> A Guardian's Hope
>  by Last Satisfaction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue *Updated* *Again*
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia was sitting in the private gardens of Canterlot Castle, watching the first blooming orchid of the year. Taking advantage of the end of day calmness, she enjoyed the fragrance of a cup of steaming tea. She turned her attention to a unicorn mare to her left who was facing the sun, her back turned towards Celestia. "Do you really have to leave today?” Celestia asked, her voice serene and thoughtful. “I think I speak for everypony when I say that we would like you to stay. If you could stay here, then your journey would no longer be necessary."

"This is not my modus operandi, Celestia," the unicorn answered, her tone dull and detached, as she stretched her left foreleg towards the sun as if to grab it with her hoof.

"Wouldn't you like to share one last cup of tea? I received a whole box from Japony a few days ago. The one you like so much."

Her expression didn’t light up at the offer. "This stopover has lasted far too long."

Celestia watched her for a moment, her gaze softening before she turned away from the unicorn and towards a table. "I understand," she said, setting the cup on its saucer. Her horn glowed, she levitated a letter and casted a spell to send it to Ponyville. The alicorn looked down at her tea and after a moment of silence, she said: "Just remember one thing, Pepper,” she requested before to smile warmly. “I'm glad you came."

The unicorn whipped around, horn glowing scarlet. As she focused her cold stare on the target of her imminent attack, the aura turned purple interlaced with green, revealing her dark intent.

Before she could have a taste of her tea, Celestia was hit by the bolt of magic, vanishing into thin air.

Celestia’s regalia fell to the ground, the only evidence that the princess was ever there.

Pepper approached the spot where Celestia had been and claimed the alicorn’s life with a mere gulp, ignoring what was left of Celestia’s existence. Her golden regalia was glittering in the sunlight. Pepper’s horn illuminated with glowing magic as she opened a portal to flee away. Just as she was about to leave, Luna stumbled upon her.  "Oh, Luna, good timing."

Princess Luna smiled at first. However, she quickly noticed the abandoned regalia. She turned to the unicorn, worried. "Where is my sister?"

The unicorn kept looking at the portal with an unreadable expression. "Should anypony ask you, I am gone, and your sister is a goner," she said as she walked through the gate.

"Pep-" Luna didn't have time to finish. Pepper had closed the gate behind her, and Luna found herself alone in Canterlot's gardens. "Celestia?" she called for her sister instead, out of insecurity, but no one answered. The birds continued to chirp as if nothing was wrong. "The shortest jokes are the best," she said loudly, hoping for this to just be another prank. A summer breeze blew but the princess felt only the cold embrace of fear. With a strong downward stroke of her wings, she took off to fly over the gardens. Her gaze swept over the grounds, but she saw neither Celestia nor Pepper. Yielding to fear, she shouted, using the Royal Canterlot Voice, "Pepper? Celestia? Enough! ‘Tis Enough!! ‘Tis not the least bit of fun! Show thyselves! Pepper?! Celestia?! CELESTIA!!"







In a small room with walls made of wood, a young red haired female human teen was sleeping soundly.

An ageless but mature silver-haired woman who was wearing a yellow kimono decorated with a phoenix flying over flames entered with a plate in hands. She sighed at the sight. “Still sleeping in, I see. Some of your habits are really hardset,” she murmured before sitting next to the futon. “Gamine, wake up,” she said, as she nudged her shoulder. 

Startled in her sleep, Gamine moved and turned her back on the woman, whining a bit. “Too early~” She said before pulling the blanket to cover her head.

“No, my dear, today is an important day. I have nearly finished polishing the blade you will wield as a Guardian. So you are going to come out with me and see it.” There was an odd weight in her words, despite her smile.

“Come on old sparrow, can’t it wait another day? A few hours at least? I barely fell asleep one hour ago. I can’t even lift my eyelids,” the child's complaint turned into a mutter.

“I have told you many times that you cannot do as you please because you lack discipline and balance, my dear,” she said, not responding at all to the diminishing nickname.

The child yawned. “If you really wanted me to wake up this morning, you would have brought a cup of tea with you to bribe me, but I don’t smell any,” she said with a smirk while her head was still under the blanket.

“Gamine, your nose is clearly not working,” the mature woman murmured gently. She would pull the blanket back, and set before her some toast with butter and a cup of steaming tea. “Today is important. Get up!”

The child huffed after she took a sip, “I hate jasmine tea, it tastes horrible.”

“Well, if you woke up earlier, you would have been the one to decide what kind of tea to brew for your own breakfast.”

Gamine huffed again. “Fine! Your offering has been accepted, old sparrow. I will grant you the joy of my presence in a little while at the forge," teased the kid with a childish grin.

Kyndal would smile once more. “Dear one, I want nothing less.” She would reach out and touch Gamine’s face, holding her cheek in her hand. “Hurry now, today’s lesson is important.” She would move away, her shadow reached across the floor toward the bed where the sleepy one wanted to remain.

Gamine slowly crawled out of the bed, "Why do you always feel the need to have the last word?" she sighed. She ate the toast first. She then pinched her nose while drinking the cup,  finishing it in one go, wincing tongue out. “Better be worth it or I’ll return the favour,” she muttered before leaving the bed, wearing a blue kimono, poorly knotting the belt around her waist, and leaving the room. Once outside, she put some shoes on her feet and walked to go to the forge.

The Guardian had everything set up, and was working on the hilt of a sword she seemed to have completed. The diaphanous blade was sleeping on a sword stand, still naked, waiting for Kyndal who was carefully crafting the tsuba at this moment.

Gamine looked at the blade. “Still can’t believe I crafted a blade out of the crystal lotus.”

“Because unlike you, I never accept to see anything as they appear to be. I dare to see them for what they could be.” Smiling, Kyndal would nod to the work bench nearby. “Sit, we have to talk before we begin working today.”

The kid reversed her head, looking at the ceiling, silently whining as she heard this. She looked around, knowing too well what this dialogue was about. A lot of tea was prepared to keep her quiet and focused on listening to her mentor. She sat next to the kettle, pouring tea into the cup next to it, sipping a few times. Before wincing and looking at Kyndal with a resigned sigh. “I’m listening.”

She reached behind her on the work table, “A sword-smith would pour his very soul into the sword they craft,” she said gazing into the red eyes of her student intensely before pointing out a sword. “Murasama’s blades caused so many deaths because the smith himself was a mad man.” Her finger pointed to another sword. “On the other hand, Masamune was a humble and good-natured man, and his blades were simple and balanced.” She handed the tsuba across to her pupil and waited for her student to look over it and comment.

What the child held in her hands now was a well crafted phoenix in a piece of golden brass. The circle was made by the shape of the wings, one wing faced to the left, up over the top of the phoenix, the other was pointed down and right, around the bottom of the circle. In the center, the phoenix rested. Red gems were embedded in the eyes, and the feathers themselves were carefully etched out of the highly polished item. There was only one hole within it, one in the center, through the body of the phoenix, fitted exactly for a blade. The rest was cleverly done with high and low relief etchings, the phoenix was raised on both sides, and the filler was low relief and highly polished.

The kid was looking at the tsuba from every angle. It was easy to read the awe on her face. She looked around, a bit perplexed. “Where’s the tsuka?”

Kyndal softly laughed. “It is not for me to craft the handle of your weapon, all I shall do is to polish the blade and craft the tsuba. Yours is to bring a crystal lotus and craft it into a weapon to protect the weak. The blade will be yours only the day you become a full fledged Guardian.”

Gamine rolled her eyes. “Here we go again with your desire for me to protect the weak ones,” she said before turning around and started to sulk as she crossed arms.

Kyndal sighed softly through her nose and came before Gamine, crouching so she would be at her level. Taking Gamine’s face into her soft hands and making her pupil look into her iridescent golden eyes. “Little one, you know how I feel about sulking,” she said softly, kissing her forehead. “You are a blade that shows no empathy, not even to a simple fish carried away by the stream. With a willingness for a small change.” She put her hands over Gamine’s hands that still held the crafted piece of brass, “With a willingness to protect others, you would be a beacon of light. Yes, I know, you would be but a small candle in the darkest night the dimensions are. But, just like me, by your actions, you can light a thousand candles, and your life will not be shortened by this. To bring back hope where darkness reigns. This is what we guardians fight for, Gamine.”

The girl was unable to stand the stare, secretly enjoying the warmth of the hands around hers with a faint blush. “As I have no ties with the weak ones, I have no reasons to fight for them, only for my own existence. Before I met you, I had survived by myself. I went through life alone and I watched the weak ones die around me. And I am okay with that. I can stand that. It is easy to stand that.”

“I know, I can tell how strong you are, my dear. You have such a potential to be at least my equal, all it would need is for you to care for the weak, to show empathy. Any existence is worth fighting for. Not just yours.”

Gamine shrugged it off. “Pity for the weak? What's the point? That's the way life is. If they really want to survive, then they only have to become stronger.”

Kyndal wondered if she was using the wrong approach. “Would you not be sad if someone killed me?”

Gamine blinked before to laugh it off with a giggle. “For over a decade I followed you, every opponent you fought against, failed to even make you sweat.”
 
“Even the strong shall fall to the wicked,” Kyndal calmly replied before softly sighing.

An eerie giggle came from outside, the door opened to reveal the figure of a winged human eclipsing the morning sun. “I finally found your hideout, Guardian.” Pepper said.

Shivering from the bloodlust, Gamine immediately went for Murasama's blade to defend herself.

Kyndal used magic to restrain Gamine, before facing the threat.

“What are you doing?!” yelled Gamine, now anchored to the ground by ethereal chains,

Kyndal ignored her pupil, as she was busy keeping Pepper at bay with her magic. “I know why you’re here, monster, if you promise to spare the child, I let you have it.” bargained the Guardian.

Pepper’s nefarious smile just grew unearthly bigger. “Fine, I have no interest in a weakling anyway.”

“Mom, stop!” begged the teenager.

“Gamine, I have nothing more to teach you.”

“Mom, please!” Gamine cried.

“I can feel your despair. Why are you crying? Begging won't change anything.”

“Kyndal, please, fight back!”

“If my death inspires your heart, become a fully fledged guardian, and resume my duty.”

“Shut up! You can’t die to her! She is no match for you!”

“Your presence by my side was a pleasant warmth to my old heart. I have no doubt when I say that you can bring a hope as bright as a sunny dawn, for the ones lost in darkness. Goodbye, Gamine”

Gamine screamed as she witnessed the death of Kyndal, her soul ripped out of her chest by Pepper. Helpless, she drowned in despair as she saw through her tears Pepper turning her back on her, walking away. With Kyndal’s death, the ethereal chains disappeared into thin air, leaving Gamine free to move. The pain in her heart was nothing like what she went through before. A pain which should never occur ever again. Gamine was clearly no match, but she considered one option, the forbidden ritual of possession. It was the only way to stop Pepper from killing anyone else. She stood up, casting the spell, she ran into Pepper, her body turning into light, leaving her kimono behind as she invaded Pepper’s who was surprised by this turn of event.








<Gamine, wake up.>


Startled in her sleep, Gamine woke up, on her knees in front of the grave she dug hours ago. It was noon by now. Eyes swollen, the scene she had witnessed repeated itself in her mind, along with the last words of the one who was now resting in that improvised grave.

Pepper was struggling from her cage. "Set me free!"

Gamine remained prostrated like this, lost in the warmth of her memories. 

Pepper, realizing the situation she was in, was puzzled. “Why did you do that?”

“You killed my mother, you sadistic monster!” shouted back Gamine.

Pepper was even more puzzled. “But I did what she asked me to.”

“Shut up!” ordered Gamine, enraged.

“Could you undo the spell? I would like to leave this place now.”

“I said SHUT UP!” 

Pepper remained silent for the next several hours. But as time passed, she grew restless as her body remained in such a pitiful position, vulnerable to any attack. Until she realized that Gamine was so lost in her thoughts as she grieved, that she didn't notice when Pepper was able to move the fingers on her left hand again. She considered the appropriate reaction.

This was the only flaw of the forbidden spell, for the host was trapped by the sheer will of the caster. Gamine didn't realize until the last moment that Pepper had regained control of her left hand, about to cast a spell on herself to knock out the undesired parasite. The young guardian's will alone sent the unwilling host back to the bottom of her cage, locked once more. "Keep calm."

"Oh, but unlike you, I am." Pepper, pretending to be thrilled by Kyndal’s might, faked her satisfaction, letting Gamine hear an exaggerated deep sigh, "That guardian was so powerful, Celestia’s was nothing compared to that."

"Who?" She realised what Pepper implied. "You killed someone else before today?!"

Pepper paused, turning her attention to the young guardian possessing her body, silently looking at Gamine for a couple of seconds before answering. "Of course. As for Celestia, she was just a princess that I killed without anyone knowing," she explained, shrugging it off.

 "A princess? No one knows?" Gamine's mind was racing. "Then I'll go and tell them. They must know!" With those words, she concentrated her magic in her hands.

Pepper smiled, amused by the young guardian’s eagerness. "Oh? Do you even know where to go?"

A simple question on the surface, but it was enough to break Gamine's concentration. The dimensional magic became unstable and imploded. The resulting shockwave hit Pepper's body. She rolled backwards several meters before hitting her back against the wall of the house.

"Do not use magic you can not control. I do not want to disappear into the void because of some scatterbrain. Let us make a fair trade: My freedom in exchange for the portal you need," she offered.

Gamine felt Pepper’s mind smile predatorily. It brought her back to her senses. "Set you free? Never! Open a portal to this dimension, now!"

"You would go to them, while possessing my body, to announce that I killed Celestia? Do you really think they will believe you when you tell them you are not me?”

"I don't need to tell them who I am. Just to tell them Celestia is dead."

"It will at least have the merit of not staying here, watching you mourn at your mother's grave." Pepper admitted. "But once you go through that portal, do not expect me to open a portal to come back here at the slightest whim. Take whatever you need now. But first things first." Pepper used her magic to alter her appearance.

Gamine was stunned. Groping around, she looked over the new appearance. "Why hide the wings? Why is the body shorter? And why did you change the length of your hair?"

"To avoid looking like a princess. To take back the look I had when I left four months ago. And why not? You seemed to take such good care of your braid. Maybe it will make you want to take care of mine."

Gamine got up painfully, braiding her hair as she returned to the main room where Kyndal was killed. Without a word, she picked up her hair clip. She hesitated as she picked up the phoenix feather, symbolizing her status as a guardian. "I cannot be content to protect others in my name alone. I must also protect others in Kyndal's name," she whispered to herself as she picked up another feather that was used for a decoration on a piece of furniture, clipping both feathers to her hair.

She looked at her blade. She failed to protect who she loved most. She didn’t have time to craft the handle and assemble the weapon she was supposed to wield as a full fledged Guardian. She picked up the tsuba and the blade and wrapped them together into her kimono.

When the guardian was finally ready, Pepper took control of her left hand to focus her magic and opened a portal that led to the two sisters' ruined castle.

The dimension changed her appearance to that of a pony, a blue-tailed band covering the beginning of her tail, the strands of it divided into five braids, similar to her mane. The latter was braided into a long, heavy and thick carmine mat that covered the right side of her face. The young guardian lost her balance and fell on her hooves. "A-am I...a horse now?"

"Here it is called a pony. The princesses are alicorns, they have wings and a horn. The subjects are earth ponies, which are closest to horses, pegasi, the winged ponies, and unicorns, the horned ponies. I used to change my appearance to be a simple unicorn. This avoids attracting attention."

Gamine stretched her legs in place to familiarize herself with her new appearance. When she felt comfortable enough, she looked at her front hooves. "I can still feel my fingers even though they're gone."

"I use telekinesis to make up for their absence. If you visualize hands and apply that feeling, it will only make it easier to practice," Pepper explained.

Gamine tried to concentrate, but once again she was unable to control such magical power. She zapped the blue sky with a ray of yellow magic.

Pepper sighed at the clumsiness. "Well, at least you did not open a black hole. That is something."

An explosion was heard nearby.

Gamine looked around, alert. "What was that?"

Rainbow Dash arrived, hovering over the ruins. She exchanged glances with who she thought was Pepper, and left without a word. Another explosion sounded.

"Who was she? Does she know you, monster?"

"Rainbow Dash is my friend."

"Your friend just fled out without approaching us."

"She must not have recognized me with a different mane."

"Or maybe she recognized you and went for backup?"

"Why would she do that? She does not know anything."

"You said it's been four months since you left this dimension. They've had time to connect Celestia's disappearance to your departure."

"Anyway, Celestia was just a princess. For all I know, there are three others, including Luna. Celestia's death is of little consequence."

"Kyndal kept saying that every life matters."

"Even mine?" Pepper mocked.

The young guardian darkened for a moment, just long enough to cast a nasty glance at Pepper. "Even yours, monster." With these words, the guardian resumed her attempts to materialise simulated hands to compensate for the hooves imposed by this dimension.

A few minutes later, Twilight teleported herself and the rest of the Mane Six to the front of the castle. They all recognized the one standing in front of them. The young alicorn took the floor. "Pepper? You're back? I suppose... that Celestia is okay?"

Gamine looked at Twilight. The alicorn was the second tallest of the group. As the leader, she was standing one step before the rest of the group. There was hope in her eyes for good news that Gamine didn't have. "Who's that?" she asked. "An alicorn? Is she Luna?"

"Alicorn, yes, she is. But she is just Twilight Sparkle. She only rules over a library, and her only subjects are the books within,” replied Pepper.

“Come on, Blue, answer Twilight already,” pressed Rainbow Dash.

Gamine looked at her. The pegasus was the smallest of them all, but, considering her flight speed, it wasn’t a drawback in the slightest. “She called you Blue?”

“Just a nickname Rainbow Dash gave me because I was new in Equestria, and also because of something else. I call her Handsome most of the time,” explained Pepper.

“Darling, please, say something. The suspense is killing me,” said Rarity.

Gamine looked at Rarity. The unicorn was petite, her figure elegant. Next to the rest of the Mane Six, for the guardian, it was hard to tell how such a sophisticated mare could be one of them. “Is she the princess’s daughter or something?”

“No, Rarity is just another commoner, weaving dresses all day, every day,” disregarded Pepper.

“Are you okay sugarcube?” asked Applejack.

Gamine looked at Applejack. The earth pony was of average height, but she was ripped with muscle. “Surely she is a warrior, not to be trifled with,” said the guardian.

“You got it half right. Applejack is a farmer, but her ability to detect lies is not something I want to deal with,” admitted Pepper.

“Did you bring any souvenirs? Oh! Oh! Some extra dimensional speciality maybe?” asked Pinkie, drooling.

Gamine looked at Pinkie Pie. The second earth pony was as tall as Applejack, but she was the plumpest of all. After a careful check, it was easy to see that the muscles of her hind legs were nearly as strong as Applejack's were, but her diet was hiding this fact under a layer of fat. “Their princess disappeared and all she cares about is food?” wondered Gamine.

“Do not try to understand Pinkie Pie. Even I gave up at some point. Still, she makes some good treats. Must have left a few in my hideout under our hooves.”

“Hooves? You mean … Oh right, we look like a horse right now.” Gamine looked at Fluttershy. The pegasus was lanky, and the tallest—that is, if she wasn’t slouching out of qualm. “She isn’t saying much.”

“Fluttershy is quite the silent type, but she always has food for me when I visit her. Back to the reason why you brought us here, you better only tell Luna. She is the remaining ruler of this land. If you were to tell Twilight, she might go back to her library and return with the Elements of Harmony, which are artefacts of power, and kill us. Suppose she will force Handsome to pick Twilight’s side over mine and follow her lead."

"And what do I do then?" Gamine asked again, lost.

Pepper took control of the body and warped them away. 

Gamine found herself in a small room almost plunged into total darkness. "Where are we?"

"My personal hideout, just below where my body was standing a few seconds ago. There is a bed over there. You better let my body rest. You will break the news to Luna tomorrow night. I know where she will be then."

"At least this is the kind of advice I can follow without doubting your intent." Gamine sighed  as she put down her kimono on the table made of stone, before laying down and closing her eyes, falling asleep in a few seconds.
> Chapter 1 *Updated*
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


<Gamine, wake up.>


Kyndal’s voice woke Gamine in a jolt. Breathless, sweating, she looked around, trying to figure out if the shadow that hunted her down during the night was real, or just a product of her guilt from failing Kyndal when she needed her the most.

Pepper was not to be outdone, as she went through her own nightmares. For both, the torture stopped only when the sun was risen. The regicide remained silent as she looked at Gamine, crying from the grief she had to go through.

Gamine was physically weakened for the rest of the morning. She stayed in an improvised bed made of hay, covered by a sheet Pepper took from the ruins of the castle of the two sisters along with  a pillow.

Each time she slipped back into the sweet land of dreams, nightmares were eager to greet both of them, with Gamine waking up again in a jolt, catching her breath.

“Something is wrong. Luna must have put a spell on me. Which also affects you since you possess my body. Better try to rest without sleep, or you will not be able to meet Luna tonight,” Pepper assumed.

“She can do that?” asked Gamine, astonished.

“She used to -literally- walk in my dreams back then, and manipulated them according to her own desire at my expense.”

“Is she some kind of tyrant?” worried Gamine.

“No, it was just payback for my pranks back then.” Pepper shrugged.

It was past noon. The unicorn left the hideout, going through the Everfree forest to eat fruits and berries, following Pepper’s guidance. But the eerie feeling she woke up with outweighed her hunger. Restlessly coming back and forth, this erratic feeling remained on her mind for the rest of the day.

With a slow pace, Gamine managed to go through the afternoon. She started to talk with a more formal tone on Pepper’s advice for the impersonation to work, but this was only proposed after Gamine failed to command Pepper to go speak to Luna herself. She bluntly admitted she would prefer to warp away if she was the one in control.

One hour before the sunset, Pepper used her magic to warp to Canterlot Castle. Using her knowledge, Gamine slipped through the surveillance and went to the observatory tower.

Reynaud, the personal butler of the princess of the Sun, was there to offer a mug of coffee.

Gamine was a bit shocked to be expected, but Pepper suggested to just accept the mug and  ask the butler to deliver a message to Luna. So she did.

And he agreed to deliver the message.

Gamine sat, still following Pepper’s guidance, with her rump propped up on the railing of the highest tower of Canterlot Castle. Far below, the excitement in the streets of the southern part of the capital faded in the late afternoon. She looked southward in the distance, thinking. The early autumn day was cooled by a light breeze tugging on her mane and tail.


The coffee lifted the veil on her mind. It wasn’t just any feeling. It was a call.


<To bring back hope where darkness reigns.


This is what we guardians fight for, little one.>


Awakening to this ability she was using for the very first time, an orange mist emanated from her eyes as gaze and heart in unison wandered towards the horizon, trying to pinpoint the exact location of this call.

 “Focus on that feeling and see what is going on,” suggested Pepper, in order to avoid the confrontation.

“I must first meet Celestia’s sister. Luna has a right to know what you have done." The mare's ears rose imperceptibly. From inside the tower, she could hear the sound of hooves climbing the marble stairs at a slow pace. To her, those hooves sounded like a hammer sealing a coffin. Nail after nail after nail.

Pepper, powerless, did not appreciate the turn of events. "I am warning you, Gamine. I do not like the way this is going. If you do not leave this instant, I will do it myself if the occasion arises," she said.

Luna stopped as she reached the top of the tower. Her gaze lingered on the pony sitting on the railing for a moment. There was only one pony she knew who sat in such a way. The realisation quickly swept away any doubts she might have had. The princess walked closer to the railing, her magic grabbing the unicorn in front of her, forcing her to turn around and face her. The blue glow grew in intensity, pulling her off the railing and then slamming her back against it. Luna held her there, her back pressed against the stone wall.

The mug was not so lucky. It slipped out of the mare's hooves and fell, spilling the rest of the coffee before breaking into pieces.

"Thus, Reynaud was right," Luna said, wings spread out and eyes fixed on the unicorn. The Princess of the Night stood regally, though her voice betrayed a storm raging behind her calm demeanour. "When my sister's butler told me in private before my meeting with Sir Adamantium, Lady Storm, and Lady Shawarma that you were on this balcony, waiting for me, I was sure the old stallion had gone senile. But then I recalled that this is how you do things, Pepper.” Her eyes glowed for a moment as she lowered her voice. “Between listening to three leeches and an alleged criminal, it was fairly easy for me to choose whom I would like to grant the last audience of the day." The Alicorn of the Night scrutinised the unicorn before lifting her by the neck, dangling her over the void.

Gamine struggled to breathe as she was strangled by Luna’s magic.

"Kill her," whispered a dark, pernicious voice in the vehement mind of the alicorn.

