A Guardian's Hope

by Last Satisfaction

Chapter 7

A few hours later, when the shift between the sun and the moon was about to happen, Sunset was north of Ponyville. She had slipped out of the library without making a sound, taking her saddlebags with her and a canteen full of water. All around her, nature was waking up, birdsong adding to the sound of the breeze. Sitting on the dew-covered grass, she formed a circle with some rocks collected along the way. She lit a campfire; As the flames devoured firewood,, she prepared a teapot and hung it above the fire. Waiting for the infusion to brew, she took out two tea cups in chiselled metal, each with a different design. On the first cup was carved the cutie mark of Sunset, while the second one was decorated with the cutie mark of Celestia. A few minutes later, after the sun was risen, she greeted the astral body with a bow and poured tea into both cups. She sniffed the mint tea and finally smiled. "Hello, Princess Celestia. I'm sorry I haven't had time to share a cup of tea lately. I've been a bit busy getting back to Equestria, but it seems you already knew I was on my way." She looked down, still with that peaceful smile on her face. "I'll take care of Twilight, Princess, I promise you." She looked up at the sun for a brief moment before staring at the teacups. "That said, I would rather have received this request in person. It's not like you couldn't have contacted me all this time. I don't understand you." She smiled briefly. "I couldn't understand you when I was your student either; some things don't change over time, it seems." She took her cup of tea, turned it twice clockwise before taking a sip, then twirled it again so that she could look at its decoration. She took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, then fought a tremor. She glanced at the metal parchment case that housed Princess Celestia’s last letter. "Your last words. I cannot believe you are no longer with us." She glanced briefly at the sun. "Had I known, I would have come home much sooner. You tell us not to regret anything, yet, this is all I have left: memories and regrets." She performed the same ritual again before and after drinking the rest of her tea cup in one go with a smile on her face. "Yes, well, you've also left me somepony to look after. Somehow I feel more like this is your revenge. My punishment for not being a devoted student. I gladly accept this retribution. I will treat Twilight as my little sister, and I will watch over her according to your last wish." She refilled her cup of tea, then unscrewed the case to take out Celestia's last letter. As she glanced through the parchment, she sipped her tea, following the codes of the tea ceremony she had learned in Japony.

<My dear students,
When you read this letter, I won't be here anymore.

Several years ago, Bitter Truth, the oracle, came to me and explained what was going to happen today. Circumspect, I did not doubt his words. Year after year, they have come true. The return of my sister, the liberation of the spirit of chaos, the danger during my adopted niece's wedding, the resurgence of the tyrant. The rise of the Princess of Friendship. All that was left was the setting of the Princess of the Sun.

You probably think I should have told you about it, or warned you, but Bitter Truth told me what the future would look like if I didn't face that event. A thousand years ago, I could not prevent the banishment of my sister, blinded by my own pride. Today, I would not make the same mistake. I would do the right thing. I have lived more than a thousand years. Watching the kingdom of Equestria from my tower, I have seen it grow and prosper. The dream of Luna and I had become a reality. Generation after generation, I have met ponies who left their hoofprint in history—unicorns that I am proud to have had as students. I've had a complete and full life—maybe too full.

You will no doubt look for a culprit in this. If that is the case, I am the only one to blame. I was weak to prefer to disappear, rather than stand helplessly by and watch the prediction that was revealed to me unfold.

Keep this in mind: I am not dying; I am doing an altruistic act for the greater good. And as I have already said to a thick-headed mare, I, too, am just a mare like any others after all.

Warmest regards, your devoted mentor,
Princess Celestia.>

Sunset carefully put the mail in the case and closed it before using a third cup. With her gaze fixed on the symbol, she meditated on the contents of the letter. "If I had not heard Twilight say that this Pepper had set the sun, this letter would make me think that you are still alive. You give explanations, but that brings with it more questions." She had a nostalgic smile on her face. "That sounds like one of your lessons."

In a gust of wind, Rainbow Dash landed beside the unicorn. She watched the campfire before turning towards Sunset, stepping back and spreading her wings. "Sunset? Are you alright?"

Sunset was surprised by her sudden arrival and instinctively threw herself backwards towards her saddlebags. Out of habit, she never parted from her katana. She turned the blade she had partially drawn on her right, looking at Rainbow Dash, frowning, in an improvised defensive posture. When she realised there was no threat, she sheathed the blade, her expression softening. "Yes,you just surprised me. When you travel, you don't just make friends. Did I wake you up?"

"Oh no. I'm not the only one who gets up at the first minute of daytime. Applejack's off in her orchards, and Pinkie's up baking at Sugar Cube Corner,” Rainbow Dash commented. "It's part of my daily training to become a Wonderbolt." She looked around. "When I saw the fire from the sky, I came to see what was going on. Am I disturbing you?"

Sunset bit her lower lip, smiling sheepishly. "No, it's just a morning ritual that started with my regret phase." She glanced at the pegasus. "Several months after being dismissed as Princess Celestia's pupil, one morning as she rose the sun, I greeted her. I started speaking to the sun as if she was there, as well as sending her boxes of tea anonymously. It must sound silly when you say it like that."

Rainbow sat down, crossing her forelegs. "Silly? Nah, no more than anypony talking in front of a relative’s grave." She sighed. "Which is actually the case now," she added, looking at Canterlot in the distance.

"You're right.," Sunset admitted. "After the sun is risen, what's the next step in training to become a Wonderbolt?" she asked, changing the subject.

Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and began to glide. "I'm flying to Canterlot and having breakfast at Donut Joe's in—"

"Breakfast at Donut Joe's?!" Sunset's eyes lit up. "I'm in!" In a whirlwind, she pulled out a purse and tied it around her neck, tucked her things into one of the saddlebags, and put out the fire with the rest of the tea. "Just a quick stop at Twilight's house to put my saddlebags away and we're good to go!"

"I'll take care of it," Rainbow said, taking the saddlebags off her back. "Whoa! I feel like I'm carrying two basketfuls of apples"

"Almost the bare minimum for living on the road. Tent, blanket, survival kit. About twenty kilos. Think you can handle it?" Sunset asked.

