blue and white striped mane, the horn, the sharp curved teeth… Silver swallowed, her heart hammering in her chest, “What...what is that?”

“Is?” Erin shrugged, “Was...” He leaned down to the broken creature, his expression unreadable, “He was… one of my people.”

“One of your people?” Silver looked confused, “It looks nothing like you. This isn’t a pony, it’s...” She shook her head, “I don’t know what it is!”

“It doesn’t matter” Erin said absently, “Nothing matters now.” He lifted his muzzle and took a shuddering breath, “It was so beautiful, you know? All of it. Towers of blue and white that stretched to the sky, with views that they said on a clear day you could see all the way across the sea to the Llamalian Empire and Yak Yakistan.” He laughed, but the pain in his voice was like a dagger through Silver’s heart, “It’s all gone… all of it. She took it all away… she killed them all… all of them...”

“Erin?”

“They were nothing to her. The war, the killing, the murder… She killed everypony I ever loved...”

“Erin!” Silver grabbed hold of the grey colt and shook him, “Snap out of it! Please! Don’t-”

The blow cracked Silver across the muzzle, knocking her to floor in a heap. Dazed she looked up in pain and surprise as the grey, yellow eyed unicorn advanced on her, his tears dripping from his eyes. “Don’t… Don’t touch me! You filthy, evil, Celestian whore! You… you...” He closed his eyes, “Oh… goddess forgive me...” Erin collapsed to his knees, “Forgive me...” Silver-grey forelegs wrapped themselves around the colt as he cried. It didn’t matter now, not now. A thousand years had passed and yet even now the pain remained. The dead had gone home a long, long time ago, and this poor lost soul had been left behind in confusion and loneliness to suffer an eternity of death and hopelessness. All he wanted was to disappear… To be… nothing…

Silver rocked him back and forth, her eyes closed and a song upon her lips. It was a song she recalled, yet had never heard. The words full of love and in a language she didn’t know, nor understand. To Erin though, they meant something, they meant… hope. Silver brushed his mane and there, in that empty cold place of death and sorrow, two ponies could hold each other against the eternal darkness.

Erin leaned his head against her, “I’m sorry.” He lifted a hoof but hesitated, “Did I hurt you?”

Silver shook her head, “Not really, this is a dream after all. Well, sort of I suppose.” She gave her chin a tentative rub; it did hurt a little even so, but fortunately no broken bones. It would probably still leave a bruise though. She stood up, trying to change the mood, “Erin, what is this place?”

“The fortress of the four winds” the grey colt replied, “Here, and along the pass, was where the final battle was fought against the Celestian army.” He nodded towards the dead pegasus nearby, “Pegasi mostly. And griffins, hippogriff’s, dragons...” He tailed off.

“Pegasi?” Silver asked.

Erin nodded, “The only ones who could get up here into the mountains had to have wings you see, or come in by sky chariot. The only other way would be through the mountain below the fortress itself and that way had been blocked by the Lord ages ago.” He motioned towards Golden who Silver had all but forgotten, “Come on, we’d better follow her if we’re ever going to find out what’s going on.”

“I’d kind of hoped you’d know” Silver said quietly and perhaps a little more sarcastically than she’d intended.

“Do I look like an oracle?” Erin snorted, “Just shush and pay attention.”

Golden walked ahead of them checking more bodies, listening, calling… and then, from somewhere up near the corner of the great hall came a sound, a sound that made Silver’s heart jump into her throat.

“Mama?”

Golden dropped to the floor, her helmet and equipment discarded as she pulled at the debris and corpses that were covering the weakened form below. “Feather? Oh Celestia, Feather!” With all her strength and as gently as she could, the white mare helped the crippled creature out from her tomb and into the half life of the home of the people of the fortress. Silver watched in a combination of horror and awe as the broken and mangled armour was taken away to reveal the pastel yellow pegasus encased within. She moved closer, wary of intruding upon this so very personal scene. Even though this was a memory of a time long since passed, it was still… their time.

Disregarding her concerns, Erin gave Silver a nudge to move closer.

“M...mama?” The yellow pegasus looked up helplessly, her big blue eyes gazing up at her mother, “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, you silly girl!” Golden closed her eyes, fighting back the tears, “I told you not to do this, didn’t I? I told you! And now look! Oh...oh, Feather...”

