CRISIS: Equestria - Divergence, Book 3

by GanonFLCL

Chapter Two: Refresh

Pinkie stood alongside Rainbow and Havoc as the trio rode the elevator down from the almost-tippity top of Dawn's office floor to the gymnasium of Pandora Tower. She was awed, wowed, and even a little blown away by how the technology worked; they didn't have anything like this where she lived, only if you went to some of the huge metropolitan areas like Manehatten, but those didn't have this view of the entire city from them.

And this tower was so tall, too, taller than any building she'd ever been in before. Well, technically the tallest tower of the Royal Palace in Canterlot was taller than this, but that was on the side of a mountain, while this was built from the ground up, so it really wasn't a fair comparison.

She did still keep an ear open to listen to the other two mares talk, though, because to ignore their conversation would be rude, but she knew she didn't need to join in. Havoc hadn't seen Rainbow in years, but Pinkie got to see her Dashie every day; she could let them have a few minutes.

"So, uh… do you mind if I ask what happened—" Dash started to say.

"If it's about all the scars and shit, I'll go over it with you more later," Havoc replied with a grunt. "Let's just keep it short for now and say that I got hurt in the line of duty last week and had to get an eye transplant."

"Last week?" Rainbow blurted, shaking her head. "Wow, they work fast around here. I thought everypony made a big deal about how crummy the medical service was?"

"Oh, naw, I got it fixed up in Hope's Point down south. But hey, not to throw folks around here under the bus, 'cause we've got some great doctors in the tower, yeah? I'm sure they could've done a damn good job, but circumstances made it so it was better to get it done in Hope's Point."

"Ah. Well, I'm glad to hear you're okay. You… are okay, right?"

Havoc nodded, pressing a hoof to her eye. "Still getting used to having this thing, but yeah, I'm okay. Just a little itchy, is all. I dunno if it's just me or what, but I guess I was expecting robot vision or something, like in the movies. Feels weird to have it be so… normal."

"So, Hope's Point, huh? What's that place like, anyhow? Is it like everything we heard about it? Pirates and scoundrels and stuff?"

"Better. The place is great. Cleaner air, lots of nice ponies, great booze, and no stupid-ass sky traffic laws. I love it there. I'm planning on moving pretty soon, y'know? Like, really soon, actually. You guys got here at a pretty good time."

Rainbow smirked. "Sounds like Cloudsdale back home." She cleared her throat. "And, uh, I hope you're not mad at me for stepping in between you and your sister. I just didn't want to see you guys fight, that's all."

"Psh, I wouldn't be mad at you for that, Dash." Havoc threw her hoof over Dash's shoulder. "You're one of my best friends."

"'One of'? Who else have you been talking smack with lately?"

"What, you think I'm only allowed to have you as a friend?"

Rainbow chuckled. "Psh, naw, just trying to make sure you're not trying to replace me 'cause you miss me so much. That'd be sad."

"Nah, nothing like that. Nopony could really replace you anyway. Yeah, sure, you never write or nothin', but we're still best pals." Havoc scratched her cheek. "Eh, it's probably a good thing you stepped in anyway. I'd have to explain to the others why there's a big scorch mark in Dawn's office otherwise."

"What was all that about, anyway? I mean, I know you always said you didn't get along with Dawn very well, and I saw how you two were around each other at that party way way back, but I don't remember it being so… well, violent, I guess?"

Havoc grunted and stepped away from Dash. "Dawn's always been kind of a bitch who cares more about herself and her work than anypony else, even our family. But y'know, until today, I never thought that she legitimately didn't give a shit how much she hurt us to get what she wanted. It's been really eye-opening. No pun intended."

"What'd she do?"

"A few minutes before you two showed up, she teleported me up here from Hope's Point. I'd just gotten cleared to leave the hospital and was on my way to… meet somepony important." Havoc snarled and slammed her hoof on the side of the elevator. "And now Dawn's doing everything she can to keep me from going back."

Rainbow nodded. "Well, we'll talk with your sister Curaçao, right? She'll figure something out to help you get back as soon as possible."

"That's the plan, anyway."

The elevator doors opened as the car came to a stop, and Havoc gestured for the other two mares to follow. The elevator opened right up into the gym, which was exactly how Pinkie imagined a high-tech, high-quality gym to look like: clean, white, and loaded with every piece of equipment a pony could ever want or need to train their body into perfect shape and then some. Weights, treadmills, chains, punching bags, the works, you name it. And it was all nice and compact, too.

Pinkie never spent a day in a gym in her life, and what little exercise she did get was just to keep herself from getting fat on sweets—but she still worked to keep her booty—but Rainbow could probably live at the gym and not complain. It had places where she could curl up and sleep, a bathroom of its own, showers, and a snack machine for if she needed food or water. In fact, this place was better than the old apartment they'd had to share last time they were here.

The gym wasn't particularly crowded, just a few ponies here and there using treadmills and weights. They turned and saw Havoc walking in then turned back to their exercises, which Pinkie figured meant this was a pretty regular thing. Or not. It was actually hard to tell, honestly. Maybe they just didn't care, or maybe they weren't supposed to care or bother? Eh, too many questions and concerns; that wasn't Pinkie's thing, so she just dropped it and got back to gawking at how cool everything looked.

They found Curaçao in one of the smaller side rooms, and as they walked in, she wordlessly signaled with her hoof to Havoc that she needed a moment, and Havoc then gestured for Rainbow and Pinkie to take a seat on the nearby bench to give her that moment. Havoc herself chose to just lean against the wall; Pinkie understood now why Dash thought Havoc was cool, 'cause she certainly looked and acted the part.

As for Curaçao, the earth pony mare looked exactly like Pinkie remembered her, even though she'd probably only known her for an hour or so at most. Her coat was a lovely dark blue, her mane and tail a striking red, and more than anything, she was—and Pinkie knew Rainbow would agree—drop-dead gorgeous. Especially in that dark gray leotard; she'd practically been poured into the thing.

Curaçao was currently in the process of doing some sort of martial arts training, and both the way in which she did so and the way she moved were impressive. Some sort of pony-shaped robot was serving as her sparring partner, and it moved and reacted faster than any average pony, even most above-average ponies. And yet, Curaçao moved faster, struck harder, and managed to overpower the thing with ease over the course of the few minutes they watched and waited.

Once Curaçao was done, she let out a harsh breath and said, loudly and not addressing any of the mares who had entered, "Ordinateur. Réinitialiser le programme. Ce sera tout pour aujourd'hui."

A computer voice replied, "Yes, Miss Curaçao."

Pinkie didn't speak fluent Romantique and had no idea what Curaçao had said. Rarity might know… if she were here. Either way, Curaçao then stepped over to a nearby bench where a gym bag was open and waiting, and took out a white towel and a sports bottle; the former she used to wipe sweat from her brow, the latter she drank from. And she did it so… well, Pinkie wanted to say fancy-like, but there had to be a better word for it. Could one make wiping up sweat look fancy?

Curaçao then approached the trio with a polite smile. "Merci, everypony, for waiting. I apologize, but I only get so much time in the day to do my daily exercises. Your arrival was, well… obviously it was unexpected, but also ill-timed, oui?"

"Naw, it's cool," Rainbow said, waving a hoof. "If anypony gets what it's like to want to make sure you get some gym time in, it's me. And hey, we all gotta keep in shape, huh?" Pinkie noticed Dash's eyes subtly trying to drink everything in, which was perfectly understandable; Pinkie wasn't as good about being subtle about it so she left that to Rainbow.

"Well, thank you anyway, Rainbow. And welcome to Pandora Tower." Curaçao nodded at Pinkie. "And you as well, Pinkie. It's a pleasure to have you both here as our guests, though I wish this could be under more ideal circumstances, non?"

