Dominant Species

by DarkPhoenix

Bittersweet Reunions

Chapter 5: Bittersweet Reunions

Twilight awoke to the feeling of something poking her muzzle. She blew out a breath and tried to go back to sleep. After a few moments, the poking returned. Reaching up a hoof to brush down her muzzle, she once more attempted to sleep.

It took longer, but the poking returned. She cracked open an eye to see just what was going on. Her eye met the wide, rose colored eyes of a filly, one who was actively poking her. The filly was giggling to herself, her hoof reaching out and poking Twilight again.

As Twilight’s brain woke up, she remembered the filly was named Berry Fields. “Good morning,” Twilight greeted, putting a smile on her face despite how tired she felt.

Berry gasped, a slight “Eep.” Then she giggled again and dashed away, diving under the chair that Swift Bloom had been sitting in last night. The fire had long ago died, leaving the filly mostly hidden by shadows, though her eyes were still visible and her laughter could still be heard.

“Now is that how you say good morning around here?” she asked the filly.

“Maybe...” came the response.

Twilight inched her way closer to the chair. “Well then, if that’s the case.” She reached out with her hoof, booping the filly on the nose. “Good morning,” she said again.

Berry’s head emerged from under the chair, Twilight scooting backwards so as to give her some space. “You’re silly.”

“Says the filly who started it.”

Berry laughed. The sound caused Pinkie to let out a snort and roll over. The filly looked past Twilight towards the party mare. “So, umm, did I wake you up?” she asked.

Twilight nodded. “You did, but it’s probably time for me to get up anyway.”

“Oh, sorry,” she apologized.

“It’s okay.” Twilight stretched her limbs out, careful not to hit the filly.

Berry’s eyes darted around quickly. “Please don’t tell mommy I was bothering you.”

Twilight sat up. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she said, making the motions and ending it by sticking her hoof in her left eye. “Ow,” she said, rubbing her eyelid.

The filly cocked her head to one side. “What’s that?” she asked.

Crouching down so her head was level with the filly’s, Twilight responded. “It’s a special promise that my friend Pinkie Pie made up.” She pointed to the still sleeping mare. “It can never be broken.”

“Never?” Berry took a step out from under the chair.

“Never ever,” she said.

Berry emerged fully from the chair and stood up. Upon getting a good look at her, Twilight realized that she was still young, younger than the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her flank was still blank, but given her estimated age, that was no surprise. She was smiling up at her..

Twilight held out her hoof. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle, what’s yours?” she asked. Even though she knew the filly’s name, she thought a proper introduction was in order.

The filly regarded her hoof for a moment more before reaching up and grasping it with her own. “Berry Fields,” she said.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Berry.”

Looking past Twilight, Berry gestured with her hoof. “Are they your friends?” she asked.

Twilight nodded. “Yes, they are.” She named off her friends, pointing them out as she did so. All of her friends were still asleep, the long night having worn them all out.

“And they’re all nice like you are?” Berry asked.

“Yes, the nicest.”

The filly seemed satisfied at that. Her gaze returned to Twilight. “So what’s that thing on your head?” she asked, pointing.

Twilight was confused for a moment, wondering if Berry had simply never seen a unicorn before and was asking about her horn, before she remembered that she was still wearing the Element of Magic. She must have slept with it on, which explained the massive crick in her neck.

Reaching up, she removed the tiara and placed in on the floor in front of the filly. The filly peered at it in wonder, poking it with a hoof. “It’s so pretty,” she said. “Are you a princess?”

Twilight giggled. “No, I’m not. This isn’t a crown, it’s called a tiara.”

“A tiara?” Berry tried out the new word. “Why do you have it?”

She thought for a moment. This filly was probably too young to fully understand the Elements of Harmony. “It was a gift,” she said.

“From a colt?” Berry said with a look of disgust on her face. “Colts are icky.”

Twilight laughed again. “No, not from a colt. It was a gift from Princess Celestia.”

Berry’s eyes went wide. “You know the Princess? Are you royalty?”

“No, I’m not royalty, and yes, I know the Princess.”

The filly leaped up, hopping around. “Is she really tall? Does she really raise the sun everyday? Is Canterlot huge?” She continued to fire off questions without giving Twilight a chance to answer any of them.

Finally she had to stop and take a breath. “Oh my, so many questions,” Twilight said. This filly was beginning to remind her of herself when she was that age, always curious and wanting to know about things.

Twilight spent some time playing question and answer with the filly, whose earlier hesitation seemed forgotten in the face of somepony who knew about Canterlot and the Princesses. Even though each successive question brought forth images of the city in flames, or of the Princesses in the field that night, she kept a smile on her face and answered each question.

To her surprise, Berry found her way over to Twilight, curling up at her side. The physical contact, as well as the feeling of a warm body at her side, caused Twilight to almost lose her train of thought. She was able to recover and continue speaking with only a slight pause that went unnoticed by her audience. With a mental shake of her head, she decided to just go with it. The filly was adorable the way she constantly asked more questions, and letting her sit up against her like that wouldn’t harm anything.

Applejack awoke upon a particularly loud exclamation from the filly. She looked around the room for a moment before her brain kicked in and she remembered where she was. Her green eyes landed on the scene of Twilight and Berry laying side by side. Twilight could see a warm look enter those eyes as she looked on, a small smile gracing her muzzle, content to just continue laying there and observe.

Even though the questions covered a surprisingly broad range of topics, Berry’s gaze kept returning to the tiara sitting on the floor. Twilight levitated it over with her magic. “Would you like to try it on?”

Berry leapt up and down, delivering an elbow to Twilight’s stomach. “Oh, can I?”

Twilight nodded. “It’ll be a bit big on you, but I don’t see why not.”

She lowered the tiara on Berry’s head. As soon as she let go with her magic, the headpiece nearly fell off. Instead, she used her levitation to keep it upright and on.

The tiara was more than a bit big on the filly. Her head was barely big enough to fill it out. Either the tiara suddenly looked really big, or the filly looked really small, Twilight couldn’t decide which. The effect was comical, but she managed to restrain her laughter.

“How does it look?” Berry asked.

Twilight dipped into a small bow. “You look like a princess,” she said.

The news of that brought an even bigger smile to Berry’s face. “Really?”

“Yup. I can see you now, walking along the streets of Canterlot. Ponies will be bowing to you and calling you Princess.”

Berry got up and walked around, doing her best to walk with grace. Twilight kept her magic going on the tiara, trying her best to match the filly’s movements. After a few moments, the filly lay back down against Twilight.

“It’s kinda big,” she said.

Twilight set the tiara back on the floor. “You still looked amazing in it.”

The antics of the filly served to wake up Fluttershy and Pinkie. Both of them saw what was going on and rather than ruin the moment by saying anything, they joined Applejack in simply watching. Rarity and Rainbow continued to sleep on, unaffected by the conversation going on.

“So then what were you doing all the way out here?” the filly asked.

“The other night, we were with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They gave us a mission and Princess Celestia transported us out here.”

Berry laughed, the sound ringing out through the room. “Princess Celestia gave you a mission? That is cool!”

Twilight smiled. “You’re right. It is cool. But anyway, we got lost in the storm last night and your mother was kind enough to let us stay here.”