"Even with this on my back, I can make the round trip in less than ten seconds," boasted the pegasus.

Sunset was amused, wanting to spice things up. "I bet you can't do it in less than five seconds. Loser buys breakfast."

"You're on!" Rainbow Dash was gone in a flash, so fast that she created another gust in her wake.

Smiling, the unicorn bent over to compensate for the sudden gust of wind that upset her balance. She concentrated, her magic granting her wings of flames. She rose high enough in the air to see Rainbow fly back at full speed. "It was a sucker’s bet," she said, making sure the harness was properly secured so she wouldn't lose the katana.

"Are you kidding? I can totally do it! I'm going to practice until I get below the five-second mark," Rainbow Dash vowed.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Well, shall we go? It's going to be a long flight to Canterlot."

Rainbow blinked several times before laughing. "Long?" She grabbed one of Sunset's hooves. "I don't think so."

Sunset suddenly grew apprehensive. "Rainbow? What are you doin’—?!" she shouted as she was forced into a flight that broke the sound barrier halfway through, creating a rainbow-colored ring that grew larger in the morning sky.

Rainbow carried her to the front door of Donut Joe's shop. When she turned around to look at Sunset, she fell to the ground, laughing. She held her ribs while pointing at Sunset's mane. It was ruined by the Sonic Rainboom, blown back straight like a head of flaming straw. "What the hay is with your hairdo?! If Rarity saw you like this, she'd faint." She took a deep breath, then straightened up on her hooves. "Let's head in. I'm starving."

Sunset shook her head, putting her mane back in place. "My stomach is still in Ponyville because of you. By the time we've ordered, it will have made the trip here," she said with a mischievous smile.

They entered the store. As Rainbow walked towards the counter, the smell of the morning doughnuts invigorated Sunset’s memory. It was like going back in time. Nothing had changed. The chequerboard floor. The light blue and apple-green contoured counter behind which Joe took the orders. The round tables and their wooden stools. She joined Rainbow at the counter.

Joe watched in amazement and delight as Sunset approached. "If I hadn't been told you were back, Miss Shimmer, I'd think I saw a ghost."

Sunset looked at Rainbow, but the pegasus simply shook her head. "It wasn't me," she said, as astonished as Sunset was. They turned to Donut Joe.

Joe briefly looked at the entrance. "I heard it from a reliable source."

The pegasus that had just entered the shop moved closer to the counter. "But if it isn't Sunpest I see there... So, finally back from the lost maze, girl? It's about time you came home," she said with impertinent malice.

Rainbow reacted immediately, turning to defend her new friend. But as she was about to speak, she immediately took a step back.

Sunset put a hoof on her shoulder, giving her a warm smile. "Don't worry, it's all right," she whispered. She glanced at the interested party. "Yeah, I'm back. Why? Do you mind? Don't make a big fuss about nothing, Shitfire,"

Spitfire was out of her Wonderbolts uniform. She stood with defiance, looking stern. "Do I mind? Yes, it does bother me. Canterlot's daily life has been pretty quiet lately, but with you around, I have the feeling that it won't last long. So, be a good filly for once, and go back to where you came from," she ordered dryly.

Rainbow stood silent, not knowing what to think of the scene before her. She glanced at Donut Joe. The stallion was also watching, a discreet smirk on his face. She turned again to the two antagonists facing each other.

Sunset and Spitfire were facing each other like statues. It wasn't long before their lips twisted into a smile, and they shared a hoofshake that ended in a shoulder-to-shoulder slap.

"Wait—do you two know each other?" Rainbow asked, leaning forward with her wings spread.

"Yes." Sunset said, "Spitfire was a friend of mine when I was a student at the school for gifted unicorns."

Spitfire laughed. "You mean, the only one crazy enough to hang out with you back then. But let's talk about old times in a little bit. Joe, can you bring us our usual orders, please?"

"Right away, miss," Joe said.

The three of them settled down at a table. Sunset and Spitfire sat face-to-face. Rainbow sat on the side, so was fortunate to be sitting beside one of her idols.

Donut Joe brought three meal trays. For Spitfire and Rainbow, the tray contained a fruit salad, coffee, a glass of milk, and several slices of toast with two squares of butter and two individual jars of jam. For Sunset, a green tea, a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries accompanied by a pitcher of milk, and a whole avocado. When he saw Sunset's surprised expression , he smiled. "I memorised your breakfast. I hope you still like it. Ladies, enjoy your breakfast."

Sunset wanted to respond with the term she'd learned in Japan, but settled for a simple, "Thank you." She turned to the two pegasi. "Enjoy your meal too."

After some polite exchanges, Spitfire began, "So, what's the story of your little stroll?"

Sunset cut the avocado with the knife. "I wandered all over the world until I ended up in Japony. It was a nice place, so I settled down. New culture, a way of life so different from here. But being a gaijin isn't easy there, even if there are advantages to being a ronin," she thought aloud, watching her reflection in the knife. She realised Spitfire was looking at her oddly. "Gaijin means ‘stranger’, and a ronin is..." She was going to say samurai, but that would make it harder to understand. "...A warrior who serves no ruler. A mercenary, sort of. Over there, the country is divided into clans, each with its own chief—the correct term is daimyo—and its warriors, which are called samurai. In the beginning, it was easy for me to get a job in the sake parlours, making sure the customers didn't get drunk." When she finished dicing up the avocado, she saw that the two mares were lost again. "The local alcohol, made from fermented rice. After that, I was offered a job by a magistrate, who is the equivalent of a criminal investigator. That's when I started making enemies and being on the lookout for intruders," she said, looking at Rainbow.

Spitfire was amused by the second part of the story. "Sunset Shimmer, the royal meanie, now a representative of justice. If anypony but you had told me, I'd have laughed in their face."

Rainbow poured some of her milk into the coffee and mixed it with two sugars. "The... what?"

