Chapter 6: Full Moon Frolic
Tempest surveyed the holes in the crystal wall grimly. Even hours after the incident, the lingering traces of dark magic remained, tainting the crystals around it.
In a teleport flash,Twilight appeared next to her and sighed. “It's bad, but we should be able to repair it eventually.”
“I'm more worried about the unicorn that did this,” said Tempest flatly. “The list of ponies with dark magic potential is short.”
Twilight met Tempest's gaze for a moment before looking away. “If you're wondering if I suspect somepony...I know a few, but I don't want to throw around baseless accusations.”
“The timing of it all bothers me,” muttered Tempest. “What is his motive?. Assassination, negotiation disruption, and thievery could be reasons, but there's a flaw in all three.”
“Do you think we should cancel-”
“Absolutely not,” said Tempest firmly. “Equestria needs you there.”
Raising her hoof, Tempest caught Lightning's attention. The signal was quickly relayed to Flare and Derpy. A minute later, all three of them filed in through the hole and were lined up and at attention.
“I realize the three of you are tired of this question, but if there's anything you can remember about the intruder, say so. The smallest detail could be important.”
“The pony was extremely good with their magic,” said Flare. “They were very careful not to leave a trace behind. That sort of talent takes years of practice and control even before you factor in the dark magic.”
“He really wanted to avoid fighting,” continued Lightning. “I mean, I dunno how strong this armor is, but before the castle woke up, he didn't attack at all.”
“Maybe they were doing the same thing Swift Shadow was doing,” suggested Derpy. “The magic cloak was the same, right?”
Tempest considered the suggestion. “The two cases could be connected, but Swift Shadow insists that he was working alone.”
“You don’t actually believe that,” said Lightning immediately.
“No,” replied Tempest. “But he's not saying anything more.”
“Maybe Swift Shadow was trying to steal something, and when he failed his employer stepped up instead,” suggested Flare. “But then why not wait until Twilight left the castle? Was she taking anything with her to the diplomatic summit?”
“Nothing noteworthy,” said Tempest, casting a glance towards Twilight before she straightened and dropped her speculative tone. “For now, we're going to play both angles. I will escort Twilight to the summit. The three of you will remain here and safeguard the castle.”
“You can count on us,” assured Depry.
“I'm sure I can,” said Twilight warmly. “Please be careful, okay? There isn't anything in this castle that I'd value over my own guards.”
Derpy beamed at that. Even Lightning looked a little bashful at the praise. Only Flare managed to remain stoic enough to respond. “Your concern is appreciated. We won't let you down.”
---
“You know,” began Lightning as she watched Twilight's chariot pull away into the sky. “I realize that we're called 'guards' and all, but I feel like we should be doing something instead of waiting for something to happen.”
“Like what?” asked Flare pointedly. “Tempest has probably considered all of the angles already. If there was something we could do, she would have ordered us to do it.”
“Unless she thought we couldn't do it,” reasoned Lightning.
“Alright, I'll bite. What could we do that Tempest couldn't?”
“Well, think about it. She's been distracted training us and helping Twilight prepare for the summit. There might be something she's overlooked.”
“Tempest did say she had a list of suspects,” pointed out Derpy.
“Probably,” replied Flare as she turned and let the trio back into the castle. “But investigating powerful unicorns is complicated and time consuming.”
Lightning huffed, taking to the air and idly flying at Flare and Derpy's walking pace. “Well we know what their target is, right? It's gotta be something in the vault. Unless they really needed a broom or something.”
“The cutie map is another target,” reminded Flare. “We can watch both easily enough on the schedule Tempest gave us.” Pausing for a moment, Flare looked at the door to the artifact room. Twilight's magical barrier shimmered in front of it, radiating power, though Tempest had said that they could pass through it so long as they had their armor on.
“Maybe we should try talking to Swift Shadow,” suggested Derpy.
Lightning looked at her in surprise. “You want to interrogate him?”