Twilight’s smile was tinged with sadness. Not wanting the filly to notice, she looked over at Applejack. The farmer did notice, as her own face adopted a similar look. Princess Celestia hadn't given them a mission at all. Her actions had to have been born more out of desperation than anything. But how could you explain that to a filly without ruining her innocence about what was going on in the world?

Twilight was saved from having to make a decision when the door to Swift Bloom’s room opened and the mare stepped out. Berry ran over to her. “Mommy! Mommy! These ponies know Princess Celestia!” she cried.

Swift Bloom looked down. “Berry, have you been bothering those nice ponies?”

The filly persisted. “No mommy! We’ve been talking about the Princess. And look at this terrar- tia... crown she let me wear,” she said, pointing towards the tiara.

Swift Bloom looked over at Twilight. While she didn’t say anything, the look on her face clearly said that she would tell Berry to stop harassing her if she wanted. Twilight just gave a subtle shake of her head.

“It’s quite alright Miss Bloom, she’s been no trouble at all.”

Her gaze softened. “Well alright. Now go wash up for breakfast, we’re going to the city today,” she said.

Berry brightened. “Really?” At her mother’s nod, she jumped up and down. “Oh my gosh!” The filly bolted for the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind her and waking up Rarity in the process.

“What? Sweetie Belle?” Rarity’s eyes wandered the room before her brain woke up and she remembered where she was. “Ahem,” she said. “Good morning everypony.” Instantly she was the epitome of grace and eloquence. Though Twilight could see something hidden in her eyes at the mention of her sister.

They were all missing somepony. Their entire world had been turned upside-down and shaken, they’d been thrust into the middle of nowhere and forced to survive, not knowing if their loved ones were okay or not. Twilight distinctly remembered seeing Ponyville in flames that night.

For now, they were all handling it internally. Surviving in the frozen wasteland meant everything else took a backseat. As soon as they reached the Crystal City, when they were, hopefully, safe, they could take stock and deal with what had been pushed to the side.

The bathroom door opened and Berry stuck her head out. “Mommy, what about her,” Berry said, pointing a hoof at Twilight.

“Why she’s coming with us, and her friends.”

Applejack took care of waking Rainbow while Fluttershy offered to help Swift Bloom in the kitchen. Soon, there was breakfast enough for eight ponies sitting on the small table.

“I’m afraid we don’t have anymore room at the table,” Swift Bloom said. “But you’re more than welcome to eat by the fireplace.”

Applejack removed her hat and inclined her head towards the mare. “Thank you kindly, ma’am.” A loud roar from her stomach ended her sentence. She blushed and replaced her hat, pulling it down so it partially covered her face.

Swift Bloom regarded them all. “How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

“Almost two days,” Rarity answered.

“Oh my. Well then, please, help yourselves.”

The bathroom door opened and Berry popped back out. She sniffed the air. “It smells good, Mommy.” She raced up to the table, hopping into one of the chairs and looking at all the food. “Miss Twilight, sit here.” She gestured to the seat next to her bouncing up and down.

Twilight glanced over at Swift Bloom who nodded her head, her muzzle having a slightly awkward grin. With a sheepish grin towards her friends, who were all taking plates over towards the couch, she climbed up into the chair, joining the mother-daughter duo at the table.

Berry spent the entire meal regaling her mother with everything Twilight had told her that morning. Well, that and asking even more questions, which Twilight answered as best she could. By the time the meal was over and they had washed up, she wasn’t sure who knew more about Canterlot: her or the filly.

Swift Bloom sent her daughter to her room, to pack the things she’d need to stay in the city for a few days. The filly eagerly scampered off. She turned back to look at Twilight, who was using her magic to place the last plate back in the cupboard. After a decent amount of sleep and a meal, she could finally use her magic without feeling like her head was going to explode.

“I’m surprised. Berry doesn’t usually take to new people like this. She’s always been so shy. I’m sorry if she was bothering you,” she apologized.

“It’s fine Miss Bloom,” Twilight said. “I don’t mind answering questions.”

“Miss Sparkle...”

Twilight held up a hoof. “Please, just...” Twilight sighed. “Call me Twilight.”

Swift Bloom chuckled. “Only if you call me Swift. No one’s called me Miss Bloom in a long time.”

“Fair enough. But it’s really nothing Miss- Swift,” Twilight said, embarrassed.

Swift caught Twilight's gaze. "But it is. There is something about you that has pulled Berry out of her reclusive bubble. That something is a blessing in so many ways. Living out here is hard enough, and..." Swift's voice caught in her throat and she turned away, rubbing her eyes. "A-And when her father died... Well, I'm afraid it was a little much for the both of us." She turned back to Twilight. "And now here you are, conversing with her more than I have in the past month. I don't know what will happen in the next few days but I just wanted you to know I'm thankful, she hasn't smiled like this in ages."

That explained why the filly was so interested in asking her questions about those two subjects. Not that Twilight minded as she had a lot of knowledge on those things. But hearing that from Swift Bloom struck a chord in her. She’d never considered herself to be a social pony, even after her move to Ponyville and finding her friends. For a filly like Berry, one that Twilight found to be adorable, to latch on to her so quickly was a surprise.

Swift Bloom took in a breath. “I’ve been meaning for six months to take her to Canterlot, maybe even see the Princess herself. But with what you told me, I can tell that’s never going to happen. So please, Twilight, keep the truth from her as long as possible.” The mare’s eyes were pleading. “She lost a lot when my husband died. It may be selfish of me, but I don’t want her to lose anymore.”

Swift Bloom had placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, her eyes staring right into hers. Twilight couldn’t escape her gaze. “Of course,” she said. “And I’ll let my friends know as well.” In truth, she would never have told the filly anyway, it wasn’t her place to do so. And this was a mother who desperately wanted to protect her child.

Swift Bloom leaned forward, wrapping Twilight into a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered into her ear.

The door to Berry’s room flew open and the filly trotted out, a small saddlebag resting on her hips and a suitcase in tow. “I’m ready to go Mommy,” she announced.

The mare quickly let Twilight go, her face instantly composing itself. “That’s my girl. Mommy still needs to pack, so why don’t you and your new friends go play outside?”

“Okay!” Berry dropped her luggage on the floor by the door. She opened a wardrobe standing next to the door, pulling out a foal-sized snow jacket and boots. The ensemble was completed when with a deft flick of her neck, she wrapped a scarf around herself.

Swift Bloom had vanished into her room, presumably to pack. Leaving Twilight to be grabbed by Berry and dragged towards the door. “Come on, let’s go,” she said.

Twilight looked over to her friends for help, but they were only smirking at her, except for Fluttershy who was simply smiling. “Uh, girls?” she said.

“Go on Twilight,” Pinkie said. “Go have fun in the snow. I’ll bet you’ll make snow-ponys, or have a snowball fight, or eat some snow.” Pinkie’s eyes widened and she gasped. “Hey, this sounds like fun. Wait for me!” The pink pony darted past them and out the door, throwing herself headfirst into the snow.

The snow had once more stopped falling and the clouds were even clearing away. Berry giggled at Pinkie’s antics and proceeded to copy her, leaping out the door and colliding with her out in the snow. Quickly the two of them were rolling around, giggling.

