• Published 31st Aug 2018
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SAPR - Scipio Smith



Sunset, Jaune, Pyrrha and Ruby are Team SAPR, and together they fight to defeat the malice of Salem, uncover the truth about Ruby's past and fill the emptiness within their souls.

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A Discovery of Maidens (New)

A Discovery of Maidens

Rainbow Dash got out her scroll.

We're ready, she texted.

There was a pause, lasting a few seconds, in which not very much happened, before the scrolls of Twilight, Blake, Penny, and Rainbow herself — everybody who was gathered in the RSPT dorm room in Atlas — began to buzz.

One by one, they answered, and one by one, they were pulled into a group chat with the members of Team SAPR.

"Hey, everyone!" Penny cried cheerily. "Pyrrha, Jaune, how was your trip?"

“Never mind the trip,” said Rainbow. “How was your fight?”

Pyrrha raised her chin proudly. “Although Cinder yet lives, nevertheless, I defeated her, and only the intervention of Salem through the grimm allowed … I’m not sure 'allowed' is the right word; apparently, she did not particularly wish to be saved.”

“So she says,” Ruby pointed out.

“You don’t believe her?” asked Sunset.

“Why should we?” Ruby replied.

“What reason does she have to lie about it?” Sunset asked. “If she didn’t care about the duel and set up an escape hatch, she wouldn’t care what Pyrrha thought about the way the duel ended, right?”

“Cinder spoke to you?” Blake inquired.

“She called to apologise about Salem interrupting the duel,” said Sunset.

“If that’s what happened,” Ruby said.

“Regardless of whether or not Cinder was prepared to accept death or not, the fact of the matter is that she is still alive,” Pyrrha said, “but the other fact of the matter is that she was at my mercy, and that, while not the outcome I most desired, is nevertheless an outcome I will accept, and gladly. I feel restored by this, if that makes sense.”

Blake nodded. “It does. Sometimes, we just need to be reminded — to be able to remind ourselves — that we can achieve something.”

“I bet you were so cool, Pyrrha,” Penny declared. “I wish I could have seen it.”

“Maybe you can,” Jaune said. “Arslan Altan has the whole thing on video.”

“Really?” Penny gasped.

“I still haven’t decided whether I want to release some or all the footage, to prove that the fight actually took place,” Pyrrha said. “If I do not, there will be those I’m sure who call me a liar, but if I do … I would have to have Arslan edit around the use of my semblance, for a start.”

“I think you should do it,” Blake said. “Nobody died, so there’s nothing traumatic in there, and as you say, there will be people who claim that the fight didn’t happen; some things have to be seen to be believed, and considering that defending your reputation was a reason why you did this, I think that you should give people as much reason to believe you as possible.”

“Whatever you decide to do, I’d love to see that video,” Penny added.

Pyrrha chuckled. “All right, Penny; I’ll speak to Arslan about her sending it to you; Blake, thank you; I’ll consider your advice very carefully.”

“Congratulations on your victory,” Twilight said.

“Thank you, Twilight.”

“Mhm,” Rainbow muttered.

On the other end of the line, Jaune and Pyrrha were visible sitting together; Sunset and Ruby each occupied her own square on the screen — Rainbow fiddled with the settings in order to eliminate the views of Twilight, Blake, and Penny, who she could, after all, see perfectly well right in front of her — but Pyrrha and Jaune were not only sat together but appeared to be using one scroll between the two of them. From what Rainbow could see of their arms, they were both holding onto it, which was … just incredibly sappy in all the best and worst ways.

Given what Pyrrha had been up to, Rainbow couldn’t help but find it a little … insincere. Okay, maybe not 'insincere' exactly, since she believed that Pyrrha really did love him, but … that stunt with Cinder had been stupid, reckless — no, the fact that it had come off didn’t change that fact — and just, what would have happened to Jaune if she’d died? Had she thought about that?

Caring about someone didn’t just mean sitting side by side or going to visit his folks; it meant thinking about the people who cared about you before you took chances. It meant making sure you came home, for the sake of the people who were waiting for you there.

What Pyrrha had done was … Rainbow was disappointed that she’d done it, and to be honest, she was disappointed in Sunset as well for letting it happen.