"Even after two months among us, you are still not able to eat your soup properly. I suppose you enjoyed last night. Your sweet dreams honoured your return to Equestria,” Luna said. “I'm going to give you one last chance to answer this simple question, Pepper: What did you do to Celestia?"

"I have already answered that question. Her sister is no more!" Pepper spat to Gamine’s mind.

Gamine’s legs kicked and strained, trying to reach the edge of the balcony to support her own weight.

"What is the matter with you? You are usually so quick to speak. Did you lose your voice?" mocked Luna, her head bowed with malicious pleasure at the sight
.
"What are you waiting for? Kill her!" a voice in Luna’s mind hissed, its dark tone trying to stir up resentment once more and turn it into blind hatred.

Luna paid the voice no heed. Instead, she brought the mare close enough that she could rest her hooves on the edge of the balcony.

Gamine coughed as the pressure left her throat. "As it has been said already,” she told Luna, “your sister is no longer."

Luna blew through her nostrils. "I heard you, filth! Yesterday I read a letter from Twilight telling me that she had seen you at the castle ruins where you used to hang out, and that the aura of your magic was no longer the same. I thought my sister's disappearance had given her hallucinations! But I saw it with my own eyes. She is right. So I will ask one last time: What did you do to her?"

Despite her unwillingness to go into details, she complied. The unicorn closed her eyes and concentrated. Her horn lit up with a golden glow, leaving the princess speechless, for the sun responded and submitted to her, sinking down quietly to the horizon. "Her soul was consumed in order to appropriate the power that was hers."

Luna reflexively raised the moon in response to the setting of the sun.

Gamine avoided her gaze, remaining silent in a desperate attempt not to provoke the Princess of the Night.

Luna’s magic concentrated on Gamine's neck, lifting her up by it before throwing her flat on the railing.

Gamine panted breathlessly as she looked at Luna in horror.

The little voice in Luna’s head greeted this revelation with anger and regret.

The princess found it hard to believe what she had just heard. She stepped back, lowering her ears, tears beginning to flow as she shook her head. It had only been three years since she’d been reunited with her sister. The confession shattered her hopes of seeing Celestia again one day. The rage in her heart made her whole being boil with such hatred that her gaze became that of a Nightmare in the span of two blinks of her eyes. It took great effort not to succumb to it. "You never showed any respect to our rank. But I thought it was because you were not an Equestrian. Your familiarity had something refreshing about it, and that was why Celestia became fond of you. You spent your time making her laugh a lot at my expense. Did what you experienced in Equestria these two months not matter to you?"

Pepper’s thoughts wandered through her memories of that time. Equestria was a breath of fresh air for her, the first in her life. "Tell her those were the best two months of my life, Gamine."

But the guardian refused to repeat those words. She simply shook her head before looking Luna in the eyes. With the most detached tone and a mocking smile, she answered: "Not in the slightest."

In her anger, Luna again hit the one she thought was Pepper against the railing. Luna's magic then stretched to encompass the unicorn’s muzzle.

"She is at your mercy! What do you need more than that, pitiful filly?! KILL HER!" yelled the voice.

"Enough!" ordered Luna, reducing the voice that haunted her mind to silence. She focused her attention on the mare, a sly smile on her face. "Pepper, my friend... Believe me, when I'm done with you, you will never leave Equestria again." Luna tried to throw the unicorn down on the railing once more, but the mare suddenly vanished.

The alicorn turned her cyan gaze toward the ruins of the castle on the horizon, well aware this was the first place where Pepper would seek safety. Her two-toned mane, night blue and amethyst, floated by itself, pulsating with the magic inherent to alicorns. Tears fell from eyes full of cold anger.

"Why? Just why?! She was there, the source of all of ponies’ bad dreams! You could have ... you should have ...!" barked the voice in the alicorn’s head.

"We have an agreement, you and I: You promised to make all those I will name suffer in exchange for your freedom," Luna recalled, thinking of the one who was walking the dark corners of her heart. "Pepper is now your number one priority."

"A thousand years ago, you were only a puny filly, unable to do what had to be done to make the night revered. Even today, you proved your incompetence to act as required by the situation and by your status," the voice told her coldly. "I do not understand how you could still have any restraint about the fate of this regicide, who took your precious, beloved sister from you. Forever," the voice added, sounding perplexed.

"How could you? You've never had any friends," Luna whispered, a little mocking smile on her lips dying immediately. "Now that I know what fate befell my late sister, be assured that my friendship towards Pepper will soon enough turn to ashes."

The voice was stung into silence. Then, a black cloud began billowing out from Luna's regalia and gathering together above her head. The clouds writhed and stretched, taking the form of Nightmare Moon standing in the air, two heads higher than Luna's. She looked down at the Alicorn of the Night, eyes like galaxies swirling with condescension. "You forget who you're talking to, little princess.” Her ethereal body, looking like a condensation of constellations, only allowed her to communicate telepathically with the lunar mare.

“And you forget," Luna replied, "how much you rely on my power, and on the Tantabus that I created, which you are using right now. You need me, so stop trying to control my actions. Otherwise, I'll make you go back to the prison from which I freed you," replied Luna, slamming the sabaton of her right front hoof on the stone floor to mark the end of this oratory joust.

A short moment of silence settled in. Then, Luna resumed. "It's been a long day. I'm going to go and pray to the stars in front of my sister's memorial before going to sleep. Since Pepper seems to want to stay, make sure she still has sweet dreams. It would also be good if you finally finish slaying the changelings at the same time," she said, pricking her dark alter ego again. "It has been going on for three months. Since Pepper has returned, would it be too much to ask that by tomorrow morning I learn the definitive eradication of those creeping vermin? By the stars! You have the Tantabus as your own body, and the Lunar Guard! What else do you need? The Badlands are not the largest of the regions in terms of area," she cursed, as she jumped over the railing to fly to the city's gardens.

Now alone on the terrace, without disturbing the silence of the night she cherished so much, she metamorphosed into a simple black cloud, which split into four. The three new, smaller pieces opened a hole to the dream plane to rush into it. The cloud from which they came sewed the fabric of reality together behind it before heading south.

Far away to the south of the Everfree forest was the old castle of the two sisters, an outdated memory of a bygone era. Just as a photograph left outside decays into unrecognizability, so too did the elements ravage the ancient stronghold.

Gamine reappeared under a tree and collapsed to the ground, not far from the main entrance to the castle, which had been toppled on Pepper's second day in this world six months ago. In tears, the unicorn struggled to catch her breath, the searing pain making her hunch over.

Despite the distance, Pepper could still feel Luna's gaze fixed on her. "Has this been according to your expectations, Gamine? The higher your expectations are, the harder you shall fall."

"Why did you warp us here, Pepper? I had the situation under control."

The unicorn heard the sound of air blowing through nostrils, like a disdainful laugh, in her mind. "You were warned. Your will had weakened, so I acted. Now that you have done what you wanted to do, head south. The more distance between us and her, the more peace of mind I shall have."

Gamine didn’t answer, simply using her magic. A halo ran through her body from the tip of her horn to the base of her hooves, making a pair of wings appear as she straightened up. She went to the river next to the ruins, where she used her telekinesis—which took the form of ethereal hands at the end of her hooves—to collect water and spray her face several times before wiping it off. The water was almost freezing, but it served to drive her fatigue away for a while.

"One question, though: Why did you not repeat my answer to Luna?"

Gamine looked at her reflection in the water. Pepper, her eyes devoid of sensitivity and compassion, was staring back at her, mimicking the position in which Gamine was standing. "Celestia died because of you. I have no doubt when I say you ruined Equestria's harmony just to get a little more power. And you want me to say that this stay has been the best thing that ever happened to you? Has this really been the case? Have you considered stopping your hunt? Have you considered the idea of settling down, enjoying this daily life with your friends? No! You had to give in to your thirst for power over and over again! But hear me, monster. I will make sure that you will never devour anyone ever again."

The monster did not blink once during this tirade. Instead, it gave a cold look to the one who had control of the body. A look that said she never, not even for a moment, regretted any of her actions. She did not try to argue, accepting this astute observation with icy indifference. "Fine."

With that subject off the table, the false alicorn began to gallop, jumping and spreading her wings to fly south, away from the furious Princess of the Night.

When Nightmare Moon arrived one hour later at the ruins of the castle, she quickly searched for Pepper, creating a few more clones to scan the surroundings. They came back to her clueless. Luna being at Canterlot, her mind was now out of reach. So was Nightmare Moon’s, allowing her to let loose her thoughts as looked at the situation with a small grin on her lips, amused by Luna's illusions.





In the sky, south of Dodge City, Gamine stopped her flight and began to float in the air. In front of her towered a rocky mountain range. A road came from the city that she had passed a while ago. She saw the road running through a tunnel in the mountains, leading to the barren lands beyond. To the left of this road was a forest. To the right, an impressive camp. There were eight small circles, each made up of eight midnight-blue tents that formed a circle around four tents that were three times longer than the others. These four tents themselves formed a square around  an imposing tent that stood out due to its dark-purple colour.

Pepper broke the silence she had retreated in since they had left the ruins. "Look, Gamine, I am willing to help you find out what is going on, since it arouses my curiosity."

"And I’m supposed to trust you, Pepper?"

"If our survival is at stake, I will always be an ally. Even if I am the worst of monsters in your eyes, my power and my abilities are still your best assets. But once we get to the bottom of this, I shall try to regain full control over you at every opportunity."

"To continue your hunt?"

"Do you naively believe that it will one day end? For now, either you trust me to lead us to the end of the road, or you will have to manage on your own."

"Your thirst for power has broken too many lives. Aren’t you satisfied with the power that you already have?"

From the bottom of her cage, the monster rolled her eyes and sighed. "I have already taken what I wanted from this world. And I have to admit, it does become difficult to find a more powerful prey. I shall stop my hunt, till fate do us part."

"What are you going to do now?"

"A good start would be to avoid rushing in headlong."

"Considering all this purple and blue, it must be affiliated with Luna, but seeing it so far away from Canterlot is strange. The emotion that you felt disappeared a few minutes before you set the sun. The source is further to the south. You have to move forward, one way or another. Go around them. Use the forest to your advantage. And, as soon as the surveillance is reduced, go over the hills. You will have to figure out how to get back on track after that." This was the most appropriate method in the face of a big threat. Pepper was not used to attacking head-on. She acted when the situation was to her advantage, so she could strike when no one expected it.

Gamine resumed her flight, flapping her wings just enough to glide towards the forest. While keeping an eye on the camp, she dived under the treetops. Once on the ground, she observed the surroundings. The camp couldn’t have been erected just yesterday, as only stumps remained from the trees closest to the road—and there were dozens. Not far from there, she could hear a saw doing its job. She walked cautiously, concentrating on each step to avoid making the slightest noise, the still thick foliage obscuring her vision. She could only use her magic, her horn glowing like a torch to improve her sight, while she was sneaking from one tree to the next.

"All these lives reaped, all these souls collected, and all this power that I have gathered, day after day, reduced to being used to light the path of the poor child that you are. Just great."

"Shut up, Pepper!" Gamine barked back within her head.

The bat ponies had started a contest to see who would pull the handle of their saw the fastest. Their helmets were discarded on the ground, wings spread, heads down and their eyes locked. They smiled at each other, both convinced that they would be the one to give the final blow that would make the tree fall.

The mare was watching from afar, hiding behind a tree trunk.

"Go on your way, Gamine. Luna is still too close for my liking."

She conceded to the order, but barely had time to take three steps when a sudden thud stopped her. In his desire to win, one of the bat ponies had pulled with all his strength. His opponent had been dragged with the saw, shouting when he hit the trunk.

"Hide!" ordered Pepper.

Everything happened at the same time. Gamine galloped away from the bat ponies, while the two soldiers turned towards where she had been standing a moment earlier. They had noticed her with their echolocation. Their eyes scanned the area, and they noticed a small golden halo further within the forest. Donning their helmets once more, they left the saw and the half cut tree behind. Swords in mouths, they rushed forward. They searched the surroundings, their night vision giving them a perfect view of the area. One of them planted his weapon in the ground and issued another echolocation to search the surroundings, but nothing came back.

"Are you spotting anything?"

His comrade-in-arms shook his head, taking care not to touch him with the blade.

"Probably a wild animal. Let's finish harvesting the wood and go back to camp."

They left as they had come, armed and on their guard in complete silence. They finished sawing the tree and cutting it down, gaze sweeping around their surroundings, before tying it with ropes to drag it to the camp.

Leaning against a tree, the unicorn waited several minutes after the last of the noises died down before leaving her hiding place. Attentive to noise, watching for the slightest movement, she made sure that the area was clear.

"Their armour leaves no doubt. They are under Luna's command," Pepper said as Gamine resumed her walk through the woods.





At the same time, a bat pony walked along the Macintosh Hills, not caring about the weight of the two weapons she carried, nor about the patrols of lunar soldiers who roamed the last fertile land before the Badlands. She finally arrived at her destination. "Swift!" grunted the bat pony as she landed next to him, checking the Badlands to make sure there was nothing on the horizon.

The bat pony did not look away from the arid and inhospitable expanse in front of him. "Oh, Cute Bite, are you checking on the patrols?"

"Swift, you left your weapon at camp. Again," she said with a sigh, gently tapping the flat of her weapon on the indolent soldier's helmet.

He didn’t  react to the tease, used to the bat pony ways. "I didn't leave my head at the camp. It's well screwed on my shoulders.” He grinned. “Oh wait, are you talking about the sword? What's the point of taking it, Cute Bite? Nothing's been going on for three months."

The mare frowned, her irises so small that her eyes were almost entirely amethyst. "Rule number nine: Never move without your soldier's weapon." She stood on her hind legs, raising the sword high before knocking the flat blade down on him again.

Swift reacted with a quarter of a turn. After all these years, he could read her like an open book. He rolled to the side, dodging the attack before leaping on her. He then took advantage of the proximity to gently hit Cute Bite's helmet as many times as she had hit him with the sword. "When I see how you use it, I tell myself I don't need it to defend myself against anypony."

With one hoof, she pushed away the hooves that were pounding her helmet. "Oh, really? Yet, you always had trouble defending yourself against-" She suddenly stopped, realising that she had just put her hooves on a slippery slope. Seeing the glow in Swift's eyes, she knew that she was not going to escape from it.

"Against whom? Oh wait, you remind me of that bat pony... What was her name? You know, the one you idolise so much. Please help me, what's her name again?" he said warmly with a broad grin.

The bat pony dropped the weapon on the ground, disgusted by Swift's attitude. She knew where this conversation was going. Turning her back, she walked a few steps away. Ears lowered, she observed the Moon, "Swift, you can't do your shift without your weapon. I'm not going to be able to cover you forever."

Swift sighed. "It was worth a try," he thought as he stayed in his corner, knowing full well that it was useless to try to and approach her when she kept her distance. "What's the point? The changelings are dead, I tell you! Two months, and they haven't given the slightest sign of life."

"And if they were to attempt a breakthrough tonight, how would you repel them?" she asked, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"Are we talking about the rest of the changelings that survived the genocide? Those who hadn’t had the opportunity to feed on love for three months, thanks to us?" Swift mocked. He stood next to his friend, pointing his hoof at the Badlands. "Do you really think they have the strength to try anything? If they have, they’d feast on us on the way before they go for the ponies of Equestria. Whether I am armed or not, I doubt it will make a difference," he argued.

Cute Bite remained stern. "Orders are orders, Swift.” She paused, lowering her voice as she grinned. "If you want to continue to play the foal, I can use your childhood name again if you prefer. Drooling Fangs."

"Oh, you've been doing this since you were a filly, and I in return have always called you Cute Bite. I look forward to seeing the faces of the others when you start giving orders, Major." Swift pushed her gently with his right foreleg, going a bit further with his teasing, yet not past anything she was used to.

Cute Bite inhaled through her nostrils, holding her breath four seconds straight, then exhaled through her mouth. "Can't you ever be serious for two minutes?"

"When necessary, I can be serious, Cute Bite. Like when, during our last assault on the hive,  I made sure to keep the changelings at bay while you followed orders to the letter and took on the role of commander to assist our queen up to the end of the battle." He sighed, his satisfaction showing with a simple smile on his lips.

She turned towards Swift, her mind full of doubts. "And you still don't regret it? You’ve always been the smart one, so it would have made more sense for you to second our queen, and for me to defend the immediate perimeter around her highness."

Swift unfolded his wing to hit his friend on the back of her head. Cute Bite didn't like this habit, giving him a reproving look out of the corner of her eyes. She put her helmet back on, nearing a growl. "My poor Cute Bite. What am I going to do with you? You look so much at the past. You think too much about the choices that have been made and their consequences when you should be living in the present. Those of your lineage have always been by the side of our queen. It was much more logical that this responsibility should be yours rather than mine."

"But that's stupid reasoning!" she shouted, before continuing in a more calm tone. "You should be the Aide de Camp, you moron! You should be the one of us who attends important meetings, and all that that implies."

The bat ponies that were sitting at their own surveillance post thirty metres away from Swift’s took an interest in the commotion at Swift's position.

Swift looked around, seeing that she had attracted attention, before lowering her voice. "There is hardly a great spirit that does not have a touch of madness. You're younger than me. You still have a lot to learn, and this is a great opportunity," he said, before continuing louder. "Yes! I'm stupid! It is Equestria that makes me this way! Too much oxygen is the problem! It goes to my head!"

Cute Bite answered in a whisper, "Swift, stop making a spectacle of yourself. It's embarrassing."

"What would be really embarrassing is if you missed this opportunity. Imagine how disappointed your parents would be if you remained a mediocre, non-commissioned officer," he said quietly before resuming his acting. "We have to raze everything, Cute Bite! We burn it to the ground, as dusty as the surface of the moon," he shouted. He walked across the flat peak on which they were standing, taking a few steps away from her before facing her again. He smiled at her and murmured, "As dusty as your useless sister was when she was alive." He choked on his own words, hating himself for saying that, but he needed to provoke her. If he could not push her to stop chasing her dreams, he should at least push her not to stumble, ensnared by her own doubts.

She swallowed the bait, although it was obviously a lie as big as the moon. She couldn't let him spit on her sister's memory. She had to act. She grabbed her blade with her right hoof, unsheathing it and scraping the metal on the ground, sending stone projectiles flying towards the male bat pony.

Swift protected his face in reflex. He tried to dodge to the side, but she didn't give him time to breathe. She rushed into him with her shoulder. Swift fell to the ground. The impact on the spiky stones made him realise that the inhospitable character of the Badlands had crept down to the hills. His armour cushioned most of the blow, but he still felt his head spinning mildly.

The still enraged soldier took a quick look around before placing a hoof on Swift's sternum. Too many witnesses. Carefully, she pressed the tip of the blade against his throat and took a deep breath before setting  him straight. "Private Swift Chess, cut the crap! That's an order!" Before lowering her voice to whisper, a tear glistened in the corner of her eye. "Don't you ever call her that again, you moron."

"Major, yes, Major," Swift replied. "It's getting easier and easier to let her win. Or am I getting sloppy?" he asked himself, muttering under his breath.

The bat pony looked up at the curious soldiers who were watching from their posts. "Our queen ordered us to watch the border! What are you looking at?!"

None of the guards dared to answer. They all turned back to the Badlands, repressing a smile. From an outside perspective, the yelling between Swift Chess and his childhood friend was a common thing. There was always a reason. Silly at first, more serious since the night of the genocide, and always ending in a short brawl. The majority of the stakes were on the blank flank at the beginning. However, since her promotion to Major, it had become difficult to know who would win.

Cute Bite hit Swift on the head with the flat side of the sword before putting it away. "Moron." She pushed herself off his sternum so she could turn away from him and get closer to the edge of the hill overlooking the forest. She looked at him over her shoulder as he stood up straight. "I'm going back to the..."

He expected yet another reprimand, but it did not come. Looking up at her, he saw she was absorbed. He went to see what was going on. At first glance, everything was calm, but when the noise of hoofsteps reached his ears, he understood. There was something galloping down below. "Do we have an intruder? At least he's on the worst side of the hill. What do we do now?"

The major threw an echolocation to her left. The bat ponies looked again to find the reason for the sudden call. Using her wings, she passed the following message. "One intruder spotted. Pass the message for the camp to send reinforcements. I'll intercept them and hold them off until reinforcements arrive." Once she saw the message going from one bat pony to another, she dived to take off in pursuit of the trespasser. Less than thirty seconds later, Swift joined her without his helmet. "What are you doing here?!"

"I couldn't let you go alone. I told the others to cover for me, and even planted my sword in the ground and put my helmet on it! It will be as effective at watching the border as if I had done it myself, I assure you."

"What am I going to do with you?" said Cute Bite, exasperated, before diving below the treetops, closely followed by Swift.

"First, we deal with the intruder. You can deal with me later."

Taking turns throwing echolocations, they slalomed between the trees. In this part of the forest, the foliage was so dense that the rays of the moon hardly reached the ground. Everything was just a shade of dark grey. "You! In the name of the Lunar Guard, I order you to stop!" yelled Cute Bite.
 
Gamine felt the effects of the sleep deprivation coming back. She stopped on the spot, only because it was useless to try to run away at this point, and tried to fight off her fatigue by inhaling through the nose before exhaling through the mouth.

The monster sighed in exasperation. "Twice in ten minutes! Are you trying to break a record, Gamine? Give me back control! You are good for nothing!"

Swift placed his wing on Cute Bite's shoulder to signal her to stay still, then moved forward. "Identify yourself. What are you doing here?"

"Let you handle the situation?” Gamine exclaimed in her mind. “You would not be able to do anything without leaving a bunch of dead bodies in your wake." There was no answer to Swift's words. Only the sound of breathing broke the orchestral symphony of the forest.

Bat ponies might have been predators, but this intruder—who remained with their back to them, breathing with a laborious and sonorous sound—somehow made them uncomfortable.

"Take a good look at me, monster. I shall show you that, unlike you, I can achieve a goal without killing anyone."

Swift raised an eyebrow at the lack of reaction from what looked to be a pegasus at first glance. But after going around them to get a good look at the intruder, they suddenly turned their head towards him. He made a few steps back, spreading his wings.

Gamine concentrated, her horn charged with magic, illuminating her face. Her gaze was devoid of malice, but it expressed her cold determination to overcome what stood in her way.

This look struck Swift in a way he had not expected. It reminded him of a friend who had disappeared. A wound reopened in his heart, one he was trying to hide from everypony. Stunned, he asked, "Antarès?!"

The magic changed in nature, drawing its power from a darker source. It became purple with a green aura, just as the eyes of the alicorn became entirely green. Before either of the two soldiers could react, Swift was struck by magic and disappeared, leaving only an empty armour and sabatons on the ground.

Pepper raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Cute Bite watched the scene from her position, letting her subordinate handle the intruder. She realised that what she thought was just a pegasus was actually a white alicorn with a carmine mane. She knew who she was dealing with. Drawing her sword, she jumped on the criminal. But the latter hit her in the side, manipulating Swift's armour with telekinesis. The calculated attack slammed Cute Bite into a tree and stunned her.

The colour of the alicorn’s magic shifted back to gold while she picked up a candy from where Swift's armour had been a few seconds prior.

“So the decoration was truly Celestia’s cutie mark, I wonder what is the meaning behind his,” noted Pepper.

Assessing the situation, Gamine assumed it was now under her control and she didn’t need to use violence anymore. Her eyes turned to the bat pony, who was just recovering from the shock. "Listen carefully. If you want to see your companion once more, you and the others shall let me pass."

Cute Bite watched the mare for a moment, fighting down a shiver. "You're the one who abducted Princess Celestia, aren't you?" The bat pony knew she wasn't in a position to say no. The orders were to monitor the activities of the changelings, not to prevent anyone from going into the Badlands. In addition, she had some cards to play. "Well, I have no choice, but I will impose two conditions: First off, I’ll decide which way you’ll take to pass; and secondly, you will answer my questions." She had to take advantage of the opportunity to gather new information.

Gamine briefly observed the surroundings before looking at the mare. "Fine, but in that case it shall be just me and you. For each of my answers, I shall be entitled to one question myself. And if any bat pony tries anything, being turned into a candy will be a way more enviable outcome compared to what will remain of all of you. Should I have to bring down all those who dare to stand in my way, I shall begin with you."

“You are overdoing it. The more long-winded your threat, the clearer it will be that your lies ring hollow,” Pepper commented.

Getting up, the Major had to resign herself to accept these conditions. If everything was going according to her plan, Nightmare Moon would be there in time. She was the only one who could defeat her, and this mare obviously had no idea that the queen was free again. She had to keep this information from her to give Nightmare Moon the possibility of a surprise attack. "In that case, I have to inform you that I already alerted the camp and that a troop will be here shortly. I'll tell them to notify the guards and the camp so no one will interfere."

