Splintershard

by TheMajorTechie

5|3 ◈ What's Found

A flash of light caught their eyes.

A wave of purple, and some feathers.

Gone.

---

Twilight burst into the room again with a flash, panting. "Sunset" --she growled, still clearly out of breath from wherever she'd been-- "you lie."

Emily watched a brow raise on Sunset, even with her back turned against the former Princess looming behind her.

"Cadance is still alive. I've just checked. What do you mean when you say, regarding your wings, that you've clipped them from a pretty pink dove?"

Another tinge of light signaled the arrival of the mare in question.

"Twilight, listen. I can expla--"

"No, not from you. I watched you pull yourself from that trap and banish yourself to the meager life you've been living. What I would like to hear is what Sunset meant when she said what she said." She pointed a hoof at Sunset. "So, what say you? Was it you that planted those traps?"

Sunset kept her back turnt. "No. And what is this that you say about watching her?"

Emily's eyes flit between the two alicorns. Cadance followed suit, though her own gaze occasionally landed on Emily herself as well.

"I know you stockpiled those time travel scrolls. Do you really think you're the only one that has them memorized?"

"Are you bucking kidding me?" Emily felt Starlight finally bubble up from within again, fueled now by a rage so intense that it felt almost like it were her own. "Twilight, if you had the time travel spell memorized all this time, then what the buck have you been doing all these years? You had the full capacity to right all these wrongs this entire time! You could've prevented the war from ever breaking out! I know that if I had ever memorized the scroll myself, I would've done exactly that! You know that all of this could've been prevented. Maybe not necessarily now after so much time has passed, but even if you stepped up just a day after the war began--"

Emily could feel the body she shared with Starlight creak and wheeze as the rant continued.

"I--" Starlight paused for breath, shuddering as she shook her head. "None of this should've ever happened. You could've fixed things so quickly! Look at how you handled the scrolls issue! Literally seconds! Where were you when I lay dying who-knows-where? Where were you when Fluttershy accepted Discord's final sacrifice to grant her the immortality and powers of a draconequus? Where were you--" another breath "--where were you when everything crumbled away?"

Twilight remained silent.

"You let everything...everyone--die. And for what? So that you could take a brea--"

"Stop," Twilight muttered. "Please. I only used the spell to verify Cadance's claim when I stumbled upon her years ago."

"Still doesn't make things any better." Starlight shot her glare to Cadance. "And you. You left your daughter believing that you died like me. That is all I will say."

"I only wish I may return. But to have failed in protecting Equestria in its greatest time of need--I have been nothing but a disgrace."

"You too?" Starlight grit her teeth. "What is with these alicorns and being pathetic? Cadance, you may have been on the verge of death, but I literally died, and when I came back in this body, my immediate goals were to put an end to this conflict once and for all."

Though not in full control, Emily spotted Sunset in the corner of Starlight's vision. She sat patiently amidst the bickering, not a single movement surfacing on her unamused face.

"You know what" --Starlight turnt to Sunset-- "burn it all. You have my permission. Raze it all to the ground. I've had enough of this nonsense. Whatever method it was that you managed to get yourself into power, you can keep it. You seem the most level-headed out of any of us in this blasted room. Use your alicorn magic to, idunno, blow up your enemies or something. Jail your political opponents. Whatever."

That seemed to finally draw words from Sunset.

"I'll have you know," Sunset rose from the floor, her horn lit. "Though an alicorn myself under the tutelage of Cadance, my rule came democratically. I will admit that ponies love themselves an alicorn being in charge, but my rule has been, is, and will be marked by my legacy of protecting my citizens from harm. I thank you for opening my eyes to the ramifications of time travel, but it is now my turn to reprimand you. All of you.

"Cadance, I appreciate the many years that you spent training me as your personal student upon my return, but never once did you ever tell me that you had a family that you'd left behind. I could have assisted your return during all those years, even with your many injuries. Starlight, I'll reiterate that I must thank you for your advice regarding scrolls. But you need to let go of the past. It clouds your mind, and I can tell that it's all that you can think of. I apologize for my earlier words regarding my alluding to clipping my wings from Cadance, it was only intended to intimidate."

She turned her head to Twilight.

"And as for you. From one ruler to a former ruler, I understand the immense stresses that were placed upon you by the throne, and I realize that losing your friends one by one, save for Starlight and Spike, took a toll on you. But you, like Starlight, keep yourself bound to the past. I won't sugarcoat it, Twi--you have a problem. Obsession; with the past, with the friends you've lost, with your failures. I want to be angry, but I cannot bring myself to that. Not anymore. Please, make peace with yourself. You gave up your right to speak on matters of Equestrian politics when you left the nation to crumble."

"And, Emily, right?" Sunset's attention returned to Starlight. Through their shared eyes, Emily couldn't feel the same disappointment that'd earlier been targeted toward her counterpart. "Do you still wish to end this war? As someone who has experience in transforming to a human and back, I believe I could be of assistance in returning you to your world. You've done plenty enough already, and I can--"

"Just turn us back and return us," Starlight cut her off. "I'm..."

Emily strained herself against Starlight's will. It was ironic how it was now Starlight that wished to return home, and herself that wanted to see things through, but the determination they shared remained unchanged.

"I'm..."

Sunset cocked her head.

"Yes." Emily forced her way through, her words coming out almost like a sigh. Words rushed through her mind. "I know I want to go home. But Starlight was given a second chance, through me. Even if she no longer wants to, I want to help her finally do what she died trying to do. We've got, what--three? Maybe four alicorns on our side if we convince Flurry Heart to join mother dearest over here. But even then--if Sunset and I can prove that there's no longer a need to fight, then maybe we won't even need that strength."

She heard an amused snort rise from Starlight's subconscious.

Twilight's voice pulled her attention away from Sunset.

"...Fluttershy?"

Author's Note:

Whew. Emotions sure flared here, didn't they? Just a little bit more story to go before the story of Emily comes to a close.