Dinky Doo: The Scion of Wind

by eclair_de_xii

Chapter 13: Denouement

Twinkles trailed across the renewed sky.

She was so faraway, and yet so close.

The air of the desert was no longer as dry or sapping, but a swarm of sand grains infested it just as it always had; the grey wings fanned to shoo it away. The heat was no longer so harsh, but still as discomforting as ever; a line of sweat bobbed from the chin, sweat that was soon shaken off. Now returned, the desert sun was as overbearing and as watchful as ever; blinking it away, the golden pupil focussed its gaze past it. Not even an effusion of energy from the Elements, as it swept high over her, deterred her ever-lopsided sight. All that her eye reflected was a periwinkle light, the star of her life.

Photonic spores were drifting off, and they were dimming into oblivion to cast a hoof into focus. The hoof and its others were half-heartedly reached out, as though to a last hope of rescue that was no longer there. The mane was losing its length and ethereal flow; soon, it was shining as golden as hers in the desert sun. Light unraveled along her neck, her flank, and then her haunches; her Cutie Mark was still glowing hot. An angel descendent, her eyelids were shut, her mouth open in a small-O as she fell, unknowing, into grey forelimbs.

The pegasus swerved into a sharp loop; she was gliding back.

A dot of smudge broke the ashen layer upon Dinky's face, which paused to wince; then it relaxed and resumed its soft snores. She was sleeping. Muzzles pressed together, sniffling grey against tired periwinkle.

The desert subsided from the senses, yielding to a quiet hospital ward. In her forelimbs a small foal was being held; she was so little then, so innocent and pure. A tiny hoof poked, and though hers was too big for it, she matched it anyway. The tiny giggle, the expectancy in the golden eyes as they opened, a curious reflection of hers, caused her heart to melt. And so they stared, foal and mother. Together their muzzles touched, periwinkle and grey. Together they shared the moment, and that was when she knew.

Opening her tired eye, Ditzy Doo flew on. She was older now. So was Dinky Doo. More than happiness hid beneath the simple mailmare's smile.

By then, all traces of rainbow energy had finished echoing throughout the land. The restorative powers of Harmony would do much to undo what damage had been caused. But there were some wounds that not even the Elements could mend. There would be need for time to lament, this much was certain. There would be work to be done, this much Ditzy felt. The advent of a new start — she felt her fur prickling with it. The white broadside of an airship — she felt her eye widening at the sight of it.

The more things changed…

Something shoved her mid-flight, bending her trajectory. A pegasus mare the color of twinkling goldenrod was flying aside her; winking, she gave a salute of the hoof.

…the more they stayed the same.

Ash was flicked off their wings, which were poised like parachutes as the Sisters Doo ground their hooves along the cool of the desert grass.

"Dinky!" the Cutie Mark Crusaders squeaked, galloping; but it wasn't long before they too were sliding to a halt. "Princess Luna!"

They lowered their heads, muzzles beneath the white daisies.

Ditzy put Dinky atop herself and tied her forelegs around her neck.

Chimes rung, thousands of them, each one viscerally synonymous with a star in the night sky. Cool black wings were spread. Forehooves were spread forward as she glided the last few yards of her descent.

She touched down noiselessly, equidistant from the bowing Crusaders, and Daring and Ditzy.

In Princess Luna's wake were two levitation clouds, one of which subsided into sunlight.

Six quadruplets of hooves landed.

The other levitation cloud did not yield, for within it slumbered an unconscious pony. The color of her coat was white, untinged by orange or any hue of fire. Her wings blended in so well with her flank that at first glance, she looked like jarringly like an ordinary unicorn. A pink mane was strewn across the floor of the levitation cloud in wavy but motionless patterns. Had Ditzy not been there for Princess Luna's first public appearance hours after the curse of Nightmare Moon was lifted off her, she might have deduced that it was a relative of Fleur de lis whom Princess Luna held within the telekinetic grasp of her ever-shifting stars.