“Well...no, but maybe we could try something different?”
“Like what?” asked Flare. “Swift Shadow is a career criminal. He's probably endured dozens of interrogations. If Tempest couldn't get anything out of him, what chance do we have?”
“Maybe we shouldn't try interrogating him them.”
Flare inclined her head. “I don't follow.”
“Hang on a sec, I think I see where Derpy's going with this,” said Lightning, landing in front of Flare. “Think about it. How easy is it to talk to Tempest even when you're not in a dark room and sitting on a steel chair?”
“That's not how interrogation rooms are actually built,” muttered Flare.
“Whatever. But we've got a secret weapon that Tempest doesn't.” Sliding over next to Derpy, Lightning placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You've already got an idea of what you want to do, right?”
“Yes.” Derpy’s tone was confident.
“Are you sure about this though? This is almost certainly outside the scope of Tempest's orders,” reminded Flare, though she was starting to waver.
“I want to do this,” said Derpy firmly, not a trace of hesitation in her voice. “We're supposed to protect Twilight against anything that might threaten her, and this is one of those things.”
“Good enough for me!” said Lightning cheerfully.
“You could at least pretend not to enjoy rule-breaking so much,” grumbled Flare. “Oh don't look at me like that, of course I agree with Derpy. We’d better think of a good reason to see him, though. They’re not going to just let us walk in and use an interrogation room.”
---
“Swift Shadow? Oh, absolutely. I'll have a room prepared for the three of you right away.”
Flare twitched slightly at the prompt and honest response from the local constable. “Are you sure you don't want to check our identification or ask why we are here?”
“It's as plain as the sun in the sky that the three of you are Twilight's guards. Did you want to talk to him alone or would you like one of my officers on standby?” asked the warden happily.
“You're giving us a choice?” asked Flare, clearly shocked now.
Lightning gave Flare a light side kick with her hindhoof.
“Ahem. I mean...alone will be fine.”
“Splendid! I'll have the room prepared for you right away!”
Flare waited until the constable was out of earshot before speaking again. “Unbelievable. No wonder Tempest is so critical of the security forces in Equestria.”
“One problem at a time,” murmured Lightning. “Be glad we're getting this without trouble.”
Flare sighed and smoothed over her expression when one of the officers waved them over and led them through the building.
The 'interrogation room' was not a metal room with a single light and chair, but more like an office room with simple, comfortable benches and a carpet.
Swift Shadow was there, waiting behind the one way glass. The earth pony looked bored, as though he'd been through this a number of times before. “He's all yours,” said the officer cheerfully. “Just knock on the door when you're done.”
“You ready Derpy?” asked Flare.
Derpy nodded and shifted the bag on her shoulder. “Ready.”
Pushing the door open, the three of them filed in, with Flare taking point and Lightning closing the door behind them.
“Swift Shadow, I am Flare Warden. These are my fellow guard ponies, Derpy and Lightning Dust, but I'm sure you already know us.”
Shadow sighed and shook his head. “What do you want to ask me? I've already said my piece to Tempest.”
“Say it again for our benefit,” said Flare.
“Fine, fine. I was in Twilight's castle looking to snitch something. One of her quills, maybe a book or two. She's a very popular princess so things like that sell incredibly well to the right ponies.”
“And the cloak you were using?” pressed Flare.
“Purchased anonymously.”
“A pony using the exact same style of cloak broke into Twilight's castle yesterday,” revealed Flare. “When they were cornered, they used dark magic to melt a hole in the crystal and escape.”
Shadow simply shrugged. “I don't know who made my cloak. Like I said, I purchased it without ever seeing the seller. I wish I could be more help.”
“I think you can be,” said Flare flatly. “But I also think you don't want to talk to me. Derpy, he's all yours.”
Without another word, Lightning and Flare turned to the door, leaving him alone with the gray pegasus.
---
Swift Shadow stared at the object on the table in front of him, unable to shake the suspicious feeling in the back of his mind. “Is this...”