She wasn’t in love with the way that Blake had thought it was a good idea either.

"As for our trip,” Pyrrha went on, a bright smile blossoming upon her face, “it was wonderful, Penny; thank you for asking.”

"Yeah, it was pretty great by the end," Jaune agreed.

"Pyrrha got on the family photo," Sunset added, sotto voce, grinning out of one corner of her mouth.

"Nice," Twilight said. "You must have really made a good impression."

"Is this a big deal?" asked Penny.

"It means they're married already," Sunset said.

"Sunset!" Pyrrha cried reproachfully. "It means that … it means that Jaune's family accepted me as Jaune's girlfriend and that they approve of his choosing me. It's a great honour."

"By the time we were done," Jaune said, "my family approved of a whole lot of things that they hadn't before. It was … I'm glad I went home, and I'm really glad that Pyrrha came with me."

"That sounds excellent; I'm so happy for you!" Penny cried. "I recently improved relations with both my fathers as well."

"Both your fathers?" Ruby asked.

Penny nodded. "I was created by two brothers, both brilliant scientists; one is my father, and the other is my dad."

"It's a good job you're a robot, or that would be very uncomfortable to hear," Sunset muttered. "But in the past, you've only talked about one father."

Penny hesitated for a moment. She was sitting on one of the bottom bunks, her back hunched slightly; Twilight was sat in a chair by the desks against the wall, while Blake and Rainbow Dash were both standing, both leaning against the walls, with Blake stood by the door and Rainbow by the window.

"My Dad … he had a falling out with my Father," she explained, her voice softening, becoming quieter. "Dad didn't want me to become a huntress or be used by the military; he wanted me to be able to make my own decisions. So my Father threw him out and made it impossible for him to see me."

"I'm so sorry, Penny," Ruby murmured. "That sounds awful. But you saw him anyway, right?"

"Recently, my Dad made contact with me," Penny explained, "and I've been down to Mantle to visit him, and after Rainbow and Blake rescued him from his lodger who turned out to be a thief—"

"He what?" asked Sunset.

"It doesn't really matter," Rainbow told her.

"He's such a kind man," Penny said. "I believe that he truly wants what's best for me."

"Unlike your Father," Ruby said, in a voice that was almost a growl.

"Father is…" Penny trailed off. "Even Father and I understand one another better than we used to." She beamed. "That's why I'm going to be transferring to Beacon next year!"

"What? Really?!" Ruby cried. "You're going to be staying at Beacon permanently?"

"Not permanently, I hope," Penny replied. "Only until I graduate; although I suppose it is possible that I could fail my classes and have to resit years, the chances of me failing so often that I would never graduate are—"

"Ruby didn't really mean 'permanently,'" Sunset explained. "Only until graduation."

"That is a very short definition of 'permanent,'" Penny pointed out.

"But is that allowed?" Ruby asked. "Are they going to let you do that?"

"I don't know," Penny admitted. "And I won't know until I try."

"But what are you going to do when you get here?" asked Pyrrha. "What team are you going to be on—?"

"I'm transferring to Atlas next year," Blake pointed out. "Penny could take my spot on Team Iron."

"'Transferring,'" Pyrrha murmured. "So, you've made your decision then."

"Yes," Blake said. "Yes, I have. This kingdom is certainly not without its problems, but I believe that I can do more good addressing those problems, and the problems of the rest of Remnant, here than anywhere else that I might go."

The corners of Pyrrha's lips twitched upwards. "You know, Blake," she said, "I think you're more determined to save the world than I am."

Blake chuckled. "I suppose I've always been … not necessarily an optimist, but I've always been possessed of oversized ambitions. And something about this place…"

"It's the lack of oxygen at high altitudes going to your head," Sunset muttered.

"Sunset," Pyrrha chided her gently. To Blake, she said, "Have you found your place in the world?"

Blake smiled. "Yes. Yes, I really think I have."

"Then we are all very happy for you," Pyrrha said. "Just as we all hope that you can find the same thing here at Beacon, Penny, regardless of the exact nature of your circumstances here."

Penny nodded. "That's all I want right now: a chance to find out who I am and what else I want for myself, instead of having other people decide it for me."