Princess Celestia grunted, rather un-ladylike, in her sleep. She nuzzled her muzzle closer within the folds of her forelegs, undisturbed by Princess Luna speaking to the airship admiral and his soldiers. "Parchment," she simply said, to the militia bowing before her raised knee.

Parchment was produced and hovered into Princess Luna's magic. When Princess Luna nodded her head, the parchment flashed and was sent on its way as a tendril of smoke being chased avidly by brush-strokes of blue flame. After seeing it off, she addressed her bowing subjects. "Rise," she said lazily. "Another warship shall be along shortly. In the meanwhile, we must make our due recompense, for such is our duty, our will also."

The fur of her chest rippled as she set her sights on the Desert Garden.

There, smoke pillars continued to mar the repatriated blue of the day.

The question of what became of the city and its citizens hung thick in the air. Staring at it only increased the anxiety of what would be found there.

"Now," said Princess Luna. "We beseech you fillies three. What on Equestria possessed you to go as far as these harsh desert climes? Surely, this was no leisure trip?"

The Crusaders stepped forward.

"We were just trying to help our friend, Dinky," said Applebloom.

"She has crazy wind magic," Scootaloo explained. "And it's really powerful, but really dangerous, too. It really scares her whenever she uses it. That's why she ran away from home."

Above Sweetie Belle floated an open book, whose contents Princess Luna was frowning at. "Dinky got this book from a stranger a few days ago. She said that stranger had more like it. That's why she decided to go to Haissan. We all agreed to come with her."

"We're sorry," the Crusaders chorussed, hanging their heads.

"Arise."

And so they did; Applebloom's new bow and Sweetie Belle's redone curls bounced.

Princess Luna was telekinetically flipping through the pages of the book Sweetie had deferred to her. Pursing her lips, she clapped the book shut.

The dust that poofed out of it was assimilated into the winds.

"Hmph. It seems that we have more than one reason to visit that city, after all. Gather everypony, here! We brook no disagreement."

The admiral and his soldiers wore their straight faces as masks.

The Sisters Doo steeled themselves, silent and ready to assume vigilance.

The Crusaders crowded close to their respective sisters.

Princess Luna was surveying them all. "Now, is everypony ready?"

"Yep, yessirree, see!" Pinkie said, bouncing into the air with her legs spread wide.

"Crusaders, at the ready, our Princess!" the Crusaders said, visoring their hooves over their eyes in a salute.

"Not all on yer lonesome ya ain't. Applebloom, y'all better git on my back and don't peep none. I'll know if ya do!"

"Same for you, Sweetie Belle," Rarity sung impatiently.

Dash arched her back as well. "Hey, I'll make your mom double your grounding time if you don't get on here pronto, Scootaloo!"

"Yes," the Crusaders droned, each one climbing atop her respective sister's back. Eyes were covered.

"All is settled, then? Very well."

Without preamble, a flash ensnared the senses; it shrunk to reveal a great silver pair of doors, which whined forward. An arrow glanced off the barrier; a glance by Princess Luna was enough to send the archer cowering to an area of the battlement that was out of sight. Sweeping her distant gaze over her charges, she marched on.

The sting and stench was stronger within the walls of the city. The ambience of war lingered, palpable to all but those who were not yet acquainted with its horrors.

Stone pyramids loomed on either side of the group, ever watchful. Long-snouted ponies were fleeing at the sight of her. Doors were being shut, and curtains were being drawn; eyes peeked behind them. Princess Luna continued to lead her people through that ravine of stone and clay.

That she, a born diplomat, was practiced in more tongues than her native Ponish was a fair assumption to make. It was an accurate one as well. Haissanian was a rapidly spoken language, and it was no less so when uttered in the traditional Canterlot voice.

"We have called for their master," Princess Luna expounded after her echoes had died down, "the one who lured Dinky Doo to this land."

"Oh, 'lured' is such a Generous term. Many ponies, and I count myself among them, would say, 'foalnap'."

An arched bridge hung overhead, connecting the two pyramidal complexes.

He stepped out from under its shadow.