Twilight came outside, followed by the rest of her friends. The sun was still rising off to the east, but it was warm enough that they could stay outside for a bit. She sat down just outside the door, watching the two ponies play.

Pinkie was always good with foals, and this proved no exception. Twilight took this moment to let her friends know about not cluing Berry into what had happened to Canterlot and the Princesses. They each nodded their heads. When she turned back to watch Pinkie, the party pony was also regarding her. Pinkie pantomimed zipping her lips shut, so somehow she got the message as well.

Just as Twilight was getting comfortable, something cold and wet collided with the side of her head. She looked over to see Berry grinning, another snowball ready to go in her hoof. “Berry...” Twilight said, only to receive the second snowball right in her face.

Shaking her head, she could still see the filly grinning at her. Twilight used her magic to scoop up some snow, quickly forming into a ball. Berry’s face fell as she realized just what she had done. “Uh oh,” she said before taking off.

Twilight chased after her, launching snowballs at her with magic. But the filly would dodge each one, pausing only long enough to scoop up some snow and return fire.

Just as Twilight had cornered the giggling filly, a snowball hit the back of her head. She whirled around to see Applejack standing there. “Now you versus a little filly, that just ain’t fair,” the farmer said.

Twilight was about to retort that Berry had started it, when another snowball hit her back, followed by the filly in question rushing past her, taking refuge amongst Applejack’s legs. Together the two of them held up more snowballs.

“Eep,” was all Twilight could say before she found herself running away.

Soon enough, all her friends had joined in, forming teams and running around launching snowballs at each other. Twilight had thought she wouldn’t have wanted to be doing something like this so soon after what had happened, but it seems like the little filly’s laughter and happiness was infectious.

They decided to make it a bit more organized. Two teams of three, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow on one side with Rarity, Applejack, and Berry on the other, faced off against each other. Pinkie was refereeing.

Each team spent a few minutes gathering ammo and making stockpiles. Twilight spent that time using her magic to assemble each team identical snow forts. Each fort was large enough to house all three ponies on each team. She made sure to make front and side walls, giving the front walls holes through which to launch snowballs and so those inside could see out.

As soon as she was done, she looked around, seeing everypony else still getting ready. Shrugging, she added details to her forts. Small towers went up on each corner. Buttresses held up the side walls. Crenellations added to the front walls gave them a true fortress look. Twilight admired her handiwork.

When both teams were ready, their forts stockpiled with plenty of snowballs, Pinkie pulled a whistle out of her mane and blew it. At the signal, snowballs flew back and forth between the two teams.

Everypony was laughing and having a good time. For just a moment, they could forget about what had happened and just be themselves.

Fluttershy was the first one out, taking a snowball from Rarity as she attempted to replenish her own team’s stockpile. As soon as she was out, she mumbled something about going inside, heading through the door into the house. Even in the midst of battle, Twilight could see that familiar look in her eyes, the one that said she had ulterior motives going inside. She just hoped that Swift Bloom would be receptive to the pegasus’ intentions.

Rarity wasn’t far behind Fluttershy in getting out, as in her glory over pelting Fluttershy she forgot to duck when Rainbow threw a fast one.

“Ha, take that Rarity!” the pegasus called out. Her gloating was interrupted when a snowball slammed right into her face.

“My, my, Rainbow. Y’all really need to learn how to dodge,” Applejack called as she tossed another snowball up and down in her hoof.

Twilight attempted to catch the farmer off guard, but she took her own wisdom to heart and stepped aside. So now it was down to Twilight versus Applejack and the filly.

Applejack gave her an evil grin. “Ya ready for this Twi?”

Twilight levitated two snowballs up. “It. Is. On,” she said.

The tense standoff ended when Berry threw a snowball at Twilight, giggling madly as she did so, forcing her to dodge to the side. Applejack threw both of hers, one right at her and the other to her left, forcing the mare to move to the right, precisely where Berry was aiming her shot.

Twilight ducked, dropping to the ground and launching a wild snowball towards the two of them, which didn’t even come close to hitting either of them. She rolled, coming to her hooves with a replacement.

This time Twilight took the offensive, quickly using her magic to form snowballs and send them all at Applejack, hoping to get rid of her biggest competition. But the farmer was agile, weaving through the barrage before returning fire, once more forcing Twilight to dodge.

The librarian and the farmer engaged in an epic duel, snowballs flying every which way as their friends watched on, eager to see who would prevail. To make things fair, Twilight was limiting her magic while Applejack wasn’t using all her strength. Twilight's snowballs were awful, lobbed things, woefully inaccurate most of the time.

Twilight used her magic to scoop up even more snowballs, launching them as fast as she could at Applejack. But the orange mare was crafty and always seemed to stay one step ahead of where she was aiming.

She knew this had to end soon. Using her magic, she picked up three snowballs, but keeping one hidden behind her, out of Applejack’s line of sight. With a grunt of effort, she tossed the two visible ones towards the farmer, one aimed at her and the other to her right.

Just as she expected, Applejack saw what was coming and took a step to the left, right into the path of the third snowball Twilight tossed. Applejack didn’t see it coming in time and the snowball hit her right in the chest.

“Well shucks, looks like you got me,” she said with a smile.

Twilight couldn’t believe that actually worked. “I did it,” she said. “I won!” She pranced in place, excited at her victory, at least until something cold and wet hit the back of her head.

Turning around, she saw Berry. The filly had somehow snuck behind her during the exchange with Applejack. She was grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh,” was all Twilight could say.

“You forgot about somepony,” came the voice of Applejack, who was barely containing her laughter.

Berry stuck her tongue out at Twilight before laughing herself. Applejack had just been a distraction all along, buying time for the filly to sneak around. Twilight had been outmaneuvered.

With a theatrical groan she fell into the snow. “I have been defeated!” she proclaimed. “I bow to you Berry Fields, you won.”

Berry strutted over towards Twilight before placing a forehoof on her side and raising the other over her head. “I claim this win for Celestia,” she said.

The filly pranced around her “victim.” As soon as her back was turned, Twilight sat up and launched herself at the filly. With a shocked squeal, they both went tumbling through the snow, giggling. No sooner had they stopped, than Twilight was using her hooves to tickle Berry into submission.

Berry struggled against the onslaught. “No!” she managed to get out in between laughing fits. Twilight was immune to her cries though, and kept tickling, allowing the filly to rest and escape, only to chase her down and trap her once more.

“Berry,” came the voice of Swift Bloom. “Come on, it’s time to go.”

The filly managed to squirm out from under Twilight’s hooves and rushed away. Twilight saw Swift Bloom standing next to a cart, though this one had skis attached to the wheels. Fluttershy was beside her.

Twilight and her friends made their way over to the cart as well. Swift Bloom passed them each a jacket. “These are all the jackets I have, though some of them may not fit you very well. Sorry that I don’t have more boots.”

“It’s fine. You’ve done so much for us already,” Twilight said. “We can’t possibly ask anything else of you.”

“It’s nothing,” she replied. “Now come along, if we leave now we can make it there by dinner.” She looked straight at Twilight. “I put your tiara in the cart. The rest of you can throw your necklaces in there too.” Her friends looked at each other before shrugging and taking off their element necklaces and placing them in the cart.