"And you'll get it, Penny, I promise," Ruby vowed. "It's what you deserve, what everyone deserves: a chance to find their own way, even if it means making mistakes."

"Speaking of which," Sunset said, "I've got a favour to ask of you, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow's eyebrows rose. "What is it?"

"Ruby and I made a friend recently," Sunset said. "Her name's Leaf Kelly—"

"Sunset," Ruby said, "what are you doing?"

"Nothing wrong," Sunset replied defensively. To Rainbow and the others, she went on, "She's coming to Atlas, and I was hoping you could keep an eye on her for us, for me, make sure that she gets settled in okay."

"Who is this girl?" Blake asked. "Is she in some kind of trouble?"

"She's just a girl, and she's not in any trouble that we know of," Sunset said. "Although she'll be in trouble once her mother finds out she's gone. No, it's just that she's running away to Atlas without much money or any kind of plan, and I…"

"Sunset thinks she's making a mistake," Ruby said.

"She is making a mistake, by any objective measure," Sunset replied. "Nevertheless, I accept that she has a right to make that mistake because I am an open-minded team leader who takes on board the perspectives of her friends and teammates and certainly doesn't just dismiss them with a blithe certainty in my own rightness." She paused, as if daring anyone to contradict her. "But I don't see that there needs to be a tension between letting her do this thing and taking steps to make sure that it goes okay. I mean, Rainbow, we both know that the streets of Atlas aren't paved with gold, right?"

Rainbow nodded. Atlas might be — Atlas was — forward-looking, but just because it didn't fetishise its past the way that Mistral did didn't mean that it was without traditions to take pride in, and one of those traditions it was proud of was being a kingdom of immigrants; from the first settlers who sailed north in search of a land free from grimm and who carved out a home for themselves amidst the ice and snow, Atlas and Mantle had been built and renewed over the generations by fresh blood coming from all parts of Remnant to be a part of the greatest kingdom. Some, like Blake, came because the ideals of Atlas spoke to them; others — the majority — came because Atlas promised jobs and opportunity not to be found in stolid old Mistral, empty Vacuo, or stagnant Vale. In Atlas, you could strike it rich.

Or you could remain very poor, and a lot — most — of those who set out with big dreams and high expectations did just that.

Rainbow thought about Gilda, railing against everyone who was 'keeping us down,' joining the White Fang to fight back; when your dreams felt as far away as Atlas was from the ground, it was easy to become bitter and for that bitterness to lead you to some dark places; she thought about Mantle, about the old woman killed in her home and the hopeless boy who had killed her and been killed in turn.

She thought about herself. Life … life could be tough around here, if you didn't have some good friends to rely on. Life could be tough, and the nights could be cold.

"Sure," she said, "I'll keep an eye on her. Give her a hand getting settled in."

"Thanks," Sunset said. "That makes me feel a lot better."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate having someone to help her navigate a new city," Ruby added.

Sunset looked at her.

"What?" Ruby asked. "Did you think I was going to object or something?"

"I … wondered if you might," Sunset admitted quietly.

"You're not going to tell her mom to stop her leaving, are you?" Ruby asked.

"No."

"Then what would I complain about?"

"You wanted to tell her parents and stop this girl from getting away?" asked Jaune.

"That would have been a rather cruel thing to do to a friend, I must say," Pyrrha murmured.

"See? Even Pyrrha agrees with me!" Ruby cried. "Pyrrha never agrees with me over you!"

"Sometimes, you just have to run away from home," Jaune declared. "Yeah, I suppose it can be rough on your family with them not knowing where you are, but it can be the best thing that ever happened to you. You can finally find out who you are, where you belong, what you're capable of. Like Penny, like you, you ran away from Equestria, right?"

"Yes, and I … I admit that I do not regret it, but … I'm just glad that she won't be alone up there. Thank you, Rainbow Dash."

"It's no trouble," Rainbow said. "When's she getting here?"

"Her airship leaves … tomorrow, actually," Sunset said. "It's a good job that we called."

"Okay, I'll check when it's going to get here and be at the Skydock when she arrives," Rainbow promised. I might ask Rarity to join me; she knows her way around the city better than I do. After all, Rarity lived here full time, while Rainbow was a more intermittent visitor, and confined what was more within the Academy for large amounts of the time when she was here. In consequence, she didn't know her home as well as she perhaps might have done if circumstances had been different.