"Go ahead." She gave the candy to Cute Bite. "You hold the life of this warrior in the hollow of your hoof. Do everything you can to make sure that I can lift the spell once we are on the other side of these mountains."

Said squad arrived only a few seconds later. The officer approached them and explained the situation before giving them orders. At the same time, without Gamine's and Pepper’s knowledge, Cute Bite made signals, indicating that she would try to make the journey last until Nightmare Moon arrived. All gave a sharp nod before dispersing in accordance with the orders to prevent any incident while they’d cross the mountains. Cute Bite looked over her shoulder. "Follow me," she ordered as she headed towards the camp.

Gamine observed the edge of the mountain next to them. She looked over to the bat pony and started walking behind Cute Bite, who was walking at such a slow pace that it didn't take long for the alicorn to catch up. "This is not the shortest way; you must really have a lot of questions to ask me. I am listening."

"The most obvious question should have been the fate of Princess Celestia. But seeing that the colour of your magic is no longer the same as the one described in the file concerning you, I deduce that she is now officially dead." She looked at what was left of Swift. "So the question is, in the event that she has suffered the same fate as the moron I'm holding - are they still conscious in this state?"

Gamine was on the lookout. Even with a hostage, she didn't trust the bat pony and expected a sneak attack at any time. "No, once in this state, everything about them is frozen. When I dispel it, he will have no memory of it. He will be in the same state of health, at worst a little confused by the sudden change of scenery. For the rest, yes. Celestia is dead, Luna is now aware, and the aura of my magic is indeed proof."

Furrowing her brow, Pepper continued to remain silent.

"If she's telling the truth, then Nightmare Moon must also be aware," Cute Bite thought. As Gamine didn't seem to have any questions, she went on. "Where are you going?"

"Across these mountains," said Gamine, pointing a wing at the hills.

"No, I mean, for what purpose?"

"I answered your question. Next time, be more specific. By the way, what is your name?"

"I am Major Antarès, Aide de Camp of this Lunar Guard detachment. The moron you took hostage is called Swift Chess. What exactly is the reason you're moving so far south?"

At first Gamine thought of lying, but she decided that the truth would be good enough. "Would you believe me if I said I felt some sort of a call? Nothing audible, but an unpleasant feeling in my heart, animating my body on its own. An almost sickly need to move beyond these mountains. To go there, to act."

"According to your file, you are a liar and you usually play on words. So I'll pretend that I believe you." She looked at the candy. "You were wrong, Swift, they're still alive," she thought.

The alicorn took a shot in the dark with her next question: "Would you have an idea of why I feel this call toward the south?"

"Maybe," Antarès began. "We were ordered to decimate the changelings."

"Changelings? I have heard such a name before," Pepper said.

At these words, Gamine's frightened eyes betrayed her emotion, unable to keep acting after such a revelation: "What do you mean, you were ordered to decimate the changelings? Who? When? Why?" she asked with sudden agitation.

Cute Bite was surprised by the sudden flow of questions, which were asked with a restlessness that contrasted with the emotionless tone used until now. She was tempted to maintain the rule of an answer for a question imposed by the one she thought was Pepper, but Swift's life was heavy in her hoof, she finally thought it would be wiser to satisfy the monster's curiosity. "Without going into detail, after Princess Celestia's abduction—or, should I say now, her murder—Princess Luna ordered the eradication of the changelings."

Gamine lowered her gaze to her hooves, her heart troubled by this information.

"Enough, Gamine. What is done is done. It is up to Luna to answer for this crime, as she alone gave the order. Now you have to calm down and keep questioning her. Occasions to gather information so easily are very rare."

The alicorn composed herself, and put the now cracked mask she had been wearing for the past two days back on and looked up at the bat pony. "These changelings you are talking about, could you tell me the essentials about them?"

"They are best known for their failed invasion of Canterlot at the wedding of Princess Twilight Sparkle's brother. They are a race halfway between an insect and a pony. They’re metamorphic predators that feed on love. Is death a necessary step in the process of stealing the magical power from your victims?"

"Oh, yes, I heard about this wedding," Pepper said distractedly. "So changelings are just love eaters?" Gamine could hear Pepper sigh in relief. "As long as these shapeshifters do not take the form of a chest around a corridor, everything should be fine."

"Yes it is,” answered Gamine. “Since when is love nutritious?"

They entered the tunnel that separated the two regions. The alicorn mare kept an eye on the surroundings. The bat pony was still walking, her eyes fixed at the light at the end of the tunnel, hoping to see Nightmare Moon's silhouette. "I don't know, probably since friendship and harmony can be used to overcome any problem," replied the Major sarcastically. "What will you do once you find the changelings?"

"I shall do whatever it takes to make the call stop. In the event that you are the problem, I shall give you a chance to leave. Enough blood has been spilled already," said Gamine as she used magic. The aura ran over her body once more, this time to make the wings disappear.

"Good call to prevent these changelings from seeing an unknown alicorn in their territory. That would undoubtedly be a mess," noted Pepper.

Antarès looked at this physical alteration without being very surprised. "How generous. There is something I can't figure out, however. If you can travel through worlds, why did you come back here? And above all, why do you stay?"

"To answer your questions, Celestia's death had to be clearly announced. I could not let Equestria keep hoping for her return in vain." The bat pony’s second question made Gamine smile. "I already answered this question. I heard a call. I have to answer this call. And act."

"So, in your opinion, in the event that a pony has disappeared, it is better to shatter any hopes of seeing them return? Does your cruelty have no limits?"

Gamine kept her head down. "She is dead. No hope will change that. False hope only prolongs suffering."

Preceded by Antarès, Gamine arrived in the Badlands. She had only gone through a tunnel and yet she was presented with a new world. Standing on the edge of this enclosed basin, she set her eyes on this region for the first time. A downward slope before her led to a barren land that was desolate as far as the eye could see. It was flat and empty, except for a few rock formations, as if the sun itself had come to crush down on it with all its weight. Ashes had turned to dust, and life itself had given up any hope of claiming the affected area once more.

The soldier looked up at the bat ponies who were watching from the top of the hills. After an exchange of signs, she understood that her plan would not be crowned with success, but she still would have done her best to delay the regicide. She signalled to stand by for the moment and turned to Gamine. "You are now past the mountains. Release Swift!" ordered the officer.

The unicorn struck Antarès with her magic. "Would you kindly remain motionless and silent for three minutes?"

Narrowing her eyes, Pepper held her tongue.

The bat pony, under the spell of obedience, tried to move, wanted to scream, but her body no longer obeyed her. She was under the influence of the spell and at the mercy of the mare who was now facing her for the next three minutes.

"You can also add this to your file," said Gamine, turning to Cute Bite to get closer. Magic began to accumulate around her horn, targeting the candy in the mare's hoof. The sweet began to levitate and was put on the ground against the wall, next to the entrance to the tunnel. Out of the bat pony's sight, she cast a spell upon it. Once again, she wore that mocking smile, that look that seemed to be detached from everything. She acted without blinking. "Did you really think that I would keep my word? That I was honest? Poor Antarès. Have you forgotten who I am? How do you think I got in this situation? You are but another victim to add to the list of my achievements, and this soldier is a victim of your immaculate naivety. But, do not worry, I will manage alone now and I thank you for everything. Our conversation has been pleasant." She started to walk away, her gaze lost in the vagueness. She inhaled through her nose and then exhaled through her mouth before turning around to look at Antarès again with a softer smile. "I hope the next time we meet, you and I may share a cup of tea." Without waiting for any reaction, she galloped off to continue on her quest.

Unparalleled wrath coursing through her, Antarès had every opportunity to curse the unicorn inwardly with all possible qualifiers before her three minutes were up. As soon as she felt the spell lose its effect, she inhaled to bark her orders. "Guards! Catch Pepper Chilly at any cost! I need her alive!" She shouted like the angry mare she was. Head lowered, anger giving way to self-pity, she sat down in front of the candy. "I'm sorry, Swift. It's all my fault," she whispered. With all the hope she could hold on to, she remained confident in the ability of the faction guards. They would bring Pepper back prisoner and  force her to lift the spell. "You'll see, they'll bring her back soon. You'll be yourself again, and we'll laugh about it." Her eyes wet with tears, she lifted her chin and prayed to the stars. "I've already lost my sister. I beg you, not Swift, too," she said in a sob.

Suddenly, a golden light emanated from the candy. Before Antarès could react, she was hit in the jaw by Swift's head as he returned to his former self. It was such a strong impact that she landed on her back.

Swift rubbed his head. He felt a bit lost as he looked around, noting that he had lost his armour, that the scenery had changed, and that the intruder was nowhere to be seen. "Why are we here? Where is the intruder?" he asked, turning his attention to Cute Bite.

She held back her tears with great difficulty. There was a flood of conflicting feelings in her heart that she couldn't stop. "It was the regicide, Pepper Chilly, and she left. The others are pursuing her."

Swift could only imagine how his precious Cute Bite could end up in such a state, but he was sure that she needed to think about something else. He knew exactly what he had to do. He stood on his four legs and imitated the chief instructor from when they were still simple cadets. "Grunt Cute Bite! What is this attitude?! Look at your armour, it’s so dirty I can't see myself in it! I've seen a lot of bat ponies like you, Grunt Cute Bite! You weaklings are always welcome to resign and leave! For this is not how you will carry Antarès' name into the legends," he said, speaking normally, but loud enough to give the impression that he was yelling at her. He leaned over her and hit her on the sternum with the tip of his hoof, his wings spread to their full extent.

"Moron!" barked Antarès, her rage suddenly dominating all the other feelings deep in her heart as she gave him a perfect uppercut to his jaw. Swift bit his tongue as a result and almost blacked out, falling flat on the ground. "Moron," she whispered again, as she took him in her hooves and folded her wings over him, crying with relief.

"Yaour ‘elcome," Swift replied in a whisper with a swollen tongue.
> Chapter 2 *Updated*
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gamine had left Antarès behind, galloping down the slope at full speed, entering the Badlands. “Fifty-three... fifty-four...”

"It is funny that we have the same modus operandi."

“I had no other option,” Gamine replied, oblivious to the innuendo, so focused on keeping track of the countdown. “If I had released the bat pony as promised, the Major would have had no reason to let me go. Now it is essential to get as much of a lead on them as I can before they come after me… sixty-five…” She felt her fatigue resurfacing slowly. She had to ration her strength so she wouldn’t collapse and be easily picked up by the first creature that found her.

"Gamine, about these changelings. You are well aware of the consequences if you find them, are you not?"

"...Seventy-seven... Yes. I shall probably disappear temporarily and you will regain control of your body. I guess I am forced to trust you. Just find and resolve the origin of this call peacefully. If you keep your word, I will owe you one... eighty-eight."

"Your favour is worthless to me when all I have to do is visit these devourers of love regularly to keep you in a permanent, forced sleep."

“Ninety-three. Your plan is to spend the rest of your life with them for the sole purpose of being the only one in command of your own body? As long as we are alive, I will make sure you remain prisoner within your body. You will undoubtedly be free to act, but be assured that I shall come back at some point. One hundred and seven.”  She made good use of the remaining seconds she had left to observe the horizon. The moon bathed the huge natural basin consisting of arid land and dusty stones as far as she could see in its soft light. From one end of the basin to the other, there were no signs of life. No clue that gave her any indication of where to go. She looked over her shoulder towards where she had come from. She slowed her pace, dropping from a gallop to a trot. “One hundred and nineteen. I have almost a kilometre lead on them. Yet, this is nothing. They will surely catch up to me in no time. My main concern is the changelings. If they do not show interest in the spectacle I prepared, I will have to send all these bat ponies away. One hundred and thirty-nine. I have less than a minute before Antarès will give orders for my capture. When she does and the changelings see them closing in on me, they might be more likely to consider that I am not an ally of the bat ponies.”

“And, ipso facto, not just a bait to lure them out? You are deluding yourself. These changelings are predators. Luna's army has been trying to eradicate them since I left. They will not let their guard down for a second for a unicorn that went through the barricade."

“One hundred and fifty-nine. Have you forgotten? They feed on love. To them, I am not a unicorn—I am a walking meal. I am a bowl of hot soup prepared with love that they crave. I go to meet these predators so that they can feed on my love. One hundred and sixty-seven. Ten seconds."

"By the way, how am I supposed to find the source of the call if you disappear?"

"You should feel my magic activate if the source is active again. But since when do you need support to hunt?"

"Since the goal is to hunt a creature that is not my prey."

Gamine started running again as she hit the three-minute mark in her head. Less than a minute later, the bat ponies were after her. They didn't give any warning, given the criminal's liabilities. They were just waiting for an opportunity to immobilise her. Given the way she defended herself, firing beams of magic to keep them at bay, they exercised patience. She took a sharp turn around a rocky massif. As she noticed the recess in the sand in front of her, it was too late. Forelegs assisted by a green magic dragged her by her hooves into an underground tunnel. The unicorn screamed as the braids of her tail disappeared under the eyes of the dazed bat ponies. Gamine landed on her belly in the tunnels below the badlands. She was enveloped in total darkness, and could only see three pairs of phosphorescent blue eyes fixed on her. Clattering teeth echoed through the darkness. While cautious at first, she raised her voice with her usual nonchalance. "Let’s hope that you are not Changelings, but just some unintelligent bugs." 

Gamine wanted to illuminate her surroundings, but Pepper stopped her. “Do not. The less you seem a threat to them, the easier it will be for me to fulfil my task.”

The one with loud teeth and a glowing pair of eyes in the middle put one hoof on the unicorn’s mouth. "It seems to me that this is not your lucky day, pony. We're changelings, and you're our evening meal."

Gamine moved away and got up. "I think there has been a mistake. I am not your evening meal." 

"Oh, really? Then tell me: What are you, if not a meal?"

"Oh, very simple." Gamine said stoically. "I am..." Suddenly, she reared around and ran away, following a cold wind blowing in her face. "... Gone!" She knew exactly how it would end. But she had to run away for appearance’s sake. The worst thing was that she couldn't see anything, and couldn’t use her magic to light her way. She could only hope to not run into a wall. She didn’t get five metres away before the two changelings, spat out a sticky ball, immobilising her hind legs. Gamine fell on her stomach, at the mercy of the predators. The three changelings threw themselves on the mare with wide-open mouths, starting to feast.

Immediately, the unicorn found herself paralyzed by a pain that spread like venom and took hold of her entire being. While they didn’t physically touch her, it still felt like a thousand bites mutilating her body, digging into the flesh and muscles with pointy teeth, strong enough to crush bones. She felt nothing but agony as their hunger made its way to her heart.

The monster watched the guardian who had deprived her of control of her own body for far too long from the bottom of her cage. Watched her being consumed as these changelings filled their belly with the love she was composed of.

Gamine struggled against the force coming from the darkness, struggled to delay her disappearance, begging the monster with her eyes. She wanted to say something, but was already too weak to be heard. Not even a simple whisper escaped her as she disappeared, sucked away into the darkness with the last ounce of her love.

And Pepper was finally free. She observed the space in her head where the young guardian had been just a moment earlier. “Till fate do us part,” she said to the void.

As their stomachs bloated with a fair amount of love after such a long hunger, the changelings licked their lips. The meal had been most delicious. They had a short discussion in their strange language, which sounded like teeth clattering and barely audible chirps. Finally, the leader walked ahead as the other two began to drag their prisoner through the tunnels.

Pepper was breathless as she reopened her eyes to the outside world. The prolonged pain had tensed all her muscles to such an extent that the simple act of breathing was agony. But it was the price she had to pay to finally be the one in control of her own body. With her  pupils dilated as large as they could, she looked around, her ruby eyes wide open. Without any light, she was not able to see past the tip of her snout. She was tempted to let herself be dragged to the end, but was afraid to fall asleep halfway. She couldn't afford that, at least not right now. "Why are you dragging me? I can walk."

The changelings stopped at these words, turning to their unexpected guest. They stood up, trying to shield their leader. "Still conscious? Our victims usually can't handle the feeding process."

Pepper took advantage of the delay to turn to the three creatures, get on her forelegs, sit, and look into their eyes. "I feel good. No, I feel even better than before."

The changelings were rattled by these words. The one who had spoken so far stared at the mare with a nervous look, whistling for a brief moment, wings vibrating. "Feeding on creatures doesn't make them feel better at all. It is even worse when three feed on the same prey. Who are you?"

She couldn't tell them who she was. She couldn’t predict how they would welcome the mare who had killed Celestia. She, who had come from beyond the stars, was a monster unique in Equestria. "Lone Star," Pepper said, looking back at those three pairs of arctic blue eyes.

"Tell me, Lone Star, why do you smell like a bat pony? It's faint, but I can smell the odour of armour oil on you. You didn't wear it. No, you were exposed to it indirectly," said the leader, who was trying to determine the origin of the unicorn’s scent.

"They were blocking the border,” Pepper explained coldly. “I tried to get around them, but I was spotted."

"Could you tell me how many of them there are?" the changeling asked with interest.

Pepper realised that, if she wanted to gain the trust of these creatures, it was better to answer their questions. "As crowded as Canterlot's restaurant district during lunchtime," she replied.

"How precise of you," commented the changeling, rolling their eyes. "Anyway, what are you doing in the Badlands, pony?"

Without knowing the consequences, Pepper could not explain the reasons that had brought her to the southern region of Equestria, and she didn't want to try to beat about the bush to avoid raising suspicion. "I am travelling south. Now, I shall ask two questions myself. What are your names, and is it possible to free my legs?" She pretended to try and loosen her hind legs without success. She could have easily used her magic, but it was better to keep up the act of being a normal unicorn in the eyes of these changelings.

"You can call me Chitin. Only the highest ranking changelings have a name," replied the leader. They gave orders to the changeling on the right, clattering teeth in the process. The changeling in question approached Pepper and used magic to melt the organic slimy shackle. Before the mare could get up, the changeling that freed her grabbed her by the neck. "Now you're going to get up and let yourself be escorted to our hive, pony," the leader hissed.

Pepper was docile for the time being. "Shall I light the way with my horn, or do I have to walk in the dark?"

"We changelings see perfectly in total darkness. We will guide you to the hive like this. When we get there, you’ll have enough light to see."

Pepper didn't know what the changelings had in mind, but if they were feeding on love, they certainly wouldn't let her leave just because she asked. "So there is nothing I have to worry about," she said, words dripping with irony.

"Oh, please, Lone Star, keep worrying,” Chitin said with a grin. “We'd love to have you for the next meal, again."

"Keep worrying?" Pepper repeated.

"In your heart, there was mostly regret, guilt and worry. Love, too, but not true love. More like filial love. A delicious blend of flavours if you ask me," Chitin detailed, rubbing their tongue against their palate - like a gourmet chef who was breaking down the ingredients of a meal they had just been served. "I hope you'll be just as delicious for brunch."

"Wait, you ate my love, and you are able to tell my feelings from that?" Pepper asked in surprise. She was appalled at how easy it had been for the insect to detail the emotions that tormented Gamine's heart.

"You ponies think that we only feed on your love, but the truth is that any feeling is potential food for us changelings. Love is just the predominant one in Equestria. It is also the most nourishing," replied Chitin, looking down their nose at her.

"Emotivore," Pepper spat in a whisper.

"Oh, I love that term! It sounds like music to my ears," Chitin answered with a sinister smile, wings buzzing.

"If you can detail my feelings, can you also tell where I came from, where I am going, and my last meal? Maybe you can even read my future from tea leaves?" Pepper asked sarcastically.

"If you're done with your mockery, we can reach the hive a bit sooner," Chitin said.

"I am in no hurry to worry," Pepper replied.





Meanwhile, in the Lunar Guard's military camp, inside the imposing command tent with its dark purple drapes, Antarès sat in front of a desk in a corner of the tent, hurriedly writing her report. She recorded all the information she had memorised while she had tried to lead who she thought was Pepper as slowly as possible to the Badlands. She looked up for a moment, watching the armour of the nightmare alicorn at the other end of the tent. It sat on a rack, waiting in cold silence for almost four months now. Waiting for its owner to return and put it back on again. The major kept her eyes fixed on the armour for a moment, remembering the interview with the regicide. She recalled her glances toward the monster in detail, the words they had exchanged.

Swift stuck his head through the heavy canvases at entrance to the tent. She looked over to him, past a table that had a map of the region laid out with small figurines next to it. "Cute Bite, our queen has arrived. She’s on the outskirts of the camp."

Antarès snorted as she returned to her report once more. She had nothing to add to the notes, and it gave her the impression that she was failing in her duties. "Swift, go to the infirmary for a full check-up.” She stored the report in a compartment on the left side of the desk. “I can't believe what happened to you was without consequences."

"I'm not made of sugar, and even if I were, I'd survive it.” A grin crept on his lips as he began to tease her. “Or did I taste like mango? That would explain why you're desperately trying to keep me away from you, Cute Bite."

She reached the entrance of the tent in record time, despite her heavy armour, as well as the weight of her own sword and the claymore of Nightmare Moon - which she had to carry due to her being Aide de Camp - secured in their respective sheaths crossed and harnessed on her back. She grabbed Swift by the neck with her outstretched wings and turned to one of the bat ponies who were guarding the tent. "Shadowbolt Nebula, I want Private Swift in the infirmary for a full check-up, ASAP. He was the target of an unknown spell, and I want a vampony to make sure that there are no long-term consequences. Use force if necessary," she ordered, pushing Swift toward the guard.

The Shadowbolts were an elite military corps of ten bat ponies. Becoming a Shadowbolt was a privilege—it meant that they no longer had to answer to the primogen of their lineage. They were the queen’s personal guard, distinguished by a purple uniform. Only their hooves and their heads, from the base of their neck up, were of a deep black, delimited by a fine yellow flash. They responded only to the queen’s orders, those of her lieutenant, and, for three months now, her Aide de Camp.

The soldier left her post, saluting Antarès with the thumb of her wing on her temple before turning her electric-blue eyes toward Swift. Her stern look was mostly hidden by yellow glasses, but she simply took her sword in her mouth, preferring the use of - for now, implied - force right away.

Swift complied without uttering a word. Her reaction had assured him that Cute Bite was in a good enough state of mind to report what happened to their queen.

The Major then went to meet Nightmare Moon and found herself face-to-face with the tantabus, which had taken the form of the lunar monarch. The Major saluted her in haste with a practised motion before speaking. "My Queen, Pepper Chilly. She was there. I tried to delay her, but she went to the Badlands."

Nightmare Moon didn’t react to the news immediately. Having the Tantabus for a body had many advantages, but there were also many disadvantages. In her current form, she could only communicate with Luna telepathically over a short distance. Materialising a physical form required a substantial expenditure of magical power. However, since the Tantabus was fueled by Luna's guilt, Nightmare Moon was confident that the flow of energy would increase now that Celestia's death had been confirmed. She used a third of her current magical strength to take a physical shape: The body of an alicorn with an ebony coat, her ethereal mane and tail a royal blue. It was almost as if she had never crossed paths with Twilight Sparkle. In her physical form, she gave an inquisitive look to her Aide de Camp. "Your report, right now," she ordered, walking towards the command tent.

Antarès fell into a trot next to Nightmare Moon. "Thirty minutes ago, I heard galloping in the forest along the hill from Private Swift Chess's post. Swift Chess left his post to assist me as I went after the trespasser and intercepted them. At first, we thought they were just a pegasus who, despite our orders, did not identify themselves. Only when Private Swift Chess approached them did we realise who we were dealing with."

Nightmare Moon entered the tent and looked at the map, remaining attentive to the bat pony’s report.

"She took Swift Chess hostage by turning him into a candy ..."

Nightmare Moon was slightly shocked at the mention of this fact.

"... With our orders to not let any creature escape the Badlands, and given the estimated magical power level of the criminal, I decided to make her believe that I was conceding to her demands to be led to the barren lands. I took the longest path, hoping to see you arrive in time to defeat her. During this time, I tried to ask her questions that I thought were the most relevant, and she gave me answers whose truth has yet to be proven. Once through the tunnel, she paralyzed me with a spell, then led me to believe that she would not lift the spell she had used to turn Swift into a candy. Once released from paralysis, I immediately sent guards after her, but they reported that she was caught and pulled underground, probably by changelings. I think that the spell cast on Swift has faded on its own. I am ready to take responsibility for my mistake—for letting Pepper Chilly pass, my Queen."

Nightmare Moon thought about the situation for a minute while she studied the map. . Finally, she looked up at Antarès and said calmly, "At ease, Major. I don't blame you for tonight's event. Pepper Chilly lied to everypony for two months. If it is true that she has gained power by absorbing the soul of Celestia as she has told Luna, then it was certainly wiser of you to not encourage her to break through by sheer force."