Pinkie nodded rapidly. "Oh, totally. I wish we could've planned this visit out better or something. I would've brought a cake! Or lots of cupcakes! Or both! And all of the other necessary ingredients for one of my patented Super Big Reunion Bash parties." She set a hoof to her temple. "I mean, I could still get one of those together, but I've gotta wait until we're all together again for realsies. Otherwise it's not the real deal, y'know?"

"If there's anything you need for such an event, Pinkie, you'll have it. I promise." Curaçao then shook her head and sighed. "Anyway, I know that there are many questions to be had, oui, and I know that Dawn will expect you to answer them soon. For now, though, I will arrange things so that you two may stay in the tower as long as necessary. Est-ce acceptable pour vous? Ah, is that acceptable?"

"Yeah, we're fine with it," Rainbow said with a grin and a nod. "It'll be like staying at a fancy hotel, kinda. I mean, I know this ain't a vacation, but it sounds like we're in a better situation than last time by a long shot." She gestured around the gym. "I mean, this gym is nicer than our old apartment was already. I can imagine what the rooms look like if this is just the gym."

"Hmm, Dawn requested that I get two rooms together seeing as there are two of you, but may I assume it would be acceptable for you to… share?" Curaçao asked with a casual smirk. "I seem to recall you two were rather close, oui?"

"Hmm, I dunno," Rainbow said with a wink at Pinkie. "We might have to share a bed, Pinks. That won't be a problem, will it? It's gotta be better than a crummy old couch, right?"

"Oh no, not at all, no problem, the opposite of a problem in fact," Pinkie said with a wide grin. She tilted her head at Curaçao. "I mean, obviously you know Dashie and I are together together. Otherwise you wouldn't be acting all coy about it. I mean, at the time we weren't being totally open about it but we're super open about it now."

Curaçao grinned and nodded. "Bien. There won't be any trouble getting things arranged swiftly in that case. One room is certainly easier than two, and Dawn will understand if I told her how efficient it will be just providing you two with a larger guest suite rather than two smaller ones."

Rainbow blinked. "What, does she think we wouldn't want to share?

"Yeah, that's weird, right? Does… does Dawn not know we're together?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head. "I mean, Twilight was the last of our friends to figure it out, but she was still new at the whole 'freindship' thing in the first place."

"Dawn just doesn't notice that kind of stuff," Havoc grunted. "Even if she did, I doubt it ever crossed her mind to suggest a single room 'cause that's just not how she's wired. She's smart about a lot of things, but she's a moron with this kind of stuff." With a look at Curaçao, she added, "You'd better watch your ass. She might think you're getting insubordinate doing it your way."

Curaçao shrugged. "I'll deal with Dawn if she wants to argue against me. Consider this my way of thanking you two for being so accommodating for my wife and I at your party all those years ago. You helped us make it into a truly magical evening."

Pinkie gasped loudly, hooves on her cheeks. "Ooooh! You and Shroud got married?! Congrats! Super congrats! I knew you two were totally perfect for each other. I could see it in your eyes when you looked at one another, yep yep yep. Just the perfect couple. How long have you been married now?"

"Five years, seven months," Curaçao replied.

"Wowee wow wow, that's a long time! You guys sure moved quick, huh?" Pinkie reached over and tugged Rainbow in for a hug. "Dashie and I were dating for a lil' more than a year before we met you guys, and she only just popped the question eight months ago! For somepony so fast about everything in her life, she sure was slow about that!"

Rainbow, red in the face, replied, "W-well, y'know, it just took me a while to figure out that that's what I wanted. I didn't wait around on purpose. I figured we were fine, y'know, just dating and stuff."

To Curaçao, Pinkie added, "She figured that the writing was on the wall when I asked if she wanted to move in together. Go figure."

Havoc also turned to Curaçao, her expression deadly serious. "Speaking of which, Curie, I need you to do me a big ol' favor. A huge solid. I'll owe you super big time if you make this work for me. Like, I'm talkin' moving mountains-type favor here."

Curaçao tilted her head. "Oh? Of course, Havoc, anything. What is it?"

"So, uh… Dawn and I got into a pretty big fight when I got back here. She sort of just… took me without asking if it was okay, and I figured, fine, whatever, just a quick meeting with Jetstream about his new position, get it over with, get back south. No big deal."

Curaçao closed her eyes and took a breath through her nose, as if this was nothing new. "Let me guess: Dawn is refusing to take you back, oui?"

"Exactly. And she's not letting me fly out of here on my own, either. She had me demoted and everything so that I can't even work around NPAF regulations. You gotta be ranked Commander or higher to leave the city without official clearance, and now I'm just a Captain."

This seemed to shake Curaçao. "She did what? She demoted you? Pourquoi? Qu'est-il arrivé?"

"Yeah, she demoted me 'cause I was giving her shit about her backhoofed compliments," Havoc snorted. "She blames me for not keeping the Chameleon intact enough to get any evidence out of. Y'know, the ship that nearly killed me and was actively trying to kill Queen Blackburn? That ship?" She shook her head. "Oh yeah, I did a good job, but I guess I didn't do good enough."

"Of course she did," Curaçao sighed; she looked outrageously tired all of a sudden. "I must apologize, Havoc, but I cannot reinstate your rank. Dawn's commands supercede mine in every way, and she's likely already put the demotion through. I wish that I could help—"

"Oh no, no no no, that's not at all what I want. In fact, after what I just went through with our little stuck-up bitch of a sister, I pretty much did everything I could to make it clear that I'm outta here. I'm not taking orders from her anymore. I quit. Not just that, but I don't plan on talking to Dawn ever again. Ever."

Curaçao paused to look at Havoc for a moment, as if letting the weight of the words sink in. "I… see. Well, I will naturally respect that decision then, and I will ensure that Dawn doesn't try to get around it by having me serve as her middlemare. And though I think that you should reconsider your decision, I won't argue the point with you. It is your decision to make."

Havoc clapped her sister's shoulder. "Thanks, sis. For respecting the decision and all that. 'Cause the last thing I need is somepony else telling me what to do."

Curaçao nodded. "Still, I know that Admiral Jetstream will very much appreciate your help with this transition. Dawn may have her own motivations for wanting your help, but I know that Jetstream wants it too, and I know you want to help him. I'll ensure that you can still communicate with him and help him through this. It's the least I could do for you, oui?"

"Oh. Well sure, I'd be glad to help, but that's not what I was worried about."

"N'est-ce pas?" Curaçao shook her head, clearly confused. "It's not? I don't understand. You said you needed a favor. If that's not it, and the rank reinstatement isn't it, then what is it?"

"Like I said, Dawn demoting me is keeping me from leaving the city. I need to get going, and fast, if I'm gonna beat this sandstorm. It's barely safe enough to fly in now, and it's only gonna get worse the longer we keep talking, so y'know, if you can get that working ASAP, I'd appreciate it."

Curaçao looked utterly lost. "You want to try and beat the sandstorm? Havoc, I understand that you want nothing more to do with Dawn, but surely you could wait until the storm subsides before you leave?"

Havoc rolled her eyes. "If this were any other day, yeah, I'd agree with you, but not today. I've gotta get back to Hope's Point. By tonight. It's a hard flight, I know, but I can do it now. I'm pumped up, I'm well rested, and I've got a good fucking reason to get going pronto, so if we can get this moving?"

"Why?"

"What?"

"What's so important that you have to leave now and put yourself in danger?"

Havoc blinked. "It's… it's Cotton." She blushed and ran her hoof through her mane. "Okay, this is a shitty way to let you know the news, but… I proposed to Cotton while I was in recovery. She said yes. Queen Bee helped me put together a little private wedding ceremony for tonight. It was short notice, and we were just gonna invite a few ponies who live down there, like Gray. We wanted to keep it small."