"We can all help, I'm sure, if necessary," Twilight said.

"Although I'm not sure that it necessitated you calling us all like this," Blake pointed out.

Pyrrha laughed nervously. "This … it isn't actually why we called you."

"Where's Ciel?" asked Ruby.

"Ciel's in Mantle, with her family," Penny replied.

"That's unfortunate; we wanted to tell you all of this at once," Sunset said.

"You'll have to fill her in," Jaune said. "We'd ask you to remember to, but I don't think there's much chance you'll forget once you hear what we have to say."

"Way to set big expectations," Rainbow remarked. "So, what's this about?"

The four members of Team SAPR hesitated for a moment.

"Do you all know the Story of the Seasons?" Pyrrha asked.

"I do!" Penny cried. "It was in the book Blake gave me."

Pyrrha smiled. "Did you enjoy it?"

"It was okay," Penny replied. "It wasn't one of my favourites."

"Really?" asked Rainbow. "You didn't like it?"

"I didn't say that," Penny said. "I just said it wasn't one of my favourites. It was okay. It was fine. It just didn't speak to me very much. I couldn't really understand why the old wizard was willing to just sit around his house without doing anything. He could have left any time he wanted, with or without the sisters."

Twilight frowned. "Which story is this?"

"Come on, Twi, you know the one," Rainbow said. "The Story of the Seasons, with the old man living alone in the woods and the four sisters who visit him. Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, remember?"

If asked, Rainbow Dash would have strenuously denied that she was one for fairy tales, but that particular story … she really liked it. She thought it was a story about how far you could get with a kind word. Plus … she would never, ever admit this out loud, but in her head, every time she heard that story, she imagined the four sisters as Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.

Of course, part of the reason Rainbow would never say that out loud is that there was no room for Rarity, and there were times when Rainbow felt as though she'd be a better fit for Winter than Twilight, for different reasons, but mostly … yeah, sorry, Rarity.

"Oh, right, yes, I remember the one," Twilight said. "Sorry, I'm not much of a fan."

"A little surprising," Sunset murmured. "You never considered that clues to magic might be found in fairy stories?"

"No," Twilight said, "I—" Her eyes widened behind her spectacles. "You mean that—?"

"This particular story is not just a story," Pyrrha explained. "It contains truth, the origin of the four Maidens: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall."

"'Maidens'?" Blake repeated.

"We didn't ask who chose the name or why," Sunset said. "But what we do know is that they are the magic in this world, and Professor Ozpin — and General Ironwood and the others — have been protecting them all these years."

Now it was the turn of the Atlesians to fall momentarily silent.

General Ironwood knew. He knew all along what Twilight was searching for, and he never told her. It probably shouldn't have surprised her, all things considered, but Rainbow couldn't help but find that rather rough on Twi; yes, in her head, she got it, there were a lot of reasons to keep it secret and no good reasons to tell her anything, but all the same, in her heart, it felt rather rough on Twilight.

Beyond that, it was … kind of hard to think, honestly. Twilight was right. Twilight had been right all along. Magic was real — magic had been real for some time, thanks to Sunset — but this other kind of magic, the magic that Twilight had seen as a kid, that was real too. Magic was real and … themed after the seasons? How did that work? And General Ironwood was protecting them, but how? How did you protect someone whom most people didn't know existed?

The secrecy is the protection, I guess. Although it wasn't what Rainbow Dash thought of as protection: guards, walls, weapons.

Twilight said, "So, the person who saved my life and my family—"

"The Winter Maiden," Ruby said. "Professor Ozpin told us so.

"Winter Maiden," Twilight murmured. "Wait a second, I…"

"Twilight?" Blake asked as Twilight trailed off into silence.

Twilight shook her head. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Rainbow's eyes narrowed. Don't tell me you're going to start keeping secrets now, too.

"I … I don't understand," Penny said. "So … the fairy tale is true? An old wizard gave his power to the four sisters?"

"Yes, Penny, that's right," Pyrrha said. "Because he was moved by the kindness they had shown him."