Despite her superior’s words, Antarès had the nagging feeling that she could have done better. She looked at the Moon over her shoulder through the gap between the canvases. "What colour is the moon tonight, my Queen?"

"Make it short," replied the living nightmare to the coded message.

"About the Eclipse project?" asked the major.

Nightmare Moon nodded again, eyes closed. "Yes, it is true, the Eclipse project is taking a completely different turn. Until now, Luna had been hanging in there, under the illusion of having control of the situation. Now that Pepper Chilly is back, and Celestia's death has been confirmed, things will undoubtedly accelerate. If I manage to slip the severed head of the one she had considered to be a friend into her bed, and she looks into Pepper's glassy eyes in the early morning, she will understand that she can never get the slow and painful revenge she wanted. That realisation will make her insane. With her mind crushed, I will be able to possess her body. Even if Twilight Sparkle tries to use the elements of harmony on me, Luna will remember that she has nothing left in this world! Even though she has a bond with a few fillies, it will not prevent her from sinking back into darkness, allowing me to take over once more. No matter how hard Twilight tries, she will have to accept the idea that Luna can no longer be saved. Then I shall reign by myself over Equestria and Broncoliande. With Shining Armor now being prince consort of the Crystal Kingdom, I will have to elect a new captain for the Royal Guard for Canterlot Castle. A position that may suit you, Major. However, I fully understand if a military career is more appealing for you."

"It would be an honour to ensure the well-being of you and your palace, my Queen," replied Antarès, loudly and clearly.

"Now, I'll be entering the Badlands," announced the ebony alicorn.

"I'm going to gather a squad to escort you-"

"There is no need for that. If Chrysalis is not dead yet, she won’t like to see a group of bat ponies come. Not even in small numbers. But if I go alone, she might more easily concede to a meeting with me. In the eventuality of an aggressive welcome, I can return in my ethereal form without having to worry about the fate of an escort."

The bat pony had to admit that this tactic provided an easy retreat if the changelings refused to talk. In the current climate, it was not difficult to believe that they would refuse. "When I asked her, Pepper Chilly said she was going to the Badlands because she felt a call. And she became agitated when she heard about the genocide of the changelings."

Nightmare Moon frowned. "She's not the altruistic type. If Chrysalis has the foresight to end her, that would be fine by me. The problem is that she must not know what her subjects have dragged into her hive. Major, regarding Pepper Chilly, the orders are not to engage in hostilities. If she has returned to gather power, she will show little interest in anypony who is not an alicorn. There is no need to risk lives in a fight without a chance of victory," she said as she walked towards the exit.

"My queen. A thought came to mind. Since she has returned, do you think she is the mare from the prediction that announces the return of the Crystal Empire’s tyrant?" asked Antarès, uncomfortable to raise the subject, though curious to hear her queen's opinion.

Nightmare Moon spread the heavy canvases with her wings. "All the more reason to make her surrender her last breath before she has a chance to say the forbidden name. We already have a regicide on the loose. No one wants this tyrant to come back and claim an empire that was never his."

"Yes,” Antarès agreed. “One unnecessary war is one too many. The Crystal Kingdom was lucky to reappear last year. The absence of Princess Celestia affects the morale of the Equestrians a lot. His return wouldn’t help the situation."

"One unnecessary war is one too many? I wasn’t aware your lineage had such wisdom running through their veins, Major. Or it is the private Swift Chess who rubbed off on you somehow? Teasing aside, keep it up, that's the way I expect a second-in-command to think." Nightmare Moon left the tent to fly to the Badlands, changing back to the simple form of a black cloud to preserve her strength.





In the tunnels below the badlands, Pepper raised her voice. “Chitin?" she asked.

"If you ever ask me again when we arrive, pony, I'll rip your tongue out," grunted Chitin, who already had no patience with Pepper's attitude.

“We have just walked and turned so many times. What else am I to do in such a maze? Oh, I know! What is your Princess' name?" she asked.

"Princess? There is no Princess here. That's a title that’s only good for your alicorns. Here, it is the title of Queen that suits the one who runs our hive, and her name is Chrysalis," Chitin said proudly, sounding haughty. "Stop,” they suddenly ordered, clattering their teeth to make the other two Changelings move a rock that looked like any other out of their way. “We’ve arrived,” they said, as a passage leading to a large, bright room was revealed. "Walk in, Lone Star."

Pepper walked toward the middle of the cavern. Looking up at the ceiling, she squinted her eyes. Large green cocoons that glowed, allowing her to see as if she was in broad daylight. She stopped and turned around to finally see her hosts.

One of the three Changelings did not wear armour. The chestplate and helmet of the armour were of the same colour as the deep-blue shell on the top of their backs. At close range, these creatures seemed to be cut out of obsidian - not only because of their colour, but also because of their apparent fragility, mostly in their legs.. The mare did not understand how they could stand on these limbs, which were riddled with holes that gave them anatomically improbable shapes. Their ridiculous wings were  also perforated with holes that shouldn’t allow them to fly. As her gaze lingered on their heads, she saw upper canines sticking out of their mouths as well, their horn like a curved ice pick. Pepper was glad to know that the changelings were only after love. "How can you run with legs like that? They seem as if they would break at any moment with all these holes. You all look like wooden shields after a rain of arrows," Pepper said stoically.

"Are you mocking us, pony?!" Chitin shouted, while the other two Changelings hissed.

Pepper did not understand the reason for their outburst. "I am not laughing. This is my first time meeting Changelings. I am curious to know more about your species."

Chitin gave orders to the Changelings, who went back into the tunnel and closed the passage behind them. "No pony is curious when they see our true appearance. They get scared, and—” she giggled— “TRY to run away."

She turned away from Chitin, leaving the room to enter a new tunnel, following the sticky substance that connected the light sources together. "The ones from Equestria, no doubt,” Pepper answered, “but I am not from there. I am a traveller, and I am looking to go further south. Where is the southernmost exit of this hive?"

The Changeling followed her, making sure she didn't go into sensitive areas of the hive. "Please, Lone Star, accept our hospitality and stay for the rest of the night. We'd be so very happy to have you to eat for brunch."

The offer brought a grin to Pepper's lips as she took in the sights of the rooms she walked past. "There's not much left to eat, but I intend to come back at every opportunity. It is very liberating."

"Tell me, what happened to make you feel such remorse that you thank us for eating your feelings? I am sure that we can find a way to revive them and have a midnight snack," Chitin said, licking their lips in advance.

Pepper was going to give a fake answer before she stopped in front of a room that was even bigger than the very first. In contrast to the previous caverns, the one before her was lit by blue crystals. "This is different. What is this room?" she asked, entering and looking at the large seat placed opposite the entrance.

"This is the throne room, where we’ll serve brunch to our queen at eleven o'clock,” Chitin answered. “So, this remorse, where did it come from? I want to turn the knife in the wound."

Pepper ignored Chitin's words. She felt like she was being watched, so she approached the throne carefully, convinced that someone was hiding behind it. She walked around it, then came face-to-face with the one keeping their eyes on her.

Hidden behind the royal seat was a young Changeling who looked quite different from the other three. A tiny, female changeling. Barely bigger than Pepper’s head. She had eyes akin to that of a pony, her pupils slightly formed like those of cats: Two vertical slits looking back at Pepper, full of curiosity. Her differently coloured eyes reinforced the power of her gaze - her left iris was of a deep malachite green, her right one was of a soft yellow, like the colour of sulphur. Pepper could see her head filling with questions while the changeling looked at her.

She took a few steps back. "Who is hiding back there?" asked the mare in a whisper, sitting down on her rump.

The Changeling child took off, buzzing as she hovered before Pepper, biting her hoof to try and suppress in vain a question that was burning on her lips. "Are you a pony?" she asked in a chirp, putting her hoof on the unicorn's snout.

"Aglowing Shell? What are you doing here?" Chitin slowly approached them, eyes fixed on Pepper, all the muscles of their body tense, ready to jump on her if she ever tried to make a move towards the child.

"Well, I..."  Aglowing avoided looking in the direction of warrior Changeling.

"I am a pony," Pepper confirmed with a smile. She continued to observe the small Changeling, ignoring the tensions in the air. The child’s mane was a dark, cerulean blue, except for a celestial blue wick that cut her mane by passing to the left of her horn, then descending to the middle of her fluffy chest.

Aglowing Shell had stars in her eyes. She leapt on Pepper's face, belly to her muzzle. The child’s hooves clamped down on the mare’s muzzle while she rubbed her face against the pony’s forehead. "Whoooooa! A real pony. This is the first time I've seen a real one! Thank you, Mother! I wanted a pony for such a long time now!" the little Changeling chirped excitedly.

"Mhmf?" Pepper muttered between her teeth. She looked towards Chitin.

The latter disappeared into a pillar of greenish flames. When the flames faded, the Changeling looked vastly different: Taller and slender, a small black crown sitting atop a long mane made entirely of ceruleum blue strands that fell heavily on her shoulders. Chrysalis, the Queen of the Changelings, smiled with satisfaction at having deceived Pepper all this time. "As you can see, you should worry for two. We will need at least that much for our eleven-hour brunch."

Aglowing remained silent, simply observing.

Pepper used magic. Ethereal hands appeared at the end of her hooves, and, with rare delicacy, she encouraged Aglowing Shell to free her jaw, dislodging her from her face before handing her to her mother. "You may insist as much as you want, but I shall not stay for your brunch. Where is the southernmost exit, so I can continue on my journey?"

"Oh? But! I thought we were going to play," Aglowing said with a sad pout.

"Play? Do you not have friends for that?" Pepper asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What's a friend? Is it edible?" asked Aglowing Shell innocently.

"A friend is somepony you play with. Somepony you like to see every day. Somepony you get along with," Pepper explained.

"Oh! Mother is a friend then," said the little Changeling.

Pepper dared to look at Chrysalis while she held back a laugh. 

The Queen was reluctant to have fun. She slammed her teeth together, then licked her lips to display a carnivorous smile. 

Pepper examined the sovereign and her daughter. Now that she was paying more attention, the mother looked more like an insect. The skin was made of a very dark-grey shell. She also had a shiny shell on her abdomen, while the girl had fluffy fur there. The child's horn was more like that of a unicorn, although it had a few holes and seemed as pointy and deadly as her mother’s. "Not quite. A friend is someone who is not part of the family, but whom you like," Pepper tried to explain patiently.

"That… I… like?” Aglowing Shell thought for a minute. “Oh! Like as in love?! Someone from whom I collect love every day then?" she chirped with a big, childish smile.

Pepper and Chrysalis laughed for different reasons, and Aglowing joined in.

The mare turned to the Queen. "I could use a little help right now," Pepper pointed out, amused.

"It's a pony thing. You're going to have to manage alone, Lone Star," replied Chrysalis, a little smile on the corner of her mouth. She was appreciating the irony that a pony had trouble finding the words to explain the concept of friendship to someone who was foreign to it.

Pepper sighed, smiling, and returned to the young Queen. "All right. We'll keep it simple. A friend can act in several ways. They can be kind, they can make you laugh, they can offer gifts without asking for anything in return, and, most importantly, they never betray you no matter what. Friendship…” she paused. “No, wait, that's five. What am I forgetting?  Handsome, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Twilight, Rarity... Oh, yes, Applejack. I always forget her Element. No wonder why,” she thought before resuming her explanation. “Friends also never lie to each other." Despite her explanation, she saw the large question marks in the child's eyes.

"Don't listen to her, my daughter. We are the Changelings. We don't need friends, just ponies like her to collect their love. Otherwise, there would be no pleasure in playing with your food."

Pepper focused on Aglowing. "Putting the remark from your mother aside, did you understand what a friend is?" she asked.

"A friend is complicated," the child answered.

The so-called Lone Star giggled. As she thought about it, she realised that if the child didn’t have any reference points, she had to be given some. "Yes, it is. Look, if it helps you, here's how to know if someone is a friend." Pepper took a deep breath, and ,without singing, she thought of the six elements of harmony, making them into a nursery rhyme. "Goodness in the eyes, Laughter on the lips, Honesty in words, Generosity in heart, Loyalty in choices. Friendship is ignited by a spark of Magic. If you can say that anyone reacts like that to you, or makes you react like that, then maybe they are a future friend. Of course, it is rare to see them all at the same time."

Aglowing and Chrysalis suddenly turned their heads toward the entrance of the room, ears perked. The drone had come back at a gallop, alone. They only stopped when they had stepped into the room. They immediately began to snap their teeth, their wings vibrating frantically to convey a message. Chrysalis's face hardened, fury in her eyes. She gave new orders to the changeling, then to Aglowing Shell before leaving the room in a hurry.

"What is happening now?" grunted the unicorn before noticing that the subordinate changeling was watching her like a cat in front of a mouse hole. "And what do you want from me?"

"It's Chitin. They sent the drone to transmit a message: <She asks to see the Queen.> Then mother gave them the order to watch you," Aglowing said, her voice trembling.

Considering this new information, Pepper saw an opportunity to leave the hive and continue her journey. But she had to get rid of the drone first. The child was not likely to cause complications. "Oh look! There is another pony," Pepper said, pointing away from the changeling supervisor.

"Where?!" the child asked, a big smile on her lips as she fell into the trap.

Pepper took advantage of Aglowing Shell's inattention to turn the watcher into a candy, quickly picking it up before the little changeling realised that she had been duped. "I shall release them once I have found an exit. I can only hope that I do not have to dig one," she thought.

"There is no other pony!" said Aglowing, frustrated at first, then shocked after turning back to Pepper. "Where are they? Where is the drone? They were here just a moment ago!"

Pepper looked at Aglowing, acting all innocent. "I do not know. They just suddenly vanished." Pepper walked toward the exit. "Well, if your mother is looking for me, tell her I am no longer... there." She stopped. The orange wisps appeared again. She had to turn around as Gamine’s magic activated..

Head down, the young Aglowing broke into tears. "I... I don't want to... finish alone."

Pepper came closer. "I can not believe it. It was her. I can not believe I almost missed the source of the call," she thought, rubbing her snout against the top of the child's head to get her attention.

Aglowing lifted her nose towards Pepper, her eyes blurred by tears. When she saw the orange wisps, she got scared, falling on her back.

"Calm down,” Pepper said, trying to reassure the child. “This is... like kindness in the eyes. If you calm down, it will fade away."

Aglowing exhaled, trying to drive away the sinister ideas that invaded her mind. She wanted to believe in the mare’s words.

Slowly, the wisps began to fade. It was still present, but barely noticeable. "See, I was telling the truth," Pepper said, a soft smile on her lips, although she had trouble believing it herself.

"Is that what happens every time somepony worries?" asked Aglowing. Her little voice sounded curious, broken by emotions as she stood up.

"I think, in your case, it is more than mere worry, FaceHugger," Pepper said.

"FaceHugger? My name is Aglowing Shell," the child protested.

The right corner of Pepper’s lips curved into a smile. "Do not mind. This is a bad habit of mine. I sometimes give a nickname to those I like. Look, I am here, just for you, to help you. If you need anything, just ask. Generosity in the heart," Pepper said.

"Honesty in words?" Aglowing asked with a little glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Pepper couldn't help but laugh. "You learn fast. In that case, I have to introduce myself. I am Pepper Chilly," said the Unicorn in turn.

"Pepper Chilly? Mother called you Lone Star earlier," said the little changeling, sounding surprised.

"I could not give my real name to your mother, Aglowing Shell. I can not stay here forever to play with you, but I can help you now, so you will not end up alone. You just have to tell me what is wrong,” Pepper explained.

Aglowing thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay," she said, thinking about the whole story with a little nostalgic smile. Then, she began to tell her worries. "The hive. It was full of life before, full of changelings. They used to go out all the time to collect love. Everyday, they went outside, then came back. We were happy." As suddenly as it had come,  the smile disappeared. Sadness took its place. "Then, one night, fewer came back than were sent. Those who came back were wounded, and I didn't understand why. They started to make balls of light with magic, which stayed on the ceiling for a few minutes. It was beautiful, like the stars of the night sky. The next night it was the same: Others didn't come back, and there were the lights again. The next day, mother ordered not to go out. ‘We have enough food for the whole hive, so we can take a day off,’ she told me. But I could see that she was not well."

Pepper thought it was clever to start the genocide by attacking the Changelings that were isolated from the rest of the hive. She assumed this event made Chrysalis suspicious, and forced her to send out a search for the missing individuals. This gave Nightmare Moon a last opportunity to cull the changelings before to besiege the hive.

Aglowing coughed a sob. "Days passed. We didn't go out anymore. ‘More days of rest,’ I was told. Every changeling was restless. Mother started to send most of the drones to sleep in cocoons. But it didn't change anything. There was less and less food for the hive. Then, one evening, Chitin ran in saying they were at the entrance of the tunnel. Mother locked me in my room before leaving with every warrior of the hive that was still awake. When they came back hours later, they were wounded, and ..." She began to cry. 

Wary, Pepper raised an eyebrow as she witnessed Aglowing’s magic crackling around her horn. 

"And... there was almost no one left. I understood then. I understood what they were trying to hide from me. All those lights, all those changelings who had disappeared. They're never coming back! And mother hates me. She keeps me locked up all the time. She doesn't want to see me anymore. She doesn't want to play anymore. She tells me to stay in my chamber again and again. She wants others to forget me. Said that it's better for me. Several times changelings tried to open the door, but mother chased them away. She yelled, she shouted through the whole hive not to approach me ever again. But I don't understand what I did wrong. Why she scolded them. Why she punished me. Is it my fault? Should I have protected the hive? Why did she never teach me how to defend my own subjects? If I had known, I could have helped her! I could have saved them! I'm destined to be the Queen. But if I don't protect the hive, if the hive is empty... What good am I?" Distress squeezed her throat, making her voice sound hoarse. 

Pepper frowned the eyebrows. Something was clearly off in this story.

Aglowing’s tears kept flowing. "I don't know what to do. There is less and less food, and soon there won’t be enough left to feed the changelings that are sleeping. They will starve to death in their sleep. There are four changelings left awake to save them. I don't know what to do! I don't know what to do anymore! And..." Her imagination was running wild with the worst possible outcome. “And, I don't want to end up alone! I know that, one day, mother and Chitin will never come back! I don't want to see these balls of light anymore. I'm afraid to see them again. I never want to see them again! I don't want to feel bad when I see them! I don't want to learn like that, that one of our own won't come back. And just thinking about it hurts. It hurts so much! My body hurts so much. It tightens. As if a rock fell on my body. Is that how it feels when you disappear? What did I do wrong to make this happen to us? Why doesn't mother tell me what I did wrong so I can do it right? Why? Why?! WHY!?"

Pepper listened in silence. The wisps grew stronger. Touched by the child's story, Gamine was reviving herself. Pepper understood. The guardian misled her - it wasn’t just her magic, but a passive ability that activated itself. If she could feel true despair, she concluded that this child’s despair was so strong that it had reached the guardian despite the distance between the Badlands and Canterlot. Aglowing was very young and already thought of the responsibilities that ruling over an entire hive entailed. The mare took the changeling in her forelegs to offer some comfort. "You are not at fault, FaceHugger. You are not. We shall fix this one way or another. We will fix it.”

"How?" asked the little Queen, sniffling.
 
"First, you must be hungry. Collect my love," Pepper said, wiping tears from the child's face. "Can you do that at least, little Queen?"

"Yes, Mother taught me how." With those words, Aglowing Shell set to work.

The monster needed to lean on a hoof to avoid falling on her rump. Even coming from a child, the feeling of being punctured was painful. Fortunately, this time, there was only one changeling, and there was not much to eat. But it served its purpose - Gamine was sent back to the darkness - and, even better, her presence seemed slightly smaller than before.

When she finished, Aglowing looked at Pepper, tilting her head slightly. "I think I'm done. Why are you grinning?"

"Oh, I sat on a rock," Pepper lied. She looked around the room. She needed a plan. With her mind devoid of the guardian’s sentimental distractions, she soon had an idea worthy of a monster. "Now we shall play a game," Pepper said with a grin.

"A game? What game?" asked Aglowing Shell.

"Munch the candy," Pepper replied with a smile.

"I don't know this game," said the changeling, sounding intrigued.
 
"Oh, believe me, you will like it," Pepper whispered with a malicious grin.





Meanwhile, Chrysalis arrived at the entrance to the cave to see Chitin and Nightmare Moon staring each other down. Chitin held a more offensive position, while Nightmare Moon stood in a defensive manner.

"I repeat - my intentions are not hostile, changeling," the alicorn said.

"NOT HOSTILE?!” the warrior barked, unafraid of dying at the alicorn’s hooves. “When you came with your army, you killed drones, not even warriors ... but drones! You killed any changeling that came close enough! That isn't hostility? If only you would die, all of you," Chitin shouted. They would defend the hive at the cost of their life.

"Chitin, enough," Chrysalis ordered as she came out of the tunnel, catching her breath.

Chitin spat onto the ground in front of Nightmare Moon's hooves. Then, they backed away without turning around and stood next to Chrysalis. They tensed their hooves, ready to jump at the throat of the living nightmare should she try any sudden move towards her Queen.

"Get to the point," Chrysalis said dryly.

"I have come to warn you that you have a monster in your hive," summed up Nightmare Moon.

"I am facing it right now," Chrysalis commented coldly, the genocide still fresh in the Queen's mind.

"I am serious, Chrysalis. Pepper Chilly is dangerous," explained the mare of the Moon.

Chrysalis looked to the warrior on her left before returning to the intruder. "Pepper Chilly? I haven't met anycreature of that name," she said.

"A female unicorn with a white coat and a braided carmine mane. The cheeky kind," Nightmare Moon said.

"You mean Lone Star," corrected Chrysalis.

"She gave you a fake name."

Nightmare Moon's commentary made Chrysalis apprehensive. “Why?”

"Right now, the most important question would be, where is she?” asked the thousand-year-old mare, sounding concerned.

"In the hive..." Chrysalis replied, her discomfort growing.

"Don't tell me that she's alone with Aglowing Shell," said Nightmare Moon, her tone sounding worried.

"No, she's with... How do you know about my daughter?!" the Queen asked in anger.

"That's not important. Your daughter is in danger! Pepper Chilly is not from our world, and even worse... is a soul eater," said Nightmare Moon.

"Y-you are joking... right?" Chrysalis’s hollow laughter sounded incredulous.

"Everything that has happened in the last four months is due solely to her crime.”

Chrysalis suddenly realised something. When she ate the content of Lone Star’s heart, there had been no fear. "Chitin, make sure she leaves. I'll get to the bottom of this," Chrysalis shouted as she set off alone towards the throne room at a full gallop. As she could see the throne room, she could hear an explosion going off. Entering the room, Chrysalis only found Pepper Chilly.

She was sitting on the throne, alone in the almost total darkness. Her attention was focused on the sole of her hoof. All the crystals in the room that were embedded in the walls and ceiling had magically exploded. An almost perfect circle made up of residues of these crystals delimited a comfortable area around the royal seat. With her horn illuminated by a golden aura, she used the circle to erect a hemispherical barrier to prevent any attacks against her.

"Pepper Chilly, you dirty liar! Where is Aglowing Shell?" Chrysalis asked as she approached. She noticed a candy on the ground under the hooves of the soul eater.

The mare had a satisfied smile on her lips. She looked up at the queen. "Oh. Greetings, Chrysalis. I want to play a game," Pepper said, presenting with her left hoof another candy that she had looked at just moments earlier.
> Chapter 3 *Updated*
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I asked a question! Where is my child?!"

The two monsters were staring at each other. Pepper, alert despite showing signs of fatigue, was sitting on the throne. Her posture was unorthodox for a pony as she held candy in her left hoof. She kept control by using a magical forcefield. Chrysalis paced around it like a lion in a cage, her murderous gaze throwing daggers at the mare in anticipation of any mistakes that could turn the situation to her advantage.

Pepper deployed a little more magic to answer the question. The candy below her hooves pulsed with magic, then rolled out of the protective dome. Five seconds later, the changeling returned to their former shape, looking haggard. Pepper raised the hoof in which she held the other candy pointing towards Chrysalis. "In order for your daughter to survive, you will make them leave and do not let them return until our conversation is over."

Chrysalis conceded to the demand. She slammed her teeth furiously as the changeling fled the room.

"I can imagine that, as the Queen, you have to worry about your subjects, but what about your daughter? Do you care as much about her well-being?"

"Of course I care about her," Chrysalis replied without hesitation. "I care with all my heart, but I have a duty, a responsibility to my subjects. Should I tell them that the good of one of them should come before the good of the whole hive?"