Pinkie felt her jaw drop, and while a huge part of her was telling her to react with surprise and elation at the announcement, a teensy, tiny, itty-bitty part of her brain was using every ounce of strength to reign that in. Pinkie was rarely one for subdued reactions, but that tiny part of her brain was telling her that this wasn't the right time for her usual "Gasp, exclaim congratulations, plan the party" antics.

Curaçao's lip curled into a grin. "You and Cotton are getting married? Félicitations!"

"We're not if you don't help me get the fuck out of the city!" Havoc practically snapped. The wedding is tonight. So c'mon, work your magic so I can get going. Sorry to get all snippy and shit but I'm in a rush."

Curaçao paused, then let out a long, sad sigh—not a good sign, Pinkie knew that—and set her hoof on Havoc's shoulder. "Havoc… ma chère soeur… non. I cannot do this for you."

Havoc's eye twitched. "Wh-what? What do you mean?"

"I mean what I just said: I cannot do this for you. Or rather… will not. I will not do this for you. I am sorry. Pardonne-moi."

"What are you talking about, Curie? You're joking, right?" She pushed Curaçao's hoof off her shoulder. "Tell me you're joking. Right now. Right fucking now, tell me you're joking."

"Non, this is no joking matter. I will not help you leave the city. If this were any other day, I would gladly go behind Dawn's back and use every ounce of my power and connections to have you back in Hope's Point before dinnertime. But not today."

Havoc barely contained a sneer. "Why?"

"Because I will not let you risk your life for this," Curaçao said simply. "I almost lost you once this week, Havoc. I will not let you put yourself in a situation where you could die again, especially not so soon after you've recovered."

"Really? Is that all? C'mon, Curie—"

"Non! I will not help you with this!" Curaçao shouted. She set her hoof on the side of Havoc's face where it was scarred. "Look at you! I have not seen you since the incident, and now I see that my little sister has been scarred for life! You lost an eye, Havoc! You almost died. And now you ask me to let you risk your life again?" She shook her head and set her hoof back on the ground. "Non. And I will do everything I can to ensure that you cannot leave."

Havoc looked like she'd been struck in the gut. "You… you're serious. You're really going to keep me from going, just like Dawn—"

"Non, do not compare me to her. Think, Havoc. What happens if you fly out into the sandstorm and get hurt again? Or worse, killed? Don't just think about what that would do to me, what that would do to Gray and Velvet, to Insipid, to Lockwood, to your team, to little Rebel Noise downstairs. Think about Cotton.

"If you go now, if you fly out into that storm and something happens to you, she will blame herself for that. If you die, she will blame herself for that, because you died trying to get back to her because you couldn't wait." Curaçao shook her head. "I understand how much it will hurt to wait. I do. But Cotton will be happier if you wait and come back to her safe and sound instead of in a bodybag after we find what's left of you."

Havoc blinked, then sighed and hung her head. "You're… right. You're right. Sonuva—" She ran her hoof through her mane. "Fuck me, I hate that you're right, that you're always right. This is why it should be you, not Dawn. You actually give a fuck about me, about all of us."

Curaçao stepped forward and took Havoc in a hug, which the other mare accepted. "I love you, and I want nothing but the best for you. I'm happy to hear that you're happy, and I wish I could move heaven and earth to make things work for you… but you'll have to settle with what I can give."

"I know you would, sis. Thanks."

"And take heart, Havoc. Dawn does care… she just doesn't know how to show it. I know you might have a hard time believing it—"

Havoc grunted. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Oui… I suppose that's all that I can expect of you." Curaçao set her hoof on Havoc's cheek again. "And your eye, is it comfortable?"

"Naw, it's fine. Just taking some getting used to. A little itchy, though."

"Hmm. When I next see Her Majesty, I will need to ensure that everything is handled smoothly. Dawn will not like me injecting myself into the middle of their diplomacy, but I feel it will be necessary. Dawn likely does not understand the real implications of this."

Havoc sighed and pulled away from the hug, then turned to Rainbow and Pinkie. "Sorry you guys had to see all that. It's been a rough day, a rough week. But hey, I guess if I've gotta stay here for the next few weeks while we all wait out the sandstorm… at least I've got a good friend here to spend it with, right?"

Dash smirked and nodded. "Heck yeah, dude. And hey, don't worry about it; things are gonna work out. I just know it."

Havoc glanced at Pinkie, then smiled. "So hey, uh, while Curie's getting your room put together, you two wanna go visit Red before we head to get some grub? I bet she'd love to see you, Pinkie."

Pinkie grinned wider than she'd grinned in a while, in at least a full day. "I'd love it!"

"Cool cool. I bet she's down on the medical floor still, so we'll drop by, let you two have your little moment, then go chow down." Havoc turned to Curaçao. "Thanks, sis. We'll catch up later, okay?"

Curaçao nodded. "Of course." She smiled and nodded to Dash and Pinkie as well. "I'll have your room arranged before dinnertime so that you can settle in before it gets late. I'll let Havoc know when it's ready and she'll bring you to it, and we'll worry about a tour of the tower tomorrow, oui?"

"Thanks, Curie," Dash said, offering her hoof. "I know we never made friends with you before, or anything else really, but you seem like a really cool big sis to Havoc here, so you're alright in my book."

"Yeah! The coolest!" Pinkie agreed.

Curaçao accepted Dash's hoof and shook it. "Well, I'm pleased to have your approval, Rainbow. Now, if you'll excuse me?"

With that, she made her way out of the room and towards the elevators.

Pinkie watched her go, then turned to Havoc. "Your big sister's super duper awesome, Havoc."

"Yeah, I guess she is." Havoc grunted to hide the smile on her face, then gestured for the other two mares to follow. "C'mon, let's go."

As they rode the elevator down, Rainbow asked the question that Pinkie wanted to ask before Pinkie did; she was just too fast! "So, uh… you're getting married, huh?"

Havoc blushed and scratched her chin. "Uh, yup. Tyin' the ol' knot. I didn't think it was for me, y'know? But Cotton's… special. I figured she was worth giving it a shot."

"And hey, I'm super happy for you, dude. I didn't think it was for me, either, but Pinkie's special too," Rainbow replied, giving Pinkie a warm, loving, dopey grin that just made Pinkie swoon. "But uh… here's a question for ya: Cotton's… a mare? I heard that right, right?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Huh. Well, how 'bout that. When did you finally figure it out?"

"Figure what— oh. Oh!" Havoc laughed and slapped Rainbow's shoulder. "I get it. You think I'm gay."

"Or bi," Pinkie noted with a sagely nod. "You can be bisexual and marry a mare, silly."

"Well, yeah, that's true I guess. But that's not it. Cotton and I had a long talk about it a few years back, and we figured that I'm kinda… complicated. Strictly speaking, sure, I'm bi, but I'm probably closer to straight since I prefer dick. And, um… well, the hard part is coming to terms with the fact that I'm not completely comfortable with my body."

"I don't know what that part means," Rainbow said, tilting her head.

"Like I said: comp-li-cated." Havoc rubbed the back of her neck. "You're my best friend, so I feel okay telling you this, but like… I sometimes feel like I shouldn't have been born a mare. I know you're comfortable being a girl who likes girls, but I'm not as comfortable being a girl who mostly likes guys, even if I have unusual tastes."

Rainbow scratched her head. "I'm still kinda confused by all that, and I'm sure there's more that you're not telling me about this, but… hang on a second. You're marrying a mare, but you say you prefer stallions, right? That doesn't make sense." She looked at Pinkie. "Right? I'm not alone on this?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Yeah, I'm just as confuzzled as you are, Dashie. When you put it like that, it sounds like Havoc's marrying somepony who she shouldn't be? But she sounds like she loves this mare, and… yup. I'm lost. Especially after all that other stuff about not feeling comfortable as yourself."