"You," Daring snarled; she was already in an offensive stance, which Princess Luna obscured with the length of her foreleg and banished with a look.

"Greetings, Princess," the Haissanian said with an unctuous bow. Despite the scars, the ash, and his new injuries, he was no less smug than when he had ambushed Applejack, Rarity, Dinky, and the Crusaders at Carousel Square. "We shall conduct our discussions in Ponish, of course, for the benefit of your guests. As you can see, there is much to be accounted for."

A scaly-green hoof gestured around to the scorched stone, the chipped-off buildings, the bent cannons, the broken steel, and all other signs of chaos having run rampant in the pitiful streets.

"The Powers of Harmony have restored the destruction wrought more recently, we assure you this. That being said, we shall be eager to negotiate our affairs, given thy walls remain solid enough to shield our words from curious ears."

"Indeed they do, Princess," the Haissanian said. "Come."

He took flight.

Princess Luna flicked her horn in his direction.

"Are we really going to trust that creep?" Dash said, jabbing her hoof in that same direction. "After the ambush? After the foalnappings!?"

"Peace, Loyalty," Princess Luna said, a hoof raised for calm. "May we remind thee that he has, after all, left the fillies, and the airship admiral and his soldiers, unharmed during their captivity? Therefore, of his people, he seems the most amenable to negotiation. We believe he acts only out of pragmatism. That aside, we must make amends for the losses so recently incurred here straightaway. We must still the fires that are his grief and fury before they can be stoked into vengeful sentiments that suffice to ignite an intercontintental war. Finally, we must see the little one's quest through to her end on her behalf." She pointed her muzzle at Ditzy, atop whom Dinky was snoring in pig-like rumbles. "Oh? And so it transpires that he has been seated."

The long-spiraled horn of Princess Luna spat; then it was crackling in earnest, on the verge of another spell.

Meanwhile, Dash was pursing her lips. "Ya lost me at 'amenable'."

Groaning, Princess Luna rolled her eyes.

Pop, flash, bang.

The flash and cinders of the teleportation spell dissipated. Two midnight-blue hooves stepped over the bounds of the barrier as it faded and shrunk into the carpet below. Upon that carpet trodded hooves, those of an admiral, then those of Mane 6, a sisterly pair afterwards, followed by those of common airship soldiers.

A red glow permeated a dining hall. It could be distinguished as such because a long dining table stood between Princess Luna and the Haissanian, who, as the former had stated, had been seated. The Haissanian had his hooves slanted against one another in a pyramid that barely concealed his chin. He narrowed his ever-scrutinizing eyes. "Welcome, guests of the young Sultan."

"'Young Sultan'?" Dash said, nonplussed. "Okay, do not tell me he wanted a puppet king. That's like, book-four levels of predictability right there!"

"Yeah," said Daring, shrugging, "I sort of lost steam around then. Even if I did want to write about this adventure, I would have written the motive a bit differently."

"Yeah?" Dash asked, hopefulness leaking into her voice. "How so?"

"Well, for starters — "

"Come on, Miss Writing-Workshopper," Ditzy said, lowering her eyelids, "a bunch of important plot revelations are going to happen, and I'm pretty sure they can't happen with us still talking."

Rolling their eyes, which both looked pink in the lighting, Dash and Daring fell silent. The latter took to leering at the Haissanian.

Fastening Dinky closer around her neck, Ditzy did the same.

The Haissanian's hoof made a gesture. "So, let us discuss the surrender of the little one upon the grey one's back — "

"Let us not. Let us begin with introductions. Our name, as thou shalt very surely know, is Luna, the Princess of the Night."

"You may call me, 'the Regent'," the other said curtly.

Princess Luna hummed. "Thou speakest that title as though thou art soon to be the only regent in these lands who matters."

With his wing-feathers, the Regent was holding up his wine glass; he jostled the purple liquids within. "A claim I hope shall come to fruition soon, Princess."

Setting the glass down, he steepled his hooves once more; he had an air of seeing how his opponent would counter a move he made in chess.