She started to harness herself into the cart, but was stopped by Applejack. “Let me, ma’am,” she said.

Swift Bloom sputtered. “No, I can’t possibly ask you to...”

“You ain’t asking, I’m insisting.” Without waiting for an argument, Applejack slipped into the harness with practiced ease. “Now come on everypony, we’re off to the Crystal City.”

Applejack set off, leaving Swift Bloom behind. “Wait,” she called out. “You don’t know the way!”

“Then you better come show me,” the farmer replied.

Swift Bloom rushed to catch up with the cart, walking alongside Applejack. Berry had already taken up a seat inside the cart, her head sticking up over the side.

Twilight chuckled and set off with the rest of her friends after the cart. This could prove to be a very interesting trip. Trotting, she was able to catch up with the cart easily, despite the skis attached to the wheels making travel across the snow possible. The wheels didn’t actually spin, the whole cart was just being dragged on the skis.

The good mood from the snowball fight continued with them, and they all chatted happily, with Berry asking various questions from her spot in the cart. Now that she had gotten a chance to play with them all, the filly seemed very accepting of everypony.

So it was that the morning passed quickly. Swift Bloom quickly realized that no matter how much she protested, Applejack wasn’t going to let her drive the cart. Instead she simply guided the farm pony along the correct route while getting to know everypony.

Pinkie spent the morning alternating between riding in the cart, entertaining Berry with silly stories, and hopping alongside the cart. The filly seemed quite taken with Pinkie, no surprise considering the mare specializes in making ponies happy.

They stopped for lunch when the sun was at its highest. Unlike yesterday, Twilight could tell that the city was actually getting closer. Already the green zone, where the magic of the Crystal Heart kept the cold weather at bay, creating a temperate zone, was visible. According to Swift Bloom, they’d reach the edge of the zone in several hours, with her commenting on how Applejack was making excellent time. From there it was simply a matter of removing the skis and taking the road into the city.

Swift Bloom had packed a light lunch, nothing more than oats and some hay bars, but Twilight ate her portion down and it was the best thing she’d ever had, outside of breakfast that morning. She was still hungry, but knew that she had to take it easy on her stomach. Eating too much would have the same effect as not eating enough.

Berry hopped out of the cart, with some assistance from Pinkie, and joined them in the snow. She hopped around at first, spending all that pent up energy from sitting all morning. Before long, her muzzle was coated with a fine layer of oats and she was attempting to goad anypony she could into helping her build a snowpony.

“Berry, sweetie, it’s time to get moving again,” Swift Bloom said. The filly pouted, but before she could say anything, her mom butted in. “Uh-uh. No arguing young lady. Now come on, into the cart.”

“Fine,” she said, drawing it out to make sure her displeasure was fully known. Just as she was about to jump up, Pinkie stuck her head underneath the filly’s belly and lifted her up. With a flip of her head, Pinkie launched Berry up and into the air. One complete somersault later and she was standing on Pinkie’s back, looking around and wondering what had just happened.

“Silly filly,” Pinkie said. “Why would you want to ride in a boring old cart when you can ride on the Pinkie Express instead?” With that she started trotting around the area, making strange sputtering noises with her mouth.

Berry didn’t seem to know what to make of her new ride at first, if the look of confusion on her face was anything to go by. But after a moment she got into it, putting her forehooves on Pinkie’s head and giggling.

Swift Bloom just watched with a single eyebrow raised. “Is she always like that?” she asked.

Twilight chuckled. “Yes. I’d say you get used to it, but you really never do.”

Applejack hooked herself back into the cart and once more they set off towards the city. Swift Bloom guiding them. She would have them make turns or curves at seeming random. When Twilight questioned her about it, she said that there were crevasses and other pitfalls lurking around. Ponies had to be careful travelling out here, if they fell into one of those, well, ponies died out here every year. But she knew the safe route between the farm and the green zone.

Applejack questioned Swift Bloom about the crystal berries, how to grow them and why they grew so far out here. The two of them had a very animated conversation, discussing the various differences between farming apples and farming crystal berries.

Berry was enjoying her ride on Pinkie’s back, but eventually even the party mare’s energy ran out. The filly and mare both clambered into the cart, much to Applejack’s consternation at having to haul Pinkie around. From somewhere Pinkie pulled out a deck of cards and proceeded to teach Berry several different games which to Twilight seemed to serve no purpose, especially when the rules kept changing.

The good cheer that had been following them all day seemed to fade the closer they got to the city. It wasn’t gone, just that the conversations quieted amongst them. Only Pinkie and Berry were still talking and laughing.

Swift Bloom seemed to feel what was going on, as she too remained mostly quiet, only occasionally speaking up. Twilight felt bad for the mare, being dragged into something like this. If there was a way to spare her and her daughter anymore trouble, she would do it. Nopony deserved to be caught up in what was happening.

Before long, they reached the edge of the temperate zone. The change in temperature was dramatic and immediate. It went from barely tolerable cold, to quite warm and pleasant in the space of a single step. Applejack dragged the cart across the grass until it was completely off of the snow.

Everypony took off their warm clothing while Swift Bloom rummaged around in the cart, coming back holding a toolbox. “It’ll take me a minute to remove these skis,” she said.

“Allow me, darling,” Rarity said. She analyzed the way the skis were attached to the wheels before popping open the toolbox with her magic. Out floated half a dozen tools, each of which set to work removing bolts and placing them aside. The seamstress once more displaying her incredible dexterity with magic.

Within a minute, the skis were free of the wheels, and all the parts were organized neatly inside the toolbox. Twilight simply lifted the entire cart in her magic, allowing the others to pick up the skis and place them inside the cart. All this while Swift Bloom looked on in amazement.

When they were done, she just shook her head. “Well, that normally takes me quite a bit longer.”

“You’ve done so much for us, it’s only fair we help out,” Rarity explained. She then noticed the way Rainbow Dash was looking at her. “What?”

“Since when did you know how to use tools?”

“Honestly, Rainbow,“ Rarity scoffed. “Just because I don’t enjoy getting my hooves dirty doesn’t mean I can’t. Sweetie Belle, and her friends, can be quite destructive sometimes.”

Rainbow was still staring at her with a confused look, so Rarity continued while trying not to roll her eyes. “It is much simpler for me to fix things myself instead of most likely have things ruined more with a Cuite Mark Repair Job.”

Rainbow finally nodded, her mouth forming a little ‘o’ of comprehension. “Yeah, they can be a tad enthusiastic.” Everypony nodded, except Swift Bloom and Berry, who had no idea what they were talking about.

Talking about the Cutie Mark Crusaders brought forth unpleasant feelings in everypony. Sure they couldn't help but smile at the antics of those three, but now they couldn't help but think about them, and everypony else from Ponyville whose fate was unknown.

A dark and somber mood fell upon the group. So strong was it that even little Berry took notice, her ever-present smile fading just a bit. They all sat in an awkward silence as the sun moved towards the horizon, the shadow cast by the Crystal City itself nearly reaching them.

“Come on,” Swift Bloom said. “We’d best get moving. It will be getting dark soon and I’d much rather be in town when that happens.”

Twilight nodded. “Agreed. How long from here to the city?”

“About half an hour.”