“Is...is father…?” the yellow pegasus asked.

Golden shook her head, “He’s safe, he’s with the medics, but it’s you we need to fix now.” She began rummaging in her pack and looking over her shoulder towards the door, “Where are those damned medics?!”

“Mama, I… I don’t think...”

“Be quiet, Feather, just… just shush. Let me see what...” Golden stared down at her hoof. It was covered in blood. She looked at the pool of blood beneath her daughter, the soaked feathers and tail, the broken shaft of a spear just beside the cutie mare that echoed her name – Feather Down. Golden closed her eyes; her daughter was fading before her very eyes, her life draining as sand from an hourglass, each tiny grain a second of life her beloved daughter would never see again. Damn them, where was that bloody medical pony?! They’d come in by chariot to secure this bloody sess pool and she’d told him, told him to follow her for Celestia’s sake!

“Ma… mama...”

Golden gritted her teeth and leaned down to her beloved daughter, the beautiful child she had bore and raised all throughout these long years. The stares of the nobles, the admonishments of her parents for marrying a pegasus… none of it mattered now. Feather mattered. She leaned down and kissed her muzzle, “Feather, hold on now love, the medics are coming.”

A soft sigh drifted up from the young mare, as soft as a breath and as gentle as a snowflake, “I’m sorry, mama… I don’t think… I don’t think I can.” She closed her eyes, “I’m so tired...”

“No, no, no! Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare!” Golden lifted her head, “MEDIC! WHERE THE BUCK ARE YOU?!” Torn between running for help and staying with her daughter, Golden was frantic, “PRINCESS! PRINCESS CELESTIA!”

Nothing.

Feather sighed, “Mama?”

Golden sniffed back a tear, “Yes, love?”

“Tell… tell papa I love him? Please?”

Golden squeezed her eyes shut, “I will, love, I will.” She took a ragged breath, “You can tell him too, when you see him. The silly bugger got shot in the arse and broke his wing again.” She laughed, wiping the tears away, “It was the same wing I squashed when I first met him.” She shuddered, “Oh, Feather...”

Movement. Something staggered into the door and collapsed to the floor, bleeding blood the colour of the ocean. Silver watched in horror as the equine shaped thing pushed itself to its knees as it tried to stand only to slip and fall in a sprawling heap. Slowly, it opened its eyes and Silver covered her mouth with a hoof to stop from screaming. They were… blue… burning like camp fires, but blue! She hadn’t seen anything like it, and… and those teeth! The thing moved closer to Feather, its face determined and focussed. Golden hadn’t seen it! Silver opened her mouth to shout a warning, but in a flash, a spear embedded itself next to the crawling creature.

“Don’t you MOVE!” Golden snarled, “I’ll gut you and finish the job myself, you evil monster!”

“Monster...” the creature said weakly. Its accent was strange, but the words were definitely Equestrian. It winced in pain as it looked up at the white mare, “You call me that, when you and your… ‘people’, have done this?”

“You started this!” Golden snapped, “You did this to my daughter!”

The white creature huffed, “You want pity, Celestian?” The creature coughed a gobbet of blood from its mouth, “Pity the vanquished that die this day upon the swords of your precious ponies. My family lie dead: my son, my wife, my daughters – now only I remain.” It laughed, “And not for long.”

“And so you pass, and your evil with you.” Golden snarled, “To hell with you!”

“Perhaps...” The white creature lifted its muzzle and looked at the yellow mare cradled in her mother’s forelegs. “Perhaps I deserve it too.” He shook his head sadly, “But perhaps, there is something...”

“What? What the hell are you talking about, wendigo?” Golden glanced at her sword, “Begone and leave us this moment… just… please...” Her voice broke and she buried her muzzle in the long pure white mane of her daughter.

“There is something...” the wendigo coughed, “I can… I can give her the last of my essence - the life I have left within my body and spirit.” He reached out a hoof, “It is so little, but-”

“DON’T TOUCH HER YOU FILTH!” Golden knocked the wendigo’s hoof away, “I’ll kill you!”

“Then do it, if it pleases you” the wendigo replied calmly, “I’m dying anyway.”

Feather lifted her hoof, “Mama?”

“Oh, no.” Golden reached for the limp form, “Feather? Feather! No! Good goddesses, NO!”

