A Broken Warrior

by Stonehearth

Right a Wrong

Sleep did not come to Skystrike that train ride. Tethys never let go of her hug, and soon fell asleep behind Skystrike. He said he'd fall asleep, just to give her peace of mind. He didn't like lying. He tries his best not to. He shook his head. Skystrike had way too many things still on his mind. Each thump in the train tried to shake the thoughts out of his mind. The humans, how their hands are still in this world, but mostly, himself.

In the hours of silence he had to himself, he's been trying to figure out a few things. When he last went to Canterlot, that Magnus guy... seemed to have it out for him. On top of that, their criminal organization, Hydra, seemed to have it out for them. Magnus wasn't his first tussle with them. Before, he didn't give it much thought, but now it's a bit weird how everything happened.

Their first encounter, he'd have forgotten if not for the others. It was soon after his 'death' and he started working solo. A simple search and rescue mission. Some colt of some rich noble went missing in the Crystal Caverns under Canterlot. How he got there? No idea, but he was given a job. When he eventually found the boy, it turns out it was a lure. One of Hydra's numbers were there, and specifically to kill Skystrike. Didn't work, of course. Only one pony with ambush tactics wouldn't do much against him. But in hindsight, they had no reason to target him. It was almost like a test.

Second one was after their, at time, newest member Casta Spell the unicorn, joined their party. Skystrike, Tethys, Zecora, and Casta were exploring some ruins to the south of the Crystal Mountains. Ruins of the once grand Crystal Empire. Their hope was to find some lost magic, whether it be spells, or items. What they actually found was indeed of the Empire, but was an abandoned crypt, repurposed as a base to research dark magic once used by some being called 'Sombra'. Back to the main topic, the ponies using that base was Hydra. He thought finding them there was by chance back then, but once again, in hindsight, that doesn't make sense. They were basically lead there. They were ambushed from behind when they reached the deepest part of the crypt. Fighting their way out was hard, but they managed. Plus, it wasn't a complete loss. The magic they learned and the items they got were useful, albeit some illegal. But once again, they targeted specifically him.

Third time was when he went alone back to the Hive. Just before Elytra joined, she requested his help. She was called back after her job of watching Skystrike was no longer needed. She was then told to bring Skystrike back to the Hive. In the midst of their hike across the badlands, they were attacked. This time, it was just annoying. Elytra quickly admitted that she didn't have any involvement with it. Thinking back on it made him realize she knew more than she let on. Questions for later. And this was weird because on his travel to the hive, he was human. And Hydra shouldn't have known what he looked like back then. But all of that was overshadowed by what happened as he got back to the hive.

From the short walk through the hive, ignoring the glares from the changelings who loathed him, and the smiles of the ones who forgave him, he noticed that many things changed. From the layout, to the newer changelings and what they were learning, let alone how many nymphs there were. His thoughts were confirmed when Chrysalis gave them an audience. They were preparing for war. And his only chance to be allowed back in the hive was to lead the initial charge. He couldn't help but laugh at that. She was just like them. Only wanting him for his power. He turned the forearm of his right arm into a rifle and fired just to the side of her head.

Skystrike focused his rifle onto her head. "If you go through with this, my promise with mother is off. You will be my enemy." He made certain that his intentions were clear. In response, he was once again kicked out of the hive. But Elytra went with him, not agreeing with the war. Skystrike blamed himself for that. But it seemed like Hydra was trying to stop him from getting to the hive, like they'd knew what would happen. And then, years later, Hydra once again went after him in the form of Magnus. Magnus is the only one he left alive out of his foes in the organization. He'll ask him questions. When the time comes of course.

And then, the questions about himself came. Assuming that First did let him into Eques, then for what purpose? Another test, knowing him. But what type? To see if he'll break under all the pressure this world is giving him? If he'll give into his human nature? And that was the scariest part to him... he's only human by title. He wasn't even sure if he could even consider himself human anymore. His only comparison was the humans from his childhood anyway.

…What did it mean to be human anyway? He searched through the maze of emotions, thoughts, and experiences that shaped his very existence. Was he defined solely by his physical form, or is it the dance of consciousness, empathy, and self-awareness that distinguishes him? The more he thought, the more he got lost in the maze. Existence and essence blurred. Was humanity a state of being, or an eternal quest to understanding?

Skystrike shook his head. He was thinking too hard. He was human. He looked into his helmet to see his reflection. Even though the flesh was an illusion, he was human.

The sun finally peaked through the window. No point in trying to fall asleep now. He only had about an hour left until they arrived in Canterlot. It was about eight in the morning. It was Thursday if he counted the days right. Skystrike decided to let Tethys sleep a bit longer before putting on his helmet and waking her, Astral, and Opal up before they arrived at Canterlot. He stretched a bit once out of Tethys's grip on him and yawned. Two and a half days with no sleep. He'll have to manage.

It was a little while longer before they made it to Canterlot. Skystrike opened the window to climb out and onto the top of the train. The countryside scenery slowly yet gradually transformed as the Castle town grew closer. The town unfurled like a vibrant tapestry. Lush, emerald-green meadows stretch out on either side, adorned with colorful wildflowers that seem to wave a welcome to passersby.

He enjoyed the scenery a bit more before the train eventually came to a stop at the train station. A bustling town square came into focus, framed by centuries old buildings that bore the marks of time's passage. The distant chimes of a clock tower marked the passage of hours.

But it is the castle that reigns over all. Time stood still here, as if the very essence of the past is woven into the castle's fabric. The train blew its horn, signaling that they've arrived. He climbed back into the train, making sure he had everything on him before leaving it. The conductor said that the train would be docked at Canterlot until 10 p.m. for maintenance. They, more specifically he, had plenty of time to get everything done.

Everyone was off the train, waiting on the platform for him as he walked out, carrying everything he needed once he was granted an audience. He also noticed Tethys getting glares from the ponies around him. Different from the glares he'd get of get from the ponies. He was mostly looked down upon because of both his job and his race, being a Pegasus. But they openly scoffed at Tethys. He made eyes with one of the ponies scoffing at her, only for the mare to quickly turn tail when they made eye contact.

Skystrike sighed. "Let's get to the castle. I always get reminded how much I hate some of the things here in Canterlot. The ponies here annoy me..."

Astral gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, It's always been a problem... I just try and ignore it."

Opal looked around. "I hope I get some time to explore this time around."

"This shouldn't take long. An hour, three max." Skystrike said as he looked through the streets. At least it felt familiar. "Alright, it's go time. Everyone ready?" They responded with their respective yesses before they began walking towards the castle.

It was around this time that morning court was going on. Getting into the castle was a bit annoying, convincing the castle guards that Tethys was indeed part of their group and she wasn't going to, nor was capable of burning down the castle. He'll bring it up to Celestia and Luna. Then they had to wait in line for a good twenty minutes. Thankfully, he stuck out like a sore thumb with the heavy armor he was wearing, as well as the dragon behind him. Their wait quickly came to an end when his part of the line rounded the corner and he made eye contact with the princesses.

Celestia quickly waved over a guard and whispered something in the stallions ear. The guard spoke to the others within the room relatively quickly before one of the guards stepped forward and made an announcement. "We apologize, something urgent has just come up that the princesses must attend to. Please exit the premises in a timely fashion. Those who've made an appearance today will be given priority tonight in Night Court, or tomorrows Morning court." There were a couple groans heard throughout the line as the ponies turned around to leave. Skystrike and company waited in place for a few of the guards to begin escorting them into the throne room.

Astral and Opal quickly bowed as they were addressed by Celestia. "Nebula, I apologize for that. I realized that I never gave you a way to contact us after your mission was done."

Skystrike waved a hoof. "I don't mind, I never gave a deadline... By the way, just something I noticed when we tried to enter. I was given some strange reasons as to why Tethys wasn't able to enter, one of them being 'no pets allowed.' I don't know your policy on foreigners, but that seems kinda fucked up. I don't want anything out of it other than it not happening again."

The princesses looked at each other, then to Tethys. "I apologize for the way my ponies have treated you. After we speak about my request, I promise we will do our best that you're treated like the rest of my ponies."

Luna nodded. "Speaking of... how did your mission go?"

"Yeah, uh excuse my language, shit went down." Skystrike sighed. The two princesses sucked air through their teeth as he continued. "I know you kept Upper Crust in Canterlot because of this, so I'd say send somepony to make sure he gets here. By the time he does, I should be done explaining what happened."

And with that, he began telling the tale of his mission, starting with how he met Astral on his way, theorizing why they called for her, a newbie, and not somepony stronger. Then, meeting Opal and her group, learning exactly what happened to the mares. After, he investigated where the dragons took shelter, he then had to figure out a way to actually combat them effectively. Not going into the personal parts, Skystrike explained how he found Tethys by chance, as well as the two sharing the same problem. Recruiting her help, Skystrike and Tethys went back to the village, then the group met with Opal's group: the relatives of the victims. They shared their stories about where their sisters 'disappeared'. With their help, Opal, her group, and Astral gathered information needed for Skystrike's investigation. With the information, their main suspect became Magelight, the village head. Using Astral as bait, with her consent of course, Skystrike, Tethys, and Astral were able to catch Magelight attempting to sell her to the dragons, as well as capture the two dragons for interrogation.