Spitfire turned to Rainbow. "Sunset Shimmer was the worst student at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Oh, of course, as a pupil of Princess Celestia, she behaved impeccably towards any authority figure. But as soon as there weren’t any adults around, she became a completely different mare."

Sunset took the blame, but sought to defend herself. "You're exaggerating. I wasn't as much of a bully as you say I was. Okay, I admit that I had a shitty mentality at the time, but not that much. I was still a student of Princess Celestia, after all."

Spitfire had a laugh. "I think you're idealising your past, because, believe me, your name is still being mentioned at the school today. You've become an urban legend."

Rainbow stepped in, eager to know more. "But how did you two meet in the end?"

Sunset happily put aside the ongoing conversation to answer Rainbow. "At the time, this venom-spitting viper was looking for a unicorn to train in live combat. So when she went to see Princess Celestia, she naturally thought of me."

Rainbow turned to Spitfire again. "Real fight with a unicorn? What for?"

"The pony who desires peace prepares for war. And when you see what unicorns can do with their magic, you must be prepared to fight one of them at any moment," Spitfire explained.

"By the way, has that training paid off?" Sunset asked before eating a few spoonfuls of her oats.

"So-so." Spitfire set her cutlery aside and leaned over the table, chin in hoof, looking out the windows to the sky. "Soon after you left, I became Squadron Leader and Chief Instructor of New Recruits." She looked at Sunset and smiled impertinently. "I think it's fair to say it has been useful to my career."

The oats Sunset had gathered slipped from her spoon and fell back into the bowl. She put the spoon on the tray and took a sip of her tea. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Don't bother. I'm too used to Sunpest. I might take it as sarcasm."

"Stop it, Spitfire. You were one of the few I was straight with," Sunset grunted.

"I admit as much." Spitfire looked lost in her memories, amused. "Do you remember the first year who kept following you around?” She wouldn't say their name, thinking Sunset forgot it. “You'd make her carry your things, send her shopping, whatever, and she'd ask for more, always ready to oblige. What was it she said when she talked about you? I don't remember," she pondered aloud.
Rainbow remained silent as she finished her meal, letting her friends talk about the good old days—even though it was hard to imagine that Sunset could have been as Spitfire described.

Sunset had to think for a moment to remember. "Yes, I know who you mean. That young unicorn with the light-blue coat and silver and blue mane, she was all over me back then. Trixie, I believe? She said I was the ‘Great and Wonderful’ Sunset."
You have better to suggest? Following everywhere is not better

Spitfire suddenly looked up at Sunset with an amused, nostalgic smile. "Yes, that's it, exactly!"

Rainbow spat out the coffee she was drinking. "You knew Trixie when she was young?!" she shouted.

"Uh... yes? Why? Do you know her?" Sunset asked warily.

"Are you kidding me? She's had Twilight in a rage since they first met! She even tried to use the Alicorn Amulet to defeat her in a magic duel and banish her from Ponyville!" Rainbow explained.

"After you left, she began to consider herself the most powerful student in the school. But nothing could be further from the truth. The episode with the artefact briefly made her more powerful than Princess Twilight. Back then, she was still a unicorn," Spitfire added.

Sunset had a vague recollection of the artefact bringing power to the wearer, but the wearer’s spirit would become corrupted as it was used. "Is she all right now?" Sunset asked, worried about Trixie's fate.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since we took the amulet from her. She left Ponyville shortly after. That was last year."

Sunset gave a quiet sigh of relief. "I see." She ate a spoonful of oatmeal before resuming, "I'm not proud of it, but it's all behind me. It was fifteen years ago. I'm not the same pony anymore. I'm not going to let the past stop me from moving forward."

The three mares resumed their meal in silence. Donut Joe approached the table to clean up the coffee that Rainbow had spit out moments earlier. After a stern look, he cracked a teasing smile. "Miss Dash, if the coffee isn't to your liking, just say the word. I’ll brew a new pitcher to change yours."

Rainbow was embarrassed, rubbing her neck with a hoof. "No, it's not that. I just heard something huge about Sunset's past."

Joe hid a laugh behind a hoof. "Anypony who knew her would have a lot to say about Miss Shimmer. Even I'd have a few anecdotes to tell about her."

Sunset let her astonishment override her annoyance. "Even here? What have I done?"

"Didn't you ever notice that my dad had a new intern almost every week?" Joe asked.

"I don't remember," Sunset admitted after a period of reflection.

"You were a difficult client at the time, abusing your status as Princess Celestia’s student. . Your unpleasant comments made the interns give up rather than put up with you for another day. In the end, my father pushed me to personally take care of your orders. I remember the difficulty I had in preparing a breakfast that you liked." He laughed nostalgically. "Those were good times. I don't know if I would've gotten my cutie mark without your fussy demands, but I had to be just as fussy to make my doughnuts."

Spitfire held back a laugh. "I remember the day you threatened to bring in a health inspector and shut the shop down if the intern of the day dared to ever serve you an avocado that wasn’t freshly picked again. He looked so freaked out the rest of the day. Good thing it wasn't a pegasus, or it would have rained lightning bolts on your head once you left the shop.”

With a story like that, Rainbow smiled up to her ears, which she could hardly hide behind her hooves.

Sunset remained silent, memories of the same sort streaming into her mind. She lost her appetite, putting her spoon down, her eyes screwed on her plate. When she felt Joe's hoof on her shoulder, she turned her gaze to him.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Miss Shimmer. I brought that up just because you don't seem to be the same. You haven't made a doughnut in your life." He smiled reassuringly. "When you eat a doughnut, the last bite ends behind the first. You're right back where you started, so to speak. Which you haven't done. I’m certain that if Princess Celestia hadn't disappeared, she'd be proud to see the mare you've become."

At the thought of Princess Celestia's disappearance, Rainbow and Spitfire lost their smiles and ended the meal. Sunset, who regained a slight smile, thought about the precept with interest. "’Don't live your life like a doughnut.’ That's an interesting bistro philosophy you've got there, Joe.”