The wendigo closed his eyes, “Let me save her, Celestian. I could not save my family, but if I can save this young life, if I can rekindle the spark in the night, then the goddess may forgive me for all I have done against her.”

Golden looked from her daughter to the wendigo, to the entrance to the hall and back again. There was no time, there was no time! She felt a shudder run through her, “Do it. Do what you have to do, wendigo, but… help her.”

“Help me to her” the wendigo said weakly.

Quickly, Golden complied, lifting the creature the best she could and dragged it to her daughter’s still form. The wendigo looked up at her, his blue eyes flickering, “She must… drink.” He watched her for a moment, hoping she would understand, and then, to Golden’s shock and horror, he took Feather’s muzzle in his hooves and clamped his mouth over hers. For a moment, fury and outrage poured through her, but a voice inside, a tiny, warning voice, told her to wait… and watch. Before her very eyes, tiny drops of shimmering silver liquid, like pearls of mercury, dripped from where the wendigo’s mouth met her daughter’s. Slowly, Golden could see Feather’s throat… moving, her wing twitching, her tail, her ears… Oh, goddesses! She was… was she? She wiped the tears from her muzzle and reached for her daughter as the young mare sat up.

“Mama?” Feather blinked in surprise, “What?” She looked down and let out a squeak of alarm, “Is that…?” She paused, regaining her composure as realisation washed over her, “He… He saved me?”

Golden, her heart singing, her fire rekindled, said nothing. She only care for her daughter, her beautiful, beautiful daughter. Golden closed her eyes and buried her muzzle in her beloved daughter’s mane. There was nothing left to say now… nothing at all. Behind them, the rumble of hooves announced the arrival of more guards ponies and the medical team. To the white mare with the blue mane, it was as if it were in another world.

*************************

Silver wiped a tear from her cheek and sniffed loudly, “So, that was how it ended then.” She nodded slowly, “And I suppose, that’s how I became… like this.”

Erin nodded, “It was more than I knew.” He sighed, “So, there’s a little more wendigo in you than you thought, eh?” he chuckled, “And that poor bugger lying there was just forgotten as if he meant nothing at all. As if I meant nothing at all.”

“You mean something to me” Silver said softly. She gave the grey colt a surprise hug, “You are me.”

“Ha! I suppose you’re right at that.” Erin shrugged and looked about him, “I suppose we’ll be back in your father’s study again soon.”

“Father...” Silver whispered. Her voice tailed off. “I miss him, Erin, I really do.”

“Why’s that?” Erin asked.

“You know why!” Silver rounded on him, “How can you ask that? You...” She threw her forelegs up in exasperation, “Are all wendigo like you?”

“Buggered if I know” Erin snorted, “Anyway, I don’t know why you’re so upset, it’s not like he’s lying on the floor as dead as a doornail now, is he?”

Silver neighed loudly, “But he could be! He hasn’t come home!” The silver grey filly slammed her hoof down hard, “The ship sank, Erin, don’t you realise that?! My father was on that thing, and… and he...”

Erin frowned in apparent confusion, “Huh? He’s alive.”

“Wh...what?” Silver stepped back in surprise, “You don’t know that! I mean, I hope he is, I pray to the goddesses that he is, but-”

“Praying to the goddesses!” Erin barked out a laugh, “Fat lot of good that did these guys.” He waved a hoof around, taking in the carnage in the once beautiful hall that had been turned into a charnel house, “Anyway, stop dribbling all over the place and listen to your blood. You already know the answer.”

“My blood?” Silver frowned, “You mean my heart? That’s just a stupid metaphor for weak minded-”

“Oh shut up!” Erin neighed angrily, “How in Tartarus did you lot defeat Nightmare Moon when you’re as soft in the head as you are?” He groaned, “Look, Silver, all wendigo share a bond, right? We can sense each other – well, to a degree anyway, so just try it, alright? What have you go to lose?”

Silver rubbed her mane furiously, “How?! I’m not a wendigo!”

“Would you like me write this down for you?” Erin huffed, “Perhaps bullet pointed notes so you can follow it more easily?”

“Don’t be so sarcastic” Silver snapped, “It’s the lowest form of wit.”