He did not hide how he gathered the information from the dragons, yet made sure not to mention what he did to Magelight. With the information gained from the dragons and Magelight, They were able to know the reason Magelight acted irrationally, and where exactly the victims were. All dragons, save for one under the watch of Tethys, were killed. Tethys took on the adult dragon with Skystrike's help while Astral made sure the mares got back safely. With one final plan, and with the combined efforts of everyone there, they were able to defeat the dragon.

Both Opal and Astral voiced their concerns with the whole situation. Opal speaking on how Magelight was denied money to find help by Upper Crust. How that lead to more ponies being hurt. She also went into detail about how only the first mare went missing due to her bad luck. All others were sold by Magelight, totaling 80 thousand bits minimum. Astral spoke about how the price for finding the missing ponies was very high, and actually mentioned the request sent by Magelight specifying mares. He planned on selling her from the beginning.

Finally, it ended with Tethys bringing in the green dragon, still frozen in the prison of ice. She apologized on behalf of her race, taking full responsability for the actions of her kin. Upper Crust entered right at the end of her apology.

Celestia and Luna tried to hide their anger, but the latter didn't do well to hide her glare at Upper Crust. But it still left some unanswered questions. "And... what of Magelight? Surely you've turned him in to the proper authorities?"

Everyone in the room looked to Skystrike. He made sure to practice his answer. "When the fight with the dragons happened, one slipped past the flash of light and flew towards the village. There was a lone tree in a clearing that Magelight went to hide from the townsfolk after I revealed what he'd done. Looking for vengeance of the assumed betrayal, the dragon went to Magelight and reduced him to cinders. I was able to kill the dragon before he killed anyone actually worth saving."

He didn't mean for that last part to come out, but payed it no mind. Celestia raised a brow, not entirely believing him. "I see... I wasn't aware that dragons could burn flesh and bone to ash..."

"That's because most times we breathe fire at other races, we hold back. It doesn't take nearly as much heat to burn through a pony or griffon compared to a dragon." Skystrike nudged Tethys's leg. "What? We bathe in lava!"

Skystrike cleared his throat. "Anyway... Magelight is no longer of this world. Onto the important things, It'd be best to send medical professionals up to them, and on top of that, somepony to clean up the bodies. I can pay for the corpses of the dragons to be transferred to Ponyville. It'd be a waste to let materials like that rot."

The princesses looked at each other. That's what he was thinking about right now? They shook their heads. "Very well, we shall do so immediately." Luna nodded and wrote something on a scroll before handing it to a guard next to her throne. "Now... Upper Crust..."

A unicorn with a grey coat and dark grey mane straightened his top hat and monocle. "Y-yes?"

Luna spread her wings. "What does thou have to say for the actions of thy subordinates? The wrongs they've committed were in response to your neglect."

Upper Crust shuffled a bit. "W-well... I was... trying to cut costs... That village wasn't making their quota and I couldn't afford to send more money their way..."

"And so Magelight began sex trafficking ponies in response." Skystrike frowned. "You didn't even send anyone to check up on them! I had to check on them! You twiddled your hooves while ponies suffered and now you're making excuses!"

Celestia exhaled through her nose. "Nebula while you aren't wrong, please refrain from more outbursts."

Skystrike groaned as Luna continued. "As Nebula said, thou hath held no regard for the ponies under you. Upper Crust, thy lack of concern shows even now, making excuses for thyself instead of worrying for thou own ponies. You will be punished, and thy's responsibility of the village will be given to another more worthy. We will discuss your punishment another day."

Upper Crust was about to reply, but simply hung his head in shame before leaving the throne room and side eyeing Skystrike. As soon as he left, the princesses let out small sighs. Celestia straightened her posture. "Now, onto your rewards. I believe you wanted access to the Royal Library, Royal archives, a meeting with the Court Magician..." She took a sheet of paper that Skystrike gave to her a week ago. "As well as two items of your choosing from the Royal treasury, several of each type of elemental stone, or a large magic stone. And I have the option to chose three of these, minimum? Along with your bits of course.”

Skystrike nodded. "Yes. But as for my bits, take a quarter of it and give it to Astral Night, as she was basically robbed by Magelight, who never intended on paying her in the first place. Take another quarter and make sure it goes to Tethys."

Celestia nodded. "Given the circumstances, Astral Night will be paid, but it will come out of Upper Crust's finances, not your reward. We will do so for Tethys. If you could step out for a moment so my sister and I may decide on your reward? Guards, please escort Opal to an available room. All parties present are to be treated with the utmost respect. I apologize Opal, you will have to stay within Canterlot for the next few days while Upper Crust is under investigation. I will tell my guards to gather the frozen dragon for interrogation. Astral Night, you're free to leave if you wish."

Everyone, save for Skystrike bowed before leaving. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Tethys spoke first. "You swindled them."

"Maaaaaybe." He smiled.

"I am a bit confused though... the things you asked for. I don't see how they relate? Library access doesn't make sense alongside magic stones." Astral took a seat next to the door.

"It all depends on how you think about it. With access to the library, archives, and the court magician, I can gain a lot of knowledge that most ponies wont have access too. At the same time, I know that a few wont go through. I heavily doubt they'd give me access to all sections of the Royal Library and Archives, there's too much sensitive information that they wouldn't want me to have." Skystrike sat down next to her. "But at the same time, if they gave me items from the Treasury, or the magic stones, it simply adds to my power. And they've already realized that a pony with too much power is a potential threat. They're between a rock and a hard place."

"...I'm not sure how I should react to this." Tethys narrowed her eyes.

"Well, it should be a good thing for everyone involved. I get some power, they get more security, knowing that I'm more capable of protecting ponies. It's not like I'm going to be the next big bad."

"I-... I guess?" Tethys blinked. "What do you plan on doing with the stuff?"

He rolled his neck. "Lots and lots of research if I get access to the library and archives. Given the magic stones and access to the treasury, I am making new weapons and armor for myself. And Spike and Stardust and Zecora. And you if you want to come to Ponyville."

"I have nothing else to do. I should catch up with that Zebra too." Tethys hummed. "She makes good tea."

"Well once we're done here, I have a few things to do. I have a couple ponies I have to meet up with. Plus, I have a memorial to go to... Tomorrow was my brother's birthday. We're going to visit his memorial tonight. Glad I was able to make it back before it passed by."

Tethys side eyed Skystrike. He nodded. Now or never... "Well, you spoke quite highly of him when you told me about him. Would you mind if I showed up?"

Astral nodded. "You can come. He always spoke about how relationships are the most important part of life. We haven't decided on the place, but we do plan on eating out. Do you know where the Church of the Two Sisters are? We're meeting there about 3 p.m."

He nodded. "I do. I'll meet you there once I'm finished here."

And with that, Astral left. Once she was out of earshot, he let out a sigh. "Today's the day..."

"You planned on doing it eventually. No point in fearing the inevitable." Tethys patted his back.

Almost on queue, a guard came out of the throne room. "The princesses are ready for you. Please make your way inside."

Skystrike and Tethys made their way back into the throne room. As soon as they stopped, the princesses began addressing them. Celestia an Luna spread their wings. The former spoke first. "Nebula, my sister and I have come to an agreement. For your reward, you will be given access to the Royal Library, access to the Royal Treasury, and the elemental stones you requested."

"However, because thou hath dealt with the threat so effectively and quickly, we shall additionally grant you a meeting with the Court Magician. She is available after her lunch break. We shall send her a message that you will be meeting with her at 1 p.m." On queue, a few guards came in. Their horns lit up with magic as the items were floated in front of Skystrike. he counted to make everything was in order.

"Perfect. Thank you, princesses. I hope to work with you two again in the future." Skystrike secured everything in his saddle bags and looked at his Library ticket. "Though, can I say one more thing?" Luna nodded. "From what Opal has said to me, she went to Vanhoover, Count Caesar's territory, before coming to you. She received no help from the guards their either. I'd recommend extending your investigation to him as well."

Celestia nodded. "We... appreciate that information and will keep that in mind. Guards, please escort him to the treasury for his reward. Hope to see you again, Nebula. And it was a pleasure meeting you, Tethys"

And with that, they were escorted out of the throne room and began making their way to the treasury. 'These walls all look the same...' Skystrike thought to himself. After a couple minutes of walking, they finally approached a large door with a comically large golden lock on it. The dozen guards stepped to the sides of the door and floated over a key. Once unlocked, the doors slowly slid open.

Skystrike and Tethys stepped inside. Skystrike skimmed the room with his eyes for a few moments. It was pretty impressive. Enchanted swords, shields, armor, scrolls, nearly everything he could want. Some even had descriptions. Not to mention how so much of it was plated in gold. Skystrike looked to Tethys. He noticed how the dragoness was trying to hide how giddy she was. "You alright?"

