Reformation... It's a Pony Thing

by Lets Do This

Apology Accepted

After working out a few arrangements with Mama Orcina, they swam up to the surface and signaled for the Phoenix to come collect them. And they found that in the meantime, Queen Novo had returned. Despite her misgivings at the anxious report delivered by Skyranger's lieutenant, she had brought the Pearl back with her, and once she'd reassured herself of the situation, was able to transform them all back into their land forms... including a nervous and cringing Skystar.

"Princess Skystar!" Queen Novo glared at her daughter. "You seem to be making a habit of running away and putting yourself in danger. I think we need to establish some clear ground rules here!"

"Yes, Mother." Skystar hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to be with my friends."

Movement in the corner of her vision made her look. It was Pinkie Pie, gesturing frantically. Go ahead, she mouthed.

"But I was going to give it to her later!" Skystar whispered back. "When she wasn't so cross!"

Pinkie shrugged. "What's wrong with now?"

"I suppose." Skystar motioned to Grubber, who came over and handed her a corroded metal box. Which Skystar then placed before Queen Novo.

"What's this?" the Queen asked.

"It's something Mama Orcina asked me to give you. You see, Mother... I had to tell her about the Pearl..." She winced at Novo's astonished expression, then hurried on. "... and I promised her we'd share its magic with her, so she'd be able to come up on land and see everything. That's all she really wanted, you see, this whole time. It's why she asked for ponies and seaponies and hippogriffs to be brought to her, so she could find a way to visit up here. Everything else was just a big misunderstanding... by everyone!"

Skystar gestured to the box. "Mama Orcina asked me to give you this as a gift... to thank us in advance, sort of, for being willing to share our magic with her..."

Cautiously, Queen Novo opened the box's lid. Within, resting on the tattered, rotted remnants of the original cloth interior, was a large, perfectly round, ink-black pearl.

At the sight of it, Queen Novo gasped. "Princess Skystar! Do you have any idea what this is?"

"Um... no?"

"Well... this is only the Black Pearl! It was taken from us generations ago. It's a twin to the Pearl of Transformation. In fact, that's why we keep the Pearl so carefully guarded... because it's the last one we have."

She glanced toward the Pearl itself, sitting in its own casket beside her. "And... if I remember rightly... well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

Taking up the Black Pearl in one claw, she reached over and took up the Pearl in the other. She carefully brought them alongside each other. The iridescent inner fire of the Pearl shone brilliantly, then leapt the gap... and suddenly Queen Novo was holding two Pearls, each gleaming with the same brilliant inner fire.

Skystar gasped. "Omigosh! That's amazing! Oh! Oh! Mother! You know what we could do? We could divide this one up," she said, pointing to the Black Pearl, "so that everyone -- including Mama Orcina -- would be able to use the transformation spell! And we'd still have the original Pearl for safe-keeping! We wouldn't have to worry about anyone stealing it any more! Yay!"

"Yes, indeed," Queen Novo looked across at Tempest. "Seems that splitting up the Pearl's magic wasn't such a crazy idea after all!"

Tempest nodded gratefully.

Then Queen Novo's gaze shifted back to Skystar... and Skystar's face suddenly fell.

"Oh... right. Sorry. Got a little carried away there. Still grounded, I know."

Queen Novo gazed at her thoughtfully.

"You know, Skystar... I've been thinking it's high time you started taking on more responsibility around here. Like learning the fine art of diplomacy? Now, let me see if I understand all this correctly... you not only helped Princess Twilight locate and retrieve our missing citizens, you also helped her establish peaceful relations with the Great Whites, and you also managed to speak to the most reclusive and powerful member of the Big Three, and persuade her to agree to opening up formal relationships with... well, pretty much everyone in the world, near as I can figure! Which... is something that none of my finest negotiators and diplomats has managed to accomplish to date."

Skystar stared at her in surprise. And Queen Novo smiled proudly.

"I might just be inclined to look upon that as your very first lesson. Well done, Skystar!"

"Really, Mother?" Skystar blushed. "Well, to be honest... I had a lot of help!" She glanced at Twilight and her friends.

"I'm sure you did." The Queen replied. "And we are grateful to them... all of them. Princess Twilight!"

"Your Majesty?" Twilight stepped forward.

"On behalf of Seaquestria -- and the rebuilt city of Hippogriffia -- I formally accept your apology, and I look forward to doing business with you in the future... whenever our paths may cross again."

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Twilight bowed her head.

"Tempest Shadow!"

"Your Majesty?"

"I also formally accept your apology. Just... don't do anything to make me regret that, huh?"

Twilight nodded. "At this moment, Your Majesty... that's the last thing I'd do."

"Princess Twilight," Queen Novo went on, "Now that you have your friends back, I'm assuming you'll be heading back home, but is there anything else we can do for you while you're here?"

"There is one unsettled item of business," Twilight said. "What to do with Strife here?" She gestured with a forehoof at the bubble of containment magic in which Strife was again imprisoned. "Now... manipulating your armed forces and attempting to start a war could be construed as an act of aggression. You might feel the need to prosecute him on that basis."

Queen Novo made a disapproving face. "To be quite honest, Princess, I'd rather just be rid of him. I think I'll leave his fate in your capable hooves."

"Um..." Fluttershy glanced between the Queen and Twilight nervously. "I really hope we don't have to be too hard on him. After all, he is homeless, you know!"