“Well then, let’s get moving,” Applejack said, putting action to words, setting off down the path now visible since there was no longer any snow to cover it up. Twilight and the rest following her.

Despite the clear sky thanks to the magic of the Crystal Heart, it felt like they were perpetually walking under a cloud. Being so close to the city and supposed safety meant that all the thoughts that had been pushed aside in favor of survival were coming to the surface. It was a silent group that made their way towards the city.

The shield around the city wasn’t activated, the familiar pink dome was missing. Twilight thought back to when they were here after the city first re-appeared. The shield was up then to protect against King Sombra. While he was powerful, Sombra was still just a unicorn.

The dragon was something else entirely. The power it wielded was enormous. It had been more than enough to deal with everything Equestria had sent against it. How long would the shield around the city actually last? Her mind filled with calculations, determining coefficients, finding the integral. She ran the equation a dozen times, making sure it was correct. What she came up with was simply: not very long. An hour at the most before the Crystal Heart overloaded. What would happen when it did, not even she could figure that one out. It may just fizzle out, or it could explode, destroying that which it was trying to protect in a burst of wild magic.

Twilight found her thoughts drifting towards her friends, the ones who weren’t with her right now. How were they doing? Did they get out of Ponyville, or were they still there? If they did leave, where did they go? She hoped that Spike was okay, that he had managed to get out. She had sent him to stay at Applejack’s farm, where the CMC were staying as well, being watched over by the team of Big Mac and Discord.

Discord being there gave her some hope. The draconequus was silly and easily bored, but even he knew when to take things seriously. He had taken a liking to the three little fillies, relishing the sheer destruction and chaos they could cause at times. If anything he would make sure they stayed safe, and by extension, Spike. Though there was always the chance that something had happened. Her mind conjured up scenario after scenario, all of them ending badly for everypony involved.

The path underhoof turned from dirt, to cobblestone, signalling that they were close to the city. Still they carried on, Twilight and her friends lost in their own little worlds, with Swift Bloom and Berry perhaps understanding, the filly content to play with Pinkie’s cards in the cart. It looked like they would reach the city before the sun set. At least until they found their path blocked by several city guards.

Three pegasi, wearing the silver armor of the Crystal City Guards came soaring out of the sky, startling Twilight who had been lost in her thoughts. They landed with a thump, their armor clanging on their frames.

“Halt!” the lead one said, her spear held under her wing at her side, but ready to be used at a moment’s notice. “State your name and business in the city.”

“My name is Swift Bloom and this is my daughter. We’ve come into town from our farm to get supplies and visit family,” the pegasus mare spoke up. Berry gave a fearful wave to the guards, her head barely sticking out over the side of the cart.

The lead guard indicated Twilight with her wing. “And who are they?”

Twilight answered. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends. We’ve come here to meet with Princess Cadance, my sister-in-law.” As much as she didn’t like to use her position and status as a tool, there were times when she was willing to wield it. Like now when being stopped on the road by guards.

The guard relaxed her stance. “I apologize for stopping you. We’ve had so many refugees coming in from Equestria lately, we need to figure out who’s who and get them set up somewhere.”

Twilight perked up and approached the guard. She lowered her voice so as to not let Berry overhear. “Refugees?”

The guard nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Ever since early this morning, refugees have been coming in. Most by train, some by foot.”

“So the trains are still running?”

“Yes, ma’am. Celestia bless those train workers, some of them came in packed beyond capacity. And as soon as their trains were unloaded, they refilled on fuel and set back out to Equestria. Though if some of what we’ve heard is true...” her voice trailed off.

“What? What have you been hearing?”

At this point, the others, except Applejack who was still hooked into the cart had come up to listen in. “Well,” said the guard. “There’s been talk amongst the refugees that Canterlot and the Royal Guard have been destroyed. The Princesses are nowhere to be found, and the entire area around Canterlot is simply... gone.”

Whatever the guard expected for a reaction, she didn’t get it. Instead Twilight and her friends simply nodded. “We were there, so what they are saying is mostly true.”

The guard sat down, her flank hitting the ground with a whump. “How? We’d just dismissed the tales as overreactions from shocked ponies. We knew something bad had gone down, but that’s just...”

“Where are the refugees coming from?” Rarity asked. Twilight mentally facehooved. She should’ve asked that from the start.

“All over. We’ve had some from Manehatten, Vanhoover, Las Pegasus, Ponyville-”

“Ponyville!?” Fluttershy said.

The guard nodded. “Yes, ma’am. One train arrived from Ponyville, unloaded, and went back.”

“Where are the Ponyville refugees?” Twilight asked.

The guard shrugged. “All over the city. We’re trying to round everypony up so we can get a count and a census, but by the time we realized we had a problem, ponies were everywhere. It’ll take time to gather them all up and make sure they all have lodgings and food.”

Twilight felt relief wash over her. At least some ponies from Ponyville had escaped. That was good news indeed. Though hearing that they could be anywhere in the city was slightly disheartening. She would be sure to search the city herself if it came down to that.

She looked around, seeing similar looks of relief on the faces of her friends. Hope lit up their eyes, hope that their loved ones had made it out okay.

“Thank you for this information,” Twilight said. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to go look for our families.”

She made to move off, but an extended wing stopped her. “Actually ma’am, but we have standing orders from Princess Cadance to bring the Elements of Harmony directly to her if they show up.” She looked over at Swift Bloom. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us as well.”

“What?” the mare asked. “Why?”

“You’ve been with the Elements. The Princess may want to speak to you, too.” She gestured to Applejack. “If you could unhook yourself and get the filly out of the cart, the Private here,” she indicated the guard to her left, “will take the cart into town.”

“But what about my stuff?” Swift Bloom asked.

“We will take the utmost care of it. You can pick up your cart at the guard barracks just outside the palace.” Her tone brokered no argument, even though Twilight supposed she could pull rank. In all honesty, if her friends from Ponyville had made it here, then they would most likely go to the palace. So going there was their best hope of finding them anyway.

In short order, Applejack was unhooked and the pegasus guard was flying away with the cart. Berry was hiding amongst her mother’s legs, intimidated by the guards, casting them somewhat fearful looks still.

“If you’ll follow us,” the lead guard said, setting off down the road.

They followed the guard into the city. The buildings still shined in the waning sunlight as ponies walked around. To Twilight’s eye, there were far more ponies on the streets than any other time she had been here. Which made sense considering the influx of refugees. Though the guard had mentioned that ponies were coming from all over. There didn’t seem to be enough ponies considering the cities the guard had mentioned.

Curious, she asked the guard a question. “If ponies are coming here from all over, why aren’t there more ponies?”

“From what we can piece together talking to the refugees we can, some ponies are coming here while others are going to the Gryphon Empire, or Zebrica. Others still aren’t leaving at all, staying with their homes.” She looked away in thought. “I’d say that maybe one in three ponies is leaving, with less than that number showing up here. Though that alone will put a strain on our resources as we have to house and feed them all.”

She paused once more. “To be honest, everypony we talk to has a different story. It’s almost impossible to figure out what’s going on in Equestria. I imagine that with the Royal Guard gone and the Princesses missing, it’s chaos there.”