"Sold two bits each, six days a week. Twenty bits by the dozen," joked Joe as he walked back behind the counter.

Breakfast now over, they paid the check and left the store. Spitfire turned back to Sunset and Rainbow. "If you don't have any plans, I'd like you to come with me. Shouldn't take more than an hour." With those few words, she flew off, climbing above the tallest house in the area. The two mares stared at each other, then flew into the skies after Spitfire.

"I'm beginning to think this meeting was planned," Sunset said as she flew to the left of the Wonderbolt, Rainbow on the other side.

"It was, more or less, but seeing you two together at Joe's is more luck than anything else. It's true we used to have breakfast there. And since Soarin made it the Wonderbolts' unofficial coffee shop, I was sure Rainbow Dash would be there. I thought I'd send her to get you."

"Unnecessary, since she literally dragged me to Joe's. Now that we're out of eavesdropping range, you wanna give us a briefing?"

Spitfire smirked. "As eager as ever, I see. Sunpest isn't as dead and buried as you'd like to think. Joking aside, the day after Princess Celestia disappeared, I found an envelope in my office. The letter contained instructions from Princess Celestia. That's how I knew you were coming back one of these days."

"I've got a pretty good idea who the delivery pony was," Sunset said between two flaps of her flaming wings

"Head to the Altostratus Zone," Spitfire said, ignoring the remark.

The three mares flew to the Wonderbolt Academy. While Sunset enchanted her hooves to be able to walk on clouds, Rainbow Dash watched the airstrip, remembering her stay that led her to becoming a Wonderbolt reservist. Behind the academy's administrative district was a restricted area. They arrived in front of a hangar that was guarded by a pegasus officer wearing an indigo blue shirt and cap. His gaze hidden behind tinted sunglasses, he greeted them as Spitfire guided them inside.

Spitfire sighed as she walked down an all-white corridor. "First of all, I want you to know that I was briefed yesterday afternoon by Princess Luna on the status of Princess Celestia. Therefore, in accordance with the letter, I am initiating what she called the project..." She stopped, sighed again, rolling her eyes before casting a reproving glance back. “... ‘Like Every Wonderful Day.’ No comments, you two," she ordered curtly.

It took two seconds for Sunset to understand and need to hide her laughing lips behind a hoof. Rainbow needed Sunset to share the secret hiding in the acronym to understand why Spitfire reacted the way she did. The ensuing uncontrollable laughter echoed in the hallway.

The leader of the Wonderbolts used a wing to hide her face, the contagious laughter making her smile in spite of herself. After regaining her composure, she made her way to the main hall. "She always had a knack for bringing a ray of sunshine to even the most serious topics of conversation. I will miss her witticisms." She put the hoof on a panel. The door turned to mist. She walked through and stopped at the entrance. "Girls, this is the old Sandmare Project."

Sunset and Rainbow entered the room. The former just sat next to Spitfire. The latter went over to the centre of the room, looking at two pegasus dummies of both genders. On both were prototypes of armour without protective plates.

Rainbow tilted her head towards Spitfire." What's this?"

"More specifically, what was Project Sandmare?" Sunset corrected.

Spitfire looked at them before wandering around the hangar, going from bench to bench, from schematics-covered countertops to those with metallurgical studies. "It started shortly after I became chief of the Wonderbolts. At the time, I was obsessed with an idea: What if somepony like Sunpest goes rogue and threatens the safety of Equestria?"

"Oh, so you were obsessed with me? Interesting," Sunset said with an impertinent smile.

Spitfire continued with a brief, knowing smile. "The worst thing about it is that I wasn't the only one in this case. Several high-ranking Wonderbolts were literally obsessed with the idea, day and night. In our dreams, there was a unicorn—sometimes a male, sometimes a female—sometimes a relative, sometimes a stranger—but always a unicorn who was going to be an unstoppable threat to us pegasi. So we started working on this project. In time, we found a metal that was impervious to magic. Only trouble was, it turned out that the samples of this metal came from meteorites. Soon after, the obsession evaporated. Dreams, ideas— just poofed away overnight, as if a page had been turned without our knowledge."

Sunset wondered if Nightmare Moon had anything to do with this, but saw no point in pushing the enemy to do research to fight a unicorn or an alicorn. She kept that idea in the back of her mind for the time being.

"How many have you collected? How much armour could you make out of it?" Rainbow asked as she tried on the helmet, which was designed to follow the contours of the face without obstructing vision in any way.

Spitfire came over to adjust the helmet's fasteners. "A few ingots of pure metal there under the tarp," she said, jerking her head to a corner. "Not even enough to make a full suit of armour," she said as she tied the chinstrap, half-strangling Rainbow in the process.

Sunset went to see said metal. The tarpaulin moved to the side, she tried to use telekinesis on one of the ingots, but it proved to truly be impervious to magic manipulation. She took the time to study the metal. It was so black that it seemed to absorb the light itself. She put the ingot down and put the tarp back on. Without too much difficulty, she found a study report on the metal. "Given its density, if one made an armour with such metal, it would drastically reduce the speed of the wearer."

"This is the major concern.Was metallurgy before or after ‘Sunpest, the righter of wrongs’?" Spitfire asked as Rainbow put her hooves in the solerets.

"Afterwards. When I first started there, I used a regular sword. But the more I learned about this country, the more I appreciated their customs and habits. I worked to accumulate favours with a clan until I could express the wish to make one for myself. To buy a blade, anypony can do that. But a katana is to brandish my honour, to show what metal I'm made of. At least that's how it's perceived over there in Japony."

Rainbow was both lost and fascinated by what Sunset said, but a physical sensation perturbed her more.She looked at the solerets in more detail, intrigued. "Is it just me, or am I taller?"

Spitfire smiled at Sunset's words, then turned to Rainbow. "Rear up and crush the front hooves as you fall back."

Rainbow obeyed without blinking, and, in doing so, activated an internal mechanism that released manticore-like claws. "Whoa, cool!" She looked at them for a moment. "It'd be, like, twenty percent cooler if we could use them to manipulate objects."