“Give me strength...” Erin muttered, earning a scathing glanced from the little filly. Resignedly he took a breath, “Silver, you have inside you some of the life essence of a wendigo. It’s been passed down from generation to generation, but it’s still inside you, understand?” Silver nodded. “Good.” Erin continued, “Now then, wendigo can ‘sense’ the lord of the fortress, their ‘leader’ for want of a better word I suppose – a bit like you would be with Celestia?” He shrugged, “Well, maybe not. But anyway, since the fortress has gone and there is no lord, the nearest we would have is a sort of ‘familial bond’. In other words, the bond you share with your father.” He gave Silver a prod, “I’m a part of you, and even I can sense him.”

“You can? Really?” Silver asked.

Erin nodded. “Here, let me show you.” To Silver’s surprise he took her head in his hooves and leaned his forehead against hers. “Now, calm you heart, steady your breathing and relax. Let all your concerns and fears go.” Erin’s voice was soothing, gentle and… warm. “Remember a time, a good time, a happy time, a time you were with your father. Remember the smile on his face, the laughter in your heart and the love you felt for him.” Erin closed his eyes, “Remember...”

“Papa…?” Silver felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She had been playing tennis – badly. The sun was high in the blue, blue sky, and the birds singing in the branches of the nearby elms. Diamond Tiara was there, dressed in a white top and skirt, her hair tied up and looking typically frustrated. Silver swung at the ball, but it shot passed her.

“Fifteen points to me!” Di shouted, “AGAIN!”

Silver swung, missed, and nearly upset her balance.

“You’re supposed to hit the ball” Di called.

“I know!” Silver retorted. Balancing on her hind legs the same way the pink foal did was a little awkward, but she was gradually getting the hang of it. Well, at least she’d thought she’d had the hang of it! Another ball whizzed past.

“Silver? Look, I’m going to aim this one straight down the middle, okay? Be ready!” Di threw the ball in the air, shifting her balance, and...‘thwack’!

The balled cleared the net and bounced. Silver swung, missing the ball widely as it came up and hit her right in the muzzle, “OW!” She, like her racket, fell to the ground, “Oooh…!”

Di rushed over, “Oh, no! Silver! Are you alright?!”

Blood dripped from Silver’s nose onto the perfectly mown tennis lawn, “Mmmf, I fink tho...” She winced, “Dat really thurt.”

“I’m sorry! Oh, Silver I didn’t mean to hurt you!” Di began to dash about in a circle, “What do I do? What do I do?!”

“Ith thokay...” Silver tried, “Leths go back tho the houth.”

Silver could remember the walk, the door opening, her mother’s shrieks of panic and the bag of ice that had been put on her muzzle to help with the swelling. What she hadn’t expected was her father’s reaction. He had been angry with Di and had Crisps taken her home, but really it was the next day that she would remember the best…

She had been back on the tennis court, trying to get the hang of serving, but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn’t seem to do it. Time after time, swing after swing, she would lose her balance and - “Whoop!” Her hind hoof clipped the other, pitching her forward onto the soft ground. She opened her eyes – hang on, soft? Something dark grey, warm and strong enclosed her protectively. Silver looked up into the big purple eyes of… “Papa?”

The tall stallion smiled down at her, “Still practicing?”

Silver nodded, “Yes, papa.”

“Good girl.” Gently, her father sat her down, “How’s your nose today? Still sore?”

Silver shook her head, “No, it doesn’t hurt unless I touch it.” She lifted a hoof slowly and quickly put it down. The look on her face brought a smiled to her father who passed her racket back to her.

“Here, let me show you how I learned.” Runcy walked over to the basket of tennis balls and took up a racket, “Like this.”

To Silver’s amazement, the big stallion took the racket in his mouth, bounced one of the tennis balls several times, shifted his stance and… ‘thwack’! He did it again, ‘thwack’! And again, ‘thwack’! “Easy enough?” he asked.

Silver blinked in amazement, “But… that’s not how you’re supposed to do it” she said, “Di stands on her hind legs and holds the racket in her forehooves.”

“Some do” her father agreed, “but not everypony is the same, Silver. What works for Diamond Tiara may not work for you, but in the same vein, what works for you may not work for her.” He shrugged, “Horses for courses.”

“Daddy!” Silver admonished with a scandalised look on her face, “Don’t say bad words!”