"But thou shalt most certainly not do it by using one of our subjects as a jewel with which thou shalt profess legitimacy to a throne far from well-earned. There will be no question about it. 'Tis selfishness that thou wouldst designate a foal to use as a pawn in thy petty games and pageants. Generosity has ruined thee, Regent," Princess Luna said, pointing. "Surely, thou knowest this?"

Without budging his hooves, the Regent shrugged. "I wish only for peace in Haissan, Princess."

"Thou seekest power. And if thou wishest for liberation from this madness, thou shalt relinquish any delusion of securing one of our subjects for thy schemes. In return, we shall provide aid to thy torn country in order to compensate for the onslaught that recently thy people have endured."

Ditzy, Daring, Rarity, Dash, and Applejack gasped.

The Regent was growling over them. "How insulting, Princess. For you to stand there and promise things that shall hardly make up for the loss of life and of… limb."

His wing flared up. Though it was clean of ash and burns, it was completely bare of any feathers.

"No," he continued, "I think the foal shall compensate for any losses and sate our desire to engage in… hostilities."

Ditzy and Daring growled, but fell silent at the imperious arc of a midnight-blue hoof.

"We assure thee that neither thou nor any of thy people are in any condition to engage in hostilities. May we remind thee that thou must recover thy strength? May we remind thee that our forces," Princess Luna said, gesturing to her admiral, his soldiers, and the Mane 6, "are more than capable of overpowering the forces that lay in secret in thy manse?"

The scaly green hooves parted. "Oh? But this you do not wish to do, my dear Princess. There are many other secrets in my manse that you do not wish to destroy. For you see, the routes to the Royal Archives are known to very few. I consider myself lucky to count myself among them. You will enjoy no success in finding the desired volumes for that abomination of god and flesh should you be rid of me should harm befall any under my command. The others… shall be less cooperative than I am, I assure you. I assure you also, that they shall surely feign ignorance in light of recent… ah, events. Finding them shall be like finding needles among stacks of hay. They shall be less willing to help than I am."

"But thou art willing to aid young Dinky Doo in her quest, art thou not? If thou truly lovest thy late Sultan," Princess Luna said, causing the Regent's face to twist in silent rage, "then surely, a few books for His heir would not be much to spare? In return, our airships shall provide aid to restore thy crumpled strength. This is our Generosity to thee, Regent."

The Regent stayed obstinately angry, a sentiment that was not reflected in the aloof Princess a table's length away.

"We withdraw for the time being, Regent," said Princess Luna, giving a short bow of the head, for it was his hospitality she was trespassing upon, "and in the time thus given, we do hope that thou shalt be more amenable to our gesture. Neither aid nor apology shall compensate, naturally, for the fallen; we know this to be true. We deeply regret the damage that Equestria has wrought upon thy city. We hope equally as deeply that sense shall be seen, and what few reparations can be made will in time be accepted. We wish for no ill will between our nations. We shall send for a response within three days."

With that, Princess Luna and her group disappeared from the dining hall.

Now, she was galloping through the air, the graceful strides of her legs not unlike those of a swimming pony. She, her airship soldiers, the Sisters Doo, and the Mane 6 were enclosed within a giant bubble that was travelling fast over the desert. Though it was transparent enough, nopony pressed their eyes through it to watch the scenery past them by. A flat plane inscribed the barrier's interior, and it was there where most of the party was standing.

"So that's it?" Scootaloo said, her haunches on the virtual floor; she crossed her forelegs beneath her head. "That dude kidnapped us, and we're just going to let him get away? Where's the swift regal justice? Where's the closure? Where are all the beatings? The flashy explosions? We're at the end of the journey, and it ends without a big epic fight to bookend everything? What is this?"

Applebloom stared flatly. "Where in tarnation have y'all been for the past four hours?"

In another corner of the barrier, Twilight Sparkle was sitting, her nose in a book. "Fascinating, fascinating," she murmured to herself; she turned to Ditzy, whose thoughts were too preoccupied with other matters to care. "These markings… they are just like the ones in — "

"That book in thy possession is written in a script that is meant for alicorn eyes alone, Twilight Sparkle," Princess Luna droned. "Not even the most learnt mortal may read let alone write it."