"And if I tell you that she has been suffering? That her heart is filled with despair at not knowing whether you would return from your meeting with the one outside?"

"We are desperate! Death lurks outside, we have no food, and now there is you!" the queen screamed with rage, staring into the eyes of her interlocutor. "No one can feel what we feel! I'll do anything! Anything for them! We are not like ponies. An apple is not enough to fill our stomachs. We are here in the Badlands because it is the only region where we could live in the open, before the siege." She smiled sarcastically. "In the darkness, you must have confused generosity of the heart with hunger of the stomach."

"I know exactly what I am to you, Chrysalis, but if you want to play predator and prey, then this is a game I have been playing since even before I was able to cast spells." The white-coated mare looked at the candy in her hoof, licking her upper lip before looking back at Chrysalis. "This treat looks really delicious."

"As another predator on the same territory, I can at least respect you. We could find some common ground. What do you want?"

"Oh, almost nothing," Pepper said, looking at the gratifying queen with a sarcastic smile. "I love stories, and the story of this little queen changeling confined to her room by her mother piques my curiosity. Tell it to me, and I will release your daughter."

Chrysalis was stunned by the demand. All this charade to hear that story? It seemed unbelievable. But if an explanation would be enough to give her back her daughter, she would agree without batting an eyelid to trade her status as a manipulative queen to become a simple storyteller. "Once upon a time, there was a race that fed on the feelings of others. From Timbucktu to Trot, it moved for the sole purpose of feeding itself, without taking heed of the consequences of their insatiable hunger. Destiny soon barred its path in the form of the Princess of the Sun and her loyal lackeys. As punishment, the swarm was trapped in a volcano, its salvation only due to the stupidity of a dragon with a brain melted by his own flaming spit. The swarm then decided to leave Equestria for the time being. It was unprepared to face an alicorn and needed time to hone its skills. The predators who had previously hunted without restraint learned stealth and to hold back their hunger for their own good. Centuries passed. At some point, the desire to return to Equestria was too strong due to their growing desire for an icy cold revenge. To avoid another imprisonment, a hive was built in the Badlands. The drones collecting love from Equestria merged into the mass of ponies and kept a low profile. Time passed, and a chance came along. A marriage of love. The Princess of the Sun married the filly she had adopted to the captain of the guard, the brother of the spoilsport, Twilight Sparkle. Through her fault, this day, which was going to be perfect, was ruined, as were my next attempts to get revenge. Despite the failures, my life took an unexpected turn when my daughter was born. She was the first changeling to which I gave birth, a queen, my jewel, my diamond in the rough. Her smiles, her first words. You should have seen her-"

A loud noise interrupted Chrysalis. Pepper had just hit the throne’s armrest with the back of her free foreleg. She grimaced under an overwhelming, throbbing pain. Her expression twisted with difficulty into a smile as her ruby eyes stared back at Chrysalis. "Keep going."

"She was gifted, intelligent, her mother's worthy daughter. But still so young, too innocent in her heart—the heart she got from her father. I tried to protect her from the problems of the hive, from the death that loomed on our doorstep. She wasn't ready. Will she ever be ready? I will probably never know. Now almost all my remaining subjects are sleeping for a soon to be eternal sleep. Our reserves of love are at their lowest. And that's where the problem lies. My daughter was the only source of love within reach. What do you think my subjects thought when their stomachs rumbled? Their instincts took over. They almost all gave in to the idea of an easy meal at the expense of her life. And I, the queen, her mother, kept chasing them away. Chased them away, again and again, always further from that door that separated her from us. As much as I wanted to protect her, in the end, I was just another changeling. I gave in too. I gave in to my hunger and became the monster that wanted to eat my daughter's life. I snuck into her room. But when I saw her asleep, when the monster that I am saw her asleep, I—who drained countless hearts—felt filthy, disgusted of myself for the first time in my life. That night, I couldn't feed on my daughter. That night, something stopped me. I don't know what it was."

"Your will is admirable. Believe me, I sincerely respect you for this," Pepper commented, now lost in thought. While she played with the candy, Chrysalis's revelation forced her to confront her own crimes. "I could not hold back," she admitted, yet she was unable to feel any remorse. “Never could,” she said, before she swallowed the candy and started to chew, looking directly at the monarch. 

"Aglowing Shell!" Chrysalis screamed in horror as she threw herself against Pepper's shield, pounding her hooves with all her might, thundering it with magic beams before collapsing from exhaustion. Tears welled up in her eyes. She was powerless. Pepper had just consumed her daughter in front of her eyes.It was only now that she started to comprehend the feelings that she had towards Aglowing Shell.

Pepper rolled her eyes and swallowed before lifting her gaze to the crystal above Chrysalis. "Seriously, she is in tears. If this is not enough proof of love yet, I can not do any better," she said with a shrug.

That was too much! Ardent rage bubbled up inside her, taking over from the sadness she felt. Pepper was going to pay! She was going to suffer! Chrysalis lifted her body with what was left of her lifeforce, no longer even trying to understand the words of the monster facing her. She was going to get past that shield. She would throw herself at her, then break every one of her ribs before tearing out her heart. The queen was about to take action, when a drop of water fell on her snout, cutting her off her anger. Then, another one fell. She did not understand where this water could come from, so deep beneath the desert of the badlands. She looked to where it had come from.

The water came from a crystal that looked no different from the others. It was a common crystal. Intact and inert. Another drop hit her snout. The queen closed her dark green eyes and saw that the light was twisting around the crystal like a mirage above the desert sands. The illusion suddenly ended, revealing Aglowing Shell in tears, her horn crackling with magic. She was shouting something at her. Though no sound came from the bubble, Chrysalis perfectly recognized what her daughter was saying, again and again. A simple word: “Mother.”

Chrysalis looked at Pepper, confused, while her rage clashed with her joy at seeing her daughter safe and sound. 

Pepper simply tapped her horn with her left hoof. "Spell of dissimulation. She can see, hear, and come out whenever she wants. But as long as she is within that bubble, she does not exist to the outside world. Except if you know where exactly to focus your attention, that is."

When she heard these explanations, Aglowing immediately jumped off her perch to join her mother, clinging to her neck.

"But what about the candy?" asked Chrysalis.

"The candy?" Pepper extinguished the shield, then used her magic to open a gate slightly bigger than the candy she pulled through with her telekinesis. “Licorice mint. Do you want one? They are made in Ponyville by an extraordinary earth pony..." Seeing no reaction from the queen, she ate the candy herself. "You must know of her. She is crazy, has a strange passion for party cannons, and is a friend of that spoilsport of yours."

 Pepper was exhausted. She had partially solved the despair of the little changeling. She could rest for a moment. To see the daughter who loved her mother and was loved in return made her look away. Even though she was stripped of all emotions, she felt a heartache. Gamine was reviving herself again. She closed her eyes for a moment, just for a moment, in the hope to pause the parasite's awakening by ceasing to look at the mother-daughter reunion.

Chrysalis and Aglowing were shocked as Pepper suddenly collapsed and fell from the throne. The little queen jumped from her perch on her mother’s neck and ran to her friend's side. She struggled to pull the heavy carmine braid away from her face to look at her. When she realised that the unicorn had fallen asleep, she chuckled. Chrysalis approached, still stressed by what she had just been through. She stopped only once her daughter backed away from the mare to nestle between her forelegs, seeking her protection.

The child was clearly worried. Seeing the mare tormented in her sleep made her uncomfortable. Aglowing jumped on Pepper's shoulder, trying to wake her up without success.

Chrysalis, in a more healthy condition thanks to the hug she received from her daughter,  watched the scene silently. Nightmare Moon had told the truth.

The young hybrid exhausted herself trying to wake the mare, without success. Seeing the mare crying in her sleep between two convulsive jolts worried her more and more. Distressed, she turned her heterochromic eyes towards Chrysalis. "Mother! She won't wake up!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her, my love. Go back to your room, and lock the door." The queen offered her daughter a loving gesture before pushing her on the nose towards her room. With her daughter safe, the queen was now alone with the now sleeping pony. She took advantage of the relative peace to think about what to do with Pepper Chilly. Her horn glowed as she reached for a sharp pointed fragment of crystal. She calmly approached Pepper and stabbed the pony’s fast-beating heart.

She stabbed her in the heart for the monster she was.

She stabbed her in the heart for threatening the life of her daughter.

She stabbed her in the heart for each and every changeling that had died due to her crime.

Blood began to flow, splashing Chrysalis every time she stabbed the mare with the instrument of her rage, over and over again. One last hiccup, followed by a brief sigh, and life left the body of the unicorn.

The queen, out of breath, looked at the corpse with disdain. It was bathed in blood. Even the ornament made of phoenix feathers was coloured a deep crimson. The improvised dagger was stuck in the bloody mess which was, until a minute ago, a throbbing heart. Chrysalis suddenly stepped back when she noticed that Pepper's body was returning to its true shape, the magic she had been using to change her appearance no longer working. Dumbfounded, the queen watched the corpse of the alicorn as she suddenly smelled a scent that was foreign to the hive. A smell that she had smelled months earlier in the swarm’s home. Chrysalis turned around, baring her fangs, ready to defend herself.

"Please, Your Highness, calm down. I only came with the intention of paying back my debt," said a stallion from the entrance to the chamber. The cocoons that emitted light from the hallway suggested that his coat was light grey.

"Who are you?" she screamed.

The pony began to sing to Chrysalis' favourite tune as he entered the room, swaying slightly with each step.

♪~This night is going to be perfect
I will explain to you how you can save your hive
By avoiding making a big mistake
You're so lovely coated with blood
What you don't know is that she is a source of love~♫

With her rage rekindled, Chrysalis used her magic to grab the intruder by the throat, dragging him across the room. She took her bloody weapon back into the hollow of her hoof and pressed it to his throat. "Last chance," she snarled in a threatening tone.

He kept smiling towards the mare who was threatening his life. "Bitter Truth. I'm only here to prevent you from making a mistake, Your Highness."

She remained on her guard. Thanks to the light of magic, she could see the face of this pony. He was a unicorn. If he had already managed to enter the hive twice without any trouble, he was a danger to the swarm. Yet, she was also curious about his concern. "What mistake are you talking about? About Pepper? It's too late. The sociopathic alicorn is dead."

His smile didn’t wane. "Yes, but you were planning to give her corpse to Queen Nightmare Moon, weren't you?"

She was surprised. Yes, that was the idea she had, convinced that she could get something in return. Still, she remained suspicious of this stallion. "How do you know that?"

Obviously amused, he continued, "It doesn't matter. On another topic, Your Highness, I have a viable solution to save what is left of your hive."

Chrysalis was baffled for a moment. Yes, she did everything to hide it from her daughter and Chitin, but she was struggling to find a way for the changelings to survive, given the situation they were in. This stallion said he knew how to save the hive. She could afford to let him talk, then she would consider what she would do with him. She pushed her makeshift blade against his throat, causing him to bleed lightly, the blood mixing with that of Pepper's coating the crystal shard. She stared with a murderous glare into his lemon-yellow eyes, a sadistic smile on her lips. She breathed a few simple words: "I'm listening."
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The hive of changelings was teeming with life once more. In the throne room, Chrysalis gave orders to the drones for collecting love, while Chitin supervised the rounds of the warriors.

Aglowing Shell walked through the corridors of her little world. She was happy, humming a tune that she was improvising from some song Pepper had taught her - a song on how to find a friend, all while she bickered nicely with any of her subjects she met.

At a bend of the corridor, a little blackback drone appeared out of a narrow side tunnel before walking over to meet the little queen.

"Sweet Dreams!" the young queen exclaimed with a big smile.

"Aglowing Shell, I'm glad to see you smile so much."

"Yes! It's thanks to Pepper Chilly!" chirped the child.

“What do you mean?” the drone asked, unsure what Aglowing meant. 

"Thanks to her, the hive will get better,” the young queen explained. “Mother said so."

“And what exactly is she doing to make our hive better?” Sweet Dreams asked, as that information had been far too vague for her.

"I don't know." The child shrugged.

"What do you know?" the drone pressed.

"Mother said that Pepper had to leave for treatment, that she's sick, got some kind of bad blood in her head. It caused her to stay asleep, so she removed the blood, which is the new smell in the hive. But thanks to her, the hive will be as good as it was before!"

"Oh! This queen is resourceful."

Aglowing was surprised by Sweet Dreams' choice of words. "This queen? You mean she's not your queen, too? Aren't you from the hive?"

The drone was caught off guard by the sudden flood of questions directed at her, but seeing Aglowing Shell's face, which seemed amazed by the simple idea that the one before her could have come from another hive, she decided that a piece of truth wouldn’t hurt.

"Indeed, I'm not from your hive, Aglowing Shell."

"Whoa! Where's your hive? What's your Queen's name?"

Sweet Dreams was annoyed at the idea of giving her Queen's name, but giving the location of her hive was  not a problem. She pointed with her hoof at the narrow corridor she had come from.

"You can see my hive from anywhere at night," she said proudly, looking up at the ceiling as if she could see the moon through the rocks.

"The night?!" repeated the little changeling, suddenly panicking and looking around as if surrounded by enemies, while at the same time hoping to find something that could protect her.

"Yes. You've been out of your hive at night, haven't you?"

Around Aglowing, everything slowed down. Scenes that disturbed her young mind flashed in front of her eyes. Her surroundings became blurred. Changelings stopped moving, glitching out of existence. 

Sweet Dreams stopped daydreaming as she felt that the dream was turning into a nightmare. She barely had time to realise that she had been the one that unintentionally created it. 

Aglowing was crying, looking down, magic crackling over her horn. In front of her eyes, she saw a wounded Chrysalis coming back from outside. The final blow to her heart came as a single star escaped her mother’s body and she fell, inanimate, to the ground.  "NO!" the child screamed in horror. The magic of the little changeling exploded, utilising power from the depths of her heart. In a wave of magic that spread to the horizon, Aglowing swept the dream like a house of cards, forcing Nightmare Moon to lose her changeling appearance.

In the darkness of the dreamless sleep, only the cyan eyes of the latter was visible. Nightmare Moon tried to understand how this could have happened. The only thing she could think of was a survival instinct. Just as no hypnosis could push anyone to put their own lives in danger, Aglowing Shell had just destroyed a nightmare that seemed to be a threat to her life. Nightmare Moon was shocked. A child had just swept away the dream the mare had created in order to soothe her mind. "Aglowing Shell? What's wrong with you?"

"I hate the stars! Each of them was created at the death of one of my subjects! And the night is filled with it! I'll never get out of the hive again! I don't want to see the night anymore! I hate it!"

Nightmare Moon was mortified. What could she say? She, who had commanded the ambushes and assaults to decimate the changelings? Because of her, this little girl feared what she loved the most. The little girl saw the night as a huge mass graveyard. She looked away before closing her eyes, disappearing with the rest of the dream and betraying her presence with a faint smile that seemed slightly forced. "Very well. I won't bother you anymore."

Aglowing Shell hiccuped at these words. She raised her head before looking for the voice’s origin, sounding panicked. "Sweet dreams!" she shouted.

Nightmare Moon stopped just as she reached the door that led out of Aglowing Shell's dreams. She turned around, curious as to  why the little queen called after her. "What is it?" asked the alicorn.

"You don't bother me. So please come back! It's good to be able to talk to someone who's not from my hive."

Nightmare Moon once again didn't know how to answer that. However, it was the first time that a soul living on Equestria wanted to see her again, which brought a smile to her face. "If what you say is true, then I'll come back."

"Honesty in words!" replied the little queen.

Nightmare Moon was troubled by these words coming from a changeling—or, at least, a hybrid having been raised as such. "How do you know the concept of honesty?"

"It's Pepper! She told me it's a way to find friends! Mother tried to explain the details to me, but she had trouble with the spark of magic, to the point that she made a lot of faces."

Nightmare Moon frowned. "Everyone has a problem with the spark of magic," she replied, her thoughts no longer lingering on the element itself, but turning toward Twilight Sparkle.

"Will you come back then?"

"When you’re asleep, I'm never far away." Then, Nightmare Moon used her magic to end the dream.

Aglowing woke up, realising that all this had been a dream. She was in her alcove, which was hidden from the rest of the room behind a tapestry that faced the door leading to her room. The walls of her alcove were coated with a viscous organic material that provided comfort for changelings. She crawled out of it. When her hooves touched the ground, she found herself in the middle of her toys. After hastily grooming herself, she went to the door and opened it. As she looked through the open door, her ears strained to hear the slightest sound. She did not expect to come face to face with Chitin.

"Hello, little queen. The decree of the Queen that prohibits you to enter the southern part of the hive is now lifted. She is waiting for you there."

Immediately, the child started running through the corridors to join Chrysalis. When she arrived in the southern part of the hive, Aglowing entered a gallery that led downwards at a significant angle, leading into a slope that continuously turned to the right, bringing the child deep underground. She finally arrived in a large room, which was in the centre of that endless seeming spiral she had just run down. The room was so large that Aglowing could hardly see the ceiling. In the centre of the room stood Chrysalis, who observed a large mound of loose soil from which a shrub grew that was no bigger than a filly.

Aglowing Shell sat next to her mother, who caressed her cheek-to-cheek.

"Mother, is there another black changeling hive nearby?"

"Why do you ask that question, my daughter?"

"I dreamed of another drone named Sweet Dreams. She said that her hive is not far away."

Chrysalis had some idea of who this black changeling was. "And what else does she say when she comes to see you?"

The child thought about the question. "She asks me if I'm all right. Whether Pepper didn't do anything wrong to me. Those kind of questions. She had a hard time believing that Pepper was there to... help me."

"I wouldn't really call it help. I was really scared for you, you know?"

"Yes, Mother, but she helped me understand why you were weird with me," she replied, making her cutest sorry face, which made her mother smile.

"I wasn't going to come and tell you: ‘Be careful, Mother will come and bite you, my love,’" she said, imitating a big, grotesque monster before tickling her.

Aglowing Shell twisted for several seconds, begging her to stop between laughs. When the torture stopped, she looked at her mother and then at the shrub, catching her breath. "What is it?"

"This is Pepper's gift I told you about yesterday."

"I wish I had seen her again before she left."

"I've already explained it to you. She had to leave as soon as possible. All that bad blood in her head needs to be treated by her friends, the ponies. She may come back one day. If you have no more questions, go back to your room now, I'll come later."

Aglowing Shell set out again, flapping her wings, imagining herself flying through the hive as she jumped joyfully. Chrysalis asked Chitin to approach her by using a sound like chattering and clicking.

This one was never far away. The child had not seen them in the corridors because the warrior was lurking from the ceiling right at the entrance to the cave. They took a few steps down to the wall of the room, then turned their head one hundred and eighty degrees towards Chrysalis. "My queen?"

"It's time to return the favour to Nightmare Moon, as ridiculous as it was in the end. You'll leave at dusk and let her know that I want to meet with her about the Pepper Chilly case."

"If I may, it's a waste of time."

Chrysalis observed her subject, who was as old as they were devoted to serving the hive. They carried out whatever mission the queen might order them to do. If Chitin hadn't been there all this time, she wouldn’t have been able to reach this point today. But it seemed that luck had run out, for she was now the queen of a hive that had fallen to pieces. “So what? We are at their mercy, as much as it hurts me to admit it. But if Pepper's death brings us more grace in their eyes, we might as well tell them the good news. I think she is already aware, but who knows. Maybe they'll leave us alone this time and we won't have to worry about their army walking towards the hive anymore."

"It will be done as you command, my queen."

"Chitin, let her know that coming with one soldier will be enough. And in the case you may not be able to come back—thank you for everything."

"We live and die for the hive, my queen."

"We're dying most of all lately," replied Chrysalis in a weary tone.

Chitin didn't know how to answer that. They jumped off the wall and began to run towards the closest exit of the hive, filled with boundless anger. Where was the Chrysalis they had always served? Where was the one who sang to celebrate each of her victories? They would turn sky and earth upside down just to see their queen be herself again. They would even challenge Nightmare Moon and defeat her if necessary, if they were assured that their queen would sing again. For the time being, they were going to do what was expected of them. If the opportunity arose, they would do what it took so that this day would be perfect, so that their queen could sing it again.





Antares, wearing her armour with just the decals marking her as a private, approached the tunnel that led through the mountains from the Badlands.

Swift Chess, in formation with three other bat ponies, noticed her from the starry sky above. He signalled to the others before joining the mare on the ground. "Hey, Cute Bite! I didn't see you leave for the Badlands. Did you find anything?"

"Yes, and I must inform Nightmare Moon as soon as possible."

"What did you find, Cute Bite?"

"I'm sorry, but I can only talk about it with Nightmare Moon."

As they advanced through the tunnel, Swift was intrigued by something. "Come on, Cute Bite, you can tell me!"

"No."

"Please, Cute Bite."

"I said no."

"I said please, Cute Bite," Swift said, suddenly placing the blade under Antares' throat. "All right, listen to me, changeling. We have orders not to kill you, except in self-defence, so you will immediately stop pretending to be my Cute Bite and you will explain to me why you were trying to leave the Badlands. Without moving, otherwise I will kill you and pretend that you tried to kill me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Very clear."

"Okay, let's start at the beginning. What are you doing here?"

"My queen, Chrysalis, sent me to ask Nightmare Moon for an audience."

"As much as I know you're a changeling, it's scary to see Cute Bite say ‘My Queen Chrysalis.’ And for what reason?"

"You don't have to know that. Now, either you kill me and take the message to your Queen yourself without having all the details, or you lead me to her."

"By the stars, Cute Bite has a secret twin. Very well. I'll guide you to Nightmare Moon's tent. I'll be behind you. If you try anything else, I'll slice you like a mango."

"I have no doubt that all the changelings you killed were good training for that."

"Well, that would mean I wouldn't be able to kill you, then."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here. Move on."

Chitin growled and set off through the tunnel. Swift flew a few steps off the ground behind them, just within range to cut them off at the slightest suspicious movement.

"Stop, and don’t move," Swift ordered the changeling at the exit of the tunnel, then turned to the bat pony stationed there. "Private Dauntless Halberd, assist me in escorting this changeling to Nightmare Moon's tent."

The soldier in question blew an ultrasonic whistle. Immediately afterwards, all the bat ponies in the area approached like a swarm of bees scaring off an intruder, weapons held in their mouths. They carefully observed Chitin and Swift.

Chitin turned cautiously to Swift, who turned to Dauntless. Swift did not seem to understand the reaction of the other bat ponies.

"You forgot the password, <soldier>, if you really are who you say you are."

Swift sighed, half relieved, but also exasperated. "For a moment, I thought you assumed I was a changeling without even checking—just imagine the face Cute Bite would have made if you had dragged me to the command tent. The eternal eclipse is coming."

Private Dauntless Halberd started to laugh. "No doubt about it, you're Swift." He turned to the bat ponies from the camp. "We have a changeling. You know the orders. Take her under heavy escort to see our Queen. Swift, too. For once, he does something right. It has to be highlighted. He will undoubtedly receive congratulations. Who knows, he may be exempt from chores for once."

"Super funny Dauntless. Really super funny," Swift said, rolling his eyes.

"At your service, Private Swift Chess." Dauntless saluted Swift, who was forcibly escorted along with Chitin.

The real Antares stood in front of the tent, wearing her soldier's armour with the distinctions due to her rank, as well as the two swords arranged in their dorsal sheaths.

Nightmare Moon stood one step before her aide de camp. They watched Swift and the impostor arriving. "I'm listening to you, changeling. Explain the reason you came here."

Chitin was enveloped in a pillar of greenish flame for a short moment, returning to their original form. "Queen Chrysalis is asking for an audience this very evening to discuss the Pepper Chilly case."

"It was about time," Nightmare Moon said as she unsheathed her claymore. She looked at her own reflection in the polished surface of the blade. "Would you dare to repeat your wish, changeling?" asked the queen before threatening Chitin's throat with the tip of her blade.

Almost everypony was surprised by the sudden turn of events. Except Chitin, who hardened their eyes. "You don't scare me, monster. I still wish you were all dead," they said before whistling briefly.

Before anyone had time to react, Nightmare Moon slammed her right forehoof on the ground to maintain order. Despite the show of force, she was amused and didn’t hide it. "Considering your situation, you really have guts to spit such words in front of me." She stopped threatening Chitin's life, sliding the blade against her rightwing. "Let your queen know that I will come with a squad in three hours. Major Antares, escort them back to the Badlands. Unscathed. Into infamy shall be plunged the lineage of the bat pony who dares to lift their hoof against this changeling."

Chitin spoke before Antares had time to answer. "Concerning Pepper Chilly's body, my queen wants you to know that coming with only one subordinate will be enough to repatriate her."