Sunset dropped the study notebook and came closer to see the fitting of the armature. She used magic to put the rest of Rainbow’s body and wings through it. "You look like one of those half-pegasus, half-metallic creatures from those science fiction stories," she commented before turning to Spitfire. "So, what's the project all about?"

"I have to finish Project Sandmare. Make this armour capable of facing a unicorn and put it into action. Any ideas?" asked Spitfire.

"It's been a long time, but what have you learned from our training?" Sunset replied.

"Even with the best mobility, whenever you used telekinesis to immobilise me, it was my defeat." She turned to Rainbow. "Any ideas, Dash?"

Rainbow wanted to bring her hoof to her lips, the prototype’s claws pricking her nose in the process. "Ouch!"

"To retract those claws, you have to click your heels together," Spitfire said.

One heel-slap later, Rainbow tried to find a memory of a one-on-one fight with a unicorn. But nothing came to her. "Not really. The one time there was a fight with a unicorn, I kicked her in the neck, but Twilight and Applejack were distracting her." She sighed. "It was Pepper."

Spitfire put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "I've read the report. Dash, you couldn't have known what she had in mind." When she saw that she failed to cheer Rainbow up, she turned to Sunset.

Sunset looked up at the sky and smiled. "Hey, Rainbow. I forgot—what's the name of the project again?"

Rainbow looked up at Sunset. Though caught off guard, she laughed unwillingly. "All right, all right, I'll keep smiling. Anyway, what about the armour?"

"The armour will always cause you to lose speed. We must reconsider the concept if we try to make a lamellar armour like that of the Royal Guards. Their armour is made of iron, which wouldn’t allow a pegasus to lift off. No, it would be better to make something like chain mail, or an equivalent like a kikko. The meteor metal would be underneath the armour and block telekinesis, so the wearer could concentrate on flying around to dodge enemy attacks."

"Kikko?" Spitfire asked.

"Imagine lots of hexagonal metal plates no larger than... a square of four stamps, all sewn together over the entire surface of a thick, cloth suit," Sunset explained.

"To the extent that we're talking about creating a virtual anti-telekinesis bubble, we could remove the cloth outfit and weld these plates together inside a complete cloudichalcum armour," Spitfire proposed.

"Cloudichalcum?" Rainbow asked.

"Light as a cloud, stronger than the best steel. It is the metal used for the princesses' regalia. The only one that can withstand their power without ever being damaged," Spitfire explained. "Sometimes I find it hard to believe that princesses have been wearing the same regalia for a thousand years. Yet, it just goes to show how much metal has survived the centuries without a scratch," she added in a whisper.

"So we're talking about making armour like the princesses’? Cool!"

Sunset had an amused smile. "Technically, even better than princesses’." She gave herself a moment to think aloud. "Tests will have to be conducted. The main concern would be to determine exactly how thick the plates must be to make the Wonderbolt wearing the armour impervious to telekinesis."

"She," Spitfire said. "Dash joined the active team yesterday. It remains to be seen which one will be ready first: the armour or the soldier," Spitfire thoughtfully said.

"Wait, what?! Me?!" Rainbow asked, taken aback.

"Yes, you, Rainbow Dash. Why do you think you're here?" Spitfire said.

Rainbow was frozen in awe. She couldn't believe it; her dream was coming true. She was no longer a reservist; she was now a real Wonderbolt. She had imagined that, when this moment came, she would smile up to her ears, crying in joy, taking off into a Sonic Rainboom. Yet, somehow, she felt crumpled. And as Spitfire went into detail, one question nagged at her mind . "I became a Wonderbolt, yes—but at what cost?"

---

A few hours after moonrise, Nightmare Moon had just left the tunnel and was now treading the rocky ground of the Badlands. The Princess of the Night was still in her simplest attire. A step behind her was Swift. They walked with an accelerated pace through the greatest of silences.

Swift followed the order and his Queen with the utmost respect. The bat pony's armour was shining. Since he had been placed under the direct orders of Major Antares, the latter left nothing unchecked, reviewing him at every opportunity to make sure that he would not embarrass her in the presence of the Queen. Despite this treatment, he had a discreet smile that tried to reach her ears.

Nightmare Moon looked over her shoulder at the hills behind them, then turned back towards Swift, intrigued by the smile he could not repress. "May I ask what makes you smile like that, Private Swift Chess?"

Swift laughed briefly. "I apologise for the misbehaviour, my Queen, but the look on Cute Bite's face when you ordered me to leave my weapon at the camp... I thought her eyes would pop out of their sockets."

"I see. Did you ever think of telling her the truth about her sister—the late Lieutenant Antares?" Nightmare Moon asked curiously.

His smile became faint, but remained present. "My Queen, if you knew Cute Bite like I do, you'd know that even if you told her this yourself, stubborn as she is, she would refuse to believe it. Cute Bite is a dreamer. She looks at Your Night and sees there the two mares that she esteems more than anything else, to the point of putting them each on a pedestal. Her sister, at your side. Two eternal constellations in her filly heart. You, our majestic Queen, and Antares, your devoted warrior."

Nightmare Moon thought it over for a moment. "Perhaps I should do something about that. Luna didn't care much for that at the time. She preferred to plunge into creating the Tantabus rather than worry about picking up where I left off, taking my reign for granted."

Swift was already imagining the look on Cute Bite's face and the endless stream of tears that would follow. "Whatever you have in mind, I believe Cute Bite would be touched by this gesture." A thought raced through his mind. "My Queen, if I may ask you this question—no doubt indiscreet—where does this sudden urge to tell her the truth come from?"

Nightmare Moon gave a side glance at her subordinate before looking ahead of her again. "I had a conversation with Twilight Sparkle. And..." She stopped, drawn by the sudden sound of hooves fighting to remain steady. When she looked at Swift again, he was pale. "Is it that shocking?"