Havoc let out a satisfied sigh. "You two just need to meet Cotton. We're actually a lot alike, more than I thought when we first met. It wouldn't be fair for me to spoil everything without her here, and she can explain it all better than I can anyway. Let's just say that it's complicated and leave it at that for now, yeah? Trust me, you'll like her."

Rainbow and Pinkie shared a look, shrugged, then dropped it. Pinkie figured if Havoc wanted to surprise them with her new wife-to-be, she'd let her; surprises were always fun! Except when they weren't. But this sounded like it would be! Even though it was weird and confusing and made Pinkie's head squirm trying to figure out the puzzle, it still sounded like it was a good thing.

The elevator hit the medical floor soon after they finished their conversation, and Pinkie and Rainbow followed after Havoc down the hall. Havoc turned to Pinkie briefly and said, "She's gonna fuckin' flip when she sees you."

Pinkie bounced, just once. "Ooh! I love gymnastics! Can she do anything harder than a flip? I can do a triple double if I've got enough sugar in me. But that's against regulations so I didn't get the gold medal when I went for it."

"Which I still say is a load of horseapples," Rainbow noted. "Since when is pure cane sugar a performance-enhancing substance? Sheesh, Harshwinny's new guidelines are… well, harsh, I guess."

The trio approached one of the open doors at the end hall, where Havoc gave a little knock and peeked her head in, gesturing for Pinkie and Rainbow to stop behind her as she did so that they'd stay out of sight. "Yo sis!" she called. "Guess who's back! It's me. The answer is me. And nopony else."

Pinkie heard Red Velvet's voice reply, "Havoc? Oh wow, I wasn't expecting—" There was a long pause, as pregnant as a three-humped camel. "Holy— Havoc! Your face! Wh-what happened to you? You look like you took a nap on a barbeque pit!"

Havoc paused as well. "Please tell me somepony told you what happened to me, I swear to Dad that if this is a surprise I'm gonna burn the whole building to the ground. I'll do it. Watch me."

"No no, I knew you got hurt—Curie told me—but this is the first time I'm seeing it." Pinkie heard Velvet get out of her seat and approach. "Oh wow, sis, that looks… that looks bad. Are you in any pain? Can I help in any way? You know I'm good at that kind of stuff."

"It's alright, I'm fine. Full recovery, okay? But hey, I've got a surprise for ya, so turn that frown upside down or some shhh— some stuff." Havoc then stepped fully out into the hall; Pinkie was baffled by her restraint with swearing.

"A surprise? What are you—" Red stepped out of the room and froze up instantly as soon as her eyes landed on Pinkie, who, by the way, had been barely constraining herself enough not to just barrel past Havoc and leap onto the other earth pony with all her might. "Pinkie? Is that—"

But no longer could Pinkie restrain herself; she pounced like a tiger onto Red Velvet, wrapping her up in the tightest hug she could manage. "Eeee! Red! It's so good to see you! Ahhh! This is amazing! I'm here! You're here! My Long-Lost-Twin-Sister-From-Another-World!"

Red paused for a long moment, then, in an instant, wrapped Pinkie up in her own tightest hug possible. "Oh my stars! You're here! You're really here! I can't… I can't believe it!" She broke the hug only to press her nose against Pinkie's, her eyes aglow with light and happiness. "This isn't a dream! You're really here!"

"This is the best worst day ever!" Pinkie cheered.

"Yeah, this is the— wait, what?"

Pinkie booped Red's nose gently. "It's kind of a long story, but uh, my friends and I are back because something strange and weird and probably pretty bad happened, but at least we get to see our friends again! So… yeah, worst day ever, but the best kind of worst day ever." She then tapped her chin. "Although it could be better if we'd all ended up together like last time, just not in a smelly ol' alleyway dumpster."

Red blinked, then glanced back at Havoc. "Should I ask?"

"It's complicated," Havoc replied.

"Is that the running theme for these past few chapters or what?!" Pinkie exclaimed, grinning like a madmare and throwing her hooves in the air. She booped Velvet's nose again. "We'd have been here sooner but we had to get a bunch of establishing scenes outta the way. Sorry 'bout that."

"No hey, it's cool. At least you two get your own chapter this time so we can start slowing things down now, right?" Velvet said with a smaller-but-still-ecstatic grin of her own. She glanced back at Rainbow. "Hi Rainbow, by the way. Sorry, got caught up in giving Pinkie a big ol' Reunion-Quality Bearhug. It's kind of our thing."

"Hey yeah, no prob, Red, it's cool," Rainbow snickered. "How are ya, by the way?"

"Yeah! How are you?!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I'm so sorry I didn't ask already but this is kind of a big moment for me. When we checked in on you, you were looking really sad. Is everything okay?" She paused, then gasped, then shook Red's shoulders violently. "And who are those kids?!"

Red's eyes widened. "Oh! Right! You guys should meet 'em." She effortlessly rolled out from under Pinkie and leapt to her hooves in one swift motion, then gestured for them to follow her. "C'mon! They're gonna love you."

Pinkie followed after Red into the hospital room—well, medical examination room, she supposed, since this wasn't a hospital—and saw the two young ponies that had been there before: a pegasus filly in a seat by the bed next to Velvet's empty one, and an earth pony colt in the bed. They were both looking expectantly at the doorway as Red and Pinkie walked in, their expressions becoming utterly befuddled—a wonderfully perfect silly word—as they did.

"Kids, I'd like you to meet a very very very very dear friend of mine," Red said, patting Pinkie's shoulder. "This is Pinkie Pie."

The two youngsters brightened up instantly. "Oh wow! The Cupcake Mare!" said the filly, eyes wide as saucers. "She looks just like you Miss Velvet! Is she your twin sister or something?"

Pinkie couldn't restrain her grin, but managed to ask Velvet a question through it: "'Cupcake Mare'?"

"Because you taught me the best cupcake recipe in the universe and I've been teaching it to the kids as part of their cooking classes," Velvet said matter-of-factly. "Yeah, I know, it's funny because I'm the actual Cupcake Mare on account of having a cupcake on my tush and being named after a flavor of one."

"Not to mentioned being inspired by—"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "I mean technically, yeah, but that's like… outdated or whatever. But nevermind that." She turned back to her kids and continued presenting Pinkie like a wonderful treasure, which of course she was, duh. "Now, My friend Pinkie is going to be visiting us for the next three weeks." She turned to Pinkie. "You're locked in because of the sandstorm, right?"

"Yup, that's the plot convenience this time around."

"The next three weeks," Red continued, "and I know I can count on you two and the other kids to treat her well and be super duper extra nice to her, right?"

"Sure can, Miss Velvet!" the filly said. She waved at Pinkie. "Hi, Miss Pie! My name's Marée de Rêve. It's nice to meet you!"

Pinkie cooed and resisted the urge to rush over and scoop the filly up in a hug; that would be rude and presumptuous because she was technically still a stranger. "Awww, you're the sweetest little thing in the whole wide world. It's nice to meet you too!" She then looked at the colt and gave him a big, big smile. "And who's this cutie pie?"

The colt smiled and gave a little wave of his own. "H-hello, Miss Pie. I'm C-Caramel Rye. M-My mom's told me all about you."

"Hee hee, what a little poet, rhyming like that," Pinkie giggled. She then froze, her head sharply snapping a complete ninety degrees to stare wide-eyed at Velvet. "His mom?!" She then started letting out a high-pitched squeal of joy.

Havoc, from the doorway, winced, twisting her hoof in her ear. "Yikes! Sounds like the tea's ready in here or something. Is that normal?"

"Oh yeah, this is perfectly normal," Dash replied. "She reacted like this when she found out her sister Maud was pregnant last month. Her mom was a little ticked off 'cause she broke like six glasses in their favorite set. Or when Princess Cadance found out she was pregnant. Or when Sugar Belle found out. In fact, yeah, that's just how Pinkie reacts to her friends having kids."