Twilight's shoulders drooped. "If only I were an alicorn," she said, immersing herself in the book she couldn't read, while Sweetie Belle watched her.

Princess Luna was looking sidelong at one of the pair. "Hm."

Then she turned away.

"What I don't understand is," Ditzy said to nopony in particular, "is how you six managed to get the Elements of Harmony. I thought it was hidden behind a spell nopony but Princess Celestia could break."

Daring strode forward.

"I'll front that. You see, it's a long story…" she said, unnecessarily readjusting her plinth hat — only for something long and pink to stretch out of it. "What the — "

Then Daring's shoulders were scrunched against another pair by the force of an unusually strong foreleg.

"It wasn't that long," said Pinkie Pie; pausing, she spread her hoof in a dramatic arc above her, as though to show Daring Do the stars in Princess Luna's magic. "So there we were, running to the castle vault. Nothing unusual so far, Miss Daring Do. So anyways, you were there, and everything was all normal and stuff. There were those funny picture glasses on the windows. So far, so normal. The floors were red with the history they told, yadda yadda, all that fun author fluff, you know. Anyway, so there Twilight was, going up to the yellow barrier wall thingy that Princess Celestia made; we saw it from the last time the vault had to be opened. Hm… I think it was when Discord returned? Oh! So anyways, so there I was, thinking about the time I went outside for a second helping of cotton-candy-flavored chocolate rain. My mouth was watering, remember? Wait, no. My mouth was watering when I was thinking about the the last time we were there, not the actual last time we were there before then, anyway, everything went all scary. It was all on FIRE! There were eyeless animals made of fire, squirrels, manticores, basilisks, you name it! There were even these creepy ghoul ponies! The weird thing was, they were moaning a lot; they sounded a lot like zombies. We were getting backed into a corner; well, not the corner really, just the vault barrier thingy, which started begging all fire-like now that it had a face. It was too much for Twilight, so Applejack and Rainbow Dash took charge. And I mean, literally. They charged against the magic barrier, probably because they were hoping to break through. But their shoulders caught fire instead. 'Ouch,' I said, wincing, sucking in a breath in-sync with the fire. But then something really, really amazing happened, Daring! There were these outlines that appeared around Applejack's and Dash's necks. Then a light flashed to wipe away the fire! You were even pointing it out. In fact, more outlines shined around our necks — well, except yours, sorry, Daring! And they became more and more solid until they were the Elements of Harmony, shining our way through the flames and the scary fire-ghost-thingies. The rainbow rays exploded from me, from Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and even from ol' Mister Crankee Doodle Donkey! … … … (…Wait, no, scratch that last part.) Anyway, the windows stopped glowing red, all omen-like. When we turned, we all gasped at a rainbow bridge that was pulling us along for the ride. We all let it. And we didn't know how we knew it then, but we knew that wherever it ended, it was where we wanted to go. So we leaned our weight forward, me and the girls minus Mister Crankee Doodle Donkey obviously. Before long, we were going really, really, really fast. I went, 'Wee!' at the top of my voice, and then I was skating all the way across it. It was a really long rainbow that we rode. Then I felt bad that you were left out, because there wasn't a stripe for you; but you didn't seem to mind. You cried and screamed, but not because you were sad. I thought you were overjoyed that you were flying so fast with super-duper awesome-alicorn magic dabbed on your wings. Actually, I think