Antares lifted her shoulder to present the sheath of the claymore so that the alicorn could put it back, but the latter did not do so. "One bat pony is enough? What happened?"

"My queen has not explained why."

Nightmare Moon blew her discontent through her nostrils. "Major, escort the changeling out of my sight." She stared at the bat pony next to Chitin. "Private Swift Chess, my tent, now," she ordered coldly in an imperative tone, her weapon pointing at the entrance of the command tent.

Antares blinked, surprised by Nightmare Moon's last order. She hesitated for a moment, feeling a hint of fear for her companion, who obeyed the order without blinking or even paying attention to it. Finally, she sighed and resigned herself to escorting Chitin back to the border with a squad of bat ponies at her side.

In the tent, Swift stood in front of the table showing the estimated forces of both sides, deliberately distorted in favour of changelings to deceive anyone who had not taken part in the military manoeuvres.

Nightmare Moon followed him after ordering Shadowbolt Nebula to ensure that no one approached the command tent without her consent. She erected a dome around the tent with her magic, preventing any sound from escaping. Assured of discretion about the upcoming conversation, she went to the rack and stabbed her sword into the ground. She stared at the battle armour in front of her, the royal attire that she hadn’t touched since she had the tantabus for a body. After a long moment lost in her thoughts, she turned her attention to the bat pony who had wisely waited for the nightmare to begin. With a regal posture, she stepped closer to the table, opposite of Swift, facing him. "Private Swift Chess, I'll only say it once. Drop the mask."

"My Queen?" Swift replied cautiously.

"Out of respect for your relationship with the late Lieutenant Antares, I initially closed my eyes to your deplorable behaviour in my army. But leaving your post without receiving orders two days ago cannot be left unpunished. Especially when I see that you're able to detect a disguised changeling. It is increasingly difficult for me to accept this mockery of a soldier you claim to be on a daily basis in my army," the queen said.

He looked away from her, his gaze downcast. "Identifying the changeling was just luck. Cute Bite gets angry when anypony uses her birth name too often. As for the rest, it's not a mask, my queen. It's a promise. A promise from a jester to a knight to protect a pawn."

"Why have you made such a promise? Antares' sister shows exemplary behaviour. Why should she need protection?"

Swift looked Nightmare Moon in the eyes. "At first, it was mainly to quiet Antares' mind, because the royal assassin had to be entirely focused on what she did when she covered her hooves with moon blood," he said with a teasing smile.

The queen gave a knowing smile to the bat pony. "Arrant rascal. You go so far as to slip old codes of her missions into the middle of our conversation, but if you think I didn't know that you knew about Antares' dark secret, you're wrong, Private Swift Chess.  Antares never hid from me that she saw you after each mission. She called it her reward. At first, I admit that I was afraid you would reveal such a secret. So I had you watched for a while. But all the reports mentioned just a comedian who had only eyes for Antares."

Swift was embarrassed. He looked away, scratching his cheek with his left-wing thumb. "Her first mission was not without consequences. When she came to knock on my window right after the assassination, I did what I could to help her. It is true that it has become a habit from then on." He dared to look at the queen of the night from the corner of his eyes. "Has she always told you everything?"

"Since you have proven your reliability for years now, I will reveal something to you. Every Royal Assassin has always had a fictitious position of Lieutenant. This is  because they were the only ones who knew more than anyone else on the Moon how I ruled. Therefore I always forged a precious relationship with each of them, generation after generation. I have always been a confidant to them, allowing myself to reveal a side of me that I could not show to my subjects. So when Antares told me that she had come to your house before she reported to me, I felt jealous. A feeling I hadn't experienced in centuries." At these words, the memory of that exact moment came back to haunt her mind and prick at her heart. Suddenly, she was caught up in the feeling that dominated her life. Her jaw tightened as her body moved on its own, her forehoof slowly carving a furrow in the ground. The memory ended as if the bubble in which she was locked had burst. She suddenly regained awareness of reality. Realising what she had done, she turned her back to the trace in the ground, staring at her armour. She continued the conversation in the same serious tone as before. "You have never failed Antares, nor I, your sovereign, Swift Chess, despite all the knowledge you should not have had."

"Knowledge is power, my Queen, and I made smart use of my knowledge for the good of my friends. And right now, I'm fighting the greatest threat that has the power to break my promise. Even if their lineage has dedicated itself, generation after generation, to assuming the role of your royal assassin, I will not let you make Cute Bite her sister’s' successor."

"What are you implying, soldier?" asked the alicorn, her face darkening suddenly.

"I lied to Cute Bite. I regret that I made her take the role of your former aide de camp on the spot during the night of the genocide. I thought you would have offered her a distinction, even a promotion to Corporal. But I was wrong, and I regret my decision. When I see the consequences, I realise that I offered you a valid reason to give her this promotion, directly from soldier to major, followed by these responsibilities. Not to mention her combat prowess improved in record time. You push her to advance until you get the promotion of the pawn. You want to make her a knight, your new royal assassin. Admit it!"

"Who do you think you're talking to, mortal?!" shouted Nightmare Moon, standing up high and wide, wings spread, threatening.

"To my queen! That I respect as much as I fear! However, this promise I made to my friend forbids me to remain inactive! Antares sleeps forever, following a zeal of loyalty, and I will not let anyone disturb her rest. Not even you. I would watch over it until my last breath," Swift replied, standing up in response, aggressive but, at the same time, submissive to the mare facing him.

The tent fell utterly silent. Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Poor foal. Making a gambit of the king. Just because of a supposed pawn promotion," she noted, adopting a neutral position. "Stand at ease, soldier Swift. If there is one lesson I have learned the hard way, it is not to stand up against friendship. I'll assuage your fears. But first, tell me: Why the name change?"

Swift returned to a more neutral position, but remained attentive to his queen's gestures; he couldn’t lower his guard now. "For Cute Bite, her older sister was her first idol. She replayed the missions she imagined her older sister would accomplish in your name: conquer strongholds, defeat armies, defeat Celestia for the sole glory of the Eternal Night. Her imagination was far from reality. As she saw her resting serenely in the coffin, she couldn't accept that her sister didn't have the glorious future she imagined. And so, she left to fill the administrative papers to bear her sister's name. As determined as I am to protect her, even against the princesses who rule Equestria, with her mindset, she is ready to challenge them so that her sister's name will become a legend."

Nightmare Moon smiled slightly, reminiscing. She thought back to the day when she summoned the major to talk about the adult name she had chosen to wear. "Now I understand better why the descendant of a line of strategists wants to stagnate at the bottom of the basket, when his instructors have denoted a potential that you refuse to exploit: You seek to remain in her entourage."

Swift's resolve could be seen in his eyes. "I will do whatever it takes to keep my promise. If I were to evolve as a strategist myself, I would lose sight of her. That would increase the risk of facing Antares after my death, and she would break my teeth. And I don’t want to be a mockery in the afterlife."

The alicorn looked to her armour still waiting on the rack, thinking of that day when Luna, then immature, gave in to a desire to see the night as revered as the day. The dark words of the illegitimate monarch of the Crystal Empire repeated themselves in her mind, which allowed  herself to be consumed by the nightmarish angst that she had been repressing all that time. She remembered her first words as if they were yesterday: A royal duty, a promise to herself which now could no longer be fulfilled. The bitterness that resulted from it, she wished on no pony, let alone one of her subjects. "The reason I promoted her to the rank of Major and gave her the position of Aide-de-Camp is not to make her my royal assassin. Certainly, she would have become Antarès’ successor, if, among other things, she had been ten years younger, as this kind of work requires a huge amount of training. As to the other thing you’ve mentioned, you are wrong on one point: She is a born warrior, naturally gifted for close combat. I think we’re justified to say that the talent is in her blood, which wouldn’t be surprising, given her lineage. To sum all of this up: I unknowingly wanted to grant both your wishes. If she continues along this path, she could become a high-ranking officer in the Lunar Guard. That is my way of rewarding Antares for her loyalty posthumously. Does that reassure you, Swift Chess?"

Upon hearing those words, he hesitated, thinking for a moment. In the end, he shook his head weakly. "No, my Queen. It is very simple to say one thing and then act completely differently. That is, after all, part of employing assassins. I want to believe your words with all my heart, but I can only determine their truth on her deathbed."

She understood his point of view and wanted to put his mind at ease. "I understand. In that case, I see only one option." She made the magic bubble disappear. "Major Antares! Come in!"

Antares entered the tent, observing them quietly.

"Major Antares, from now on Private Swift will be your second-in-command. He'll be taking orders directly from you only. He seems to have provisions for military tactics, which is why you will hone that skill with his help. But one thing at a time. Shadowbolt Nebula!"

Nebula entered a moment later, greeting the assembled ponies by placing the thumb of her wing on her head.

"Major Antares, your second officer left his post without having received the order. The punishment?" asked Nightmare Moon.

Antares considered the situation, the new orders, and her options. "Private Swift Chess, for insubordination, you will spend the rest of the week in solitary confinement. Dry bread and water for all meals. We'll see if you still have the heart to disobey as a result of this isolation."

Nebula once again did not wait to see how he would react to this. Instead, she drew her weapon and escorted Swift out of the tent. Antares turned toward the alicorn, her head held high. Nightmare Moon stored her claymore in the sheath Antares wore. "Get some rest. We'll meet Chrysalis in an hour. Whatever happens, killing must be the last resort. If the situation turns violent, incapacitate them. It's not as if they can affect me, so in the event that the situation gets bad, your retreat is a priority. This is an order."





Chrysalis and Chitin were standing at the entrance to the tunnel where the genocide had taken place months earlier. Although many changelings had lost their lives during the battle, there were no signs that the night had ever happened. The microclimate of the Badlands had dried the blood and swept all traces of the battle away. "Do your best to distract her lackeys. But don't attack them. It won’t be good to give them an excuse to finish the job."

Nightmare Moon arrived by air, accompanied by Antares. Wanting to shorten this interview as much as possible, and to finally be in possession of the last piece that would allow her to move forward in the next stage of the Eclipse project, she spoke with a monotonous voice, setting the tone of their discussion. "Get to the point," she said, calling back to when Chrysalis had uttered that exact phrase.

Chrysalis didn’t take long to react to this, her attitude changing in a split second. With her head tilted slightly, her eyes began to shine with just anger. She walked at a slow speed towards the one who had done so much. "’Get to the point’? How dare you!? You invade my daughter's dreams, you pretend to be a changeling, you pretend that another hive exists! Do you realise the consequences of such lies? Isn't she suffering enough already? Do you have to offer her false hopes as well? Where will you be when she tries to find your bloody hive? Where will you be when the ponies find her and treat her like they would any changeling: A monster to chase away, if not worse?"

Chitin monitored the conversation, walking six steps away to the left of Chrysalis. 

Antares did the same to the left of Nightmare Moon. The tone of the conversation didn't appeal to her. The bat pony already had her head bent to draw her sword, ready to get into the melee if things went wrong.

Nightmare Moon did not expect such aggressiveness from the get-go. She, who came only for Pepper Chilly, was now required to answer for the crimes she had committed. With her whole body bent backwards, she backed away at the same pace as Chrysalis pushed her to do it. However, she did not intend to be treated in this way. She counter-attacked. "I only slipped into your daughter's dreams because she had nightmares! Then I learned who she was! And I've made sure, every night since then, that she hasn't had a single one!"

However, Chrysalis had not finished with her reproaches. Like a lioness protecting her cub she was not swayed by these justifications. "Oh, yes! What a noble soul, killing an entire hive and then protecting my daughter from the resulting nightmares! Do you really think I was born yesterday?!"

"No! I—ah!?" As she backed away, Nightmare Moon stepped on a crack. Her body bent backwards and she lost her balance, causing her to land belly-up.

Chrysalis did not stop. She continued, even abusing her clumsiness to force a hoof on her shoulder. Nightmare Moon had to face the consequences of her actions. Chrysalis dominated the alicorn in height. Her fury was still present, but Chrysalis could not afford to shed blood first. "In that case, why?" she asked.

For their part, Chitin and Antares scraped the ground with their hooves, both ready to defend their respective queens.

"I... I just wanted to make her forget the dream, and  push her to think of something else!"

"A noble intention,” Chrysalis interjected, “but nothing can make me forget the deathly silence that reigns in my hive! The sheer lack of life in these galleries! No dream can hide this for the rest of us—not once the sun is raised each day.”

Nightmare Moon grunted fearfully. “Enough! Let go of me!”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. Her rage disappeared in an instant… only for something else to take its place. She bent over to have a one-on-one conversation with Nightmare Moon. Amused by the request, she could not keep away a mocking smile; her voice blew with impertinence. "Beg me."

Everything went in a blur. Antares charged at Chrysalis, drawing her blade in anger to cut off the head of this queen who had made this affront to Nightmare Moon. 

Chitin was not to be outdone, their horn lighting up with magic while they had the bat pony in their sights. 

Nightmare Moon abandoned her physical form to gain distance from Chrysalis in her Tantabus form, before standing  face-to-face with the Queen of the changelings. 

The latter, however, was not surprised by this manoeuvre.

Antares jumped to sever Chrysalis's head. At the same time, Chitin flew off to jump over their queen, wrapping the sword in their magic. The changeling turned it above their head as fast as they could. 

Antares, who had a firm grip on her weapon, could not stand being treated like the stone of a sling. Her grip on the sword went weak before finding herself propelled back.

"I'll make sure your guest's subordinate has no means of disturbing the rest of the conversation. Continue, my Queen. It's good to finally see you smile again." A battle-ready Chitin, keeping the sword under the grasp of their magic, flew to where Antares had landed.

"So, Sweet Dreams... Are you going to stay in this form like a coward, or are you going to face your own nightmares?"

Nightmare Moon assumed her airborne and physical forms at the same time. "The Night is afraid of nopony!" she bellowed, ready to strike.

"Twilight Sparkle," Chrysalis whispered loud enough with a mocking smile.

Nightmare Moon snarled and began their deadly dance, devastating the Badlands with great gales of magic. Chrysalis dodged every shot, gracefully weaving between the blasts of the Queen of the Moon.

Chitin landed not far from Antares, who was trying to straighten up; she was still dizzy from the forced flight. "You came to finish the job, I see," Antares leered.

"You're making a mistake, Cute Bite. I just came to give you your weapon back."

"Huh?!" Antares watched Chitin drop the weapon between the two of them before extending their hoof, offering to help her onto her feet.

"You're very quick to want to cut my queen's throat,” Chitin commented. “That being said, given the situation, I can't blame you for that."

Antares, annoyed, looked at the two options available to her. In the landscape, Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis were redecorating the surroundings with bursts of green and cyan magic. "Are you going to tell me our queens aren’t fighting each other as we speak?"

Chitin grinned playfully. "Get up. Or I'll just have to lift you with my magic, Cute Bite."

It was Antares' turn to see red. Driven by rage, she coiled up and launched herself to knock down Chitin with all four irons in the air. She immediately readied her blade again before throwing herself at the changeling, nailing Chrysalis' subordinate to the ground with a hoof on her throat. Her sword was poised to split Chitin’s head at the slightest wrong move. In that moment, Antares had the undivided attention of her interlocutor. "My name is Antares, Major and Aide-de-Camp of Nightmare Moon. I don't like being called by my birth name, especially not by a changeling that's having fun stealing my appearance!"

Chitin listened carefully, observant and unmoving. They took care to stay still and silent like a statue to let Antarès contain both her breath and her sudden outburst of rage. "The one named Swift kept calling me by your birth name. How was I supposed to know?"

With a hiccup, Antares had to admit that Swift was at fault. She had to swallow her anger. It could be kindled until they got home; then she could proceed to beat up Swift. "Getting back to the original question, are you going to try and make me believe they're not fighting each other right now?"

Chitin looked at the blade, as well as the angry bat pony who held it to her face. "Is this an interrogation or a conversation? Let us avoid getting to the heart of the matter. Me, in this case, because I doubt that your queen could save you if you were to commit this act." Chitin first spoke this softly, but her expression darkened and her tone became more acidic at each passing word. "Unless your hooves aren't blood-soaked enough, Major Antares."

"I will make sure that I end up completely covered with your blood if my queen wishes it, changeling," growled Antares.

"Well, then!” Chitin coldly spoke. “Until the order is given, step aside. This little talk is a bit too one-sided for my tastes."

“While I wait for the order, you're going to tell me where Pepper Chilly's body is."

Chitin had her fill of the futile exchange. Obviously, she had provided much of the basis for the unenviable position she found herself in. But if Antares didn't want to move, the changeling decided she would help her. Using their magic, Chitin snatched away Antares’s sword and butted her away with the flat part of the blade. They both got up, Antares in a black anger. Chitin was already morally tired from the one-way conversation.

"Give me back my weapon," Antares ordered.

"You calm down, then we'll see," replied Chitin with a sigh.

"I said: Give me back my weapon, changeling!" Antares commanded, her teeth clamping together with unbridled fury.

Chitin turned into Swift Chess. "Come on, Cute Bite. Changelings are our friends! You have to love them, too," they said with a big smile. Chitin held Antares’s weapon against their shoulder, no longer able to use magic because of the mimicry.

Antares did not know how to handle this. The irritating changeling had mimicked Swift, called her “Cute Bite,” and disarmed her almost effortlessly. Soon, her blood was no longer cold to her enemy. Antares charged Chitin, murder written all over her face. A kick from the right hoof, immediately followed by a hook from the left, struck the doppelgänger. She used the inertia of her assault to frame a swift follow-up attack: a vicious double kick!

If only Chitin had time to dodge the first two shots, but the double kick was more than they could handle. They had just enough time to protect her body, but slid back in the flurry of blows and rapidly lost the upper hoof.

The tension was electrifying. Both had returned to the same state of mind as on the night of the genocide. Facing off once again, no queens could interrupt them this time. Two warriors, short of breath with spiteful frowns, nothing ahead except their mortal enemy. Chitin abandoned Swift's appearance. Antares scratched the earth. Chitin accentuated her grip on the sword handle. Antares prepared to jump.

Meanwhile, in the air, Chrysalis dodged the magical attacks with ease, taking a wicked pleasure in improvising a dance whose rhythm was imposed by her partner. She looked at Nightmare Moon with a sardonic smile. "Missed again, my sweetness!"

The alicorn responded with a coarse gust, not wanting to expend any more magical energy than she needed to.

"Oh! Time-out! I feel like I should ask,” chided Chrysalis. “Who could have been killed by Pepper so that we could blame her for all the aches and pains of Equestria?"

"She didn't eat just any soul. She devoured Celestia’s,"  Nightmare Moon shouted, sending another burst at the changeling queen.

"Huh?! What?!" Chrysalis became an immobile target following the revelation. Sadly for her, she froze in the path of a magic blast that would have easily been avoided otherwise. She was hit at full force and started falling head-first.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened. She started an immediate descent to reach Chrysalis, using magic to slow her fall before not-so-gracefully releasing it above the ground. "Everypony has such an odd habit of falling down when they are informed of Celestia's death," Nightmare Moon said with a mocking smile.

"Don't make me laugh. My ribs hurt enough as it is," Chrysalis ironed in the middle of her coughing fit. As she tried to stand back up, she turned her head slightly to look at Nightmare Moon. "Is it true? Is Celestia really dead?"

"It would have been a perfect murder, if Luna hadn't surprised Pepper on the way out. All that remains is her regalia. Considering what she did to one of my border guards, I understand why."

"If you mean her magic that turns one into candy, she used it on one of my changelings." Chrysalis turned to the other duo in the distance. "Do you think she swallowed it all?"

"I can only see this solution," Nightmare Moon also observed. "We should get closer; they seem... agitated." She set off without delay.

"Yes, the situation has gotten a little out of control," Chrysalis said, following in Nightmare Moon’s footsteps. Walking beside one another, the changeling had the faster pace and widened the gap between them. There was no way she would be behind Nightmare Moon, nor staying by her side!

The alicorn of the Night didn’t take too kindly to the bug queen’s pompous gait. She walked faster, easily overtaking the changeling.

A most improbable race between two mares occurred, their pride so great that they could not accept the idea of being second.

When the monarchs arrived, the two lieutenants were about to kill each other. Chrysalis took a look at Nightmare Moon, who was now using her ethereal form due to the earlier magic drain. She understood that it was her responsibility to stop the confrontation.

Chrysalis coughed. In a thrill of surprise, the duellists turned their attention to the exaggerated coughs. Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon were sitting ten alicorn steps from each other, observing their respective subordinates. Chrysalis was exhausted, but smiled through her sweat. Nightmare Moon, in her Tantabus shape, wore the usual shapeless face that showed no expression.

"Obviously, we are not the only ones entertaining ourselves," Chrysalis amusedly noted.

Nightmare Moon, unable to speak in her condition, opened a window to the world of dreams to invoke one of the four parts of the Tantabus. As soon as it joined the ethereal body, the alicorn regained some of her power. Enough to regain physical form before closing the rift. "Would it seem, Major Antares, that your little altercation got a bit heavy-hooved? Could it be that you became overzealous?" she asked.

Antares was in a cold sweat. She wondered how she could explain that the fight with Chitin  started because she hated the use of her filly name. No matter how she turned it all around, there was no way to discuss it without making a foal of herself.

"Altercation?” Chitin derogatorily interrupted. “Ah! That’s such a big word for such a trivial matter! But I suppose it doesn't surprise me that a walking nightmare would feel that way about a training session.”

Antares’s eyes popped wide.  She looked at Chitin, speechless. Chrysalis clicked her teeth to put back the sassy changeling back in their place. Chitin stood up straight and proud, ready to wait for their queen's next order. They watched Antares from the corner of the eye as their lips folded into a mischievous smile.

Nightmare Moon gave herself time to think. "Is that true, Major?" she asked.

Antares looked away from Chitin. It would be enough for her to breathe an affirmative and close the subject. However, the loyalist didn’t dare lie to her queen. She shook her head vigorously, like chasing a bad idea out of her mind. "She's lying. Without your intervention..."

Nightmare Moon observed the three interlocutors in turn, then let her eyes wander before giving her opinion on the subject. "If the changeling claims that nothing happened, let's make this lie a sincerity to avoid wasting too much time with this minor incident. The real reason for our coming is the only thing that matters to me."

Chrysalis smiled at Nightmare Moon's pragmatism. She signalled Chitin to place Antares' weapon down before leaving for the tunnel.

"Bad blood in her head? And she left for treatment?" asked Nightmare Moon once Chitin was no longer in earshot or sight.

Chrysalis peripherally glanced at Nightmare Moon, her eyes charged with the same anger as before. "If you ever get the morbid urge to tell my daughter the truth, I will find a way to hurt you. None of your ethereal powers will help you hide from me. And you will be next on the list to have ‘bad blood in the head’.”

A mother's frenzy was something terrifying. Even Nightmare Moon had a slight chill at the base of her neck. "All I know is that the door to her dreams is gone."

Chrysalis looked towards her hive, as if to make sure no one else was listening to her, before turning back towards Nightmare Moon. "While she was asleep—I guess you were visiting her then—I took the closest crystal splinter. When I was done, there was only marmalade left from what he used as her heart. I can only hope that, in her next life, she will keep in mind that nopony threatens the life of my daughter without consequences.”

Nightmare Moon was amused by the story. "I won’t wait until my next life to learn that lesson."

Shortly afterwards, Chitin reappeared. They were using magic to carry a bloody piece of fabric that preserved an object no larger than a drawing sheet.

Nightmare Moon tilted her head, raising an eyebrow; the scene was puzzling. Of course, even after Chitin’s warnings, it was more than she could have imagined. Without ceremony, and with the little respect that the changeling had for the queen of the moon, they threw the flax to her hooves. Nightmare Moon used her magic to unfold the linen, and discovered a mane wick on which phoenix feathers were clipped by the blue bar, all covered with blood.

"Where is the body?" Nightmare Moon asked, turning to Chrysalis.

The queen of the Changelings looked Nightmare Moon straight in the eyes with contempt, albeit smiling and mocking. "What did you expect? You made sure we’d starve. Did you really think that love is our only source of food? We devoured her to the marrow of her bones. Be happy that I even kept this."

Nightmare Moon folded up the linen while she thought it over. The corpse would have been a better option for sure; Luna would have lost her mind as she tried to prove it wasn't Pepper. Apart from the ensuing confrontation with Twilight, the Eclipse project would have been a success by the end of the week. Presenting the evidence—an accessory that Pepper had only been wearing since her return—Nightmare Moon already pictured Luna's scepticism. It didn’t prove that Pepper was definitely dead. It made her head hurt. "If you had left the intact corpse, I could have had the surveillance lifted along the Macintosh Hills right now."

Chrysalis closed her eyes for a moment. Her right eyebrow rose as her mocking smile became more pronounced. "Let's not play a game of what-ifs. You could lose."