“A muffin,” confirmed Derpy.
“Yes, I know that. What's it for?”
“For eating of course,” said Derpy. “I mean, I suppose there are other things you could use it for, but eating is the best one.”
“No, I mean...why are you giving me a muffin?”
“To apologize. I really didn't mean to hit you in the head all those times. I promise I'm a much better guard now. I've been taught proper takedown techniques.”
Slowly, Swift Shadow leaned his head down and gave the muffin a sniff. It smelled quite pleasant, much better than the food he was getting here. “What's in it?” he asked suspiciously.
“Bread, sugar, and blueberries. Are you doing okay? I know concussions can be pretty bad.”
“I’m fine,” replied Swift, still poking at the muffin. “How did you know I liked blueberries?”
“I didn't. I'm best at baking blueberry and I wanted to give you my best when I apologized.”
Slowly, Swift Shadow took the muffin in his hooves and nibbled a bit off the top. It was just as good as the scent implied and didn't seem to contain any traces of magic like he'd been suspicious of. Less hesitantly, he took another bite and then another.
“Don't suppose you have...” he began, only to trail off when he saw Derpy pulling out a water bottle from her bag as well. Again, Swift braced himself for some sort of magical compulsion, but again, nothing came. Putting on his best sympathetic face, Swift pre-empted the question he thought was coming. “I'm sorry I can't be of more help. If there was anything-”
“Oh I don't want to talk about that,” said Derpy.
Swift swallowed the bit of muffin and gave her a curious look. “You don't?”
“Nope! I wanted to talk about Twilight. I used to be part of her fan club, but I never knew she had her own black market.”
Swift Shadow took another bite of the muffin and sipped the water after. It really was a good muffin and she was already pulling another one out of her bag. “Alright...what do you want to know?”
---
The time for stealth was over. Time itself was already short enough as it was, and his most recent failure had only closed the small window further. Nothing short of an all-out assault was going to work at this point.
Sliding his mask into place, Spell Nexus watched as several ponies emerged from the trees, each one with their face hidden and their features cloaked. Unlike the garments he'd given Swift Shadow these were built for combat.
“I've been given word from our contact. Twilight Sparkle and the other princesses are at the summit,” said one of the masked ponies.
Spell Nexus simply nodded in response. “Then we have no time to waste. Keep the plan in mind and remember what to do if the guards interfere.”
Letting the light of the full moon guide his hooves, Spell Nexus took the lead, four ponies filing in behind him, only their horns visible. The rest stayed behind, working quickly to draw up the circle and trace the runes for the coming ritual.
The first obstacle was the easiest, the door to the castle looming over them and shimmering in the moonlight. Nodding to two of the masked unicorns, Spell Nexus watched the sky. If Twilight's guards were expecting him, this was going to be the first point of contact. He'd come prepared though, with more than enough tools at his disposal to punch through their armor if need be.
And yet, even as horns glowed and carefully opened the door, nothing came. The night was quiet, the crystals glittered, and the castle was soon breached, letting his group of five slip inside. Things were going smoothly so far. Almost too smoothly, and the lack of anything even resembling increased security worried him.
From the way the others fidgeted and turned, it was clear they were thinking much the same thing. The feeling only grew worse when they made their way through the halls with nary a loose broomstick impeding their progress.
When the door to the artifact room came into view, it was almost a relief to see the powerful magical barrier twinkling in front of it, glowing with the color of Twilight's magic. She had increased her defenses, but it wasn't going to be enough. Nodding to the next two in the group, Spell Nexus took up watch once more. Still, no sign of the guards.
“They might be waiting for us behind the barrier,” he said aloud.
The ponies tensed at his warning, but the minutes passed and the castle remained eerily silent, only broken by the magical crackle as Twilight's barrier flickered and faded.
Letting the glow of his horn show, Spell Nexus took the lead once more and prepared to meet whatever resistance awaited him on the other side. Yet he saw nothing save for the artifacts within the room, with the object of his desires perched as the centerpiece.