Rainbow Dash was jealous." "Hey!" "We were flying all the way across the continent. We were passing patchquilts of dirt and farm and city and other stuff. All along the way, I waved at Spike, Shining Armor, Miss Cheerilee, Crankee Doodle Donkey, Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake, my mom, my dad, my sister Limestone, my other sister who's-a-minute younger-than-me Marble, my older sister Maud, Flash Sentry, Coco Pommel, Party Favor, Flim and Flam, Moondancer, Bon-Bon, Minuette, Coco Pommel again, Mr. Neighsay, all the wavy waves of the ocean, Mr. Dolphin jumping out of the ocean with Mrs. Dolphin, Gilda, Gallus, then a couple of bowing ponies, then the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and then Ditzy Doo, then Dinky Doo, and then Princess Luna. And that's when Twilight interrupted me, which I totally get, because something really important was happening. That long bridge of rainbows I was just talking about was winding over us six like we were a giant ball of worsted; you know, the flashy color-y kind. Even though it was like a really, really long rainbow, stretching all the way across the ocean, it didn't take long for us to be ready to light it up, right, ladies? And just in time, too! That mean and scary version of Princess Celestia was caught by Princess Luna and Super Scion Dinky! And so Twilight said, 'It doesn't need to.' And that's when the super-evil version of Princess Celestia gasped, 'The Elements of Harmony!' She struggled to push against the alicornucopia of wind; she tried to charge her horn, only for that to go out like a birthday candle, only like way sadder. And that's when Dinky started to lose her magic; Princess Luna shouted words of encouragement to her. Twilight didn't give an epic speech this time; boy, was she mad! I mean, so was I, but you know. Anyway, a swirly rainbow thingy shot out of us for the third time since we got elected into office by the Elements of Harmony. The scary version of Princess Celestia was all upset, because the pony she voted for didn't win the election. Princesses and their monarchies, am I right? And then we came down, thanks to Princess Luna. We met up with Daring Do, that's you, Ditzy Doo, and Dinky Doo. Princess Luna sent a letter to Shining Armor to read, and like she said earlier, an airship was going to pick us up and I think we're going to meet up with it halfway now. Oh, but before that, Princess Luna said we should all go to the capital city of Haissan to tell the snake dude that we were going to help him with the mess we sorta caused; oh, and to ask about that book Sweetie Belle picked up. So she teleported us all in — Princess Luna, I mean, not Sweetie Belle, because she has to be a little more grown-up before she can do that, and probably because of a magic flower or something. The archers got scared of her (Princess Luna) — but they looked more scared than mad, if I had to guess. Anyway, we walked in. Princess Luna told the scary Haissanian, 'Thou shalt come out, one who has summoned Dinky Doo thither!' Or something like that, I say, shrugging right now. Except nopony answered — not my shrugging just now, but Princess Luna's calling for him back then. They hid, everypony except one. So Princess Luna put a tracker on him, I think, and then we got all pop-flashy-bangy-banged back to his castle. Then Princess Luna gave him an offer to let him think about. We got all pop-flashy-bang-banged back out of his castle. And that's when Ditzy Doo asked Twilight Sparkle how she got the Elements of Harmony. That's when you cut in, strutting in all hero-like. And that's when I cut in, popping out of your hat all cute and bunny-like, and then I said, 'It wasn't that long…' And that's when I stopped myself before I started recursing and told you, 'See? It wasn't that long.' See? It wasn't that long. And you thought you needed to write another whole story about it, Miss Author, you!"