Tethys shuddered a bit before answering. "Yeah... just... my hoarding instinct is acting up."

"Well is this a bad time that you getting 50k bits from that mission?" Skystrike chuckled, then he blinked when she bit her lip and let out a quiet moan. "What the fuck was that?"

"You will not speak of word of this." She monotoned. "Anyway, what are you looking for in here exactly?"

"Really, it just depends on if something catches my eye. But not in this section. There has to be a secret room... My treasure hunting instinct tells me to pull on one of these wall mounted lanterns. But that would be too obvious..." Skystrike rubbed his chin and looked at a few of said lanterns.

Tethys looked at one on the far end of the room. "...That one looks more worn than the others."

"Well damn you got good eye sight. Pull it."

She did so, and the statue it was next to moved forward, revealing a staircase. "...I don't think I'll fit in there. Tell me what you find."

He nodded as he walked down the dark staircase. There was no light at all aside from the light reflecting off the walls behind him. Making it to the bottom, he found another collection of items. What made it different this time around was instead of the several dozen items in the room before, there were only ten items, each on their own pedestal, and none were labeled. Looking a bit closer at them, each had some magic cast on it. Most likely to alert the casters if their spell is broken. The hard part is that to take the items, you have to break the spell.

Skystrike looked at a rather thick book. The hard cover was made of a dark red leather, laced with golden thread. He poked the book, and in response, several magic circles expanded from the center of the book and floated around it. He was about to open the book before noticing the lock on it that was shining an arcane blue light. The Pegasus hummed to himself as he thought of a way around it. He'd have to break the spell without alerting the caster.

He breathed in a bit as he released some of his magic. From the arcane runes in the circle, it was a password of sorts. No chance he'd have luck choosing at random. Skystrike put his hooves out and casted several spells with his magic. First, one that doesn't let sound out of the room, in case it makes a spell. Second, a copy of the spell the caster made. Was a bit hard to do, having to find out where the signal was sent to, then copying that as well, but it was doable. Each spell has a specific magic signature and wavelength specific to the caster. No other being could copy it. Unless you were able to convert your mana into magic at will. He was a bit lucky, he had to admit. Third, another barrier to make sure no other magic signature could get in or out. If all went according to plan, the caster would recognize his casted spell as their own. When their actual spell breaks, the signal wont go out, leaving only the copy. They'll be none the wiser.

But it all put a very heavy strain on him. Skystrike was beginning to sweat, wishing he worked on casting magic like he did his body. He wouldn't be able to do this many more times. He quickly took the book, breaking the spell that made a loud shattering sound. He sighed in relief that he put up that barrier. Looking at the book, he smiled as he opened the pages. He struck gold. It was a book on enchanting. More specifically, lost enchanting methods used in past wars. Even better, how to add multiple enchants on one item. He understood why this was under lock and key, this was dangerous.

The next thing that caught his eye was a black metal ingot. Looking closer at it, he realized it had the same color as his metal arm. Is this what he thought it was? He broke the spell and picked it up. Indeed, it was Lunarite. He nearly jumped out of his armor before he realized the implications. Where did these ponies get it? Questions he'd ask later. He secured everything in his saddle bags and made his way towards the exit. "Alright, I've done it. No one suspects a thing." Skystrike said as he cracked his knuckles. Then he looked at his forehooves. Do ponies have knuckles?

Tethys tapped his helmet. "So, anything good in there?"

Skystrike nodded. "I will tell you once we're at Ponyville. Don't want to get caught just yet..." He pulled up the visor within his helmet to check the time. 9:46 a.m. "Hey Tethys, we got some time to kill... wanna fly around a bit? Scare some bitch nobles?"

She grinned. "You know me well, Nebula, but I'm actually a bit hungry. You know any places that sell meat?" The two friends began walking towards the guards who started leading the two towards the exit.

"I do, but they don't open until like 2 p.m. if they're even still around. I do know a good donut place. You like donuts?"

"What's a donut?"

---

"By the dragon king this is amazing!" Tethys gobbled down another donut, licking the frosting of her lips.

Donut Joe let out a hardy laugh. "Well thank you, ma'am! Must say, I'm glad my donuts can even satisfy a dragon's taste buds!"

"Glad we got here early. I love fresh donuts. You always make my day, my guy." Skystrike took a bite of his own and leaned on the counter. "Wait until she hears about jelly filled donuts."

"JELLY FIELD!!??" She roared, flapping her wings in excitement.

"Jesus Christ, Tethys, damn!" Skystrike laughed.

Donut Joe let out an even harder laugh. "HA! I've met you less than 20 minutes ago and you're already one of my favorite customers!" He grabbed a jelly donut for the dragoness and hoofed it to her. "Here, on the house!"

She carefully took in in her claws and slowly bit into it, then hummed as the jelly filled her mouth. "This is one of the best things I've tasted."

Nebula took another bite of his donut. "I didn't realize you had such a big sweet tooth."

"We don't really have much of a variety to eat in the dragon lands. If it's not raw meat, it's gems. And it's hard to find sweet gemstones." Tethys took another bite and tapped her tail on the floor. "That's why I like your cooking so much. There's so much flavor in the meals!"

"Well, I'll try and do it a bit more for you." Skystrike finished his donut. He was about to say something before noticing something in the corner of his eye. An azure pony with a medium purple wizard hat and cloak adorned with stars of gold and light blue. Skystrike took out a bag of bits. "Hey, real sorry, I have to go. If I'm not back by noon, meet me at the castle entrance."

"Oh, uh, alright. I'm gonna enjoy my donuts!" Tethys sucked the jelly out of hers.

The bell rang as Skystrike swung the door open and ran out. Yep, it was definitely her. He had second thoughts about calling out to her, but he steeled his mind. He won't run, and she deserves it. "Trixie!" He called out to her.

The clacking of hooves against the stone sidewalk stopped. Her dark violet eyes met the blues of his own. She grit her teeth and stomped her hoof. "Nebula... what do YOU want!? It's been months, and you still want to mock Trixie!? These ponies have already mocked me enough!" She stomped closer to him. Skystrike looked down at her as she continue. "After you and Twilight showed me up, I've become a laughing stock! I can't go one performance without being laughed at! I'm out of a job! I don't have a wagon to sleep in! I'm running out of bits!" The mare pointed a hoof at his chest. "This is your fault! You and that princess' pet! Fix it!"

Skystrike lowered his head a bit. "You're right... what I did, showing off like that, and what my friends have done, we took it too far. Back then, I just wanted to... take you down a peg, for lack of a better phrase. The way you acted, I took it personally, rather than realizing it was just part of your show. And on top of all of that, your home was destroyed, and you've been ostracized. Though you could've acted better, you did not deserve even a fraction of what happened to you." Skystrike lowered his head more. "I do not come asking for forgiveness. Only you decide if I'm worthy of that. I just ask you to let me right my wrong."

Trixie was taken aback by that. She wasn't expecting an apology from him, thought he was too arrogant for it. She rubbed her eyes to see if she was dreaming. But Trixie wasn't sure yet. She frowned once more, preparing for this to be some sort of trap. "W-well how do you plan on making this right, then!? A simple apology to Trixie means nothing!"

Skystrike stood back up. "I don't truly know how to fix your reputation, but I can at least get you a new wagon and supplies. Good quality ones. Just name the place and we'll go."

Trixie was surprised. He was serious about this. She huffed slightly. "Very well. I know of a place. Same place Trixie got her first wagon. Let's make it quick, Trixie has places to be." She started walking, and Skystrike followed. It was a short walk through the city as the two trotted in silence. It was a long while before Trixie broke it. "So, what is your goal? Are you serious about 'righting your wrong?'"

"That's the main reason." Skystrike admitted. "To be quite honest, and this will sound cheesy, I hope to call you friend at some point."

Trixie was about to laugh. But then she thought about it. When was the last time she had one? Back in magic university?
It's been a long time. She wouldn't really mind it. "Maybe if you try hard enough, Trixie will grace you with her friendship."

The two walked in silence for a while more, but the time of silence wasn't nearly as long this time. Skystrike thought of a question. "If you don't mind me asking, what got you into being an illusionist?"

She thought back on that. "Back when I was is magic kindergarten, there was... a colt that Trixie liked. He liked the magic tricks Trixie did, despite it being so simple. Nothing but some card tricks and flashy spells were all Trixie needed to make him smile. It was nice, seeing his cheers for Trixie. Trixie liked that feeling, and began pursuing it."

"Huh... that's actually really nice. Glad you didn't stop trying. I actually like your tricks too." Skystrike smiled under his helmet. "I hope you get to see him again."

She was about to say something, but shook her head. "...I'd rather we'd stop talking about this... We're here."

Skystrike noticed her use of first person. She was serious. He nodded as the two walked inside. A yellow stallion with a white mane and tail greeted them as they entered. "Hello there! What can I do for you-" Once the stallion made eye contact with Skystrike, a shiver went down his spine. "Ah... Mr. Nebula... What do I have the pleasure of doing for you today?"