“Light the room,” he ordered and shielded his eyes as a blue glow chased away the shadows. Even with the darkest corners illuminated, however, there was nothing to see save for the glass covered displays.
“Is it a decoy?” asked one of the masked unicorns.
Spell Nexus quickly probed the armor with his magic. “No, it's authentic. Our mistress' magic is still sleeping within. Pack it up, quickly.”
The unicorns didn't need to be told twice, each of them levitating pieces to them and gently putting them into black silk bags. All the while, Spell Nexus continued to listen for a clink of metal or a flap of wings, but nothing reached his ears. Was he simply being paranoid? Maybe Twilight's guards hadn't expected him to return to the castle again so soon, but what of the castle itself?
Again, nothing. The armor was secured and his group was out of the castle within the minute. Their pace picked up into a canter once the castle doors had closed behind them, but even when the castle was a distant image in the corner of his eye, Spell Nexus couldn't relax. Everything had been too smooth. Too easy. Was Twilight really that careless? If so, that made his mission all the more essential to Equestria.
Only when they were deep in the Everfree Forest did Spell Nexus feel some measure of security.
“Ten minutes to the moon's apex,” said one of the ponies at the circle. “The catalysts are in place and the circle is finished.”
Spell Nexus still looked the work over himself. Could there be a traitor within the cult out to sabotage? Again, nothing. The runes were impeccably drawn and glowing with the light of the moon, ready to receive and channel energy.
“Good work. I'll take things over from here,” he murmured, but there wasn't much left to do except wait.
Spell Nexus occupied himself by rechecking his work again and again. The minutes seemed to stretch out into hours, but finally one of the ponies murmured, “Showtime.”
Spell Nexus lit his horn and the runes lit with it. The clearing glowed brightly with both moonshine and magical aura. His magic shifted shade and matched the glow of the moon before he turned it onto the pieces of armor in the midst of the circle. This was it. After two years of planning, the proper ruler of Equestria would finally-
“Above!”
“Pegasus!”
The shouts nearly distracted him from his work, but he kept his calm as the other unicorns turned their horns skyward and let loose with a barrage of magic.
“She dodged?”
“How?!”
“Never seen flying like that!”
Spell Nexus risked a slight turn of his head, just barely catching sight of a gray coat. “Hold! Look for the other one! The green-”
He didn't even get a chance to finish before Lightning Dust burst from the trees, swooping low and blurring between the skyward looking unicorns. The sound of several metal clicks reached his ears and the ponies around him dropped with bright golden chains secured around their legs and glowing rings on their horns.
The four ponies that had accompanied him quickly closed ranks and erected a shield, only for it to shatter as the final pony in the trio burst from the trees and crashed into it and laid into his protectors with her hooves and own sets of chains.
Spell Nexus couldn't watch. He could certainly hear it and from the panicked shouts and bodies hitting the ground, it was not going well. He pushed more power into his channeling, exerted himself, and slowly his mistress’ armor rose into the air. Within it, the hint of an ethereal figure slowly started to take shape.
Around him, the cries had stopped. He could hear the sounds of hooves approaching him, but they were too late. “Nightmare Moon! Return to us!” With a final cry, Nexus let loose with the last of his magic. This was it! He could feel her energy building, being called to her armor and...and...
Something was wrong.
Across the armor, magical runes were appearing, glowing a gentle green color. Protective runes? But not Twilight's work? But how? No, he recognized this magic. Nearly stumbling from his fatigue, Spell Nexus whirled on Flare. “You! What did you do?”
Flare Warden stretched a single wing out, the very tip glowing with the same green color as the runes. “A trick I picked up in armoring school.”
Before he could even question the absurdity of her statement, Lightning Dust landed next to her. “Locked up every one I could find. Got one more ring for him. Good thing Tempest overstocked these things.”