"Woof. How would she react if you got pregnant? Or if she got pregnant?"

"She wouldn't because that ain't gonna happen. The former, definitely; the latter… eh, we've never talked about it."

Pinkie grabbed Velvet's side and shook her violently, like she was trying to get the last bit out of a piggy bank. "Red! You're a momma! You've got a kid! A little colt! You have a son! I'm so happy for you I could die! Ahhh!"

Velvet, unbothered by being shaken in the least bit—she handled things like this better than anypony else Pinkie knew—replied, "Thanks! Before you ask, though, he's adopted. It's a sad-but-happy story that I'll tell you later. Thought that was relevant, though."

"Adopted Schmadopted. He's still your son as far as I'm concerned." Pinkie then froze, glanced at young Caramel, and her eyes widened in shock and horror. "Your son is in a hospital bed. Oh gumdrops. That's why you looked so sad. What happened?" She turned back to Velvet. "Is he okay? Is he hurt? What can I do to help? Let your Long-Long-Sister-From-Another-World know what she can do, and she'll do it."

Velvet's smile faltered for half a moment, but it returned just as quick as she gestured at Caramel. "There was… an incident, and he got hurt. He's still recovering, but Nurse Soft Touch says he'll be fit to leave in a couple of days. Until then, Marée's been bringing him his homework so he doesn't fall behind in school, and because they're best friends and totally nothing else."

Pinkie nodded; she was sure the two kids shared a look at one another and were red in the face. "Aha, I see. Well, still… is there anything I can do to help? You know me, Red, I'll jump to the moon and back if you need me to. And you have two moons, so I'll go to both."

"You know what? You'll be helping me out more than you can imagine just by being around us," Red said with a grin as she pulled Pinkie in for a side hug. "We've been needing a good dose of smiles around here lately, and if anypony's got the prescription for it, it's you. So, paging Doctor Pie, we need twenty cc's of laughter, stat."

Pinkie's grin widened and she turned to the kids. "You kids wanna hear a joke?"

The two looked at each other, then back to Pinkie, all smiles. "Sure!" they said.

"Okay. What do you call a boomerang that won't come back?"

Caramel scratched his head, while Marée tapped her chin. "I dunno, what?" Marée replied.

"A stick!" Pinkie concluded.

Pause, wait for laughter.

Caramel grinned and let out a little laugh while Marée giggled softly.

Velvet, though, guffawed—another perfectly silly word. "A stick! Ha ha ha! Oh, you oughta tell that one to Winter when you see her, I just know she'll get a kick out of it! I think she's got a pet boomerang at home or something."

Pinkie brightened. "Oh my gumdrops, you're right. Winter'll love that joke." She rubbed her neck. "Oof, it's gonna be a while before I get the chance, though. I don't think I'm gonna see her again until like Chapter Twelve, maybe? I might have to shoehorn it in there to make it work, but we both know the lengths I'll go to."

"Wow, we're really stretching out these three weeks, huh?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Hey, the first book stretched it out over like twenty-nine, so this is nothing. It's better than condensing it to a single chapter. What a cop out that would be!"

"Do you think we've stretched the meta talk out enough?"

"Yeah, fair enough. We don't want folks getting sick of it."

"So, uh, if you two want, we're gonna go get lunch," Havoc interrupted, butting her head into the conversation almost literally. "I mean, once you guys are done with all these mad ramblings that sound like what a couple of lunatics talk about when they're drunk. I haven't eaten all day and I really need to get my grub on. You're welcome to come along if ya want, but me and Dash are gonna bounce otherwise."

Pinkie poked her head past Havoc's—the positioning of the three mares was now horribly awkward with Havoc literally sandwiched between Red's butt and Pinkie's—to give Dash a bright, wide smile. "You go on and hang with Havoc, Dashie. Red and I'll get something together later, I can wait."

"You sure, Pinks?" Dash asked. ""Cause we can wait a few minutes."

"Speak for yourself, dingus!" blurted Havoc, who was having a hard time getting back out past Pinkie's tush.

"I'm sure. I've got a feeling I'm needed," Pinkie replied with a serious, confident nod. "You go on ahead, have fun."

"Well, if you're sure. Later, babe." Dash leaned in and kissed Pinkie on the cheek, then slapped Havoc on the flank, chortling as she did so. "Stop messing around, dufus. You're the one who's in a hurry to get food."

"Hey! Don't slap my ass, Dash!" Havoc exclaimed, trying to reach her hoof back to slap Dash in revenge.

Velvet hissed and grabbed Havoc's good ear like a proper scolding mother. "Hey! What did I tell you about watching your mouth around the kids, huh?"

"Ah! Lay off me, Red!" Havoc shouted as she still somehow couldn't get away from her position between Pinkie and Velvet. "Get off! Let me out! Dash! Wait for me! Hey! Get back here!"

*****

Rainbow was simultaneously impressed and not impressed by the cafeteria here in Pandora Tower. On one hoof, the food was incredible, easily some of the best she'd ever had, and she'd never even been a particularly big fan of eggplant parmesan before. Considering her last trip to this world, she hadn't been expecting real ingredients, having mentally prepared herself for the fakey-fake Dolor stuff they used out in the rest of the city.

On the other hoof, the cafeteria was smaller than she'd expected, but then she supposed that the tower wasn't as well-staffed as its size indicated. It was certainly smaller than the cafeteria at the Wonderbolts Academy had been, and also smaller than the one at the Wonderbolts Headquarters that she often ate at nowadays. But hey, the food was good, and despite the smaller size it wasn't crowded, so it wasn't really a bad thing.

But after eating a little bit and getting a chance to really collect her wits after what had been a stressful afternoon, Rainbow finally decided she needed to address the elephant in the room. There was no tactful way—Velvet proved that moments ago—to ask Havoc why half her face and the entire left side of her body had been scarred or why she was missing an eye, so she just came out and asked it.

"So, uh… what exactly happened to you on that job of yours that left you looking like you do?"

Havoc poked at her food and let out a sigh. "Okay, well… look, it's obviously been a while since you've been here, so there's some context you don't exactly know about. You remember how the last thing that happened before you left was that my dad became like an alicorn god?"

"Yeah, I remember," Rainbow said, leaning back in her seat and relaxing. "The fact that he basically used me and my friends to make it work doesn't bother me anymore, y'know? I mean, I get it. There's this famous old skyball player where I'm from, and he's got this great quote: 'You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take'. He saw an opportunity to finally beat Nihila and took it. Good for him."

"Well hey, glad you're okay with it now, I guess. You guys didn't seem too happy about it back when it happened."

"Oh yeah, word, and it's definitely still a sore point for Twi, y'know? But then she knew more about your dad's past than we did so she's got more context than we do. I figure what's done is done."

"Ah." Havoc cleared her throat. "So, uh, anyway, after he went all god-mode, Pops told us that he'd had a plan for what to do after beating Nihila, which was basically fixing all the bad shit he had to do to keep her from figuring out that he was gonna stab her in the back. But since he sort of… y'know, couldn't exist in a physical body anymore, he asked us to help."

Rainbow blinked. "I don't know what that means. He can't exist? What?"

Havoc rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, okay, uh… he's ascended to this like… other place? It's hard for me to describe it. Dawn knows more than I do, and she's the only one of us still able to even talk to him. But that doesn't matter, what matters is, he asked us to carry on his work. Curie'd been working with him on the prepwork for it, and after he left, she laid out the plan.

"The biggest part of it was making peace with Hope's Point, 'cause we were sort of at war with them and shit, and I guess as long as that was still going there was no way the north would ever really recover. So Curie worked with Lockwood to start some diplomatic stuff, and Dawn worked with our government to get them to approve of it. Long story short, it's been working for the last six years."