"Calm down, just here to buy a wagon for this one. Can you show her what you have? It's her choice."

The stallion quickly nodded and went under the counter to find booklets on the wagons they had. Trixie turned to him. "...If you're really sure about this, and this isn't some messed up joke, how much money can I spend? I don't want to rob you of every bit you have. "

Skystrike chuckled, then shook his head. "Don't worry, I owe it to you. Get something that will last you a while."

Trixie gave him a thankful look as the stallion came back up and began talking to him. It took quite a while. Trixie listened intently to the sales pony as he listed everything he could about each wagon. He even offered some bundles for her, living supplies at a premium for her presumed travels. After about an hour, she decided on one. A rather charming wagon, big enough to house two ponies easily, yet light enough to be pulled by one pony.

The yellow stallion smiled. "And with everything, your total comes to about 16 thousand bits. Would you like me to help you set up a payment plan?"

Trixie winced a bit, then looked back to Skystrike. He got up from his spot against the wall and dropped a heavy bag of bits. "The payment will be upfront."

The stallion blinked, then dollar signs appeared in his eyes. "Alright!" He picked up the bag in his hooves. "We'll get everything ready for you! We can have your wagon ready by tomorrow!"

Trixie turned to Skystrike. "I... Trixie thanks you, Nebula."

"No problem. But hey, I have something I have to go do. I have a meeting I need to go to. Hope everything turns out well for you, Trixie. And on the off chance you come to Ponyville again, know that you have at least one pony that will welcome you."

Before he could leave, Trixie quickly gave him a hug. "I mean it. Thank you... And... I'll make sure to visit sometime." And with that, Skystrike made his way back to Tethys. He felt... good. Feeling like heat least righted one wrong. He hoped to right some more today.

---

Finally meeting back with Tethys, the two made their way back through to the castle. They decided to take the scenic route, Tethys saying she needed to spread her wings, taking to the sky and slowly flying around, holding a large bag of donuts. "Mmmm... these are so good."

"How many did you end up getting actually?" Skystrike started doing corkscrews in air as he talked. "I left you quite a sizable bag of bits"

She stopped mid bite, thinking of how many. "Well... I ate about 20 so far... And it looks like I have... two dozen left."

"Damn, where the hell does that all go?!"

She blinked. "Wait, I never told you?"

"Told me what?"

She bit her finger, trying to think. "I'll... tell you another time. Not here. When we get back to... Pony Town was it?"

"Ponyville, but close enough. Alright, I wont force the subject." Skystrike started flying upside down, then looked back at the castle. "We'll get there in about 20 minutes at this rate, and it's about... 11:30 a.m."

Tethys looked up from her donut and squinted her eyes in the direction of the castle. "Hey, where does the Court Magician work?"

Skystrike raised a brow, beginning to fly backwards in front of the dragoness. "A large tower, normally furthest from the castle in case of accidents. Pointed roof in case of smoke so it can be filtered out. Various symbols of magic on it."

"Well if I'm looking at the right place, I see two ponies talking to each other through a window. Cant tell their colors, the glass is tinted. One a unicorn, one an earth pony."

Skystrike twisted his body to look where Tethys was looking. He was amazed she could see that far away. At least half a mile away. "Damn, you got good eyesight... Lets speed up. If my predictions are correct, then we should get there sooner."

Tethys shrugged. "Alright." The two sped up their flight. Suddenly, a question came to Tethys' mind. "Hey, completely unrelated, but you know that dragon you had to deal with a couple months back? That snorer?"

"Oh, Kyne! What about him? Is he doing alright?"

"Oh he's fine. He actually wanted to know how you were doing too. You're one of the few ponies he's met and liked. Kyne wants to see you again. I'd tell him about you, but you know..."

"Alright. I'll make my way to the dragon lands then sooner or later. Been meaning to go anyway." Skystrike. "Since we're talking about him, do you know?"

"That he has a crush on me? Yeah." She sighed as she crossed her arms. "Half the dragon males I interact with do. It's annoying. At least Kyne knows I'm not interested."

"Huh, didn't realize you were that much of a catch. I don't know what dragons find attractive. Think you could explain it to me a bit?"

Tethys thought about the best way to approach it. "Well... first, we dragons look at strength first and foremost. The stronger the dragon, the more attractive that dragon is seen by their piers. That's why most dragons love the current dragon lord, and why the head dragon can have several spouses, whether the head is male or female. When having several spouses, it also means you're able to control that many at once."

"So, the stronger you are, the more relationships are acceptable? And on top of that, the more spouses a dragon has, the stronger they get?"

She nodded. "That's right. But that's also only a quarter of the reason." She sighed. "The second, and most common reason that dragons find others attractive is because I'm fully dragon. Most dragon lineages involve the other species. Ponies, Griffons, Hippogriffs, and sometimes Kirins, Diamond Dogs and Changelings. Our blood is so pure that the offspring is nearly a full dragon. But, since the females lay the eggs, in most cases, only females can make hybrids. A male dragon can't have a hybrid kid without the help of magic, or the dragon being mammalian."

"That's really interesting... so which are you? I assume mammalian, since you have hair going down your back and tail."

"Yes, I'm a mammal, and that's another reason. Mammalian dragons aren't really rare, but they are uncommon. While I don't know the exact number, my guess is that we're less than 20%, but more than 10%. Like you realized, the main way to tell is that reptilian dragons have frills, feathers, or spines. We're seen as more... 'meaty' than the reptilian ones."

Skystrike chuckled. "Well you definitely are stronger than most other dragons I've met-"

"That wasn't what I meant." She cut him off and sighed.

Skystrike thought about what she said, and the implications. "OH! My bad. So it's a fetish?"

"That's a pretty good word for it, but I'm not sure if it's exactly the right word for it. For the pony equivalent I guess it's more like... having a preference for Kirins?" Tethys shrugged. "I'm not really sure of a good comparison."

"I think I get what you mean. Thanks for telling me all this. It's really interesting to learn about the little parts of culture like this. But you started off saying 'quarter' and gave me three reasons. What about the fourth?"

"The last one is a fetish, sadly. The former dragon lords strongest wife was a frost mammalian dragon that looks like me."

"Oh... well I don't know what to say besides sorry. I hate you have to go through it. And sorry if I ever made you uncomfortable about it in the past. I didn't realize."

"It's fine... just... still a bit insecure about it to be honest. But to clarify, I'm not a frost dragon, I just like how versatile the ice is. I'm actually a storm dragon." Tethys scratched the back of her horn. "Not many know, we're a rare variant of dragons, and we're somewhat hunted, due to our natural talent in magic. I would've told you before, but by the time I trusted you with that info, it just never came up."

"You dont have anything to be sorry about. I kept my secret away from you and All for too long." Skystrike rolled his shoulder. "So, since you're a storm dragon, that means you can also control lightning?"

"Yes, actually. I can control pretty much anything involved with storms, in theory. I remember because you told me the difference between a hurricane and tornado one time because I was trying to create wind torrents. Thanks for that by the way. I'd never had got into studying and literature if not for you and Casta."

"No problem." Skystrike slowed his pace as they approached the tower. "Speaking of, we're here." Skystrike and Tethys landed on the wide platform in front of the Mage's tower. Skystrike was about to ring the door bell before pausing in place. Tethys nudged him with her wing. "I know... I have to do it. But there's... just that part in the back of my mind telling me I'm not worthy."

"Look, Sky, I've already said it to you. We don't blame you. We're your friends." Tethys put a hand on his back.

Skystrike took in a deep breath and rang the doorbell. The simple ring sounded like it lasted forever, the silence after felt even longer as he waited for a response. The automated message made him jump. "Sorry, the Court Magician is currently unavailable. If you have an appointment, please come at your allocated time slot." Skystrike recognized that voice. Soft spoken, a bit mellow, and had that Canterlot accent.

He saw them inside on his way here. For a split second, he thought about turning around. But she deserves better than that. He rung the doorbell again. "Casta. It's me." The automated response didn't speak this time, and the silence came back. He let out a remorseful sigh. "I... can't blame you for not wanting to see me. I just owe you an apology for all I did, and you deserve it face to face, rather than a letter like I left." He clenched his hoof. "I've wronged you in a way that I can never make up for. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try."

Before he could continue, he heard the sound of hooves falling over each other, getting louder as they approached the door. It swung open, and Skystrike was tackled to the ground. Looking to see Casta on top of him crying. The one who tackled him was a rather tall unicorn mare with a dark purple coat and midnight purple mane and tail with highlights of mauve. She wore a frost blue cloak and matching hat with platinum trims, riddles with sea green stars. Her cactus green eyes hid behind a pair of reading glasses. Casta Spell squeezed tighter. "It's been so long! I'm glad you're ok! I heard what happened from the princesses!" Even though she had a weak voice, she was speaking rather loud out of sheer happiness.

He hugged her back. "Casta, it's great seeing you to, but you're strangling me." Then he felt something when on his neck.

She began full on crying. "You don't get it! I thought you were dead after you left! I only learned after Magnus that you were alive! I spiraled. You felt so guilty after what happened... I thought you..."