No, he couldn't fail here. Not now. Not when he was so close! Turning around, Nexus nearly stumbled as he bumped into Derpy who had been standing behind him. He hadn't even heard her land.
“Um...Spell Nexus? Can you please tell us why you want to bring back Nightmare Moon?” Derpy asked politely.
Spell Nexus stared at her, but there wasn't a hint of cynicism in her voice. Even Flare and Lightning were holding their ground, waiting for his answer. “It's for Equestria's future. We're not safe anymore. Think of how many threats we have faced in the past few years. Discord, Sombra, Tirek, the Storm King...our enemies see us as vulnerable and weak. Equestria needs a ruler who can properly put fear into our enemies, not hope to maintain order through nebulous concepts of love and friendship.”
“But we've made it through all of those threats,” insisted Derpy. “And we stopped you from taking over Equestria too, didn't we?”
Spell Nexus snorted. “You should have put the chains on me first.”
He threw the cloak aside, revealing a myriad of powerful crystals strapped to his flanks. Their stored magical energy refreshing and amplifying his own. Lightning Dust lunged for him, only to be knocked aside as the earth around him tore from the ground and batted the guards aside with physical force rather than magic.
Glowing like a beacon, Spell Nexus turned his horn on the armor in the circle, pouring every last bit of power he had into completing the ritual, the crystals shattering one by one as he taxed them for every vestige of power they had. His vision blurred, his limbs went numb, and just as the last of his energy flowed from his very being into the ritual circle, Lightning slammed into his side and forced the sealing ring onto his horn.
His body collapsed, but a smile was on his face. “You’re...too late...Nightmare Moon, my liege…”
Every fiber of his being wanted to pass out, but he had to stay awake. He had to see the culmination of all his efforts finally pay off. Slowly, the shape of the alicorn took form, the protective runes on the armor burning away from the overload of magic. She was just as imposing and intimidating as the legends said, and even the guards seemed intimidated by her presence, taking a cautious step back while Spell Nexus crawled forward.
“Your majesty, I give you my fealty and Equestria. I beg of you, lead us into a new age under your wise rule!”
Vestiges of lunar energy flowed off of her in wisps as she moved, dark wings settling at her sides. Light from the moon bent around her, giving the alicorn of nightmares a ghostly look. Then, her horn glowed and the runes in the circle darkened while the wisps disappeared. The power in her horn grew at an exponential rate as she pointed directly at him. His eyes widened, his limbs too weak to move, and his magic entirely drained. “M-My liege?”
The magical blast warped the air around it as it left the alicorn's horn. Dimly, he heard shouting and a flap of wings, but his eyes remained fixed on the destructive force heading towards him. Why? Where had he gone wrong? Had he failed her?
“-own. Get down!” Something heavy slammed into his side. Spell Nexus only had a moment to see Derpy above him before the blast struck her square in the back, her armor glowing bright as she shielded him from the wave, crying out but standing firm. A moment later a second pony joined her, Flare Warden spreading her wings and easing Derpy's burden as the two sets of armor proved much more stable than one alone.
Lightning Dust moved as well. She swooped in and pulled him out of the way, before the sheer force of the magic pushed everypony aside, the beam continuing through the trees and decimating everything in its path.
“Form up!” The shout came from Flare and Derpy quickly fell into formation in front of Spell Nexus. “Lightning, get him out of here and get a message to Twilight! We'll hold her here!”
“Spell Nexus.” The quiet voice spoken in a duality of tone gave everypony pause. The armored alicorn was staring at him, but made no move to attack. “Please, Spell Nexus, put your fears to rest.”
The archmage's shock at her words eclipsed that of when he'd been attacked. “M-Mistress?”
“Equestria has its protectors. The princesses who are working even now to foster a lasting peace with our enemies, and the three in front of you who didn't hesitate to put their lives at risk for your own. There is no need for a pony like myself in this world any longer.”
The alicorn's horn ceased to glow and slowly the body began to fade. “Please, tell Pinkie Pie...I greatly appreciated her gift.”