"Where did the old man's powers come from?" Blake wondered aloud.

Sunset shrugged on the other end of the line. "Does it matter? Where does my magic, and all the magic of my people, come from? Magic … magic is. Speaking of which, how's Spike?"

"Having a lot of trouble not talking," Twilight said. "He's with Fluttershy at the moment."

"We should get back on topic," Rainbow said. "What is it that you don't understand, Penny?"

"Just that it's been … that fairy tale must have happened so long ago," Penny said. "What does it have to do with now?"

"The power passes on," Jaune explained. "There are always four maidens, and when one of them dies, her power passes on to a new host."

Twilight gasped. "So the prophets and the saints—"

"Maidens," Sunset said. "And the Red Queens too."

"Red who?" Rainbow asked.

"The Red Queen was a bandit who killed the Empress of Mistral and briefly overthrew the Nikos dynasty," Blake murmured.

"Also a Maiden, it seems," Pyrrha said.

"The summary of it is that, as Jaune says, each time a Maiden dies, her magic passes on to someone else," Sunset said. "As myths and legends record, for a time, the four Maidens lived more or less openly amongst men, continuing the work that the first four sisters had been charged with: sharing their gifts with the people of Remnant, bringing them together, spreading the light of hope. Until Salem put it into the first Red Queen's head to kill a Maiden for her powers, which she did."

"If a Maiden is killed, her powers pass to her murderer?" Blake asked.

"Professor Ozpin says that it's a little more complicated than that," said Ruby.

"But basically, yes,” Sunset said.

Blake frowned. "That seems like a very flawed system."

"Tell me about it," Sunset muttered. "I've been saying that ever since I read Twilight's book. It's—"

"Insane?" Blake suggested. "It incentivises the very worst people to do terrible things and grants power to precisely those you would least want to have it."

"Which is exactly what happened," Sunset said. "One by one, all of the Maidens were hunted down and killed, and their powers went to people you really wouldn't want to have them. Until…"

"Until the Red Queens were hunted down in turn," Twilight said.

Sunset nodded. "By our predecessors, basically, and by Professor Ozpin's. From what Professor Ozpin explained to us, the leader of the group, as well as fighting Salem, always had a responsibility to the Maidens as well, to introduce them to … well, the fact that they had magic now, to teach them how to use it, explain to them what it was to be used for. Eventually, one of them decided that enough was enough and that the powers of the Maidens were too dangerous to be out in the world. I don't agree, but—"

"But it's easy to see why they thought that way, considering what happened," Jaune added.

"And so, the four Maidens have been kept secret ever since," Ruby said. "The powers still pass on, but instead of being sent out into the world, they're kept … well, we don't exactly know where they're kept. My Mom and Dad and their team met a Maiden once; they escorted her on a mission to find her successor—"

"How can you find a successor to powers that won't pass on until you die?" asked Blake.

"Uh, I think they'd chosen her to get the powers and were taking her somewhere to make sure she would," Ruby said. "Somehow, Professor Ozpin wouldn't tell us exactly how the powers pass from one Maiden to another, so we're still missing some detail on that part. The point is, the Maidens still exist, but nobody can know that in case Salem tries to hunt them down."

"Didn't they think of trying beefed up security?" asked Rainbow.

"What's more secure than secrecy?" asked Blake in turn.

"An armoured warship and a big gun," Rainbow replied.

"Someone who isn't being hunted doesn't need protection," Blake pointed out.

"Someone can't be protected properly if nobody understands they need protection," Rainbow shot back. "Say that Salem found out who the Winter Maiden is; Atlas couldn't protect her because Atlas wouldn't get that she was being hunted."

"By that argument, everyone should know about Salem, too," Blake said.

"That's not the same thing at all," Rainbow said. "We don't need to know about Salem to fight the grimm when they come."

"What about fighting someone like Cinder?" Blake pointed out.

"Well, okay, but even so, we can still fight Cinder provided that we know her target; if she were going after a Maiden, how would we know, when we're not even supposed to know they exist?"

"Apparently, Professor Ozpin and General Ironwood know, and presumably, they'd recognise if they were under attack," Blake said. "Speaking of which, how is it that you know all of this secret information?"