"I figured you'd show up one day." A monotone mare said from inside the tower. "Hopefully it's to stay this time." Skystrike looked to where the voice came from. Standing there was a earth pony with a grey coat and a greyish blue violet mane an tail, also sporting some eye shadow of the same color.

Skystrike smiled through his helmet. "Maud, good to see you. I owe you an apology too..." He coughed. "Casta, you're choking me." Casta quickly jumped off. "And... sorry I made you think I offed myself. There's a lot I need to say to both of you."

"Come in, come in! I just made some tea for Maud." She said excitedly. "I've been deep in my research... I hope you don't mind the mess..." As Tethys and Skystrike entered, Casta used her magic to close the door and made a path through the books laying on the floor.

Casta levitated two chairs over for her new guests and they all sat down. Skystrike leaned on the table. "So, Court Magician. I knew you had it in you, magic mare."

Casta giggled at the nickname. "Heheheh, well I have to thank you for part of my success. I got the funding for my research when we disbanded, and a lot of experiences and ideas from our travels!"

Skystrike smiled. "That's good. If I remember, you research had to do with finding the source of pony magic, and how Starswirl the bearded was able to formulate all the spells that we use?"

She nodded. "That's right. It went well! When we went spelunking those times, I was able to realize that as we went deeper towards the center of Eques, the denser the 'magic' in the air was." She made quotations with her hooves. "To the point it was sickening to some of the beings not able to harness their magic within them. I realized from that that what was actually in the air wasn't magic, but something that every creature absorbs into themselves and their bodies naturally and subconsciously turn into magic." She floated over a chalkboard and began drawing. From what he could make out, it was a sketch of a pony, a griffon, hippogriff, and dragon. "For example, the dragon lands are in an active volcano, which is releasing an abundant amount of what we turn into magic. It works in reverse too, the higher you go, the more of what we turn into magic is there. We ponies are at an average elevation where it's healthy for it. Griffons often live much higher, at the peak of mountains, and there's much more there. Hippogriffs are deep in the ocean, and it explains why they're able to transform easily. Each race is built to take in and generate a set amount of this... substance."

"Interesting..." Skystrike already knew this to be honest, but he wanted Casta to figure it out. It's revolutionary, given the time for the theory to catch on. Besides, she'd be disheartened if he told her those years ago. "And what will you call this substance?"

"I... haven't thought that far. I showed my research to the princesses, and I'm still researching now. I was thinking of calling it... mana."

"Hmm... and how does this relate to Starswirl's spells?"

Her eyes lit up a bit. With another smile, she began explaining. "Well, the best to think of it a bit like... a math equation?" She put a hoof to her cheek as she thought. "To first even make an equation, you need to figure out the numbers, then variables. From there, the outcome you want depends on what you put in. Magic is the numbers, while the formula is the variable. The part I'm still trying to figure out is how Starswirl made the formulas"

Tethys snapped her fingers. "Here's an idea. Maybe the formulas are words? With magic for us dragons, for example. When I breathe my frost breath, it's actually me casting a spell using dragon tongue, and that activates an organ within my head. Thinking about it like that... it's kinda like you unicorns and your horns. Maybe Starswirl bound words to those runes you use, like how we bound our power to our voice?"

Casta quickly levitated over a notebook and began writing. "That's such an interesting idea! I can't forget this! If it's like that, then I can maybe make my own spell! We'll go down in history!"

Skystrike let her finish writing before talking again. She was always enraptured on whatever she was interested in. "I do hope it goes well, and I'd be happy to help. But before we get too deep into it, I figure you two had some questions. I'll answer any and all you throw at me to the best of my ability."

Maud was first to ask, as Casta realized it was a good time to pour that tea. "When did you plan on coming to see us? Casta told me that she had a meeting at one, and you just came back from a mission with Tethys. Putting two and two together, then this was a reward right?"

Skystrike nodded. "Yes, I asked for this meeting to be one of the rewards when Celestia and Luna came to me for the mission. I planned on finding you all at least a month before the gala. Planned on revealing myself to Equestria, coming out of hiding and getting revenge on the one who tried to kill us two years ago."

"And why did you leave in the first place?" Maud leaned on her hoof.

Skystrike sighed a bit at that. "When Tethys asked the same question, the best answer I could give was to protect all of you, since it was the second time something like that happened. Now, I realized that it's because I also had a quest for power. Even now, I was rewarded with quite the items from Celestia and Luna when we completed out mission. I plan on using everything I can to make sure I'm not weak enough to let the same thing happen a third time."

Maud looked at Tethys, who closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. Maud, still speaking in her monotone voice continued. "I'll have to think of some more questions for you another time. Anything I ask, Tethys probably did already." The mare picked up her cup of tea and took a long sip.

"Actually, I have one." Casta put her hoof up. "I understand why you left. I know you didn't mean to hurt us. But what did you actually do by yourself? I know you aren't really a pony person."

"I was researching a lot of things." Skystrike began counting the things he did. "First, I realized that the stars that haven't moved much back then were suspiciously changing their positions. Then I wondered, which I honestly should've thought of long ago, 'If there's one that controls the sun, what about the moon?' And my home was named church of the two sisters. After looking and finding some really old books. I realized that there used to be two princesses, and an old castle that was in the Everfree forest they used to live in, and mentions of the Elements of Harmony. After that, I started traveling from place to place in Equestria, figuring out what it all meant." He took a sip of the tea. "From there, I wasn't really able to get anything concrete. All I was able to deduce was that someone used the Elements in the old castle around the time Luna disappeared, and from drawings, the mare in the moon wasn't there before. Then I figured 'hey, if she's in charge of the sun, she's probably in charge of the moon, meaning she could release whatever was in there at whatever time she wanted, and she seems to be playing around with those stars a bit too much.' Then I moved to Ponyville, thinking that my best bet would be hoping the place whatever was sealed would show up when it was yeeted to the moon. Luckily it turned out ok."

"Huh..." Casta rubbed her chin. "Didn't realize you were that smart. I always saw you more... what's the word?"

"Short sighted?" Tethys offered.

"Hard headed?" Maud offered.

"The word I was looking for was rash."

"You know what, fuck you guys, but all of those are fair." Skystrike laughed. "Man, I missed this..."

"Oh wait, you said you lived in Ponyville, right? My sister lives there. Hope she didn't cause you too much trouble so far." Maud finished her tea.

"Its... interesting. Annoying isn't the right word. She's actually pretty nice to be around. She's just... very active. And sometimes I want to chill out."

"Trust me, I get it. The first time she got her cutie mark, it was fun being around her. Everything was boring in the rock farm before. But after a bit, it was... too much." She put down her teacup. "I'll make sure to visit sometime. I'd come for your birthday, but I'm here in Canterlot to work on and deliver my thesis."

"Oh, it's almost that time, huh?" Skystrike thought back. "You really came far. I'm glad you were able to make it this far. When do you deliver?"

"Sunday, and then I have to wait a week to get the answer. I'm nervous about it."

"I could not tell at all." Tethys laughed at her flat tone of voice. "I can never get a read on you. What are you studying again? Rocks?"

Maud nodded. "With luck, by next week, I'll have a masters in Rocktoligy. Then I can apply to start my Rocktorate."

"You don't need luck." Skystrike leaned back in his chair. "You're one of the smartest ponies I know. It'll be a breeze."

"Thanks. I'll make sure to invite you all to my graduation. Maybe I'll see if Pinkie can set up a party back at the rock farm."

"That's be nice." Skystrike said. He finally took off his helmet. "Speaking of a party, there's a memorial that I... well I'm not obligated to go to it, but I really should."

"Your memorial?" Maud asked.

He didn't even have to guess in what tone she meant to say it in. He sucked in air through his teeth. "Yeah... And on top of that, it's also my family from the orphanage."

"Wait, you never told them?" Casta stopped raising her tea with her magic.

"Of course not. They were in danger for just being related to me. No way would I put them in more danger when I was weaker back then." Skystrike put a hoof on the table. "I plan on making at least part of this right. Reveal it early."

"They're going to be upset. I was and you were only gone for two years. For them, it's eight..." Tethys spoke up.

"And I don't blame them. But they still deserve an apology."

---

Their talk continued for an hour more, Skystrike thinking of the best way to bring it up with his family with the input of Maud, Tethys, and Casta. It took some hyping, but Skystrike is at least somewhat confident about what to do. He made sure to tell the girls to meet him at the memorial, saying he had something to do. He finished making a reservation for the ponies, expecting around 10 ponies to show. With that, he made his was back to the orphanage.

The Church of the Two Sisters. It was nice to see, and extremely nostalgic. He's been subconsciously avoiding this part of Canterlot. The memories were too painful. For what he did, and what the ponies around him had to go through. He took in a few deep breaths, trying to control his breathing. He looked up at the orphanage. It wasn't much different compared to before the fire. The large building of brick and stone looked... newer. Still the same shape and design actually, just much, much bigger. The left wing that extended into the garden was massive. The rightwing had a playground in the front. He would've enjoyed that back then. Some of the walls were even painted, some by professionals and others by the kids. His favorite part, they kept. The center spire holding up a large stained glass window, the vibrant colors working together to form the shape of a sun and moon.