"Awesome! That's good news, right?" Rainbow asked.

"Hell yeah it is."

"So, what does this have to do with your injuries?"

Havoc sighed again. "Well, earlier this week was supposed to be the big day, y'know? Queen Blackburn herself—somepony who's hated New Pandemonium since she was just a kid—was coming up north to sign the official peace treaty. She brought Lockwood along 'cause he's her husband and the king and whatever, and they even brought their kids with 'em 'cause they wanted them to meet Curie's daughter Jellybean—"

Rainbow's eyes widened. "Wow, everypony's been having kids since we've gone. Curie didn't mention that earlier."

"I guess she just wants to get your living arrangements all set up first. Trust me, she'll won't keep her kid from you." Havoc grinned widely. "And you'll love lil' Jellybean. But yeah, kids all over the place. Curie's got a daughter, Gray's got a daughter, Red adopted a son… and so did Gray, actually, and then Lockwood's got two kids. Families're sprouting up around here like weeds.

"Anyway, uh…" Havoc leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "So, like I said, Queen Bee's hated this city since she was just a kid. Long story there, too, and it's real personal for her, so when you meet her I'll let her tell ya. But the NPAF up here ain't much better. There're soldiers we've got who were born and raised to hate Hope's Point then trained to fight against them for years and years. A lot of them weren't willing to turn the other cheek, I guess.

"So… when Blackburn and her family and some of her friends were coming up here to sign the treaty, a gaggle of jackasses got together, hijacked one of our toughest warships, and tried to fuck everything up by killing the royal family. I mean, it didn't work in the end, but they got pretty close to it. Lockwood's bodyguard got hurt, the kids are still pretty spooked about it, Blackburn's pissed, and… and one of her friends was killed."

Rainbow leaned forward and set her hoof on Havoc's. "That's… wow, that's rough. My condolences, for what it's worth. Why can't ponies just learn to get along, huh?" She shook her head. "So is that how you got hurt? Were you there when this all happened?"

"Yeah. I was the only asset out in the field 'cause I was gonna meet Blackburn as she was coming in. We're pretty good friends, y'know, so she wanted to make sure I got my due since Dawn sure wasn't gonna fucking do it."

"Sounds like this Blackburn likes you." With a slight grin, Rainbow nudged Havoc's shoulder. "Can't imagine why."

"Heh. Please. I'm the most awesome pony on the whole damn continent. How could she not?"

"Second-most awesome now, duderino. Or did you forget who you're talking to?"

Havoc smiled briefly, then took a breath and continued. "So yeah, I got fucked up pretty bad trying to make sure nothing happened to them. I got there too late to save Blackburn's friend Briarthorn, though, but… I did it. I saved the rest of them. All by myself."

"I thought you said these jerks stole a warship? How'd you manage that?"

Havoc brightened. "Because even though it took me seven damn years, I finally did it, Dash. I did the thing. Your thing." She gestured with her hooves. "Boom! Supersonic speed, bitch. How do ya like me now?"

Rainbow broke out into a wide grin. "No way, really? You did it? Ha! I knew you had it in you, shortstack. How did it feel going that fast for yourself, huh?"

"Like everything around me was just a blur, really." Havoc rubbed the back of her head. "To be honest, I don't remember too much about the details. There was a lot going on when it happened, and I didn't have time to process it 'cause I got hurt real bad before I did it. But I know I did it 'cause Blackburn saw it happen."

"Do you think you could do it again? I only ask because it took me years before I was able to pull off another Sonic Rainboom, and then I had to train myself for months before I was able to start doing it on demand."

Havoc nodded. "I think I can do it again, sure. I'll have to wait until after the sandstorm before I can start practicing, but yeah… yeah, I can do it."

"Awesome. So, what're you gonna call it?"

"Huh?"

"Your version, what're you gonna call it? You can't call it the Sonic Rainboom, 'cause I've got that baby totally trademarked and I'll sue your butt off if you call it that." Rainbow chuckled, then gestured for Havoc to continue. "So? What're you gonna call yours?"

Havoc's eyes widened and she looked at the floor. "Oh shit, yeah, I never even thought about that. If this is my big deal, I've gotta name it, right? What about, uh… Sonic Heatwave? 'Cause when I did it, I made this like, massive amount of heat. That's how I took down the airship: I just melted right through it."

Rainbow whistled. "Well, alright, that's a cool visual. Sonic Heatwave, though? Hmm… it's alright," she said, tilting her hoof to and fro. "It's not as easy for you to make it cool like Rainboom, I know. Benefit of my name being Rainbow, benefit of the shockwave having those rainbow colors. I mean, 'Heatwave' is descriptive, sure, but kinda lame."

"Sonic… Meltabeam? 'Cause I melted through the ship like a laser beam?"

"That doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Sonic Meteorblast? Meteorboom? Meteors burn up in the sky and stuff, and your cutie mark's a meteorite." Rainbow shrugged. "It kind of fits, don't it?"

"Sonic Meteorboom… hmm." Havoc tapped her chin, then shook her head. "I'm gonna need to go over a bunch of these, but I like the direction we're going. Y'know what, I'll ask Blackburn too, she might have an idea. She saw the whole thing from a spectator's perspective, so she might have a better clue of what it looked like. I was kinda, y'know, blind with rage."

"Fair enough, no rush. You can't rush greatness." Rainbow smirked and leaned back in her seat again. "So, you're good friends with this Blackburn, huh? You said she's Lockwood's main squeeze and stuff?"

Havoc chuckled. "Yeah, Queen Bee's awesome. You'd like her. She's a damn good flyer, she's got this, like, aura around her that just makes you feel her authority. You know me, I'm not big on authority and shit, but with her, it's just… different. And their kids? Oh, cute like you wouldn't believe. Especially Bluebolt, their daughter, she's just… she's precious."

"Wow. This is a side of you I never thought I'd see," Rainbow said, wide-eyed. "I didn't think you'd like kids."

"Not all kids, no, just specific kids. Ooh, that reminds me, I've gotta introduce you to my junior skyball team soon. They're great kids too, you'll love 'em. Huge fans of the Rockets, which naturally includes you."

"Hey, speaking of which, how's the old team? Oh! Did we win the championship?"

Havoc grinned and thumped her chest. "Undefeated that season, baby. Took home the trophy and made those fuckstick Wizards eat shit. But, uh, I'll save you a lot of the details for what happened after that season, and get right to where we are now."

"Alright, fair enough."

"First off, the Rockets are going pro next season, but keep that shit to yourself, got it? I'm saving it as a surprise for my junior team 'cause they're big fans, like I said. We've got mostly the same line-up as when you left, 'cept Gallop retired from playing and is now the team's coach, and, uh… I don't play with them anymore either."

"What? Why not? You're like the best blocker I've ever seen."

"True, true, and that's not changing anytime soon, but them's the breaks. Y'see, you're not allowed to play with the team if you own the team."

Rainbow blinked, stunned. "You… own the Rockets?"

"Yup!" Havoc scuffed a hoof on her chest. "Sole ownership, too, none of that 'owned by a corporation' bullshit like the Trailblazers got. Rainslick handles the day-to-day, I just make sure we're on the track I want us to be on, which is being the best fucking team in the fucking league. That's not changing anytime soon, either. I know he'll handle things when I move south. I can just visit once in a while to check on things."

"Wow, you… things really have changed around here," Rainbow muttered, sinking down in her chair. "I'm a little embarrassed, actually, 'cause to be honest it's pretty much the same-old same-old story back home, except for a few things here and there. I mean, at least compared to what you guys have been going through."

"Heh, as much as I wanna say otherwise, it's not a competition, Dash. Everypony goes through life at their own pace."