“With your raging-mother threats, my time was wasted more than yours!” barked Nightmare Moon, not fond of being played.

"Aren't you losing more right now?" Chrysalis snickered.

"I was merely waiting to see if you'd move on to the whining and crying phase," said Nightmare Moon, bearing a taunting smirk.

"You are not the princess of the night,” Chrysalis retorted, “but of expectation. Between your banishment and my tears, you spent all your time waiting. Hmph! Time well spent, wouldn’t you agree?"

“Right. On another topic, how are the wedding plans going? Any suitors in sight?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a mother and the queen of a tattered hive. The few subjects I have left are starving to death. My options are limited. So if you got what you came for, I'll take the day off. I don't have the luxury of waiting for love to come to my door, in any sense of the word."

“For a queen in decline, you have no shortage of bite. Major Antares, we are leaving."

"Minute butterfly. You can't expect to leave me hungry after you tell me that Pepper swallowed Celestia." Chitin trembled at Chrysalis’s words. "Let's be clear. I don't know what's going on with Equestria, but I have my own idea about the dastardly move you're planning. The question is, what is stopping you from doing so without the body of the parasprite?"

Nightmare laughed nervously when she heard Pepper’s all-too-perfect nickname. "Oh, nothing much. Just a certain princess who harmonizes everything that falls under her hoof."

Chrysalis had a sadistic smile on her face. "How is she?"

Nightmare rolled her eyes. "Like a charm. She still thinks that her mentor was only kidnapped by a planeswalker they had all welcomed. Long story short, waiting for a princess who will never return."

"Wait. You mean she doesn't know that Celestia is dead yet?! And to think we're going to miss such a feast," Chrysalis said with a falsely disappointed pout. "Well, if Equestria is in disarray... Why not consider rallying Princess Twilight to your cause?"

"Yes, good idea. Let's join the queue for Princess Twilight Sparkle’s expeditious ‘friendship treatment’!"

“Stop haunting my daughter's dreams and go see Sparkle. Depending on how she reacts when she sees you, you'll know exactly how you stand with her. At worst, she'll think she had a bad dream. At best, you can let us feed on the misfortunes of your new subjects."

"And what should I say when we meet? ‘Hello, Twilight! Nice dream you're having here! Luna's crazy, let me possess her body.’"

“If Twilight has even a little bit of common sense and rationality left in her mind, perhaps the little princess will appreciate being treated with the respect befitting her rank. Nevertheless, considering the wedding episode in Canterlot, it's a bad idea to try to do things through the back door. Yesterday, you were certainly an enemy in her eyes. But tomorrow is another day; you have to seize the opportunity when it presents itself. After a Queen-to-Princess chat, she could become your ally."

"This is madness," Nightmare Moon thought aloud.

"It's strategy. It took me almost a year to prepare for my invasion. When I heard about your return, I started thinking about including you in the equation. But when I saw the sun being raised, I didn't bother to reconsider my plans. This seemingly normal mare managed to best monsters like us, albeit with her friends’ help. But if her mentor is dead, she may need new ‘guidance.’ We underestimated her at our expense, but Equestria is now at a turning point in its history. Everything will change; it's time to adapt. Before anypony can get their heads out of the water, we must capitalize on this once-in-a-lifetime chance, Nightmare Moon. If you miss out, it'll look like a simple nightmare. But if you succeed, you’ll get everything you want, and Aglowing Shell will finally be able to go one night without your unwanted intrusions."

Nightmare Moon once again laughed nervously. "Fine."
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was mid-morning in Ponyville. A female unicorn galloped out of the train that had just arrived at the station. A pair of saddlebags rested on her back. A katana was stowed in its black lacquered, wooden sheath, attached to a harness on her right shoulder. She stopped in front of the fountain, looking around before she approached the closest pony.

"Hello there. I'm sorry to bother you, but can you tell me where Princess Twilight Sparkle lives?"

The light pink earth pony stopped abruptly when she saw the unicorn close in.

"Are you all right?"

The earth pony's azure eyes widened. She leapt with a gasp, then galloped away without answering.

The cyan eyes of the unicorn remained fixed on the mare, who disappeared at the street corner,  an eyebrow raised. Fortunately for her, the next pony had no problem showing her the way. She retraced her steps when she arrived at the library, as the one she was looking for was just leaving.  "Greetings, Princess Twilight. Would you have the time for an audience?"

Twilight watched the unicorn calling out to her, feeling suspicious but trying not to show it, dark circles under her purple eyes. Then, she put up a polite smile and brightened her face before she spoke. "Hello. I would be very happy to have this conversation with you, but at the moment, I have to go to Canterlot Castle. Princess Luna is waiting for me for an interview of the utmost importance. On my return, it'd be my pleasure to speak with you. Goodbye." With those words, she flew towards the capital.

The mare was not going to stop there. Unhooking her harness, she opened the door of the library, threw her saddlebags in a corner, then started to run after her. With the help of a spell, she created a sphere of flame that surrounded her. With one leap, she came out of it adorned with a pair of flaming wings. Soon, she was flapping in the same direction as Twilight. "Could you grant me an audience on the way to Canterlot?" she asked once at her height.

At first surprised to see a variant of a spell she hadn't used for years, then intrigued, Twilight couldn't help but answer with a question. "Who are you?" Most pressing of all, she couldn't tell how old the unicorn was. Her yellow and red mane was pulled  into a long ponytail that started at the base of her head and worked its way down between her shoulder blades, which made her look much more mature.

"Who I am is irrelevant. If I have come back to Equestria, it is to understand what has become of Princess Celestia. What does it mean when the Equestria Daily says she's disappeared?"

Twilight was annoyed at how this conversation had begun. "As you just said, she's missing. This is what Princess Luna announced to Equestria. I don't see what else I can add."

The unicorn frowned. She opened her mouth to breathe in, but when she realised what she was about to say, she changed her mind. The upset expression on her face remained as she tried another approach. "Four months since her disappearance. I've had time to come all the way back here from Japony. And you have nothing more than this to say on the subject? Are there any developments in the case? A lead, perhaps?"

Twilight was embarrassed. It had been a long time since she had to deal with somepony who wasn't satisfied with the official version announced by Princess Luna. Journalists had tried to find out more, but she had always been able to have them leave it at that.. Something told her that this mare was not really going to settle for that. "I'm working every day to find her. What do you think?"

The unicorn took offence, her flaming wings suddenly beating a quicker tempo to overtake Twilight. Soon, she was right in front of her, her wings still flapping intensely. She then crossed her forelegs, her accusing gaze locked upon her interlocutor. "I think four months without any information is suspicious. I think that if the former student of Princess Celestia—and current Princess of Friendship—claims that she hasn't achieved anything after four months, there is cause for concern. I think you're lying by omission, Princess."

Twilight remained silent in the face of this. Soon, she looked away, uncomfortable, baffled, and using her mane to hide her face. She did not have the strength to respond to this. "No comment."

The inquisitive unicorn suddenly realised what she had just done. She lowered her head in turn, ashamed. Her forelegs fell down to her sides as she took her place next to Twilight. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk to a princess like that. It's just that Princess Celestia can't disappear like that for so long. It's as if the sun itself has stopped being raised forever. I don't understand, and it makes me anxious."

"It's all right," Twilight replied. "To tell the truth, I've been going through this regularly for the past few weeks," she admitted, sighing.

The mare with the golden coat bit her lip. Seeing the Princess's spirits so low, she had to find a new subject to talk about, and there it stood before her eyes. She smiled and resumed in a lighter tone, "Tell me princess, it's been over fifteen years since I set hoof in Canterlot—do you know if Donut Joe's store is still open?"

Twilight finally freed herself from the haze that filled her head with gloomy thoughts at  that harmless question. "Yeah, I still go there sometimes." Her mind wandered for a moment. "Fifteen years, you say? I was still a filly back then."

The unicorn kept smiling, remembering those days as she continued. "Let me guess, the kind of filly with a foal-sitter that took you to the park to play ball."

Twilight's face lit up, caught between surprise and nostalgia, as she recalled those days with Cadance, then her foalsitter, now current Princess of Love and head of the Crystal Kingdom. "How did you know?"

"All of Canterlot's foals have a foalsitter! See, the park is a great place to play ball and learn telekinesis without breaking anything in the house," the mare said with a forced smile that was meant to be mischievous. She could never admit that she had already seen her fifteen years ago in the company of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, playing in the capital's park. This distant memory was from another life.

Twilight chuckled. "You got me. On another note, I assume you went to the School for Gifted Unicorns too, am I right?"

The stranger was silent for a while, her mind returning to thoughts of the school in her final days. It was not pleasant in the least. "Indeed," she finally replied.

Twilight continued on her way. "What course did you take that got living in Japony?"

Memories came flooding back. Words, deeds, and all the consequences that flowed from them. She was looking for a way out of this conversation. Then, she found it. She suddenly looked at Twilight, a fake smile still on her lips, her horn lit up with a clear blue aura. "We're almost to  Canterlot. I bet I can teleport over the station faster than you can."

The princess was a bit taken aback. She had never had the opportunity to face a unicorn that seemed more powerful than average until now, so she jumped at the chance with a big smile. "Successive teleportation race? I'm in," she said, concentrating magic in the horn.

Together, they counted backwards from three. Immediately after, the teleportations followed one another at an insane speed, Canterlot getting closer and closer with each teleportation. In the blink of an eye, the two competitors arrived in a tie at the station. They smiled at each other, satisfied with the result of their improvised race. 

Without warning, the stranger broke the magic that allowed her to fly, the wings of fire extinguishing. The mare began to free fall. 

Twilight plunged after her to come to her rescue. But when she saw the expression on her face, she stopped.

The unicorn’s face was serene, as if everything was under control, and her intuition proved accurate. The unicorn slowed her fall with the help of telekinesis, her hooves gently settling on the marble of the train station platform.

"That was dangerous," Twilight commented.

"A calculated danger. It's good to know your limits. Especially to push past them," said the unicorn.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Probably some sightseeing until I have to get back to Ponyville to retrieve my saddlebags from the library."

"We could go back together after my audience at the castle. What do you say?"

"Let's meet here at fourteen o’clock then. I doubt I'll be around much longer than that."

"All right, then. By the way, I still don't know your name."

The unicorn stopped. Her cutie mark, a sun whose thick and uneven flames were yellow on one side, red on the other, bobbed as her emotions came to a halt. "Oh, you're right." She curtsied, horn to the ground. "My name is Sunset Shimmer."

After the customary greetings, Twilight made a short flight over Canterlot. Despite Princess Celestia's disappearance, she could see life was still going on. She accelerated her cruising speed as she landed within the castle grounds, galloping through the corridors. When she reached the throne room and opened the door, Twilight saw that she was arriving in the middle of an audience.

"What do you mean by ‘no results’, royal mage?" Luna, as usual, sat to the right of the large, empty seat that had been Princess Celestia's throne for over a thousand years, looking scornfully at a slate-grey vampony.

A thick piece of linen in front of her hooves, the latter remained imperturbable in spite of the Princess's raised tone. "Just as I said to Your Highness. Despite the sample, we tested various spells all night long, although the clocks remained inert. No doubt the nature of the target made our magic unfit to hold her. Or that she knows how to make herself undetectable so nopony can hunt her down."  

The indifference in the vampony’s cherry eyes was hidden behind the tinted lenses of the full-length glasses that protected the retinas from the sun at all angles. This was a necessary protection for all vamponies: unicorns, one of whose parents, direct or distant, was a bat pony. They inherited their sensitivity to light and their sharper canines that went along with an omnivorous diet.

Twilight remained silent at the rear of the room. She had a vague idea of the individual in question, but did not dare to intervene.

Luna snorted, exhausted. "Everypony out. I want to speak with Twilight Sparkle alone. Dusty Nova, leave the sample where it is."  

They obeyed, waving to the princesses before they left. Luna watched the stained glass windows without paying attention, becoming distant. Meanwhile, Twilight respectfully greeted the guards and the royal mage she had recently met, the latter levitating a wooden pencil to her mouth. Her long, jet-black mane was twisted into an improvised bun, bobbing as she bit into the wood of the pencil to calm her nerves.

Now alone, Twilight walked up to where Dusty was standing a moment before. She didn’t take an interest in the piece of flax at  the moment. "You summoned me, Princess Luna?"

Luna lowered her head and closed her eyes. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle. I swore you'd be the first to know if I had any news about my sister."

Twilight had a sudden surge of hope, a faint smile on her face. "Do you know where she is?"

Luna raised her head, looking up at the sunlight through the stained glass window. "Two days ago, just before the setting of the Sun, Pepper and I had a little chat on the observation deck."

Twilight held her breath. "Really? What did you learn? Where's Princess Celestia?"

Luna looked at Twilight, crestfallen. "Twilight Sparkle, I regret to inform you that my sister, Princess Celestia... has been murdered. Pepper confessed committing this unforgivable act in order to gain her powers by setting the sun herself."

Twilight's heart was instantly crushed, Her limbs locked. She became a statue, unable to react, Luna's words echoing in her head. <Princess Celestia has been murdered.>

"As you can see, I'm trying to locate her, but she’s well hidden. Do you think you can succeed where Dusty Nova failed miserably?"

"Forty hours," Twilight said weakly.

Luna bowed her head, raising an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

"Forty hours," Twilight repeated. "You know she's been dead all this time, and you've made no announcement?! All of Equestria's turned to Canterlot, waiting for any information, and you've done nothing? Why is that?!"

"Twilight Sparkle!" Luna shouted, striking the floor with her right hoof to signal the young unicorn back to her hooves before she continued,  "For four months, all of Equestria has been mourning the absence of my sister! The memorial in the new section of the public gardens I had built for her last month is constantly crowded! The offerings are raining from all corners! Equestria awaits her return with hope. Do you want to deprive them of that hope? They're already suffering! Do you want to tell them that she's dead? To feel what you're feeling right now? I'm sure my late sister wouldn’t have wanted it that way. But if you believe otherwise, if you believe it is right to make all of Equestria weep over an empty grave, then tell them."

Twilight bowed her head in resignation. "You're right. It's probably what she would have wanted." She used her magic to open the linen. With wide eyes, she gasped, then looked up at  Luna. "How—"

Luna interrupted. "It seems that yesterday, Pepper had intended to go to the Badlands. Unfortunately for her, a regiment of my Lunar Guard welcomed her with blades in the clear, and a bat pony hit her in the head before she fled. They would have lost sight of her in the nearby forest."

Twilight looked at the bloody strand of mane and phoenix feathers. "What were the bat ponies doing out there? Pepper is anything but predictable. You couldn't have known she'd go to the Badlands."

"I told you so," Nightmare Moon whispered at Luna's mind, listening from the very beginning.

"Even in these troubled times, you keep a sharp mind. The least I could do is tell you the whole truth."

"What truth?" Twilight asked.

"You're joking. You're joking, right? ... Oh, it seems not. Unexpected of you, but interesting nevertheless,"  Nightmare Moon softly said to Luna.

"The day Pepper left Equestria, a part of me realised I wouldn't see my sister ever again. That Pepper had been playing us all along. So, in a maelstrom of conflicting feelings, I gave in to her. Nightmare Moon once again took control of my body and my life."

"What?! But how?! I mean, you're not Nightmare Moon now, are you?"

Luna lifted a hoof to impose silence, then resumed. "But Nightmare Moon knew that if you noticed her presence after Pepper and my sister's disappearance, you wouldn't give her time to explain. So, she made me an offer I couldn't refuse. A borrowed body in exchange for her help and my freedom."

"Her help? But that's Nightmare Moon! The one who wants the eternal night you're talking about! We don't need her help, Princess Luna!"

"Silence!" Luna shouted, using the traditional Canterlot Voice in a fit of anger.

Twilight hiccupped, then fell silent.

"I'm not perfect like my late sister. I am the Princess of the Night! I must watch over it and the dreams of ponies from all over Equestria. Without her help, I could not ensure a peaceful sleep for everypony. Celestia simply could not do so, for she was Princess of the Sun. She had no control over dreams. Since my return, I have watched over dreams every night. Yet, I cannot stay awake indefinitely. This is why Nightmare Moon's help is invaluable to me. She's been chasing those nightmares ever since, while I make sure that the kingdom prospers. You must understand, Twilight Sparkle, that I am acting for the greater good."

"It's—"

"Necessity is law," Luna said, cutting Twilight short.

"So Nightmare Moon goes into these ponies' dreams and chases the bad dreams away? But nopony talks about her!"

"She's no foal. She takes my appearance, just as I've taken hers to scare the foals at every Nightmare Night festival since I've been back."

Twilight was trying to think. But after being caught off guard like that, she was getting nowhere. Only one question popped into her head. "Where is she now?"

"Right here with us," Luna replied, before turning her gaze to her regalia. "Show yourself, Nightmare Moon; your presence is required."

Twilight panicked for a moment, searching for which way the alicorn would come, until a bright spark from Luna's regalia caught her attention.

A black cloud came out of it, landing on the ramp that separated the dais from the floor of the hall. There, the cloud shaped into the ethereal form of Nightmare Moon before it  took on a physical appearance, looking down on Twilight neutrally.

Twilight, mouth agape, found herself unable to speak as she witnessed something straight out of a bad dream. Nightmare was just standing there non-aggressively, yet her mere presence terrified her. This time, she didn't have her friends with her to fight the mare of the Moon.

With a royal gait, Nightmare Moon descended to the level of the princess of friendship. Facing her, the queen, who was two heads taller than Twilight, put one knee on the ground as she performed a curtsy of circumstance. "I, Nightmare Moon, salute you, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. I understand your concern. We share a stormy past, but I hope you and I can put it aside to do what is right for the greater good. The future of Equestria is at stake."

Twilight's jaw was desperate to touch the ground. Luna was also surprised by the gesture, but was careful not to show it.

As Twilight didn't seem able to speak, Nightmare Moon resumed anew. "While this conversation has been enjoyable, Princess Twilight, I am sorry to have to take my leave, but I have no doubt that we will have the opportunity to share another equally enjoyable moment in the days to come." On this mock ending, Nightmare Moon became a mere cloud and returned to where she came from.

Twilight couldn't believe it. The situation was getting worse and worse by the minute. She didn't know what to think anymore. Had she been that blind for that long? She was trying to remember any clue from her visits to the palace over the past four months, but her mind was blank. Staring down at that bloody lock of mane, she was pulled from her torpor by Luna's hoof lifting her chin. 

"Twilight Sparkle? Do you hear me? I've called you three times without success. I said that we must find Pepper so we can exact our revenge."

"Revenge? Shouldn't we bring her to justice or use the Elements of Harmony on her?" Twilight asked, looking up at Princess Luna.

"No. If we were to judge her, we would have to make the facts public. What's more, the justice of Equestria—instituted by my late sister—is too lax. As for the Elements of Harmony, what's the point? To make her a threat to future generations? Nay, we will apply the old Broncoliande adage; an eye for an eye, a fang for a fang. And we will make her suffer as much as she made us suffer. Then, when we are tired of her wailing, we will strike the final blow."

"I don't know, Princess. That sounds extreme."

Luna was about to retaliate, but there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she ordered. 

A guard opened the door, saluted, and reminded Luna that the time for her audience with Lady Storm, Lady Shawarma, and Sir Adamantium was fast approaching. 

Luna rolled her eyes, clearly overwhelmed. "The audience is cancelled. I've got more important things to do. Send them home." The guard saluted and closed the door. She turned her attention to Twilight. “All right, just find out where Pepper's hideout is. Then, we shall discuss a more appropriate punishment. Can I count on you?"

"Count on me, Princess Luna., Twilight replied, wings up, hoof on her chest, and determined to succeed. With these words, she used telekinesis to take the linen and its contents with her at a full gallop.

As Luna watched Twilight leave the room, Nightmare Moon spoke again. "I can't believe you lied to her with such panache."

Luna smiled briefly. "Whatever. When she's faced with a fait accompli, what can she blame me for? Absolutely nothing."

Nightmare Moon remained silent.

In the corridors, Lady Storm, the Pegasus, Lady Shawarma, the Earth pony, and Lord Adamantium, the Unicorn, were protesting against the intolerable treatment. Their families had laid the foundations of Equestria! They were the top echelon of the aristocracy!

Twilight did not care for this, running for the exit. However, when she reached the entrance, a huge silhouette stood in front of her and forced her to stop.

"Is this way for a princess to run in the halls, Miss Twilight?" asked the silhouette in a deep and stern voice that had suffered the ravages of time.

"Reynaud? I—"

"Lady Luna has entrusted you with a task, and you are scurrying home. I understand this perfectly. But remember that you are a Princess. Sometimes, it is good to take the time to behave in the proper manner within the corridors of the palace. With your permission." With those words, the earth pony, who was as tall as Luna, but much more physically imposing, grabbed the linen and slipped it into one of the saddlebags before handing it back to Twilight. "Lady Celestia used to have it for some time. I thought you would enjoy having it too. I took the liberty of putting a meal for you and your friend in the other saddlebag."

Twilight looked at the purple saddle for a moment. Attached to it were two saddlebags of a yellow and white colour, adorned with three amethysts, similar to the ones on Celestia's regalia. The leather was worn out, scratched here and there. No doubt it had been used for a long journey. Her gaze softened. "Thank you, Reynaud, but which friend are you talking about?" She glanced  at the earth pony, whose pale coat and mane had become white with the time, though he was still dressed to the nines in his butler’s uniform.

"The one you made during the trip from Ponyville to Canterlot, Lady Twilight. What a question."

Twilight realised he was talking about that Sunset Shimmer she'd met earlier. "Oh, right! But, how did you know about—"

"Miss Twilight, with all due respect, it is the duty of a butler to know what he needs to know when he needs to know it," he replied with a fine smile.

She smiled at his words, but it faded quickly.

"As far as I know, by the time you get there, you might find her in the gardens."

Twilight was stunned.

Reynaud ran the back of his hoof over his perfectly trimmed beard. "Leave now. A friend is waiting for you."

"She's not really my friend, as you said. Just a unicorn I flew with all the way to Canterlot," Twilight said with a small, uncertain pout.

He wrinkled his electric blue eyes, giving him that stern expression that many feared. "By the perfect moustache, the Princess of Friendship who doesn't know a friend when she sees one! Perhaps I should take you to the infirmary, you must be ill, Miss Twilight. No doubt a few vitamin injections will set you right."

Twilight was wide-eyed, the painful memory of her last vaccination in the castle infirmary immediately came back to her mind. And she didn't want to spend the rest of the day standing up again. She forced herself to smile tensely, an imaginary pain rekindling in her rump. "I don't have time, I have to go find my friend. Thank you and goodbye, Reynaud." Immediately, she teleported herself behind Reynaud's back, fleeing to the gardens.

Once assured that the young princess was gone, the butler went to join Bitter Truth, who was hiding in the servants' lounge of the castle. "The saddle was given to Princess Twilight, Sir Bitter. And I have given your directions regarding the whereabouts of Miss Sunset. And those that you are fleeing from are about to leave the castle grounds."

"Thank you, Reynaud," replied the unicorn, pensively.





Sunset was in the new section of Canterlot's garden. Unlike the ponies who came to pray at the statue for the return of the missing princess, the unicorn stood with her head down at her side. She looked sadly at the lawn, thinking that she should have stood beside Celestia on the day she disappeared. She realised that she was deluding herself. She could not rewrite the past. So, looking up to the sky, she stood up on her hooves and concentrated a bubble of flame. Her magic cooperated, once again spiriting her away. 

"Sunset Shimmer!" 

When she turned in the direction of the voice, she saw Twilight approaching at full speed before stopping in front of her. 

"Are you hungry? I have a meal for two if you're feeling like it."

Sunset's stomach responded before she had time to form a polite answer. She looked embarrassed as she smiled sheepishly. "I think you know the answer already."

Twilight had a good chuckle at that. "Follow me. I know a secluded spot." She led Sunset to the roof of a library where she sometimes sequestered herself when she was still a simple unicorn living in Canterlot. During those times she often dreamed, gazing at the palace, about being as powerful and wise as Starswirl the Bearded.

Sunset was uncomfortable being so close to the palace, trying to hide it by turning her back on the imposing castle. As she waited patiently for the meal to be served,  she noted the amethysts chiselled on each of the saddlebags.

Twilight took the contents out of her saddlebags. There were two bottles of water, along with  two towels containing sandwiches cut into triangles. Additionally, there were two envelopes, treated to protect their contents and stamped with a sun-shaped seal. The calligraphy was easy to recognize as Celestia's. "For Sunset Shimmer," on the first one, and the second, "For Twilight Sparkle."

"What is that?" Sunset asked, her throat dry.