Twilight mulled over this new information. It wasn’t surprising that some ponies were leaving while others stayed. Though ponies staying meant that the dragon had, for whatever reason, not attacked another city. What it was doing, she didn’t know. With how easily it had taken out Canterlot, the dragon could conquer all of Equestria in days. If that were the case, nopony would want to stay behind.

They reached the palace, the tall tower gleaming. Just underneath the tripod legs of the building was the plinth upon which rested the Crystal Heart. The gem was glowing, powering the entire city and the spells keeping it warm and secure. Right now the glow was dim, barely more than that of a foal’s night light.

Ascending the steps, the guards posted there let them pass, some saluting to the lead guard. Two guards stood on either side of the massive crystal doors leading into the palace. At a nod from their escort, the doors were flung open.

The interior of the palace always continued to amaze Twilight. The foyer was a grand place, large and open. It was meant to impress visitors, decorated in opulence. The walls had reliefs carved into them, intricate patterns winding their way from floor to ceiling around the entire room. The finest rugs lay across the floor in spots, and two curving staircases led up and into the rest of the palace.

Between the staircases lay their destination, another massive door. This one was made of wood instead of crystal, but it looked no less elegant. Other than a few guards, the foyer was empty. It was too late for petitioners to be congregating here, awaiting their turn to speak to the Princess.

Their escort lead them up to the wooden doors, pushing them open with a tap of her hoof. Inside was the throne room, a long, thin room with a red carpet traveling the length of it. Crystal columns, these carved with even more intricate detailing, lined the room and torches hung in sconces from them. A large window sat above the throne, providing what little sunlight there was access.

The throne itself sat upon a dais, raised up from the rest of the floor. Sitting upon the throne, surrounded by six guards, was a bubblegum pink mare with a tri-toned mane. A desk was sitting in front of her, laden with scrolls, three of which were hovering in front of her. Said mare perked up when the doors opened.

Her jaw dropped when she saw who was entering the room. “Twilight!” Cadance shouted, the scrolls dropping onto the desk. Disregarding protocol, the princess snapped open her wings and in a flash that would make Rainbow Dash proud, she darted across the room, nearly tackling Twilight off her hooves in a hug.

“Oh thank Celestia you’re okay,” she said.

Twilight returned the hug, happy to see her sister. “Yes, we’re fine,” she said.

The two siblings hugged each other, grateful to see someone they knew safe. For Twilight, in the back of her mind she had known the Cadance was safe, she had been in the Crystal City when the attack happened. And from what she had seen of the city from the wastelands, it was all in one piece, so it hadn’t suffered anything.

But here, now, holding Cadance in her hooves, feeling her coat pressed up against hers, made it all real. She knew, without a doubt, that her sister was okay. The little cloud that had been following her all afternoon wisped away partially.

Finally the hug broke. Cadance cleared her throat, only now seeming to realize what she’d done. “I’m glad that you all are safe, I’d like to-” She looked down, feeling something poking her leg.

Berry had somehow escaped her mother’s gaze and was sitting next to Cadance, poking her with her hoof to get her attention. As soon as she got it, she smiled up at the princess. “You’re a princess?” she asked.

Cadance nodded. “I am. And who might you be?”

Swift Bloom noticed what was going on and attempted to intervene. “I’m so sorry Your Highness,” she apologized, trying to pull Berry away.

“It’s no problem at all,” she said. Her attention went back to the little filly. “My name is Cadance, what’s your name?”

“Berry Fields. And this is my mommy,” she said, pointing to a still embarrassed Swift Bloom.

“Swift Bloom, Your Highness,” she said, dipping into a bow.

“Rise,” Cadance said. “Why are you here with Twilight and her friends?”

Berry spoke up. “This mean looking guard told us to follow her.”

The guard who had led them had by now taken up position by a column. “Mean looking?” she asked aloud.

The filly nodded. “Yeah, mean and scary.”

The guard sputtered, unable to think of anything to say to that.

Cadance giggled. “Yes, I suppose she is a bit mean looking.” The guard adopted a miffed look on her face as Cadance continued. “Though that doesn’t exactly explain why you’re here.”

“They were with us on the road. Swift Bloom was kind enough to take us in last night during the storm and lead us into the city,” Twilight spoke up.

Cadance thought for a moment. “I think you have a story to tell me. Something tells me you know what went on in Equestria.”

Twilight nodded. “I do, but...” she looked over at Berry, who was trotting around Cadance, inspecting her from all angles.

Cadance got the hint. “Say Berry, do you like ice cream?” she asked.

The filly nodded, bouncing up and down. “I sure do!”

“Well then, how would you like a nice, big bowl of it?”

Berry’s smile was the widest Twilight had ever seen on the filly. “I’d love one!” She turned to her mother. “Mommy, please, can I?”

Swift Bloom seemed to get where this was heading, as she nodded. “I suppose. Just be sure and leave some room for dinner.”

Berry let out a whoop of glee, turning back to Cadance. “Yay, ice cream!”

Cadance gestured to the guard who had led them here. “Guard Storm, you may remove your helmet and armor, consider yourself on civilian duty. Your task is to take this filly down to the kitchens for ice cream.”

The guard, Storm, looked incredulous. “What?” she asked.

Berry’s face fell. “I don’t like her, she’s mean.”

“Berry!” Swift Bloom exclaimed. “We don’t say that about others. Apologize.”

The filly lowered her head. “Sorry,” she muttered.

Storm was still protesting her new orders. “Are you serious, Princess?”

Cadance nodded. “I am.” She gestured with a hoof. “Now go on, off with your armor.”

Grumbling, the guard complied. The armor ended up in a pile by the column, revealing a mare with a dark green coat and a white mane. The scowl on her face remained.

“Okay, you have your orders,” Cadance said. “Consider anything the filly says to be an order from me, within reason.” Her gaze moved back to Berry, who was still looking at the guard with suspicion. “Berry, I promise, Storm here is really nice and she won’t be mean at all. If she gives you any trouble, you tell me and I’ll let you decide what her punishment will be.”

Berry brightened up. “Yes, ma’am,” she said, giving an adorable little salute.

Cadance turned back to Storm. “Go on,” she said, shooing the filly away with a wing.

Hesitantly, Berry followed Storm, who was grumbling something under her breath. They exited the throne room, vanishing from sight.

As soon as they were gone, Cadance turned back to Twilight. “Follow me,” she said. Leading them through the room, she opened a small door towards the back, behind the throne. Inside was a comfortable sitting room, far less opulent than the rest of the palace.

Once everypony, including Swift Bloom, was inside, Candace closed the door after instructing her guards that they were not to be disturbed. She then took a seat on a pillow on the floor, gesturing for the others to do the same.

Twilight took a seat next to Cadance. As soon as they were settled, she turned to her sister. “Before I start, what all have you heard?”

“Reports from the refugees are varied, everypony says something different.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to believe.” She gave Twilight a piercing glance and almost whispered, “or even what I want to believe.”

Twilight nodded. “I understand. But my friends and I were there, right in the middle of it.”

“That’s what I thought. So you can tell me exactly what happened.”

“I can, though you may not want to hear it.”

Cadance smiled, a grim smile, one that looked off on her face. “Twilight, part of being a ruler is knowing that you have to hear things, to know things, that you’d much rather not know. Ignorance is no longer an option.”