The bat pony blinked. "No, my Queen. I've just realised something. You can never, never, never talk about Princess Sparkle in the presence of Cute Bite. Worse still, under no circumstances must they meet," he said in a firm tone.

Faced with the seriousness of Swift, Nightmare Moon resumed her walk, pensive. It was easy to ask why, but she preferred to think for herself at first. Her deduction led her to an obvious conclusion. "More than those who held the blades that killed her, does she hold Twilight Sparkle solely responsible for her sister's death?"

He joined her side. "Yes. If you're looking for an excuse to start a war between the Moon and Equestria, order her to assassinate the princess. She will be glad to do it, but she will be far from discreet," he said before continuing, his ears drooping, his face low. "She becomes unrecognisable as soon as that name is uttered. Even I find it hard to get her to come back from those moments."

"I've never known the proper punishment for these opportunists. Since I've been back, they rot in jail, waiting for me to find something appropriate for their treason. An execution would be too sweet as a death."

Swift tried to figure out where this conversation was leading. He could see that his hoofsteps were leading him to the changeling hive, but the discussion revolved around Cute Bite and Antares. "My Queen, is there something you wanted to tell me? I can see this is the kind of thing you can't say to everypony, so if you have something to share, just say it. It's not my first secret."

Nightmare Moon stopped to look at the moon. "Swift, this conversation has no real purpose; think of it as a confidence between a Queen and her royal assassin. You may not be trained to kill, but you're the best substitute I've got at my disposal."

Swift sat with his back to the moon beside the alicorn, watching over her safety— though he knew it was useless. "So, I'm just a confidant? As long as I don't have to kill anypony, I think I can do the job, my Queen."

"Now that the ban is lifted, there will be no need for a royal assassin. Antares was the last, and she didn't have to fight me. Even without it, I caused her death," said the thousand-year-old mare, sincerely affected by the death. "I want you to know, like all the royal assassins who were also my confidants before you, the real reason for their presence by my side through the centuries. They watched over me like a hawk. On the day my banishment ended, Antares had orders to watch over my return. In case I was banished again, her orders were to control me, and, in the worst case, to kill me. Anything to prevent a second bloodbath. That is why I have had an assassin at my side for a thousand years. To take my life if I ever again become the senseless monster who decimated Luna's bloodline when her father tried to control me. I was unable to control the rage that overwhelmed me then." She sighed, amused. "Time is a wonderful thing. Whoever you were, whatever you did—in the end, there is nothing left. Luna has been forgotten by Equestria, at best the unknown protagonist of a fable. Just like how my becoming Queen of the Moon has been sublimated."

"Didn't you fight to unite the major bloodlines under your ruling?"

"It wasn’t a fight, but a slaughter. Back then, my adoptive father—an opportunist who was the current Primogen of his bloodline—used me as a leverage to claim leadership over all the Primogen so he could rule Broncoliande. After my banishment, he ordered me to calm down. At that very moment, we both realised that I was no longer a child afraid of father’s wrath. After cleansing what is now my palace, I walked out, and saw that the other Primogen were there. And they knew that none of them could defeat an alicorn. Then, the Major's ancestor approached, removing the symbol of his status as Primogen of his bloodline and surrendered it to me. A sign of submission. And the others followed his gesture."

"I find it hard to believe that it wasn't my ancestor who first submitted to you. Seriously, it was the best move to make to get into the future Moon Queen's good graces, don't you think?" Swift joked.

"He was one of the last to make sure the idea was a good one." She turned her eyes to Swift. "You're taking the revelation rather well."

"Humour is my defence mechanism. If I wasn't wearing this armour, you could see the goosebumps on my back. Besides, that was a thousand years ago; you've changed, otherwise why else would you have turned the Cute Bite bloodline into bat ponies to look after you? If you ask me, over time, the royal assassin was an excuse to be a friend—the only friend the mare behind the queen's mask could afford to have."

"Inasmuch as I was not banished a second time, it will remain just a theory."

One detail didn't fit the story Nightmare Moon had just amended. "My Queen, if all the Primogen did not dare to fight you as one bat pony, and if your own father and the rest of your lineage was not an opposition worthy of your power, how could Antares alone have won against you? Or, if the necessity was there, kill you? Moreover, she did not have the advantage of surprise."

"Perceptive," Nightmare Moon said with a smirk. "That's the question I've always asked myself with increasing anxiety as the centuries have passed. And since I couldn't get any research done on the Moon, I employed Celestia's lackeys to answer the question. As Equestria finally had the necessary scientific level in the last decades, I manipulated a few pegasi in key positions with post-hypnotic suggestions through their dreams. They eventually found that a certain type of meteoric metal was capable of rendering magic ineffective. So I forwarded plans to an armourer, who was killed by Antares once the order was complete. I couldn't allow him to divulge this to anypony."

Two points connected in Swift's mind. "I understand better now why she had to kill that bat pony. It explains a lot. But even knowing all this, I think Cute Bite would refuse to believe that her idol was a royal assassin. But if you think about it, defeating Celestia, or murdering her—it's almost the same thing. Moreover, what would be the point?"

"You're going to let her base all her decisions on a lie?"

"My Queen, I promised Antares I'd watch over Cute Bite. No matter what choices she makes in life, her safety is all I care about. And that's no lie. Antares was your lieutenant—arguably the most loyal of all—willing to lay down her life to defend your legitimacy. Whereas others sought to clear Princess Luna's path to the throne, or even kill you, since that was your order." He gritted his teeth. "I won't have anypony pretend this was all an act. No one!" he shouted, tears in his eyes as he stared into the distance.

Nightmare Moon could not prove him wrong. Like all assassins before her, Antares had been most loyal to her. "This conversation is over. Go back to camp. End the night as you see fit—within reason. I will endorse your choice when I return."

Swift regained his composure, chasing away tears with the thumbs of his wings. Before turning before the alicorn, he curtsied, wings spread. "Sweet night to you, my queen," he said, before turning north.

Nightmare Moon went in the opposite direction, sinking deeper into the Badlands. As she arrived at the entrance to the beehive tunnel, she could see Chrysalis sitting there, stargazing.