"Well, we had a lot of the information already," Sunset said. "The fairy tale, the myths and legends from the books you gave me, Summer Rose's account of her mission with Auburn."

"And I … I got a visit from Raven recently," Ruby said quietly. "She … she said a few things, and one of them was to mention the four Maidens. She didn't explain what they were, but … we were able to put it together."

"We went to see Professor Ozpin, and he confirmed what we had surmised," said Pyrrha.

"And gave us permission to tell you," Jaune said.

"Thanks," Rainbow said flatly. "I mean that, even if I don't sound like it." She glanced around the room, at Penny, Twilight, and Blake. "Would you guys mind giving us some time to talk this out amongst ourselves? I'm sure you all know what you think about this, but … we're still figuring it out."

"Of course," Pyrrha said softly. "You can always call if you want to talk more."

Rainbow nodded. "Later, guys."

"Goodbye!" Penny cried cheerily.

The four members of Team SAPR hung up.

Rainbow Dash put her scroll away and clapped her hands together. "Okay then," she said. "What do we think about this?"

"I would just like to say," Twilight said, in a very mild and gentle voice, "that I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG! HAH!" She beamed triumphant, for a few seconds at least, before her face fell. "And … I can't tell anyone about it. Not even our friends. Wow, this sucks."

"We're all very sorry that your opportunity to gloat has been curtailed," Blake said dryly.

Twilight snorted. "I know, I know, but … it would be nice to share this with other people, you know."

"Speaking of sharing with other people," Rainbow said, "what is it that you didn't want to say in front of the Sapphires?"

Twilight blinked. "I don't know what you—"

"Yes," Rainbow cut her off. "Yes, you do; come on, out with it."

Twilight looked away, glancing down at the floor. "I … I'm not sure if I ought to say," she murmured.

"Twilight," Rainbow urged. "It's us. We're all in this together, right?"

Twilight hesitated. "Well … it's just that … I think that I might know who the Winter Maiden is."

"Really?" Penny asked. "Who?"

"Just as importantly, how?" asked Blake.

"I really don't know if I ought to tell you," Twilight said.

"They're not going to be in any danger from us," Rainbow insisted. "We're the good guys. And … you know, if I was one of these Maidens and had to hide my powers, I wouldn't mind if someone else found out and I could talk to them about." She paused, frowning. "But I thought you didn't recognise the woman who saved your life?"

"No, it isn't her," Twilight said. "She … she must be dead." Her head bowed a little, and she clasped her hands together upon her knees. "No, I think … I think the new Winter Maiden is Starlight."

"Starlight Glimmer?" Blake said.

"Do we know any other Starlights?" Twilight replied.

"No," Blake admitted, "but … really? I've never seen her demonstrate any magical powers."

"It sounds as though that's kind of the point," Twilight said.

"What makes you think it's her?" asked Rainbow.

Twilight pushed her glasses back up her nose. "When you were in Mountain Glenn, I was waiting with Team Tsunami in case you needed backup. On that night, before we talked, Starlight took me aside for a talk of our own. She knows that something is going on with us, she's not stupid, and she knew that there was more to the Mountain Glenn mission than she'd been told." Twilight took a breath. "She asked me if the term 'Winter Maiden' meant anything to me."

"That doesn't mean she is the Winter Maiden," said Blake.

"It's a pretty strange phrase to use in any other context, don't you think?" demanded Twilight.

"It proves that she knows about the Maidens somehow," Rainbow agreed. "It doesn't prove that she's the Winter Maiden herself. I mean … if she is the Winter Maiden, then what's she doing as an Atlas student? Blake says that secrecy is the best security, that the Maidens can't be targeted if nobody knows who they are, but even if we buy that … in Starlight's case, what security? She could die on any mission, and then what? The powers pass on to … whoever? To the person who killed her, maybe, even if they didn't know about Maidens, when they killed her. And yeah, I know that Starlight's a hard case, and it would take a lot to bring her down, and even more with Trixie by her side, but she's not invincible. If keeping the Maidens safe is that important … my issue with magic has always been 'if it exists, why not use it?' After all, magic is a weapon, no different than a gun or a semblance, and I know that because the Winter Maiden used it as a weapon to save Twilight. But if the magic of the Maidens is so powerful a weapon that the risk it would fall into enemy hands outweighs any consideration of the benefit that could be gained from using it on the front lines — and whether I believe it or not, it seems like the General feels that way, or at least Professor Ozpin does, and the General isn't going to go against him on it — if preventing the loss of the Maiden powers really is priority number one … General Ironwood wouldn't send the Maiden into battle. I don't buy it; it doesn't make sense to me."