Daring endured the playful pokes to the vest, suppressing her laughter.

And now that she had her hat back to herself, she wasted no time in adjusting it cockily.

Across from Applejack and Rarity, who were rolling their eyes playfully, Pinkie squeed.

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"

The folds of magic within which Princess Celestia rested shifted from midnight blue to purple. "You've only done so much for us until now, Princess Luna," said Twilight Sparkle; behind her, Sweetie Belle was taking her turn with the book. "Please, it's our turn to help you."

Behind Twilight, her friends nodded. "Mmhm!"

"Hmph." Something tugged at the end of Princess Luna's lip. "How the burden of our heart is lightened. Thy gesture is most kind, thy words kinder still. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle and friends. Thank you, all of you. We are so sorry to have led you into the maw of danger." She smiled her gratitude at the group behind her.

"But there is something I don't quite get," said Twilight. "Why did this have to happen to Princess Celestia? Why now?"

"Hm." Princess Luna turned away, and her one eye that Twilight could see was distant. "We think it was due to grief."

Cycling her legs, Princess Luna lost herself in her thoughts.

"I understand," Twilight said, "I won't press you for any further details."

As it transpired, Princess Luna's momentum nullification spell was strong enough for Pinkie Pie to bounce around in it, going 'Wee!' while she lost herself within her foalish delight. Rarity took to measuring Applejack for the dress the latter was going to be wearing sometime soon. When pressed for details, neither sister told either Sweetie Belle or Applebloom about what the dress was for. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom moaned. Rainbow Dash whispered into Scootaloo's ear, and Scootaloo's eyes lit up; Scootaloo thereafter refused to tell her fellow Crusaders about it, to even louder moans. Though Twilight had fallen asleep with a book over her eyes, her horn was still humming with magic that kept a certain slumbering Princess afloat; beside Twilight's shoulder slept Fluttershy.

"Psst. Dinky still asleep?"

"Like a little foal," Ditzy replied, craning her neck around.

She was unable to help but be touched at the sight of her, softly snoring on her drool-drenched shoulder. It was like shaking herself out of a wonderful stress-free dream, when Ditzy forced herself to finally confront what lay before her. It was not a physical or a magical force she had to contend with; it was so much more than any magic in the known world. And it had been heavy upon her shoulders ever since that morning, when she woke up…

It took strength for Ditzy to divest her shoulders of Dinky's weight.

Daring took it and nodded, 'Good luck' for Ditzy as the latter flew up.

"Princess…" Ditzy said, hovering somewhere behind Princess Luna, who had not turned. "About Dinky…"

Ditzy flew closer, close enough to hear Princess Luna's whisper. "We fear she is too dangerous to leave in Ponyville," she said, confirming Ditzy's fears. "We ask to keep an eye upon her in Canterlot. We fear that no trinket or spell shall suffice to curb the little one's power fluctuations anymore."

"Fledgeling's Forbearance!"

Startled, Princess Luna and Ditzy looked down to see a hoof raised in answer.

Still aloft, the hoof belonged to none other than a Twilight Sparkle, who had snorted awake. As she groggily whipped her head about, the book slid off her disheveled bangs; she seemed confused. She was scanning her surroundings for any signs of an ongoing lecture that had prompted what she hoped was a correct answer. Everypony had paused their conversations: Applejack and Rarity tilted their heads at her; Dash and Scootaloo drew their heads back, noses wrinkled; Pinkie Pie was bouncing in-place. "Heehee! Silly Twilight. Princess Luna is using Accelero to get us back home, not whatever spell you just said!"

"Huh?" Twilight said with a cursory glance around her. "Oh, yeah. Of course, of course…"

Her body loosened.

Catching her, Fluttershy gave Twilight lulling shushes while running her hoof through her disheveled bangs.

"Hm," said Princess Luna, turning her attention away from Twilight's renewed and rather ungraceful snores, "it seems that young Twilight Sparkle has overexerted herself during the recent investigation and is now compensating for it at the present. However, her ejaculation is not without relevance; Fledgeling's Forbearance would indeed be an efficacious solution, were the foal in question in less conscious control of her magic, and either of her parents the one to cast the spell upon her. However, as neither seems to be the case…"

Ditzy hung her head. "I understand."

"Do not misunderstand, young Ditzy Doo," Princess Luna said, tilting Ditzy's head up. It had never occurred to Ditzy how green Princess Luna's eyes were. And now, they were locking with hers as though Ditzy were an equal. "'Twould be a grave injustice that we should part mother and daughter. Our decision required little, if any, deliberation on our part. We do not command that thou surrenderest this unique foal into our custody. We merely request it."

Ditzy felt her eye trembling, her heart pumping her uncertainty.

"There is much knowledge hidden within the stores of that Regent character, this we concede," Princess Luna continued, "and should we receive his cooperation, his stores of knowledge would be of great help to master the wind powers with which thy kin has struggled so hard to hone. We would be honored to oversee her studies, Ditzy Doo."

Ditzy was stunned, moreso than when she usually flew right into buildings.