At Twilight's inquiring look, she went on. "He's a Fred, you see. Well, not our Fred, but the same thing, almost. It was a long time ago, long enough that he learned how to exist outside the crystal. But over the centuries all the crystals that housed him have been lost or destroyed. Since then he's had nowhere to go, and no purpose to serve. Sure, he's done some harmful things, but... well, I suppose any of us might do the same if we felt like we had no home of our own to go to."

Twilight nodded. "So... what do you suggest, Fluttershy?"

"Well... I talked it over with our Fred -- that's how I know all this by the way -- and he says he's willing to share. To make room for Strife, let him be one of them. So long as Strife agrees to play by the rules, of course."

The various furred soldiers standing about rumbled and hooted determinedly.

"Well, that's very generous of him," Twilight said. "But that means it's not my decision." Twilight looked to Tempest. "I think this one is yours, Commander."

Tempest strode up to the containment bubble. "Strife? Are you willing to follow my orders? Completely, to the letter? And do you understand the consequences if you step out of line? I can be fair, but extremely unforgiving!"

"Hey, that's no joke!" Grubber put in. "Trust me on this!"

"Quiet, Grubber." Tempest stared at Strife. "Well?"

Strife bowed. "I have done wrong. And I will do right from now on. To have a home, a place again... I wlll do anything to prove myself worthy of it."

Tempest looked doubtful, but nodded. "It'll do for now. We'll see how it goes."

She turned to the nearest soldier, who came to attention. "Fred?" she asked. "Are you okay with this as well? More importantly... can you keep an eye on him? Make sure he stays on our side?"

The soldier nodded.

"Then I think we have a deal." She looked to Twilight. "Princess, if you would?"

Cautiously, Twilight removed the containment ward.

The soldier crossed over to stand before Strife. It held out a paw. Strife nervously touched it with one of his spindly arms. And in a whirlwind of transformation, he became another furred soldier... though with a yellow-and-black fur pattern, like a Pharoah's crest.

Amazed, he lifted his restored paws to examine them. "This is wonderful!" he said. "I feel like I once did, back in the day." He looked around at the other soldiers. "And I belong again!"

Tempest stalked up to him. "Since you still appear to have language skills, I hereby provisionally appoint you as my official translator, since I don't happen to speak 'Fred', myself! Not that I haven't appreciated everything you've done in that department, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy smiled. "I do need to get back to caring for my animals! But do be sure to drop by, Fred, whenever you're all in town."

"Speaking of which," Rarity said, "isn't it about time we went back home ourselves? Really! I'm going to have to visit the sauna for a month just to bake the stink of seawater out of my coat and mane."

"Oh, come on!" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I thought you liked being gift-wrapped in seaweed and smeared with sea-salty mud and stuff."

"When it's part of a proper treatment regimen, Rainbow!" Rarity huffed. "I'd hardly call a week underwater chained to a steel ball anything approaching that!"

"Well, I'm sure gonna miss swimmin' underwater, with the fins and all..." Applejack said. "Say, Twi, I wonder if we could organize some kinda international underwater rodeo or somethin'? Maybe invite the seaponies to compete?"

"Oooh, oooh! I'm in!" Pinkie said. "Pick me, pick me!" Then she turned to Skystar, and her face fell. "Well... G'bye, Skystar," she said sadly, hugging her. "Be sure to write!"

"Bye, Pinkie," Skystar replied. "Be sure to visit!"

"Oh yes, in-deedy! I've got a hundred cake recipes to show you... now that the hippogriffs are living on land where the cake doesn't get soggy! I'll even bring my own party-cake cannon! Hee!"

Twilight shook her head, smiling at her friends. Then she turned to Tempest. "Ready to head home, Commander?"

Tempest grinned. "I like the sound of that, Princess! Uh, home, I mean!" Tempest looked over at Captain Celaeno, standing nearby accompanied by her crew.

"Captain, I want to personally thank you and your crew for all your help. And it goes without saying... though I'll say it anyway... you're more than welcome to keep the Phoenix as recompense for the loss of your own ship!"

"Thank you, Commander." Celaeno nodded. "We'll return that magic crystal to you, though, just to be on the safe side. We tend to lead a rough life. Don't want it getting lost or stolen on one of our adventures!"

Tempest smiled. "Once I've picked a ship to serve as my flagship, I'll bring it alongside and we can move the crystal over. But... you're sure I can't convince all of you to stay on as well? I've... kind of gotten used to having you watching my back!"

Celaeno smiled. "We prefer the open skies, Commander, and we set our own rules. But... if you should ever happen to need a band of scurvy, no-account swashbuckling treasure-hunters for a noble and just cause, put the word out for us... we'll be there!"

The Commander and Captain nodded courteously to each other. Then Tempest turned to look at the ships hanging about them in the sky. And sighed in annoyance.

"What's the matter, boss?" Grubber asked, staring up at her.

"Funny thing, really," Tempest muttered. "I can make decisions easily in battle, but I just can't make up my mind when there's nothing at stake. I dislike having too many choices!"

"Don't visit Sugarcube Corners, then," Pinkie warned her. "We have fifty-six kinds of muffins, and fourteen flavors of ice-cream!"

Tempest glanced at Pinkie, a smile on her face. "I never said I didn't want to learn. We should totally have an ice-cream party when we get back."

"Oo-oooh! I'm buying!" Pinkie beamed.

Comments

[Tranquil Serenity]

Chapter 18

Wow. Everything seems to be being tied up so nicely here.

[Bronzedragon]

sfw version narwalls
https://youtu.be/ZtDuMie6dHI