One by one, the pieces of the armor fell away, the body of Nightmare Moon becoming more and more transparent until finally, the last of the pieces clattered to the ground, leaving only an empty shell behind.
Had Lightning not had a grip on him, Spell Nexus would have collapsed. Instead, he stared at the dull empty circle where Nightmare Moon had been standing moments before. Slowly, his attention turned back towards the guards. “How...how did you know?”
“Your friend was worried about you,” said Flare simply. “Said you weren't eating right. Were acting increasingly paranoid and reclusive.
“Friend? What friend?”
“Swift Shadow was really hoping we could help you,” clarified Derpy. “He said he missed the times when the two of you were testing and refining Equestria's lax security.”
Spell Nexus stared, open mouthed. Had he really had that sort of relationship with him? It had always seemed like business and yet...he did recall those times sharing meals while listening to his reports and the stories of his break-ins while telling stories of his magical studies in turn. Hours spent exchanging notes and building plans for improving Canterlot's security while pulling the occasional juvenile prank when Swift Shadow penetrated the castle's security.
Unable to help himself, Spell nexus wheezed a small laugh, the fatigue he'd been holding off now demanded his attention all at once. “Done in...by f-friendship? Perhaps...Nightmare Moon was right,” he managed before fatigue took him.
---
“I think we made the right call taking this outside,” said Flare as she surveyed the clearing. Just shy of twenty ponies, most of them unicorns, were in varying states of consciousness. Some had spent nearly all of their energy towards the ritual and fainted like Spell Nexus, while others were simply too exhausted to get back on their hooves with the cuffs around their limbs and horns.
“I don't know about you two, but I'm angling for a promotion from this,” said Lightning suddenly. “We bagged an arch-mage!”
“Who exactly are you going to get promoted over? Tempest?” asked Flare with a snort. She cautiously approached the armor and tapped it with a hoof, making certain no more energy remained.
“Well at least ahead of anypony they want to bring on next.”
“We'll already have seniority.”
“Come on Flare, don't ruin the moment,” grumbled Lightning. “You could at least show a little enthusiasm.”
“I'm happy we saved Equestria!”
“See? Derpy gets it!”
“You haven't already forgotten what comes next, have you?”
Lightning's face fell at the reminder. “The reports.”
“And the interviews and we have to carry all of them back to the castle. We'll need to get a message to the princesses as well. Celestia will probably want to hear what her archmage has been getting up to.”
“What are we going to tell Twilight?” asked Derpy.
“We're going to tell her that there was an incident that we took care of,” said Flare simply. “Like we're supposed to do.”
“You could make us sound a little better than that,” said Lightning before she turned to the downed ponies. “Alright, anyone who can walk, get your flanks up and start moving! If we have to carry you, you're getting thrown in the Friendship Dungeon!”
---
A few days later...
“I should have been there,” said Twilight for the sixth time that day as she read over the full report instead of the heavily abridged one she'd been given on her trip.
“You needed to be at the negotiation table,” corrected Tempest calmly.
“I know you said that we wanted our guards to deal with alicorn threats, but Spell Nexus? Nightmare Moon?”
“And your guards performed their duties admirably while you successfully negotiated a border dispute, a trade agreement, and took a meeting with one of Chrysalis' delegates,” reminded Tempest. “Because there were competent ponies to take care of things in Equestria.”
Twilight groaned, letting her head pitch forward and thump lightly on the desk. “You're right,” she mumbled. “I still feel like Nightmare Moon should be something I should deal with though.”
“Your guards did their job so you could do yours. You may be an alicorn, but even you can't deal with everything on your own.”
Chuckling lightly, Twilight lifted her head and reclined back in her chair. “So...you think they're competent then?” she asked playfully.
“Compared to the Canterlot Guards and Luna's Nightwatch? Yes.”
“That's high praise coming from you,” teased Twilight. “Are you going to let them know that, or do you need to maintain your image?”