Twilight sighed. “Okay,” she said.

So for the second time in a day, Twilight launched into her story of what had happened. Unlike with Swift Bloom, she spared no details. While Swift Bloom herself had heard this before, she had had a day to get used to things. So Twilight didn’t feel as bad sharing exactly what had transpired that night.

Cadance listened with rapt attention, absorbing every detail. Her face was a mask, betraying nothing of what she was feeling underneath. It was as if she had slipped into Princess mode fully, listening to everything so as to know how to best run her country.

When Twilight got to the part about Shining Armor, she could see her sister’s mask fall. Her eyes swam with barely contained tears. “Is he...?”

Twilight, her own vision going blurry, replied. “I’m pretty sure he’s gone.” She drew in a breath. “He was just there one moment and gone the next. Everything happened so fast.” As soon as she finished speaking, a tear rolled down her cheek, followed swiftly by another.

Cadance’s mask broke then and she cried, little sobs leaving her muzzle. Twilight leaned over and embraced her sister, quite possibly her only living family left as her parents had been in Canterlot. The alicorn wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s neck, the two sisters seeking solace in the embrace.

They cried together over lost family, one a brother, the other a husband. The world around them just disappeared and it was only the two of them, united by grief. The tears flowed freely between the two of them, sometimes mixing where their cheeks touched in the embrace.

Twilight wasn’t sure how long had passed, only that eventually the tears slowed down. Cadance was still crying, though for her this was something new. Twilight had already cried several times for those who had been lost. As bad as it sounded to her to even think it, she felt like she was nearly cried out by this point.

She continued to hold her sister, rubbing her back with a hoof, comforting her. She wanted to say something, something to calm or comfort her, but she couldn’t think of anything. Desperate, she looked around the room.

Swift Bloom had been crying as well, her red-rimmed eyes a testament to that. The rest of her friends all looked on in varying states of sadness. Fluttershy was the worst off, her natural empathy working against her. Applejack was the most stoic, though even she was feeling the oppressive weight of the sadness in the room.

The farmer noticed Twilight looking around and got up, coming over to Cadance. “Cadance,” she said. “Shining was a wonderful pony, and an excellent husband, I’m sure. He loved you. I reckon he would want you to know that.”

Cadance sniffled. “He was, and he did.” She sat up, wiping at her eyes with a hoof. “Thank you Twilight, and you as well Applejack.”

Applejack nodded, going back to her seat. Twilight knew that her friend was smarter than most ponies gave her credit for. She had experienced the loss of loved ones before when her parents died. If anypony knew what to say, it would be her. Though hearing such soft, soothing words delivered in her southern accent was unusual.

When she was ready, Cadance nodded for Twilight to continue. Twilight moved on, telling of how the Elements of Harmony had failed, and how they had been teleported to the wastelands by Celestia. She told of surviving that first night, and meeting Swift Bloom the second night. She told of how Swift Bloom had housed them, fed them, and led them to the city.

When she was done, Cadance, who had fully pulled herself together, regarded Swift Bloom. “You have my thanks for helping out my sister and her friends.”

The mare blushed. “It was nothing. I couldn’t rightly leave them to freeze outside.”

“Still, you helped them. You and your daughter are welcome in this palace anytime, and furthermore, I shall have a guest room setup for you.”

“You’re too kind, Your Highness.”

“Please, call me Cadance.”

Swift Bloom nodded. “Very well, Cadance. But I’m afraid I must refuse the room. I came into town to buy supplies and visit my parents. I’d... I’d like to stay with them.”

“Of course,” Cadance agreed. “Though I expect you and your family to attend dinner here at the palace in a few days time.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am.”

“Thank you very much Your- Cadance,” Swift Bloom said. She thought for a moment more before speaking up. “If it’s not bothersome, may I request something?”

“Of course, ask and if at all possible, I will make it happen,” Cadance replied.

“My daughter, Berry. She’s recently become fascinated with princesses. If possible, would you be willing to spend a little time with her? I know you’re busy, even more so in these trying times. But please, it would mean a lot to her,”

Cadance put a hoof to her chin. “I think I can manage something,” she said.

“Oh thank you! Thank you so much!” Swift Bloom exclaimed. “She’ll be delighted to hear that.”

Cadance smiled before looking at a clock on the wall. “Thank you, Twilight, for sharing this with me. Now that I know what happened, I can properly plan for what will happen. I've already sent out scouts to Canterlot, to see what’s going on.” She stood up. “It’s getting late. I suggest we head down to the kitchens for a bite to eat, then turn in. We have a lot to talk about still, and it will be easier after a night’s sleep.”

Everypony nodded. The idea of food sounded good to Twilight, whose stomach was beginning to show signs of hunger.

Together they left the room, Cadance leading them across the throne room and out the door, down a hallway and through another door.

Inside was a large kitchen, several ponies working at the stoves, various pots and pans going. An intriguing mixture of smells filled the air. It wasn’t unpleasant to Twilight, just curious.

A table was set off to one side, a table currently occupied by a large, green mare and a small cream filly engaged in a staring contest. Neither participant broke their gaze when the group entered.

“What’s going on?” Swift Bloom asked.

Storm nor Berry answered her, both of them continuing to stare at the other, unblinking. Twilight rolled her eyes and grabbed a wooden spoon with her magic. She floated the utensil over to Storm, poking her in the side with it.

The guard was good, her eyes only flickered briefly to the spoon, but the filly caught it. “Ha!” she exclaimed. “You looked away, so you lose.”

“Not fair,” Storm protested. She turned her glare to Twilight, who quickly hid the spoon behind her. “Somepony cheated. I demand a rematch.”

Berry just stuck her tongue out. “You still lose. Now pay up.”

“Berry,” Swift Bloom said. “Are you betting?”

“Nope,” the filly replied.

Storm sighed. “Fine, but I demand a rematch, one without outside interference.” The mare went over to a door in the wall, opening it and going inside. She came back a moment later with something held in her wing.

“I’m going to regret this,” she said, before displaying the object. Twilight recognized it as a tartarus chili, a very hot and spicy chili pepper. With only a moment’s hesitation, Storm flipped the chili in the air, biting off the chili, letting the inedible top of it fall to the floor.

She chewed. “Hmm, this isn’t so bad...” As soon as she stopped speaking, she ceased chewing and her eyes widened. “Hot...” she whispered, her eyes watering. Despite the fire that had to be rolling through her mouth, she continued to chew, not even increasing her pace. After several moments, a loud gulp filled the air as she swallowed.

Berry collapsed laughing at the look on the normally stoic guard’s face. Even Twilight had to admit that the sight was amusing. At least, after she got done wincing at the guard’s pain.

Swift Bloom, however, was far from amused. “Berry Fields!” she nearly shouted. This caused the filly to stop laughing, her ears drooping. “That was very mean of you. Apologize to Storm.”

“But mommy...”

“Not buts young lady.”

Storm, who by now was chugging down a glass of water, spoke up between coughs. “Ma’am, it was my idea.” She drank some more. “Well, the staring contest was Berry’s. I was the one who said that the loser had to do something unpleasant.”

Swift Bloom’s ire found a new target. “And what would’ve happened if you had won? Would you make my daughter eat something like that?”