"I dunno, it feels like it kinda is though?" Rainbow slapped her hoof on the table. "Dang, this means I've gotta step up my game if I'm gonna top you. You're a higher rank than me, and you own a sports team."

Havoc grinned. "Yeah, well, you got married first, so hey, there's that."

"Yeah, okay, fair enough. Speaking of, this Cotton chick sounds pretty special if you're willing to risk the Wastelands and this sandstorm to get back to her."

"Yeah… yeah, she is."

"Well, why don't you tell me a little bit about her? You don't have to tell me whatever it is that makes it not weird that you're marrying a mare yet consider yourself straight, 'cause that's still buggin' me, but I won't pry about it. Like, let's start with how you guys met."

Havo's grin widened. "Well, that all started with my first trip down to Hope's Point…"

*****

"You're sure those two are gonna be okay all alone?" Pinkie asked.

Velvet tenderly patted Pinkie's shoulder. "Definitely. Caramel's a good colt and won't go off doing anything he shouldn't be, and Marée'll make sure he stays on track with his homework. She's really responsible, y'know. They're perfectly safe in the tower, too; nothing gets in here without Dawn or Curie knowing about it, and besides that, there're like fifty perimeter guards outside."

"Hmm, alright, that definitely seems like it's safe."

Velvet then clapped her hooves together. "You're gonna love this, by the way. I normally wouldn't have rushed you, but this is the perfect time to be coming down here. My kids are just finishing their classes and homework for today, so everypony should be easy to get together before they all head off for freetime."

"You keep mentioning 'your' kids," Pinkie observed, tapping her chin. "I thought you'd only adopted Caramel? You didn't act like Marée was also your daughter."

"Ah, that's because these kids aren't really 'mine' so to speak. I didn't adopt all of them like I did with Caramel, but that's just, like… a formality." Velvet gave a happy sigh. "But I still treat them all like they're mine, love 'em like they're mine, praise them and punish them like they're mine, because… well, they are. Pedigree and I are basically their parents."

"Who's Pedigree?"

"You'll get to meet him soon enough, and you'll like him too, I promise. He's busy today with some work that Dawn had for him, so he's not gonna be in the facility, but maybe tomorrow." As the elevator doors opened, Velvet gestured out. "Ooh, I'm so excited! C'mon, this is gonna be a blast."

Pinkie followed Velvet out onto another of the tower's floors, this one large enough to accommodate what looked like both a large classroom judging by the arrangement and appearance of the desks, and a big social area with chairs, tables, and couches. Occupying this space were a few dozen youngsters, colts and fillies alike of all the different pony tribes, many of whom were busy socializing or studying.

Velvet dramatically cleared her throat to get the room's attention. "Okay, everypony! I've got an announcement to make, so gather 'round! Gather 'round, kids! Assembly time!"

The kids didn't even hesitate, they just went immediately to where Velvet and Pinkie were waiting, stopping whatever they were doing as they did so. All of them just as quickly gave all of their attention to Pinkie Pie, eyes wide with curiosity; several of them even started whispering to one another in hushed tones. Pinkie figured she did draw a lot of attention on account of how Marée and Caramel had reacted.

"Hello, everypony. How are we all doing today?" Velvet asked.

"Good, Miss Velvet," came the collective reply.

"Great! Okay then, listen up everypony, because I have a very special guest with me," Velvet continued, getting the group's attention again rather easily. She gestured to Pinkie like she was a delicate piece of art. "This… is my good good good friend Pinkie Pie. Everypony say 'hello'."

The kids, in unison, said, "Hello Miss Pinkie Pie." Though a few said "Hi" instead of hello, and a few omitted either the Pinkie or the Pie from Pinkie Pie. They all did say "Miss" at least, that was universal.

"She's visiting us from very very very far away, and is going to be in town for the next few weeks," Velvet turned to Pinkie and gestured at the kids. "Pinkie, these are the Shadows—don't ask, the name's stuck. They're my kids; my students."

Pinkie brightened up immensely. "Oh my gumdrops, Red, you're a teacher? That's awesome!" She waved at the class of colts and fillies. "Hi, everypony! I'm Pinkie Pie, like Miss Velvet said. It's so nice to meet all of you!"

Velvet turned back to the class. "Now, I want everypony to be on their bestest best behavior around Miss Pinkie, okay? She's very special to me, and I want her to feel special to all of you too, because I just know she's going to like all of you just like I do. So, before I let you all get back to your studies, are there any questions?"

Hooves shot up across the entire lot.

Velvet pointed at one, a unicorn filly with a creamy brown coat and a long pink mane that was accessorized with dozens of clips. "Razzle?"

"Is this the Cupcake Mare?" the filly named Razzle asked, eyes wide with awe.

"This is the Cupcake Mare, yes, the same one that taught me the cupcake recipe I've taught to many of you. She made the recipe herself and everything, and she's even better at it than I am." Velvet nudged Pinkie gently. "Isn't that right, Pinkie?"

Pinkie nodded rapidly; she was finding it hard to contain her glee at seeing so many cute faces looking at her with such rapt attention. "Yup! Sure is! I came up with it all by myself and taught Miss Velvet how to do it. I even wrote a song to help memorize the recipe!" With a glance at Velvet, who was nodding enthusiastically and expectantly, Pinkie cleared her throat. "Do you wanna hear it?"

There was a rush of affirmative responses, from cheers and claps to giggles and stamps, and many of them vocalized just how much they wanted to hear it with simple words.

Well, never let anypony tell you Pinkie doesn't know how to give the audience what they want. So, with a flourish of hooves, she prepared herself to get into the swing of things, and then…

"♫All you have to do is take a cup of flour,

Add it to the mix!♫"

*****

It was late at night when Dawn entered her bedchambers and prepared herself for a good night's rest. Her process was methodical and she'd never once broken from it in the past several years that she called this room her own. She started by removing her day clothes and taking a shower, then donning her favorite bedrobe, brushing her mane, and putting a record onto her record player to ease her stress and lull her to sleep. Tonight, a blissful selection of tunes from a collection dedicated to the sounds of the southern oceans.

As she settled herself into her extravagantly large bed—it had once belonged to her father, a far larger pony than she—she allowed herself to relax and take in the music. Her routine had become so ingrained into her soul that it was as effortless as breathing to fall into slumber, which was where she would be able to focus her inner essence on the next task at hoof: contacting her father.

She allowed her essence to flow around her, an unconscious effort that required no more consideration than one would need to react to a sudden sound or sensation. It was simply automatic, so long as she knew she needed to do it. She did not reach out to her father every night, but did so often enough that she had grown accustomed to it, so accustomed in fact that it was practically normal, a quaint thought considering that her father was an immortal alicorn god who resided in an immaterial metaphysical realm.

When she opened her eyes, she was still in her bed, but her bed was no longer in her room. Instead it was in an empty expanse of darkness lit but no discernable light source. She rose from her bed and set her hooves on the solid-yet-nonexistent ground, tugged her bedrobe around her—it was always a little chilly in this realm-between-realms—and called out to her father, not with words with sheer willpower.

His response was immediate. "Dawn," his voice boomed from both all around her and yet also directly before her.

The emptiness immediately in front of Dawn's eyes swiftly coalesced into the form of her father, the great Lord Silvertongue.

A stallion of enviable stature even when he was just a unicorn, he was now a towering figure with an imposing frame and a presence of immeasurable strength. His features were elongated compared to even what could be expected of a stallion his size, with a long, sharp horn and wide, powerful wings. His golden mane flowed behind him like a field of sunlight; his silver-white coat shined in the nonexistent sun. While one of his eyes was a beautiful blue, the other was made entirely of golden light. His body was otherwise shrouded behind a patch of pure darkness that he wore like a cloak. This was for Dawn's sensibilities, nothing more.

As far as Dawn was concerned, he was the peak of perfection; nopony in all of existence could compare to him, even her, though she would never deign to compare herself to him. That would be no different than comparing a streetlamp to the sun.