Runcy laughed, “And how else would I get my beautiful daughter to call me daddy?” He put the racket down and scooped her up in a big furry hug, “My daughter, the lady of the house of Spoon.” He kissed her on the forehead and sighed, “You have so much life ahead of you, Silver, so, so much.” Carefully, the stallion put her down and lifted a ball in his hoof, “Whether you want to try is up to you. But if you never try, how will you ever know if the path you walk if the one that is best?” He gave her a wink, “Ready?”

Silver nodded and copied her father’s stance, lifting up the racket in her mouth.

“Okay, here it comes.” In a slow, underleg throw under, the ball curved towards her.

She swung.

Nothing.

“Very nearly!” Runcy said, “Watch me, not the ball. Try that and see if it helps.” He took another ball, “Here it comes.”

Silver watched her father move, watched the ball leave his hoof and curve upwards lazily towards her. She didn’t swing wildly this time, instead she simply let her body react on its own naturally instead of trying to rush in and force herself to - ‘thwack!’ Silver stared at her father, a stupid grin crossing her face.

“Good! Again!” Runcy tossed another ball.

Thwack!

“Again!” The stallion laughed aloud, his voice rolling out around the grounds, “You’re doing well, keep going!”

Thwack!

Again and again, swing after swing, Silver hit the ball back to her papa. Quickly they started to arrive a little faster and she returned them even faster still. Soon, panting and sweating, Lord Spoon, her father, gave her a look that filled her heart fuller than any gift: his pride. Looking down at her, his eyes seemed as large as the sun, his smile a hearth fire that warmed her soul. “Silver...” he said quietly, “I love you, my daughter. Never forget that.” Runcy gave her a hug, “I know I can be a bit snappy at times, but it’s only because I want the best for you, and as much as you may think otherwise – I only want to see you happy.”

“I know, daddy.” Silver giggled as he tickled her.

“Fancy trying a serve?” The big stallion asked, “Maybe we can teach you to bop your friend on the muzzle too.”

“Daddy!” Silver squeaked.

“Meh...” Runcy sniggered under his breath, “You can but wish...”

Silver closed her eyes and smiled, feeling the warmth surge through her heart and soul. She used to call him ‘daddy’ all the time once, but as she’d grown up she’d begun to take lessons in etiquette as all young nobles do, and daddy became… papa. Not always of course, but just now and again. He liked it, and it was, in a way, just for them. Mama probably wouldn’t be bothered, but it was such a silly thing, such a simple, innocent thing that cost nothing and meant so much. Silver felt the tears trickle down her cheeks,

“Daddy...”

“Can you feel it?” Erin’s voice was nearby, and also, somehow, so very far away, “Can you feel the thread of light inside you?” he asked, “Your father’s light?”

She could! Oh, Celestia she could! It was there; a faint warmth, a gentle almost imperceptible tugging that didn’t ask, nor make demands, it simply… invited. It spoke of life, of hope, and of… love. Silver opened her eyes, “Erin?”

“Hmm?” The colt raised an eyebrow.

Silver took a breath, “I want to find my father. Can you help me?”

“Me?” Erin shrugged, “Now that’s debatable! You know, ponies may think you’ve lost the plot if you start talking to voices in your head, Silver.” He raised himself up on his hind legs, “The voices of deeeaadddd poooniiieeesss! Ha, ha, ha!”

“Or wendigo” Silver said quietly.

Erin froze. “Yeah...” He settled himself down and gave his mane a self conscious shake, “Or wendigo.”

Comments

[BirdsBooksBrownies]

Vane gave her a shove, “Oh stop it. For the goddesses sake, Golden, you’re not a weak mare and the school foal tears don’t suit you.” He suddenly lunged up and grabbed her, tackling her to the ground. “You know,” he said gazing into her eyes, “Sometimes its nice to be on top.” He gave her a kiss on the muzzle, “And now I’ve got my guardsmare all to myself...” Vane brushed his muzzle down his mare’s neck, smiling at her happy whimper. He moved his mouth to her ear, breathing softly, “Guess who’s pulling your chariot tomorrow?” Golden froze as Vane chuckled cheekily, “Guardstallion Vane, at your service ma’am.”

I know it's fiction, and I know that I've read many a scene similar to (if not worse) than this, but every now and again, I feel bad about reading them as it feels so real and like I'm peering in on something that ought not to be peered in on.