Twilight's brow furrowed. "Then … how did Starlight know?"

"You could ask her," Penny suggested.

Rainbow laughed. "Yes, yes, Penny, I guess we could; that is a very good point. Not over the scroll, though; we'll talk to her in person when we get back to Beacon."

The corners of Blake's lips turned upwards. "What do you think about all this, Penny?"

"I … I feel sorry for them," Penny said.

"'Sorry for them'?" asked Twilight.

"Having to live their whole lives a secret," Penny explained. "Never able to tell anyone what they really are, what they can do, about their magic. It must be very hard on them. I think they must get very lonely."

"Just because they have to hide their powers doesn't mean they have to be alone," Rainbow said.

"If nobody knows who you really are, then you're always alone, no matter how many people are around you," Blake murmured.

"You feel the same way, huh?" asked Rainbow.

"Whatever the intentions of the old man in the story, which — admittedly, upon the evidence of a story — seem to have been benign," Blake said, "the fact remains that his intervention was unnecessary, and this system, whatever good it may have done in days gone by, has become something cruel."

"This system saved Twilight's life," Rainbow pointed out.

Blake cringed. "I didn't mean to suggest that—"

"I know," Twilight assured her. "We both know."

"I wasn't accusing you of anything," Rainbow said. "I was just pointing out that … even if they are forced to hide, Twilight's example shows that they're still able to get stuff done."

"One example," Blake said. "How many other times have the Maidens shown themselves recently?"

Rainbow glanced at Twilight.

"Not many," Twilight admitted. "Or else tracking magic wouldn't be so hard."

Blake nodded. "I have to admit that … perhaps my attitude is a little coloured by the fact that I don't see the need for these Maidens in the first place—"

"You don't?" Rainbow asked.

"You do?" responded Blake.

"People need heroes," Rainbow said.

"Heroes, yes, but not magic," Blake replied. "People that others can look up to and aspire to be, but … what good is a hero if the thing that makes them a hero is something you can never become or possess? What kind of an inspiration is someone whose accomplishments come from a power that can never be yours? A hero is … a hero is someone who shows others that anyone can be a hero, if only they have the courage and the commitment. Someone … someone like…" She trailed off and didn't finish whatever it was that she had been about to say.

"But what about Equestria?" Penny asked. "Princess Twilight got wings to show that she'd become a hero. How is this any different?"

"You said it yourself, Penny; Princess Twilight became a hero," Blake pointed out. "She didn't start off as an alicorn; she was just a unicorn like any other who achieved great things and was rewarded for it."

"The four sisters were rewarded," Rainbow pointed out.

"But since then, it appears that the Maiden powers just bestow themselves, even upon murderers," Blake replied. "The point is that in the present day, those girls — and judging from the name, it appears that they are all girls — who are unfortunate enough to receive this magic … it traps them. It cages them. It binds them to a life from which they cannot escape, a half life, lived forever with one foot amidst shadows and secrets. I … I can't believe that they find any joy in it."

"You find joy where you can," Rainbow said. "Even in a hard life. Just because things are hard doesn't mean that it's unrelenting misery. I admit that you don't make it sound good, but … I'm sure there's happiness and laughter in there too somewhere. With someone."

"Not that we'll know for sure, seeing as how we don't get to know who the Maidens are," Twilight pointed out.

"Yeah," Rainbow agreed. "Yeah, we'll never know for sure."

"Are you going to tell Ciel about all this?" asked Penny.

"Yeah," Rainbow declared. "Yeah, the next time I take you to visit your dad, I'll swing by her place and fill her in."

"How do you think she'll take it?" asked Twilight.

"Stoically, like she takes everything else," Rainbow said. "But what she'll think about it…" She let out a kind of laugh. "I honestly have no idea."

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