Storm held her ground under the fiery gaze of an angry, protective mother. “No, ma’am. I left it open for the loser to decide what was unpleasant. For me, it was that chili. For Berry? Death by strawberries.”

Swift Bloom’s gaze softened a fraction, though the mention of murder around her foal didn’t please her at all. “Very well. But we’re still having a talk about you and betting,” she said, turning back to her daughter. “Now come on, we need to get home to grandma and grandpa’s. It’s nearly your bedtime.”

“But I don’t wanna go,” Berry whined.

“I know sweetie, but we need to. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back here soon. I even think Princess Cadance may have something special for you coming up.”

Berry turned towards Cadance. “Really?”

The princess nodded. “I do,” she said.

The filly bounced up and down with excitement. “Oh, what is it?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Swift Bloom replied.

“Aww...”

“Now come on, it’s time to go. Say goodbye to Twilight and the others.”

Berry went around, saying her goodbyes and hugging everypony. Surprisingly, she hugged Storm. Even more surprisingly, Storm hugged her back, briefly and with a look at the others that promised vengeance upon anypony who dared reveal this.

Swift Bloom and Berry left the kitchen, Storm following, directing them to the exit and where to find their cart. Twilight had already realized they left the Elements in the cart, and Cadance had sent a guard to gather them and put them in the guest rooms that were being prepared for them.

Cadance sat at the table, Twilight and her friends following. The ponies working there served them a quick meal consisting of soup. It wasn’t much, but it was something. There wasn’t much speaking during dinner, everypony content to eat quietly. There would be plenty to talk about tomorrow and in the coming days.

After dinner, Cadance led Twilight up to the guest suites. At the end of the hallway were six doors, three on each side. “These are your rooms. Pick whichever one you want,” she explained. “Don’t worry about being at breakfast tomorrow. Just come down whenever you’re ready. If you need anything, pull the cord by the bed and a servant will come in.”

“Thanks, Cadance,” Twilight said. She gave her sister another hug.

“You’re welcome.” Cadance returned the hug. “After they leave, come down the hall,” she whispered in Twilight’s ear so the other’s wouldn’t be able to hear. Twilight’s head blocked her’s so nopony could see her lips moving, either. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said aloud, pulling back from the hug. With one final look at Twilight, she walked off down the hallway, turning a corner.

Twilight looked around at her friends. “Shall we?” She gestured to the doors.

They nodded. Each pony took a different door, leaving Twilight standing in the hallway alone. As soon as the final door closed, she turned not to her own door, but back down the hallway.

Rounding the corner, she spotted Cadance sitting near the wall. Her shoulders and head were both lowered and Twilight could see that her body was shaking slightly. “Cadance,” Twilight said.

Her sister looked up at hearing her voice. The mare’s eyes stared right at her, into her. They spoke of pain barely being held back. “Twilight, thank you for coming.”

“You knew I would,” Twilight said.

Cadance smiled, one that never quite reached her eyes. “I did. You must be tired, but I...” she trailed off. “Can we just sit together, maybe play some cards? I’m afraid if I go to bed now, alone, I’m just going to fall apart.”

Twilight had assumed as much. She was no expert on social interaction, she was the first to admit it. But, even for her, it wasn't hard to see that Cadance was putting on a brave face.

“I’d be happy to sit with you,” she said.

This time the smile actually did reach her eyes. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Standing up, she led Twilight through a nearby door, one which led into another sitting room. A low table was set with several comfy looking pillows arranged around it.

Cadance walked over to a desk that was situated near a window overlooking the city. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a deck of cards. “We keep games and things in here so visiting guests can relax,” she explained when she saw Twilight’s questioning look.

They sat at the table, taking seats right around the corner from each other. “So, what do you want to play?” Twilight asked.

“How about hoofside?”

Twilight nodded. “Sure, sounds good.”

With quick movements of her magic, Cadance shuffled the cards and dealt them, placing the remaining deck in between them.

They sat at the table for quite awhile, playing several hands of the game. There wasn’t much talking going on, but there didn’t need to be. Twilight wouldn't have even known where to start, Cadance seemed content enough to sit quietly and distract herself with her hooves. The card game was the perfect solution, requiring just enough action to keep the mind busy.

When they did speak, it was always of pleasant topics and generalities. Nothing truly specific was brought up, and Twilight was careful to not mention anything that could make Cadance think about Shining. Truthfully, if they had been doing this for any other reason, it would’ve been quite enjoyable. As it was, the undertone of what they weren’t saying hung low around them, weighing down on them.

After the fifth game, and incidentally, the fifth straight win for Twilight, Cadance could scarcely go a minute without letting out a yawn. The alicorn scooped up the cards, depositing them back into their drawer without glancing back. “Thank you for sitting with me, Twilight.”

“Cadance, you know I would do anything for you.”

“I know.” She smiled a genuine smile. “But I’m afraid it’s time for me to go to bed. There’s so much to do and I need to be awake for it all.”

“Of course.” Twilight stood up, giving her sister a hug. “I’m here for you if you need me.”

Cadance returned the hug, holding on to Twilight for a moment. “Thank you,” she whispered. Breaking the hug, she bid Twilight a good night, leaving the room.

Twilight, alone in the room, could think of no reason to not go to her own bedroom. She exited the sitting room, heading back down the hallway until she was standing in front of the only door one of her friends hadn’t gone through. With a sigh, she entered the door. It opened to reveal a nice bedroom, complete with a wardrobe, chest of drawers, a desk, and seating for three in front of a fireplace.

On the bedside table was a necklace. Twilight looked at the gem, seeing it to be Rarity’s. The guard must have just placed a random element piece in each room, not knowing where they were going to stay. It didn’t matter though, most likely the Elements would be stored somewhere in the palace, it was too unwieldy to wear them all the time.

Twilight clambered up into the bed, a burst of magic pulling back the sheets. Gingerly she reached up, feeling Celestia’s gem still woven into her mane. Rarity’s weave had held strong all this time.

She undid the weave, pulling the jewel out and setting it on the bedside table next to the necklace. Rolling over onto her back, she pulled up the covers, resting her head on the pillow. The bed was massive, easily able to fit four ponies, and really soft. Her head practically sank into the pillow.

She stared up at the ceiling. Sleep tried to claim her, but she fought it off. She was scared. She didn’t want to face what lay in wait for her behind closed eyes. Retelling the story had brought everything back again, all the emotions. Last night she had been so tired, and so thankful to be warm, that she had slept a dreamless sleep.

Now, she knew that dreams waited for her, beckoning her to close her eyes and embrace them. But she didn’t want to, so she fought for as long as she could. As is the case with sleep, it always wins in the end. So despite her best efforts, her eyes closed for good and she drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note:

Whoo, longest chapter yet.

Edited by: Sasha Nein. All mistakes are mine, not his.

Comments

[Sasha Nein]

I most certainly enjoyed the tones in this chapter. They were a pleasant change in pace and were executed well.

[TheAspiringWriter93]

I love how the snow scene played out in this chapter. It was so cute, I thought I was going to start coughing up rainbows or the fucking Nyan Cat. Very well done, here, mate.

[Widow Peak]

Well, they are safe.

For now, at least...