But what surprised him the most was that instead of building right on top of the last building, they built a few yards next to it. Where the last one once stood was a marble statue of... him. It was him as a colt, standing tall, wings spread as a show of heroism. There wasn't a smile on his face, yet he had a look of purpose. On the stand of the statue was a golden plaque with engraving on it. Skystrike Nebula - A brother. a friend. a hero. "Help those who need it. Protect those you deem important."

Those words rang through his head. Words he skirts the line of living by. He hates to admit he hurt those important to him more than he protected them. He hoped they would find it in his heart to forgive him. Looking at the statue a bit more, he noticed that around the base of the statue were a lot of flowers. Some in bouquets, and some picked from the orphanage garden.

"Looking at his statue?" Astral walked up to him from his right. "This is my brother. The one I told you about."

"Seems like he was loved." Skystrike kept looking at his statue.

"He was, and still is. He saved me and my other siblings, Mystic Dawn and Dawnstone..." She sniffed a bit. "I was the last to get out. He risked his life saving me because I just wanted to be like him... I still do... Sometimes I still blame myself for his death. If I wasn't so reckless... I don't know why I'm telling you this..."

"He loved you, Astral." Skystrike said through baited breath. "He wouldn't want you to blame him for his sacrifice. He did it because he wanted you to live."

"How would you know?" While she didn't mean it. Astral's tone came off as aggressive. She realized after it came out. "Sorry, it's just... I know you're right, but I get tired of hearing it every year... Hard to believe it's been eight years since he left us."

"I don't blame you. Had to go through something similar." Astral looked up to him and tilted her head. "Someone I saw as a mother figure did the same for me, long ago. I still blame myself to this day. even though I know it's not my fault, and she wouldn't want that."

"Is that why you fight? To make up for something you never can? Hoping to help ponies and make her proud?" Astral wiped a tear. Skystrike nodded. It tore him up inside seeing her like this. "We're alike in that sense... I do thee same for him... helping ponies who need it, protecting the family we shared."

So badly, he wanted to take off his helmet then and there. But now wasn't the time. "He'd be proud."

She wiped her tears with a hoof. "Thank you... your friends came by a bit earlier than you. Let me introduce you to everypony else." Astral walked him over to the others. Tethys, Maud, and Casta were already deep in a conversation with the other ponies. Despite the eight years that passed, Skystrike recognized each one.

Mystic Falls, who should be almost 19 now, grew up well. A bit taller than the average stallion, but slimmer at the same time. He let his mane grow out, the purple and grey locks of hair going around his horn and falling on his shoulders, while he cut his tail short, just below his thigh. He even sported a goatee and a ear piercing. His eyes seemed redder than when he remembered, a start contrast to his blueish grey coat. Not that he was sick or tired, but his eyes were just a bright red. Mystic also wore a black leather jacket with a light blue undershirt. The guy got his cutie mark too, two chain links connected to each other, one blue while the other white.

The next one he recognized was Lucky Clover, one of the twins. Should be 17 now. Was slightly shorter than the average mare, petite is a better descriptive word. Her mane and tail was a seafoam green, emerald, shamrock, and jade, the former topped with a large green bow. The same bow she had all those years ago. He could tell from the upkeep that was well hidden in the bow. She wore a purple sweatshirt matching her light lavender eyes. Surprisingly, she had freckles dotted on her face. Her cutie mark was a deep green four leaf clover.

Next to her was the other twin, Blue clover, who had a cyan coat with an off white mane and tail, donning the same large green bow in her mane as her sister. She wore a green sundress and a ring of black pearls around her neck. She had some freckles herself. Her eyes were a bright blue. They always reminded him of the sea. Same stature as her sister, but didn't have a horn like her. Instead, she was noticeably more toned than her sister. She hid her cutie mark under her dress.

His last sibling that was in his age group was Dawnstone. Around 20 years old. And Skystrike had to admit, she looked lovely. Her cream coat with a curly white and sky blue mane and tail complemented each other perfectly. Her hair was long, stopping at her chest and curling back and into itself. She was no stranger to make up, complementing her features with cyan mascara and sky blue eye shadow. Her horn was rather long to, having a small ring on it. And lastly, she wore a white blouse with bishop sleeves with light blue cuffs and a light blue dress that went down to her hooves, held together with golden lacings. Even if he couldn't see her mark, Skystrike was sure she was a model of some type.

And last but not least, there she was. Sister Paprika. A mare earth pony with a cream colored coat and dark magenta mane with a maroon highlight stood in the middle of all his siblings, each having a happy face. He could notice the wrinkles under her eyes. Despite that, age has treated her well. She should be in her mid 50s, but doesn't look over 30 at all. She bore a cutie mark in the shape of a dried pepper.

Skystrike was drawn out of his train of thought by Astral nudging him. "You alright?"

Skystrike was about to respond, but noticed his eyes were a bit watery. He blinked to get the tears out of his way. "Y-yeah... sorry, I just forgot to blink." He pushed back on his front hooves to stretch, his armor creaking a bit.

"So... does your armor get heavy?" Astral asked as they kept approaching.

"Used to be. Every time I make new armor, I make it heavier than the last as a form of weight training." Skystrike tapped his armor. "Right now, I it's about sixty pounds, with most of the weight being in the chest and back."

"Wow, how do you fly with all that on?" Astral had to admit it was impressive. "Actually, nevermind that, do you ever take your armor off?"

"Sometimes. Most times, no. It's kinda like clothes at this point. Sometimes I forget it's there."

"Astral!" Paprika called out to her. The two hugged each other. "I'm so glad your ok! What happened? Was it dangerous?"

"Hey, Sister! I am too. I'll tell you about it another day, I don't want to worry you right now... It was dangerous, but I turned out fine, thanks to Nebula."

Paprika looked behind Astral to see him standing there. She didn't even realize the stallion towering over her until he was pointed out. But surprisingly she wasn't afraid at all. "Thank you for helping Astral, Mr. Nebula. I hope she wasn't too much of a bother."

"It was no problem. And please, just call me Nebula. And Astral can handle herself quite well. Pretty strong, she just needs more experience." Skystrike put out a hoof to shake.

"Well still, thank you for looking after her." Paprika shook his hoof. "It means a lot. Are you hear for the memorial?"

Skystrike nodded. "Yes, actually. I just got back from reserving a spot at a restaurant for us."

Paprika blinked. "All of us? You didn't have to do that, especially since we've just met! I can't let you do that for us."

"Please, pay it no mind. Think of it as a way to apologize for Astral getting into this mess." Skystrike waved a hoof.

"Wait... 'into this mess'? What happened up there?" Paprika's face turned to one of mild worry.

Skystrike looked at Astral, who sighed and nodded. "To sum it up so we aren't standing here for half an hour, we were sent up there to find missing ponies, only to find out that the one who sent Astral the request for help was actually trafficking the missing ponies to dragons. Thankfully, Astral was mostly in the investigation portion of it, rather than the fighting."

Paprika was stunned at what he said. It was a lot to process. "Is that why there's a dragon here? First I saw in my life."

"Yeah, that's Tethys. She's with me. And she help out up north too."

Paprika held her head. "I'll have to thank her later. Astral, we will talk about this later. Now come, we have to introduce Nebula here to everypony else." She said that last part with a stern voice.

"My bad." Skystrike shrugged.

"It's... fine... Looks like I'll have to get another type of job." Astral huffed. "Thankfully, I got enough bits where it should pay the bills. Don't move to Canterlot. I have to room with my sister Dawnstone and sometimes it's a bit of a struggle."

Skystrike tilted his head in thought as the two walked towards the group. "You specialize in Destruction and Enchanting magic right? I might be able to help you out."

"How so?"

"See the purple pony? She's the court magician, and a good friend of mine. And the state of her tower makes it seem like she needs help. Plus, she's also working on some research where she'll probably have to go on some expeditions. Make a good impression, I'll vouch for you, and hope things go well."

"You'd do that for me?"

"I have no reason not to. I will say, she likes talking a lot, so you may have to listen to her rant." Skystrike chuckled at that last part.

Dawnstone, Mystic Falls, Lucky Clover, and Blue Clover all walked over to Astral and Skystrike, getting into a group hug with the former. Dawnstone spoke first. "Welcome back, Astral. How'd it turn out?"

Astral smiled. "It went alright. I got to meet the princesses, so I'm in much deeper than I thought I'd be. I might have to visit the castle in the next few days, but everything's fine!"

"Anything cool happen?" Lucky asked.

"You met a dragon?" Blue jumped in front of her sister.

"Yeah, that's Tethys. She's really nice despite her looks. Nothing cool happened, it was more of a job, rather than an adventure..."

"Any landscapes that stood out? I'd love to paint some!" Mystic put an arm around her neck.