“I will give them an appropriate amount of positive reinforcement,” assured Tempest. “And I will allow you to show your appreciation as well.”
“Oh, you'll allow me?” noted Twilight with arched brows. “You're giving me orders here, too?”
Inwardly, she celebrated as she saw Tempest's stoic look crack for a brief moment.
Twilight spared Tempest having to answer that and continued. “Well, you've given me proof of concept. How many more are you going to take on from here?”
“As many as it takes until you can stop worrying about your security. Then you'll be free to worry about other things. Like sleeping properly at night.”
A small smile slid onto Twilight's face at that. “Was that your plan all along? Hire guards to ease my schedule so that we can spend more time together?”
Tempest returned Twilight’s smile with a rare one of her own, flicking her tail in Twilight's direction as she slipped out of the room.
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Shh, Left Derp and Right Derp are talking.
That moment when I forgot to follow
SHIP!
maybe the author should put a romance tag on this.
9593756
I don't think it's needed since it's a side plot and not the focus of the story. I'm just happy it's there at all haha. Not enough Twi x Tempest
Oh, la la.
9593854
Think you bolded the wrong her in the quote
9593810
fair enough
Huh... that was kinda anticlimactic. I hope this is not the end.
Though I am glad of course that we didn't have to go through a long and clichéd Nightmare Moon arc, I'm not sure I understood why NM was so sensible and calm at the end: she's supposed to be the rage, jealousy and teen angst incarnate, not logical and understanding.
Also, Derpy is best interrogator.
No Nyx?
9594160
If the Friendship Death Laser purified her, then whatever part of her was still based on Luna and not just Luna's enormous edgeboner, that would make all of this make sense.
9594160
I thought that after the Nightmare armor was rid of Pinkie's permanent pink dye and it was repaired, something about its enchantments changed. I remember something about somepony saying it didn't feel evil or wrong anymore. I think they either summoned that altered essence of Nightmare Moon, or Luna herself.
I adore this story! The side story of the ship between tempest and twilight feels like the icing on an already great cake!
This story feel like its coming to an end...
I dont want it to end yet
Though it also Feels like the story could just be getting started.
Either way, i hope for more soon.
Derpy--the ultimate good cop.
And all's well that ends well.
On to the next adventure!
Question: In an earlier chapter Derpy mentioned having Alicorn genes. "What was that about?"
I'm in love with the story
Hey, at least this instance of Ponyville has police presence. That's more than can be said for some.
Muffin diplomacy is best diplomacy.
Excellent close to the arc... though I'm not sure why Nightmare fired that death laser given her later words. Unless it was to demonstrate the guards' eagerness to leap to Equestria's defense. Literally, in this case. Also, nice to know somepony appreciate's Pinkie's masterpiece.
Now to see where these three go from here. Looking forward to finding out.
9594690
You and me both ; ~ ; Getting warm fuzzies I get normally from only certain other fics ; ~ ;
9594160
It's because of the Pink that got bonded to her armor. Made her not evil.
Hmm bothTempest,and Twilight shipping and reference to past sins.. No longer following you've more than earned the favorite.
( ͡° ͜( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ʖ ͡( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)°)(( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
It was pretty interesting until the last bits. Did this just turn into a bloody shipping novel :v
Hah, wow that was an unexpected twist. So Derpy is turning out to be the most competent and compassionate guard Equestria has or will ever see. It would actually be a waste to promote her too highly, because she'd be stuck indoors coordinating guards and handling paperwork! Excellent chapter!
9596040
I rather liked it. It was subtle and only lightly hinted at before now. It expands on another reason for Tempest to protect her Princess, yet the unicorn is not one to let such affections keep her from performing her job at the same time. Plus they are cute together when they're flirting.
9594270
Indeed
Its almost like it created another "Nyx" in a way
It purified the darkness in the armor
Its beautiful
9594191
Nah
We dont need a lead in to another Nyx story
But hey! Im down for more past sin references