When finally she spoke, her voice was shaky. "'We' as in…?"

"I," affirmed Luna, "the Princess of the Night would be honored to take Dinky Doo under my wing, Ditzy Doo."

Many parents in Canterlot would have cheered were they to be told that their unicorn filly was exceptional enough to be educated personally by one of the Princesses of Equestria. Maybe in a different time, Ditzy could have counted herself as one of those parents. But now, she could feel nothing at all. Emotions paralyzed her — emotions that were well outside her ability to discern and express.

The lines beneath Dinky's eyes were telling a story that Ditzy already knew was too much. Ditzy had gone all this way to get her little muffin back. And now…

Suddenly, none of her surroundings felt real to her:

The ocean sliding beneath her, the magical barrier ferrying her and everypony else safely across it, and Daring Do conversing with Rainbow Dash and what appeared to be newfound friends. Ditzy couldn't even open her mouth to discuss a matter that tugged at a distant corner of her mind. The glyphs on a certain invitation envelope were glowing goadingly on the surface of her mind.

"Thou wouldst be most wise not to seekest that place again," Princess Luna said quietly enough for Ditzy to hear and for the others below to not take notice. "Thou and young Twilight Sparkle, as well. To academically inclined minds, mysteries are stimulants and playthings. But we warn thee this, Ditzy Doo: there are some things in this world that are better left in obscurity."

Was she saying what Ditzy thought she was saying…?

Derailing her train of thought was a pig-like snort; it paused, tentative. A big yawn followed, and then somepony was smacking her lips. She craned her neck out of her sleepy pile of limbs.

"Princess Celestia!" chorussed everypony below — everypony except for her prized pupil, who was still snoring. Ditzy felt so distant from them all now.

Princess Celestia had never looked never more majestic. But in that moment, she had also never seemed more clueless. Everypony was looking to her, and the enlargement of her eyes suggested that she was wondering why. Never before had she been at a loss for words. She blinked twice.

Finally, her mien assumed one of the familiar regality. "Good afternoon, everypony. Did I forget to raise the sun again?"

Laughter exploded.

It was liberating.

It was uplifting.

It was infectious, even to Daring Do, whom Ditzy felt was a world away now.

Ditzy was happy for her. But she also felt like she was alone again.

After much cheering, much rejoicing, and much shared joy at the reunion, which was not unlike the joy one would feel after those suspenseful moments spent waiting for dawn to come, Princess Celestia decided it was time.

Spreading her wings, she flapped free, phasing through the thick folds of the violet levitation cloud. One may have thought she was going to take flight to greet Princess Luna. But she spared a moment, hovering, to smile her endearment at her prized pupil, who was too preoccupied with the bliss of slumber to realize her spell was now redundant; silently, she proceeded to the altitude of Princess Luna, who raised an interrogative eyebrow. "Oh? Sister? Thou hast slept well without my intervention, I presume?"

Ditzy was observing Princess Celestia only vaguely. It was weird to see her with pink, non-ethereally flowing hair; it was almost as weird as Ditzy herself without her bad eye, she conceded sadly. It was like she wasn't even there, hovering somewhere near the Two Sisters.

"Slept well, indeed, Sister," replied the other. "Oh?" She held a surprised hoof over her mouth. "Luna…" Her eyes were then drawn to parts of her body:

The frayed wings, the blackened scorches on her fur, and the gashes in her skin, still wet. A slight pant remained with her breath; now, it was probably renewed with the effort of keeping a barrier of this size not only airborne, but in motion for so long.

"You are unwell. I am so, so sorry for what I have done…"

"Peace, Sister, for I have erred similarly, a fact that I am surprised has been forgotten so soon. That aside, these…" she said, gesturing to the spots of worry, "these are but paltry wounds. They shall heal, as all do. All I am concerned with is that thou art safe and well at the present."

But Princess Celestia seemed more concerned with, not necessarily the health of, but the fate of another.

"And the foal, Luna? What of her?"

Comments

[Bronycommander]

nice work but pinkie's long part, must have been a pain