"Father, it pleases me to commune with you in these more ideal circumstances," Dawn said simply, stepping forward and looking up at her father's handsome face. "I regret that our prior two communications involved such an exasperating state of affairs. Now we can speak privately and in a more pleasant atmosphere."

"Hmm, that is certainly one way of looking at it," Silvertongue replied, tilting his head. "This situation involving Pandemonia is not one that can be treated lightly. I trust that you have already set about your duties in your agreed-upon role in the grand scheme of things?"

She nodded. "I have. Locating Nihila and this 'cult' of hers, as you described them, is to be my utmost priority; every resource at my disposal will be utilized for this task, I assure you. I will not fail."

He paused, raising an eyebrow as he gazed upon her. "Something troubles you, though. Speak, Dawn. I can sense your anxiety."

She tapped her hooves together. "Indeed. Another complication has arisen that could potentially draw my attention away from the grave importance of my other task. I seek advice on the proper methodology for handling the situation, as you would be more familiar with it than I am."

He stepped around her. "Finding Nihila is critical to the salvation of our entire world, Dawn. What sort of complication could possibly serve as a distraction from that?"

"Twilight Sparkle and her companions have returned to our world."

That gave him pause, and he turned to face her, eyes alight with curiosity. "Say that again? Did you say that the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony have returned?"

She nodded. "Precisely so, though I prefer a more personal method of addressing Twilight. She is my friend; it feels… awkward, to me, to refer to her by such an exact and impersonal title."

"I see. That would explain the odd sensation of… familiarity that I detected earlier today." Silvertongue remained silent for a brief moment, which Dawn knew to him might as well have been an hour or longer; his mind worked faster in this state than it had in his mortal body. "This does complicate matters, and at a time when complications are ill-afforded. What more can you tell me about the situation?"

"Their group was separated as they transitioned into our world. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie entered Pandora Tower, where they currently reside as our guests. Rarity and Fluttershy are in the care of Queen Blackburn and King Lockwood. All accounts thus far indicate that these two pairs are safe and unharmed, and will acclimate well to their new living conditions for the time being.

"As for Twilight and Applejack, while I lack concrete evidence, I have theorized that they are in the vicinity of Winter Glow and her apprentice, somewhere within Goldridge. Unfortunately, I cannot triangulate their location due to the accursed sandstorm that plagues the continent at present. It will be some time before I can ascertain their fate."

"The sandstorm? Ah… damn it all," Silvertongue snorted. "Of all the inconvenient timing. Had I known that my efforts would have such a dramatic effect on the northern climate then I would have played a more patient game and worked more slowly."

Dawn tilted her head. "Hmm? What do you mean, Father?"

"The sandstorm is indirectly my doing. I have not spent these past seven years twiddling my hooves, my dear. I have engaged in many projects to help usher in a new era in the north, to return the land to a state where it is no longer a forsaken wasteland of death and hopelessness. One of these projects was the reintegration of weather patterns, much as how the southern continent has rain and snow and wind. It would seem as if my efforts have been… twisted."

"You mean… you have been manifesting these sandstorms over the years? Including this one, which is dangerous enough that our entire city must enter into lockdown status?"

"Again, not directly. It would appear to be a result of the Dark magic of the Beacon corrupting my efforts, for the Beacon's Darkness and my own are not in precise alignment. It twists my efforts at times, stalls them in others, but there is little I can do to avoid such potentialities." He shook his head and sighed. "An unfortunate irony. In my efforts to assist in northern growth, I have created a horror that stymies communication and travel."

Dawn set her hoof on her father's side. "It is not your fault, Father. A minor miscalculation, one that is only a temporary nuisance, nothing more."

"But an inconvenient one, given the circumstances." Silvertongue closed his eyes and shook his head again. "Quite inconvenient. If Nihila truly still lives, the return of those six mares would be of keen interest to her and whatever goals she may have for they would serve as a counterbalance. I am glad to hear that you have two of them under your protection and that two others are in the care of our allies in Hope's Point. But the lack of knowledge pertaining to Twilight and Applejack is… concerning."

"Is there nothing you can do?"

He stroked his chin. "Perhaps. I must act carefully, lest I sully my efforts within another project of mine. It has been extremely delicate work, and bending the foundation I have placed could potentially break it. I must be cautious."

Dawn smiled and nodded. "If anypony can accomplish such a task, Father, it is you. I have utmost faith in your capabilities."

"Indeed." Silvertongue took a long pause, then looked straight at Dawn. "It is good that you communicated with me so soon after your visit to Hope's Point, my dear. Now that this other business has been made known to me, I would have words with you regarding said visit. Information was brought to light that concerns me greatly."

Dawn nodded again. "Indeed, Father. This business with Pandemonia—"

"No, Dawn. That isn't what concerns me, not at this moment." His gaze hardened. "I wish to speak with you about some pieces of information that I was not made aware of until I looked into the heart of your sister, Gray Skies. Her being was opened before me like a book, a metaphorical book which I thought I already owned, and yet I have discovered that my copy is missing pages, no, entire chapters."

"I do not understand what you mean, Father," she replied, eyebrow raised. "Are you… are you upset with her? Why? What did Gray do wrong?"

"Dawn. My daughter, my dearest, darling daughter… when were you planning on telling me that your sister was a wife and mother? That she had a daughter of her own, birthed from a union with a stallion whom she loves and married? Why is it that I only learned of this by sheer happenstance?"

She paused, confused, then said, "I viewed the information as unimportant and inconsequential to our goals. You entrusted me with a single mission: healing the northern lands, bringing peace and prosperity to our society and that of our allies. To that end, I have forged diplomatic relations with Hope's Point, I have ensured that the citizens of our city are allowed to succeed and prosper, to shrink the divide in social classes, to ensure that our resources are maintained far into the future.

"Every tidbit of information that I learn in relation to this goal, no matter how small, I share with you with all due expediency. But my sister's marriage and motherhood… these things are unrelated to fostering success. Why would they matter?" She shook her head. "I do not understand why this information pertains to you, Father."

Silvertongue stared at her for a long moment, and she wasn't sure if he was upset or confused or curious or what; his expression was utterly unreadable, impossibly stoic and flat to the point that he was more statue than stallion.

When at last he spoke, he said in a perfectly calm, flat tone, "Dawn, my dear… there are a great many things in this world more important than the success of one's plans. I gave such things up myself, and there are times when I truly, deeply regret what I have wrought to accomplish the impossible. I had hoped you would not do the same."

"What does that mean, Father? Please, I must know."

"My daughter, this is not something I can explain to you in succinct terms. It is a lesson that you must learn for yourself."

In an instant, he vanished, as if he'd never been there in the first place.

Dawn stepped forward and looked about, trying to find any trace of him. "Father? Father! I… I do not understand! Please, do not leave! I have more questions! Father!"

Dawn then awoke with a jolt, feeling herself covered in a thin layer of sweat. She grumbled, pressing her head to her temple and supposing that it was time to wake up and get to work for the day. Her conversations with her father, even briefer ones than this, tended to last until the proper morning hours.

However, when she glanced at the clock on her nightstand, it told her that it was still nighttime; barely an hour had passed. So, as Dawn set her head back down on her pillow and stared up at the ceiling, she could only wonder what had gone wrong. She'd gathered that her father was… disappointed with her for not sharing such inconsequential facts with him, but she didn't know why.

What she did know was that she wasn't likely to get an adequate night's rest tonight.

Comments

[Turquoise pony]

I think Silvertongue blames himself.

[RoboRed]

And there's the talk we've been waiting for from Silvertongue. In some manner at least. He was a bit more indirect than I expected. Dawn's still going to have to learn for herself. Let's see if she does so before something really awful happens.