She turned her gaze when the sound of the hooves caught her attention. "You finally showed up. You got lost on the way? Oh, joking aside, how's the coup d'etat going?"

Nightmare Moon took her place at a reasonable distance from the Queen of the Changelings. "Believe it or not, Luna revealed my presence to Twilight right after talking about Celestia’s death, which made my approach to her much easier afterwards. I don't want to rush anything, so I'm giving her time to think. I'm trying to make sure I'm seen not as the monster, but as a princess, no less than Celestia."

Chrysalis gauged the Moon Mare. "You ooze jealousy from every pore, my sweetness. Was it hard not to kill Twilight on sight?"

Nightmare Moon ignored the taunt. "It pains me to say this, but I need her alive. If I killed her, it would do me a disservice. Even if I admit it, the urge is there. I must turn a blind eye to this urge because my desire to rule Equestria is stronger than any other."

Chrysalis was amused by this. "Even stronger than hanging around my daughter's dreams? I'm reassured; I doubt it's in good taste for an old fossil like you to hang around a child like Aglowing Shell." She thought for a moment. "Even though, considering what Celestia has achieved, perhaps you'd be quite capable to turn my daughter into an alicorn. That would make you her equal, no less," Chrysalis mocked.

Nightmare Moon frowned, but ignored the taunt. She continued in the same tone, "About your daughter, I have been thinking. It would probably be best if she knew the truth about me. As Sparkle said, a friendship cannot be based on a lie."

Chrysalis' surprise soon gave way to a wicked smile. "Hold on, butterfly. You—the one who dreams of being Celestia's equal, who dreams of killing Twilight—went to the Princess of Friendship for advice on your little moral problems with my daughter?" She laughed a thunderous laughter that could be heard all the way to Canterlot.

Nightmare Moon couldn't ignore the taunt this time. As angry as her coat, she used her magic to grab Chrysalis by the throat, and, with all her might, pressed her against the nearest wall. "Yes! So what?!" she shouted in her face.

Chrysalis hiccuped in shock. Despite the pain, she kept smiling as she looked Nightmare Moon straight in the eye—while also waving at Chitin lurking in the shadow of the tunnel to stay back. "All that pent-up anger. That age-old jealousy. Will I ever have the pleasure of tasting it, my darkness?"

Nightmare Moon turned her gaze to Chitin, whose luminescent blue eyes cut into the darkness of the tunnel. She released Chrysalis with an irritated grunt before looking at her again. "Then will you officially introduce me to your daughter?"

Chrysalis considered the idea for a moment, gazing up at the stars, then snapped her tongue and teeth. Chitin started to run, the sound of their gallop getting lost in the tunnel. "Follow me.”

Nightmare Moon had a moment's apprehension. She certainly wanted the child to know the truth, but didn't want to lose the only innocent soul in this world who cared about her at all. Yet, Nightmare Moon had to stick with her decision. If she didn't, she would make a fool of herself.

The two mares advanced through the maze of tunnels to reach the hive, with Chrysalis leading Nightmare Moon on a different, more convoluted path than the one Chitin had taken. She was taking several corridors, going through the maze they built to disorient intruders. Soon, they reached the northern section of the hive, which served merely to be a decoy. Nightmare Moon followed Chrysalis in nervous silence. After a long walk and many intersections, they arrived in an empty room lit by some large cocoons from which greenish light emanated.

Aglowing stood there, waiting as Chitin had asked her to. When she saw her mother, she rushed towards her, but stopped when she saw the alicorn following her.

Chrysalis reassured her with a cheek-to-cheek caress. "Aglowing, my love, I'd like to introduce you to someone who would like to talk to you."

Aglowing looked at Nightmare Moon with childish curiosity. "I know her!" she chirped proudly.

The two queens were surprised by the child's sudden assertion, glancing at each other. . "Really?" asked Chrysalis.

"Yes!" she said. "All black, all tall! She's Sweet Dreams’ queen!"

It was the moment of truth. Reluctantly, Nightmare Moon took a deep breath. "I am Sweet Dreams, Aglowing Shell."

"Wrong! Sweet Dreams is a drone. You're tall and beautiful like my mother. You can't be her," the child argued.

Chrysalis remained silent. She stood by her child's side, offering a reassuring smile when their eyes met.

This situation could have lasted an eternity. Thinking that a picture was worth a thousand words, Nightmare Moon took on the appearance of a little blackback changeling drone.

"Sweet Dreams! So it was really you? I didn't recognize you!" She moved to greet her, but her mother stopped her. With a few sounds, she asked her to listen to what their guest had to say.

Nightmare Moon didn't dare to look the child in the eyes anymore, for fear of reading a feeling of betrayal, anger, or hatred. "I assure you, it's me. However, Sweet Dreams is a fake name. I didn't want you to know who I really am. For the past three months, I've been watching over you without you knowing it. I've been sneaking into your dreams to chase away the nightmares you're having because of me." She took a breath to find the strength to carry on. "I am Nightmare Moon, Queen of the Bat ponies, Princess of the Night, and I'm the one who attacked your mother's hive. It's my fault that so many changelings died."

There was silence in the room, soon broken by sobs and little hiccups. Aglowing Shell couldn't accept what she had just heard. The one she was beginning to appreciate a little more with each dawn was also the one that had caused the present desolation of the hive? Her little heart was pounding, tears clouding her sulphur and emerald eyes. All her senses were racing; she was losing her grip on reality, her horn crackling with energy. Fortunately, Chrysalis came to the rescue of her child, sharing her pain, offering her a cheek to cry upon.

Nightmare Moon was uncomfortable with this spectacle. She, who wished to be Celestia’s equal—who was adored by her subjects and enjoyed her sun— was far from achieving such results. "No doubt this was the lot of those who shed blood to achieve their ends," she thought. She sighed, accepting this fatality. "I regret my actions. I know there are no words that can erase what I have done. I pray to the stars of the Night that you may hate me as little as possible. I shouldn't have approached you; it was a mistake on my part. I wish you a long and happy life, Aglowing Shell. I'm sorry." She would have liked to leave the room with the royalness that was hers, but she felt so miserable that she preferred to take the primary form of the Tantabus. Without a word, the little cloud of starry dark matter left the room.