"There were some great ones, large mountains, vast fields, if you can handle the cold." She pushed Mystic off of her. "Anyway, you all probably heard from Tethys, Maud, and Casta, but this is Nebula. We met up north during the job!"

They all looked to Skystrike then near instantly seemingly shrunk at the sight of him, their ears pointing back. Couldn't blame them. He did make his armor with the intent of intimidating. He put up a hoof. He tried to make himself as approachable as possible. "Hello there. How are you all?"

"...you do not sound like how I expected." Mystic was the first to speak. "Damn, what do you eat to get that big?"

"I'm not this big because of what I eat, I eat because I'm this big. But it you simply want to gain some muscle, I could give some pointers..." Skystrike acted like he didn't know his name.

"I'm Mystic falls. This is Dawnstone, Lucky Clover, and Blue Clover. Hey, I know this is out of nowhere, but can I paint you?"

Dawnstone smacked his head. "Dude, you cant just ask to draw him."

"If you think you got the talent I'll support it. I'll be leaving Canterlot late tonight, but next time I'm here, I'll see if I can find you." Skystrike nodded.

"...You're lucky that worked. Sorry about my brother, he's really into his art." Dawnstone gave a small bow.

"Pay it no mind. I love those who are passionate about their craft. You must be the same. I assume from the way you dress and carry yourself, you're a model?"

She nodded then smiled. "That's right. I even make my own clothes. I don't get to star in too many photoshoots, but I have to start somewhere, right?"

"Yeah, starting is always the hard part. But you got the looks, so just keep trying and you can make it. I actually have a friend in Ponyville who has her own boutique and makes her clothes. She's still trying to get her name out there. Maybe if you two met you'd get along."

"I have been meaning to do a bit of traveling. What did you have to do that was so hard to start? You seem proficient at everything I hear about."

Skystrike thought back. "Well... It took a while to get the right tempo for my armor. This armor is after years of practice. My first armor could barely block a spear without denting."

This time, Lucky spoke. "So, question I always wanted to ask if I met you, is it true you can take on a dragon by yourself? Because the stories about you are unbelievable."

Skystrike didn't even have to answer, since Astral did so for him. "He beat five dragons by himself, and seven with some help. I was there."

"FIVE???" Blue blurted out. "Dear Celestia, there's no way!"

Skystrike shrugged. "It is what it is. But to be fair, my swords are made to cut through their scales and bones. It makes things much easier. But what else was said about me that's unbelievable? Now I'm curious."

Lucky began counting. "That you knocked out an Ursa minor in one punch, you can fly as fast as a Wonderbolt, you can punch a hole through a tree, and you can do pushups with a boulder five times your size on your back."

"True, maybe because I haven't raced one, true, and true." He chuckled. "I'm surprised that other stories haven't spread around... maybe it's because I'm sneaky about what I do. Confidentiality is important after all."

Another question was about to be asked before there was a loud stomach growl from Mystic Falls. "Damn, sorry. I haven't eaten anything yet today."

"I am a bit hungry too." Skystrike rolled his neck and yelled over to his other friends. "Tethys, Maud, Casta, ready to eat?"

"Yeah!" The three yelled back.

"Speaking of, where are we eating?" Paprika spoke up.

---

La rose bleue was a fairly upper class restaurant, hosting a large variety of dishes from different cultures. One of the most well known restaurants in Canterlot. Getting a reservation there was a nightmare for the average pony. And yet, not only was Skystrike able to get a reservation, but they were also in the VIP room.

"How did you manage to get a reservation here? On such short notice??" Paprika was surprised. "And this chair is so soft!?"

To be honest, Skystrike worked here as a chef when he was younger. Nothing like child labor. Luckily, he could just change his appearance with his magic to look like an adult. All he had to do was talk to the owner to get it. Luckily, the owner was the same stallion. "I have my ways." Skystrike said as the waiters and waitresses came in with their food, along with a couple glasses of wine for the group. It was a nice spread of fruits, vegetables, breads, grains, nuts, the full course.

They all made their plates before stopping and putting their hooves together. Astral began explaining. "On this day each year, we like to speak to Skystrike in the beyond. Telling him of what we've done so far in our lives. Its become a bit of a tradition, and our way of remembering him."

Skystrike looked at Tethys, who nodded. Then to Maud, who nodded. Then to Casta, who nodded. "I... have a confession to make. The real reason I bought you all here..." Skystrike sighed. Everyone looked at him with baited breath. He took in a deep breath before taking the lock off his helmet and sliding it off. He shoot his hair out and moved it out the way of his face.

He was instantly met with Mystic Falls jumping across the table and a hoof to his face. Tethys and Maud nearly got out of their seat before Skystrike put up a hoof, stopping them. "That's fair. Honestly one of the reactions I expected..." Skystrike cracked his neck and looked at Mystic.

"Do you know much we've mourned for you!?" Mystic yelled at him. His body was tense, his horn flaring with magic. "How hard we've worked to make up for what we lost!? How close things were to falling apart!?"

"Stop, Mystic!" Dawnstone used her magic to pull him back. "Lets... at least hear him out..."

Skystrike sighed and put his hooves on the table. "I guess you want to know how and why this all happened. This is why I got the VIP area... Would you rather I start explaining and get questions, or just ask questions now?"

"How are you still alive!? There wasn't a body! We thought you were ash!" Blue Clover stood up from her chair, the shock finally setting in.

"We saw you get crushed under the ruble!" Astral spoke up.

"To be honest, I don't truly know myself how I got out of there... I just know I wasn't there when I came to. I was out for a couple days and did have some things broken, but I was alive."

"And you didn't come back when you woke up!? Mystic prepared to punch him again.

"Look, I get it but please stop trying to punch me. To answer, no, I didn't. I felt it was too dangerous for you all. The fire happened because I got on the bad side of a pony..." Skystrike said as he caught Mystic's hoof. "The day of the gala, I was approached by Blueblood-"

"That mother bucker!" Dawnstone slammed her hooves on the table.

"Did something happen?" Skystrike raised an eyebrow.

"Every year, he comes by to gloat, giving fake sympathy to us over your death! He just stands there mocking us for sometimes hours, and we can't do anything because he's a prince!" Dawnstone fixed her dress and sat back down. "Ignoring how much he hits on me..."

Astral thought for a moment. "Wait, so you're saying that Blueblood is the reason you faked your death?"

"Yes. The day of the gala, he approached me, and heavily implied what he did. The fire at the orphanage was already in the later phases when he told me. Blueblood definitely planned it. I just don't have proof. And even if I did, he had enough political power to just cover everything up." Skystrike sighed. "My hope was by leaving, he wouldn't target you all anymore. He went after our home to hurt me... With me gone, I wasn't there to hurt..."

Lucky Clover bent a spoon in frustration. "But he still got away! What was it all for!?"

"I didn't just do nothing as you can see. I've at least gotten enough strength to protect you all, but now isn't the time to reveal myself just yet..." Skystrike took a bite of his house salad as everyone slightly leaned in. "I realized years ago, a couple months after my fake death, that I could just kill him, then and there. Take the sentence, but no one would be hurt anymore from him... Part of me still wished I did, but that'd be too lax for him." He clenched his hooves. "I will end it where it all started, at the Gala. I will go as my current identity, and lure him into a duel with me, one that he will challenge me to. It will be a duel where one can only forfeit or die. I will let him do neither. When he is within an inch of his life, when tries to get the words out of his mouth, I will not let him. He will have to decide whether he admits to what he did to us, or deaths embrace. In front of every. Pony. His guards. His lackeys. The princesses. And me. Once his social life is over, once the court judges him guilty, his pain will not be over. I won't let him die. He will live in suffering, no matter how many times he hurts us."

"And what makes you think it'll work?" Mystic finally sat back down.

"Because I know him. You know him. Say the right things, and no way he'll let things go." He scratched at the scar on his left eye. Still stung a bit.

Their conversation was interrupted when they noticed the quiet sniffles at the other end of the table. "I knew it... I knew you were still alive... You promised after all..." Paprika walked over to hug him. The water works started. "You've grown so much over the years... but you didn't have to sacrifice everything for us. You had a life to live for yourself..."

"My life isn't worth living to me if any of you are suffering. Especially because of me. I just couldn't have you all hurt anymore."

Paprika took in a deep breath. "I've... you were in the orphanage for six years before the fire... I've seen you grow into a wonderful young stallion. I know you well enough to know that while the execution wasn't good, your reasoning was justified. But we don't want you to suffer for our sake. You already did enough."

"It really doesn't feel like it. At least not yet. I just need to deal with Blueblood. Then I'll be back out in the open. For now, I stay hidden. I'm even taking a big risk being here with all of you. Anypony that's smart enough to realize how many ponies know all of you, then the secret's out." Skystrike chuckled a bit. "Honestly, I'm surprised it lasted this long. Haven't really been sneaky about it. I just keep on a helmet and change the first part of my name and everypony thinks I'm a new guy."

"...you know, in hindsight, I feel stupid that I didn't realize sooner." Paprika shared a small laugh. "But now that we have the chance, for the first time in a long time, lets enjoy a meal together. All of us."