Chrysalis pondered the consequences of the predictable outcome of this encounter. Two options were open to her. Time was running out. She had to get straight to the point. So, she started talking to her daughter in their native language. It took a long time before the child looked her mother in the eye and finally answered her. The queen looked at her daughter and resumed a short monologue that calmed the child and made her pensive before answering. Chrysalis looked into the child's eyes and asked her a question before offering her a soft and tender maternal kiss to give her strength. Then, she highlighted a fact that surprised the child, who then looked at the door through which Nightmare Moon had fled before looking at her mother, hesitant. A few clicks were enough to overcome this hesitation. Aglowing ran away in pursuit of Nightmare Moon. Left alone, Chrysalis clicked her tongue. A few seconds later, Chitin appeared.

"My Queen?" the warrior replied.

"If anything should ever happen to me, for the sake of my daughter, I want you to put your hatred aside and take my daughter to Nightmare Moon and ask for her protection," Chrysalis answered with a few clicks.

"I am devoted to you, my Queen. This order I would perform selflessly, but may you help me to understand why Nightmare Moon in particular?"

Chrysalis had an amused smile. "At first glance, everything suggests that Nightmare Moon would be the worst choice to seek protection after what she did to my hive. But if this irretrievable egomaniac as old as Equestria is capable of putting aside her resentment and pride to ask the filly who put her in her place for advice, I'm willing to bet my life that she will protect my daughter as if she were the most beautiful and precious star of Her night. In return, my daughter will feed off this friendship and become a powerful successor I can be proud of as I watch her from above."

Chitin found nothing to add to that. A noise in the distance intrigued the warrior. "Is that the thunder I hear?"

Nightmare Moon had just arrived at the entrance of the tunnel. Without realising it, shehad unleashed a torrential rain on the Badlands. She recomposed herself, the rain stopping as she calmed down. She set off north, devastated.

"Sweet Dreams!" Aglowing Shell cried out in anguish, her voice distant.

Nightmare Moon paused. Part of her wanted to answer this call, but, deep down, she was afraid to hear what Aglowing had to say. She preferred to turn a deaf ear and continue on her way.

"Sweet Dreams, please wait for me," the child begged.

Nightmare Moon was tempted to do so, but denied herself the hope of a happy ending.

Aglowing could see that she was getting nowhere. Although she was running as fast as she could, she could see that she was falling behind. In panic, in tears, she tried to think of anything that could make herself heard. Suddenly, she remembered something Pepper said. With her mind working as fast as her little hooves, she finally found something to please her ear. "Moony!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Nightmare Moon froze, her pride stung by the diminutive—and, at the same time, unable to ignore the child's calls any longer. She regained her physical appearance, but sat with her back to the child, wings spread. She turned her head to look at the little changeling with an angry eye. "My name is Nightmare Moon," she said with a growl.

Aglowing Shell stopped dead in her tracks, skating a little on the clay soil. "I know, but you weren't answering my calls. Then I remembered something Pepper said. She said she gives a nickname to those she likes, so since Nightmare Moon's too long, I thought... Moony would be a good way to say I like you."

Nightmare Moon was stung by her words. Yet she remained impassive. "How could you still like me now that you know what I've done, little queen," the alicorn said with an icy tone.

"Mother told me, after you left, that we are the changelings. We are the swarm. We adapt, whatever happens. We do not forget the past, but we do not remain chained to it. Yeah, what you did to my hive is ugly. Yes, you lied to me. But you decided to be honest instead of keep lying to me. Pepper said, ‘Honesty in words, Loyalty in decisions. Those are criteria for a true friend.’ Mother said you gave me all these dreams to keep me smiling. ‘Laughter on the lips’ is another criteria."

Nightmare Moon was speechless in the face of this. As she listened to the little changeling, she thought back to the time when Celestia and Luna discovered the elements of harmony. Celestia possessed kindness, generosity, and magic. Luna had honesty, loyalty, and laughter. It gave her a strange feeling to hear a child claim that Nightmare Moon represented these same three elements—she, who was the embodiment of all of Luna's darkness.

Faced with this silence, the young hybrid continued, "Then she said, if I don't catch you, I'll lose you forever." Tears clouded her vision. "And I don't want to lose my friend, Moony. So please don't go. I don't care how weak you are,. I like you just the way you are."

"I'm not weak," Nightmare Moon slammed coldly as she glared at the child.

"Mother says you're just a weakling to apologise, but it's okay. I like you anyway," Aglowing said shyly.

In keeping with Nightmare Moon’s mood, lightning struck the highest mounds of the badlands, frightening the little changeling. The alicorn calmed down and forced the clouds to turn white by her will alone. She approached with a majestic step, lowering her wings to the height of her flanks, offered a cheek-to-cheek caress to Aglowing. "I have to go and have a word with your mother. As for the rest,—I told you I'm never far away." With those words, she began to walk towards the hive. That's when she saw Chitin and Chrysalis—the latter waving her hoof, mocking her. "Chry-sa-liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!" Nightmare Moon shouted, charging towards her.

Aglowing was left behind, but Chitin came to offer her a foreleg to nestle against. She looked up at the sky. The two queens were shooting at each other, offering green and blue tints to the clouds. "What are they doing?" Aglowing asked.

Chitin watched the duel for a moment as they returned to the tunnel. "They're showing feelings for each other that might somehow be considered friendly, in a way that's acceptable to us monsters," the warrior explained. As the changeling carried the child into the lightless tunnels, her horn crackled briefly with yellow and green energy, the sound of the cracklings reverberating in the tunnels.

Author's Note:

Thanks to thesmokinguy Milk&Honey and Gay for Godot to fix the chapter into proper English.