Astral began eating. "Now that I think of it, even before the fire, we didn't eat together often. You were always tired around dinner time, but you still made time to help out everypony in the orphanage even after you helped me with my homework for example, you always seemed busy."

Mystic, Dawnstone, and the Clover sisters all hummed in agreement. Skystrike blinked. "I never did tell you all huh? If I wasn't at class, or the orphanage, I was doing something that would make us money. Money was tight back then, had to help out somehow."

"...Wait, so all that money we got weren't anonymous donations? That was you?" Paprika paused raising her fork to her mouth.

"You think that anypony with enough money to donate would do it anonymously? Here in Canterlot?"

"...But we still get those donations?" Paprika put a hoof to her chin. "Well, now that I think on it, they aren't anonymous anymore... The main ones are from the princess and Fancy Pants.

"That's to keep up public relations, makes them look good." Skystrike took another bite of his salad.

"Wait, so, you've been working that whole time? What did you even do? You must have not gotten much sleep." Dawnstone began eating at her own food.

Skystrike leaned back in his chair and started counting on his hoof. "Mostly prep cooking, some delivery, preparing for tournaments, and if we really needed the money, theft."

"Wait, you stole!? From who!?" Paprika asked, slightly shocked.

"Mostly nobles. Ones I knew had money or items I could pawn that they wouldn't miss." He admitted. "Only had to do it like, 18 times, thankfully.

"How did you break into these places? I heard that most nobles have pretty good security." Blue Clover took a bite of her bread. "No way you were that good."

"Believe it or not, easier to break in than you think." Skystrike thought back. "Most of the time, you can just fly in from above if you're quiet. No one looks up for some reason. After that, find an open window and take a vase or necklace. The only hard ones were when I went into the castle."

The room fell silent. Casta broke it. "You... you what? How can you say that so nonchalantly?!"

Skystrike shrugged and laughed. "Relax, only Celestia knows. We met one time when I got sloppy. In hindsight, it probably what got me in her good graces..."

"Wait, so what happened?" Lucky Clover drank some of her soup.

---

It was the dead of night, It'd be a simple job, he told himself. Climbing the side of a stone wall to an open castle window to let himself inside, he opened his bag to begin taking a few things. He made sure to take steps carefully, as to not alert any guards. The princess wouldn't miss a few goblets or necklaces from their display cases. At least none she couldn't afford.

But as he continued and checked his corners, he noticed the distinct lack of any guards. Or anypony in the castle. Skystrike looked out the window, seeing some guards patrolling the outsides of the wall, but not in the castle. Something seemed... off. And then he heard sniffling. Then muffled crying. Something told him to leave right then and there, something instinctual, but his morals told him otherwise. He turned to his right, seeing a rather large double door wide open. The sobbing was getting louder. The doors had two halves of the sun on it. There was no way...

When he rounded the corner, he saw her, Princess Celestia crying. Her back faced the colt as she stared out her window and up at the mare in the moon. She wept for a bit longer before speaking to herself through the tears. "I miss you... I miss you so much, Luna... I should've never sent you up there... I want you here. With me." She sniffled.

Skystrike should've left then and there, but his morals told him not to. He didn't know who Luna was, but she didn't deserve to cry alone. He'd regret this later... Skystrike dropped his bag and walked into Celestia's bedroom. Celestia, who let her guard down, snapped her head around to see Skystrike walking towards her. She didn't even get a chance to ask how he was there before he hugged her foreleg. "I don't know what you're going through... but you don't have to suffer alone. My sister tells me that keeping everything to yourself doesn't help. Talk to somepony about it."

Celestia tried her best to force a smile as she wiped her tears. "...Thank you, my little pony, but you mustn't worry yourself over my issues." She sniffed a bit more. "I... assure you I am fine."

"Look, I know you're trying to act strong. I do it to in front of those I care about. From what I can tell, you cleared out the castle to be able to express your feelings. Don't let me stop you." Skystrike sat down next to Celestia. "I've lost... many that were close to me. I should've talked about it with somepony, but I made myself believe that I had nopony to hear me out. It didn't help. If this Luna you cry for is as important to you as my family was to me, then you need to talk to somepony about it..." Skystrike sighed. "I don't know why I'm giving you advice, you've probably heard it before.

Celestia smiled a bit at that, then looked at the colt. "You look quite young... I cant imagine what hardships you had to go through to be giving advice like that... Can you believe it's been nearly a thousand years since she went?" She asked that last part to herself.

"It's only been four or so for me... But I still blame myself, even if I had no other choice..." Skystrike huffed. "At least with you, since you said 'went', she may come back. You still have hope."

Those words felt different. This time, Celestia hugged the colt. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. I've made some peace with my demons. But the pain never goes away, it only drives me to be stronger."

"What's your name, my little pony? And how did you get in here? And why are you in here?"

"Skystrike Nebula, there was a window left open, and my family needs the money." Skystrike admitted.

"Well that was... rather forward."

"You have the power to smite me, I am not going to risk that." He put up his hooves in defense.

For the first time in a while, she laughed. It took a few moments Celestia to regain her composure. "I'm not going to smite you, but thank you for being truthful. But you shouldn't steal, your parents would be upset if they knew."

"Orphan."

Well that was blunt. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"It's alright. I just want to make sure my siblings can eat, where we don't have to go hungry every other day."

"Wait, if you live in an orphanage, you should be getting government funding proportionate to the number of ponies living there. Which one do you live in?" Celestia grabbed her notepad in her magic and prepared to write.

"Church of the two sisters."

She quickly wrote it down. "Thank you, Skystrike. Go home for tonight. Don't worry, I'll make sure your family has enough to eat."

---

Paprika stopped drinking her glass of wine. "...So that's why Celestia stopped by. Well... if I say thank you, I feel like it would encourage you to steal more but..."

Mystic ate a hoof full of berries. "And what about the tournaments and stuff?"

"First place had cash prizes. Chess tournaments, flight tournaments, I did pretty much all of it up until I went to that military school. Thankfully, their valedictorian got monthly stipends." Skystrike started working on his 3rd plate of food. "Honestly, probably wouldn't have went if not for that."

"So you didn't want to be a guard? I thought that was why you went." Astral finished her plate and hummed.

"Not really. I would've wanted to if not for all the red tape they have to deal with. Can't really help ponies if laws actively stop me from doing so."

This time, Maud spoke. "I get it. We fought for the ponies when the guards wouldn't. A shame that so much good gets stopped because of some money."

From the window, the group could see the sun dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the table. A group of friends reunited after years apart. Laughter and excitement filled the air as they spoke, faces beaming with joy. Life had taken them on different paths, splitting them apart, but now, in this moment, they were together again. The clinking of glasses and the aroma of fine wine signaled the beginning of a long-awaited catch-up session.

As they settled into their familiar roles, stories flowed like a river, each one eager to share their adventures and experiences. Some had embarked on globetrotting adventures, while others had embraced the world with ambition and goals of success. With every tale, they rediscovered the shared memories and inside jokes that had forged their unbreakable bond. Time had aged them, but their connection remained as strong as ever.

Amidst the laughter and reminiscing, there was a sense of gratitude for this moment. They've realized that life's twists and turns had shaped them into the individuals they were today, and while they had grown in different ways, the core of their bond remained unchanged. In that restaurant, with the warmth of friendship enveloping them, they understood the value of their relationships had stood the test of time, and they vowed to make these reunions a regular occurrence, cherishing the bonds that had brought them together once more.

Alas, the night had to come to an end. Tears fell from all parties, but they made a vow. He would see them again. Hugs were exchanged, and promises to stay in touch were made with sincerity. Distance and time might separate them momentarily, but their bonds were unbreakable. With a shared commitment to their friendship, they whispered assurances that this farewell was merely a 'see you later.' As they watched the waves crash against the shore, they felt a profound sense of gratitude for the moments they had shared and the ones that awaited them in the future. With a final wave and smiles that concealed the sadness of goodbye, Skystrike and Tethys departed, the former carrying the hope of reuniting once more, knowing that their next meeting would be just as joyous as this one.

Skystrike settled next to his luggage as the train carried them toward Ponyville. He'd be back home soon, with his new friends. Ones he made a promise to come back to. He didn't know why, but he felt a weight come off his heart. With a long exhale, he looked out the window and at the stars. They seemed... brighter than usual. He smiled a bit as he closed blinked.

Sleep finally hit him as he fell onto the floor. Three days without sleep was finally coming back to haunt him. But he deserved a rest. He closed his eyes, falling to the abyss of his mind. For once, there wasn't a nightmare. He had something to look forward to.

Author's Note:

This one was a bit harder to write, admittedly. Next chapter I plan to be a bit more fun, since it is Skystrike's birthday. I hope to get the next one out relatively soon, but I'm doing research for my college right now, so I can't say when it will be out.

Hope you all enjoyed, and I hope to see you next time.

Comments

[Haver]

More good

[Big boi]

My man's finally did it he revealed himself, good on him.