"I don't know," Twilight replied hastily, looking puzzled. "Reynaud didn't mention any envelopes."

"Reynaud? He's still Princess Celestia's personal butler?" Sunset asked immediately, before she realised what she had implied.

"Do you know him?" Twilight asked.

"Sort of," Sunset evaded. 

Twilight was the first to pick up the envelope intended for her. Then, Sunset did the same. Sunset already had a vague idea of what she would see. Disappointment, regret, failure. There was a time when she daydreamed daily over their next meeting in the distant future, but it always ended the same way: Celestia shouting at her, beginning the nightmare she had dreaded over the years. By now, she had moved on to live her life in serenity, her past behind her. All this time, Sunset had told herself she would return to Canterlot one day and ask for an audience to express her regret. Now, all she had left was this letter. So, she accepted its contents with a heavy heart, reading the last words of the mare who was once her mentor.

<My dear Sunset Shimmer,

By the time you read this letter, Twilight will have learned your true identity from the mail that was delivered to her alongside the one you're holding. I've taken the time to weigh my words to describe who you are so that she has some honest truths to base her opinion upon.

Warmly,
Princess Celestia.>

Looking pale, Sunset read the letter once again to make sure she hadn't omitted anything. When she had finished, she and Twilight lowered their letters at the same time, Sunset surprised by the shocked expression on Twilight’s face. Sunset knew where this was going to lead. She rose to leave, the envelope between her lips. She shot past Twilight, past the palace, past anything she shouldn't have approached.

Twilight placed the letter on the ground as watched her leave, more astonished than she was even a moment ago. "Sunset Shimmer, where are you going?"

Sunset stopped, using telekinesis to free her mouth so she could answer, her back still on Twilight. "I don't know. But now that you know who I am, away from you is a good start."

Twilight continued, "I know this is Princess Celestia's writing, but I'd like to hear it from you."

Sunset couldn't say no. While she had lied to her earlier, she owed her at least a bit of honesty now. "Fifteen years ago, I was a pupil of Princess Celestia. But I was a very different mare then. The lessons weren’t enough for me—I always needed more, because they seemed so useless to me. So, I began to study on my own, breaking into the forbidden library. There, I found a book about the HeartSpell. A spell that could make anypony a princess’s equal." She laughed at herself, considering how pathetic she was at the time. "I, Celestia’s pupil, commanded her to make me her equal because I deserved it. But I was wrong, so very wrong. I know that now." She walked to the edge of the roof, watching the activity below. "Seeing me so lost as her pupil, no longer worthy of her apprenticeship, she dismissed me. Banished me from Canterlot Castle forever." She looked up at the sky. "I gave up everything. My family, the few friends I had, my whole life. I left all that here in Canterlot and swore I'd never return. Over time, as I travelled the world, I gradually changed. Within a few years of arriving in Japony, I became the pony I am today." With those words, she removed the rubber band to free her mane and let it float in the wind, looking to the horizon. "I've thought a thousand and one times about coming back… but..." She bit her lip. "...I think the fear of being rejected without a chance to make amends kept me from doing so. I have no more ties here. I’m probably considered missing or dead. There was nothing and no one waiting for me. So, I stayed away, until I learned Princess Celestia was missing. The rest you already know." 

She turned to Twilight, raising her eyebrows when she saw her. Twilight was silent, her mouth and eyes wide open.

Sunset came closer, puzzled. "Are you all right, Princess Twilight?"

Twilight looked down to read the letter,then turned her attention back to Sunset. "Princess Celestia told me to give you a message: <Gotcha>."

Sunset tilted her head, circumspect. "What do you mean?"

Twilight regained her composure, moistened her lips, and then explained, "In my letter, it is written that you are somepony important to Princess Celestia. She explains the contents of your letter,  asks me not to let you go, and to urge you to introduce yourself. Then, I'm supposed to say she's got you, and, now that we know each other, I have to go get the letter in the other bag."

Sunset had a nostalgic smile on her face. "That's just like her. A third letter?" 

"Looks like it." After Twilight put her letter back in the first saddlebag, she  opened the other one and  took out another envelope. This one looked the same as the others, but, according to the words on the envelope, was meant to be read by Sunset and Twilight together.

<To my dear students,
Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle.

This letter is the last I've left behind. This one precedes the one I sent the day I disappeared.

Twilight, since you were my pupil and are now a Princess, Equestria will turn to you. The kingdom needs your leadership. Do the right thing. Even if it seems unfair. Just as I had to banish Luna when she became a threat to Equestria, the kingdom will expect you to act according to the knowledge I have passed on to you through my lessons. If you seek further wisdom, turn to Sunset. Her counsel may not be the same as mine, but I am sure her perspective will offer you a new way of looking at the issues that torment you.

Sunset, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the tea you sent me on your travels. I was able to follow your journey around the world. Thank you for sharing with me your peregrinations. You lived the life I dreamed of living. Though you were far away, you knew how to keep me close to your heart. Know that it was the same for me. Twilight finds herself in a situation she didn't expect. She will surely encounter difficulties. I know this because when Luna and I were coronated as princesses of Equestria, it was our task to unite the three tribes that live here today in harmony. You have acquired by yourself the maturity that I had not been able to instil in you. If you will, watch over Twilight as Starswirl watched over me. With that in mind, I've reinstated you as my pupil and lifted your ban from the castle grounds.

Twilight, Sunset, you have credentials equivalent to mine. I trust you to act for harmony to prevail.

I've always wished forgiveness to be an element of harmony. It would have relieved my mind of a question that sometimes haunts me. Is It possible to forgive the most selfish of crimes?

That being written, do not regret your choices. They led to this very moment. Nothing will change the fact that I will not be here by the time you read this letter. It pains me that I will not see you both side-by-side.

I have watched you both grow up. Like a mother over the children I never had.

And even though one of you has grown apart from me, I have always secretly carried an equal mother's love for each of you.

Look after each other—dare I ask, like sisters? I dare. Like sisters. And have a happy life.

Warmly,
Princess Celestia>

The two mares remained silent, tears running down their cheeks. They did not move for a long time, reading and rereading this letter—Celestia's last words. Sunset's belly rumbled loudly, throwing them into a sudden burst of laughter. She didn't have the heart for it, but Sunset forced herself to eat the sandwiches, and so did Twilight. The meal took place in silence, one that made them both slightly uneasy as neither could think of anything to say.

Twilight took a breath after drinking one of the bottles of water in one gulp. "I have to go home. Spike's probably waiting for me."

Sunset sipped at her bottle. "Who's Spike?"

"A baby dragon whose egg I hatched on my Gifted Unicorn entrance exam. He's since become my first friend and my number one assistant."

Sunset packed everything neatly in the satchel. When she was done, she put the saddlebags on her back. "I'm ready to ride back to Ponyville, Princess Twilight."

Twilight was startled by her formality. "Sunset, you don't have to call me Princess Twilight every time you speak to me. We can be friends, if you'd like."

"Yet, you speak to me with the same formality. Proof that there is a distance between us."

"At first I did, yes. But I didn't know you then. Now I do it out of respect, because you’re my senior. The truth is, I would like to see you as a friend too."

"There was a time when I thought everything was due to me. I was wrong. Today, I know I can't accept what I don't deserve."

Twilight got a little carried away in her response. "We just read a letter which says that Princess Celestia considered us her own children! We're two sisters reunited after fifteen years apart! And I won't let you build a wall between us because you think you don't deserve to be my friend!"

Sunset took a bow. "In this case, I accept the honour of being your friend."

Twilight was bewildered. "What?"

Sunset's laughter was so radiant that Twilight thought, for a brief moment, that she was standing in front of Celestia. Then, without warning, Sunset lit her horn, then jumped off the top of the building. Twilight ran, barely reaching the ledge when Sunset reappeared, adorned with her flaming wings as she flew towards Ponyville. This time it was Twilight who went after her, their roles reversed.

"What was that about?" Twilight asked when she reached Sunset.

"In Japony, when you receive a gift, you have to refuse twice before accepting it. The giver has to insist three times to prove that he or she really wants to give the gift," Sunset explained.

"We're not in Japony! Besides, what would you have done if I hadn't insisted?" Twilight replied.

"The friendship of a princess is a precious gift. I wouldn’t have accepted it without saying so, that's all. You'll have to put up with these customs of mine if you really want to be friends. You'll also have to tell me a little more about yourself in return. I heard about your coronation, but other than that, I know nothing about you."

"Oh? All right, where do I start?"

"Right now, there's something I want to know more than anything else—but you're not the subject. I'm sorry to ruin the mood, but I need to know: is there anything I still don’t know about Princess Celestia’s disappearance?"

Now that Twilight knew her—and that Princess Celestia herself trusted her—she had no reason to hide the truth. "Six months ago, a human appeared in Equestria. Pepper Chilly, the human in question, is not from our world. She calls herself a planeswalker."

"How did you discover her presence? Has she destroyed Ponyville? Part of Canterlot?"

"Nothing like that. Basically, she was thrown in jail for physically attacking cows."

Sunset was incredulous. "A creature from another world attacks cows—and you just threw her in jail, like a common criminal?"

Twilight laughed uncontrollably. "At first, we all thought she was a unicorn like the others. The assault, to put it bluntly, was over taking milk without the cow's consent because she was hungry."

Sunset had a doubt that she decided to dispel. "So, she's human, but can take the form of a unicorn?"

"Pepper has magic that allows her to change her physical form. One day, she explained to me that the laws of this dimension bid her to look like a pony. So, she used her magic to take the appearance of a simple unicorn with white fur and carmine mane most of the time. Her ability to change her appearance has several flaws, however. For example, the irises of her eyes remain red. In Equestria, since only true unicorns can use magic, she is forced to be one. Apart from these flaws, she has no limits, as long as it is organic and alive."

Sunset thought it over for a moment. "Is that why you stared at me when I saw you outside the library?"

"Yes," Twilight admitted. "I thought she was back for a moment."

"And we’re getting off-topic. Most of the time? What about the rest of the time?"

Twilight was amused that she noted the detail. "Pepper has wings as well, like a pegasus. So, in her—dare I call it—Equestrian form, she's uniformly white. While in her human form, her wings become jet black. So when Fluttershy, who was the very first to meet her, explained to her what it meant to have horns and wings, she immediately hid them so as not to draw attention. It was only after she was released by Princess Celestia—who welcomed her to Equestria and assured Pepper that she had nothing to fear if she committed no further crimes—that we learned of her true nature."

"She couldn't explain herself before?"

"No. Once she woke up, Pepper remained mute and ran away the moment the anti-magic ring was removed. Princess Celestia told me that a planeswalker’s magic has a unique vibe. It doesn't go unnoticed by anypony who can feel it."

"How did Princess Celestia learn to sense the power of a creature from another world?"

Twilight's jaw, for the third time that day, sought to touch the ground miles beneath her hooves. She hadn't considered that. "I don't know," she admitted. "It's Princess Celestia—she always knows everything about everything, so I didn't think to ask her back then."

Sunset was amused, a mischievous smile on her face. "I think I now understand the reason for Celestia’s request in the third letter. And then what happened?"

Twilight's cheeks turned pink. "As time went on, she came into daily contact with Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna. Deep down, she seemed singular, but not malevolent.”

"And was this singular human the cause of Princess Celestia's disappearance?"

"One day, I received a letter from Princess Celestia..." Thinking back to the missive, Twilight’s eyes widened. "It all makes sense now. She was talking about you."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The missive! The letter that Princess Celestia sent me that day, with a plural in the header! All this time I thought it was a mistake! But it makes so much more sense now that you're here."

Sunset was wary. "What was in the letter? And what did you do next?"

Twilight gave Sunset a faint smile. "I've read enough books to know it's a cliche, but I think it's best you read it for yourself. I'll give it to you when we get back to Ponyville so you can read it at your leisure." Then, she looked up at Ponyville. "Picking up where I left off ... At the time I thought it was a bad joke, one that the human was fond of. But when I got there, I heard from Princess Luna that Pepper had left Equestria..." She trailed off, remembering the conversation in the throne room. She wondered what would have happened if Nightmare Moon hadn't offered her help to Princess Luna.

Sunset didn't need to hear any more to understand that Pepper was guilty of the abduction. When she saw the look on Twilight's face, she didn't dare bother her, understanding why the younger alicorn was having trouble finding Princess Celestia. The rest of the trip was conducted in silence, giving Sunset ample time to observe the surroundings and think about the situation.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and Sunset landed in front of the library. The sight of the library dispelled Twilight's insecurity. She turned to Sunset. "I'm going to introduce you to my friends. I have the feeling that you'll get along well."

Sunset briefly raised one eyebrow, amused. "It can't be any worse than the one I met when I left the station."

Twilight tilted her head, intrigued. "Who are you talking about?"

"An earth pony mare with a pink coat. I ask where you live, she jumps three metres high, then gasps before taking off like she saw an Ursa Major behind me."

It didn't take long for Twilight to understand who she was talking about. She hid a muffled laugh behind a hoof. She used her telekinesis to open the door, "Please go in first and make yourself at home."

Sunset entered the library. It was completely dark, due to the curtains covering the windows. She took off the saddle, keeping it in her telekinesis as an improvised weapon. She then noticed her personal saddlebag was gone.

When she moved forward, the lights flipped on. Five mares and a baby dragon shouted "Surprise!", before a shower of confetti fell on Sunset and Twilight. There was a banner hanging from the ceiling that read, “Welcome back to Equestria, Sunset-senpai.” Sunset did not understand how this was possible, although she recognized the earth pony she had crossed paths with a few hours earlier.

Twilight, looking at the banner, couldn't help but ask, "Seen Pay? What is it?"

Sunset laughed "It's pronounced <Sane Pie>. It's one of the suffixes used in Japony. Senpai refers to somepony who is treated with respect because they know more than we do. Based on what little I know, I would say that, in a sense, you are the senpai of your dragon, insofar as he is your assistant. I'm surprised you know such a word," she said with a tear in the corner of her eye.  

"I don't think anyone here but you can speak that language. Unless..." Twilight decided to make the introductions. "Sunset, let me introduce you to my friends. First, the one you've already seen— who is certainly the culprit behind the banner—Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie hopped forward, greeting Sunset Shimmer by joining her hoof with hers, which resulted in a slightly unpleasant—but not too painful—shock. "We don't know each other, but we already have a connection," she commented jokingly, removing the joy buzzer she had been hiding and putting it in her mane.

Sunset shook hooves with her. She was a bit miffed to have been fooled by such an old joke. She smiled anyway, chasing away the tear with a little magic.

"She is a party planner, a prankster, and an amazing baker, but if I may give you a recommendation, it is this one. If Pinkie Pie does or says something that seems weird to you, don't try to understand it. I experienced it myself. In the end, I just gave up on the idea of explaining her faculties. A question that starts with  'How,' is often answered with, ‘because it's Pinkie Pie’."

"I think I will remember that," said Sunset.

Twilight nodded to her next friend. "Applejack."

As Pinkie Pie returned back to her original spot, Applejack came forward. Grasping the leg that had just been electrified by Pinkie, she offered Sunset a firm and vigorous hoofshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you for sure, Miss Sunset."  

"She and her family run Sweet Apple Acres. She is an honest worker who is always ready to help. She also  knows a thousand recipes when it comes to apples. Don’t lie to her; she’ll know."

"Pleasure shared," Sunset said, wondering what was worse—the previous prank,  or Applejack's strength, given the state of her hoof.

Twilight said next, "Rarity."

Applejack took her place alongside the others, replaced with Rarity, who made a distinguished bow. "My dear, you will have to tell me about your travels to Japony. I am sure it will give me some ideas for my next collection."

"She has her own fashion boutique, she makes the rain and sunshine in the fashion world or on social occasions, and she always has a heart of gold whenever the opportunity arises."

"After a good night of sleep, why not?" Sunset said, smiling.

Twilight nodded to another friend. "Rainbow Dash."

As soon as Rarity turned around, Rainbow moved in a flash to Sunset, messing up the unicorn’s mane in the process. Sunset coughed while she put her mane back in place. "I'm glad to meet  you, Sunset Shimmer," she said, stretching out her hoof to hoofbump with Sunset.

"She takes care of Ponyville’s weather. She's the fastest pegasus—the only one who can make a Sonic Rainboom. "

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see that."

"Any time you want! Even now, no problem!"

"Later, if you don't mind. Introductions  are not over," Sunset said.

Rainbow Dash looked at the others. She smiled sheepishly, rubbing her mane with a hoof, before turning to Sunset. "Okay, okay, okay. Later," she said, taking her place so Twilight could introduce the last of her friends. 

"Fluttershy."

The pegasus avoided  Sunset's gaze. She rubbed one leg with the other. "H-hello," she whispered.

"At first sight, she is fierce, but she takes care of any wounded animal. She's been in charge of Philomena since... the disappearance... of Princess Celestia."

Applejack raised an eyebrow, looking at Twilight.

Sunset gave Fluttershy a short bow. "Thank you for that." She walked towards the little dragon, smiling. "And you must be Spike, Twilight's friend and assistant. She told me about you when we were in Canterlot."

For a moment, he looked at the new mare in the eyes. "Yes, it's me." He proudly puffed up his chest, lifting his head high, claws on his hips. "I put your saddlebag in the bedroom when Pinkie was preparing the party. She said you were going to stay for a while."

Sunset was surprised. "How..." She quickly changed her mind, smiling. "Because it's Pinkie Pie, I guess."

Twilight, with Celestia's old saddlebags on her back, headed towards the stairs. She had to force herself to smile. "I'll be right back, girls. Start the party. I'll take this up to my room," she said before going upstairs.

The celebration soon began. Sunset laughed as they began asking her many questions about her life and travels, unaccustomed to being the centre of attention. However, two of the mares were more focused on the door Twilight had closed behind her. 

"She lied," said Applejack quietly.

"It wasn't a real smile," added Pinkie Pie.

"You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’, sugarcube?"

"Tickle her until she smiles again?"

"Or we go ask her what's wrong instead?"

"What about... we tickle her, and THEN ask her?" suggested Pinkie Pie, bouncing excitedly. 

Applejack rolled her eyes, then began to climb the stairs, closely followed by Pinkie.

In Twilight’s bedroom, she was staring at her collection of Celestia's scrolls. Her morale was lower than ever before as she put her letter from Celestia away with the others. She wanted to cry, but couldn't. Sunset’s arrival was the only positive end  to this succession of stabs. She jumped when the door opened, turning around to see the two earth ponies coming in before Pinkie closed the door behind her.

"Twilight, are you okay, sugarcube?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile.

"Twilight, if there was something wrong, you'd tell us, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, of course, I..." Her smile faded. "...I would have told you."

"Spike told us that you received a message from Princess Luna and went to see her. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I..." Twilight's heart had preserved itself all this time by denying the truth. Thanks to Sunset's presence, she had remained in a bubble of denial, refusing to accept Celestia's death. Unconsciously, she knew she would have to tell others sooner or later. She was trying to postpone this fateful moment. She didn't want to say it; she couldn't accept the truth. "I'll say it after the party in honour of Sunset's arrival," she said, trying to buy time.

"Oh, don't worry, it's already over," said Pinkie Pie, her mane slightly less poofy as she opened the door. Sunset, Spike, and Rarity fell head first to the floor, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash falling on them.

Twilight turned her back on her friends, retreating a little more. "These scrolls are not at all in the right order. You have to put them in chronological order, not alphabetical order. I will do it right away," she said, her voice trembling. She used telekinesis to organise the scrolls differently, putting her heart into the work.
 
The others looked at each other. Only Pinkie Pie seemed to understand, her mane almost flat, her ears drooping.

"Twilight, tell us what's going on!" Applejack said, coming back to the charge.

The young princess stopped fidgeting with her pile of scrolls. "Pepper has..." No, she couldn't say it so brutally. "... spoken to Princess Luna. A short time ago." She held back a sob. "I'm sorry, Sunset. I didn't want to talk about it until you all got here." She could no longer contain her tears as they rolled down  her cheeks. "Princess Celestia is... she is..." She didn't have the strength to say such a simple word. She didn't want to accept it. She refused it! She lashed out with her hoof, breaking a shelf, the books collapsing on the floor. Then, she no longer felt the strong desire to deny it. She might as well tell them. “... Dead. Princess Celestia was killed by Pepper. She was after her magic. She wanted to be able to raise the Sun. That’s what she said to Princess Luna."

Every creature baulked at this revelation. 

Fluttershy fell unconscious. 

Rarity also fell unconscious, but in a much more elegant way. 

Applejack took off her hat to observe a minute of silence.

Pinkie Pie cried silently, her body wracked with sobs and spasms, her smooth mane framing the right side of her anguished face.

Sunset shook her head, in tears, before bringing her hoof to her mouth.

Spike fell on his knees, crying hot tears. 

Rainbow Dash looked at everyone else, frightened, before turning to Twilight with a desperate smile. "It can't be! This is a joke! Pepper's not a monster! She would never do such a thing!"

Twilight turned to Rainbow with unbridled anger. "I, too, would have liked to keep my head buried in the sand, but you saw her, Rainbow Dash! Her aura turned yellow! Princess Luna said that Pepper set the sun before her eyes! We have to face the truth. She killed Princess Celestia. She was here to do just that from very the beginning! She lied to us all, Rainbow!"

The pegasus turned away, her eyes fogging with tears, her maw twitching upward with anger. Suddenly, she fled. As soon as she left the house, she flew away and disappeared into the horizon as fast as she could, leaving a Sonic Rainboom in her wake. Twilight locked herself in a bubble of anger, staring at a corner, still crying.

Applejack put her hat back on as she met Sunset's gaze. Sunset looked at her with a sympathetic glance, but had no idea what to do first.

Pinkie was still crying by herself. Sunset, barely knowing her, looked at Applejack, gesturing towards their friend. Applejack approached Pinkie.

Sunset gently lifted Spike with her magic, offering him a shoulder to cry on before approaching Twilight. She began quietly. "Twilight, I understand why you didn't tell me before. I don't blame you. But you have to channel your anger; you can't let it control you."

Twilight glared at Sunset. "How can you act so cold when I just said Princess Celestia is dead?!" A wick of her mane started burning.

Sunset slapped Twilight with the back of her hoof, snapping her out of her rage. Her ignited flame became part of her mane again. Sunset’s chin trembled for a moment, tears flowing again. "Make no mistake, I'm as devastated as you are. But I can't afford to let my feelings push me to act rashly again. Princess Celestia asked me to look after you, and I intend to do so, Twilight."

Twilight felt pitiful compared to Sunset. She’d let her feelings run rampant, whereas Sunset kept control of herself. She sank to her haunches, her head down, her face tightened by her self-loathing as she let her shame invade.

Sunset watched Twilight for a moment, doubting whether she could find the words to get her out of this spiral. She placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't just stand there. Go lie down. I’ll be here when you feel better," she whispered.

As Twilight climbed the stairs to the mezzanine with Spike's assistance, Sunset found the extra bed. She set it up for Rarity and Fluttershy. Applejack and Pinkie left the room before Sunset, who looked at the place one last time. Not knowing what was waiting for her, she took her saddlebags and katana, then closed the door gently.

Once downstairs, Pinkie started to put away the party decorations. Applejack and Sunset came to help her, the latter first leaving  her bag in a corner. "Usually my surprise parties end better than that," Pinkie commented, her head lowered, ears flattened against her skull.

"It's my fault," Applejack said. "If I hadn't pushed Twilight, we'd still be celebrating for sure."

Sunset wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie's neck in a comforting embrace. "When I left Japony to come home, I thought that nopony would be here to welcome me. And you, Pinkie Pie, without knowing me, offered me the most beautiful welcome. If we hadn’t had a good connection, I think I would have started crying. So, from the bottom of my heart—thank you."

"It must be contagious, because I want to cry now," exclaimed Pinkie Pie, her mane reshaping to full lushness. Tears gushed from her eyes like a fountain as she embraced Sunset, her words a balm to her heart.

"Pinkie... the decorations..." Sunset gasped, slapping Pinkie on the back as she unintentionally strangled her. 

"Oh, that's right," said Pinkie before separating from Sunset. Pinkie sniffed and wiped her tears before picking up where she had left off. 

As they were cleaning up, Sunset thought about the situation. She realised that she knew so little that she risked ruining the morale of Twilight's two friends. "Say, you look like you're holding up, but... Do you think the others will be okay? I think we can exclude Twilight, since it's obvious she's going to need time to recover."

Applejack and Pinkie Pie exchanged a look before continuing to detach the banners.

"Rarity will certainly make black the signature trend for her autumn collection. It’s possible she might overwork herself to keep her mind occupied," said Applejack. 

"The animal caretaker will have to be taken care of," said Pinkie Pie in a failed joke attempt, not having the morale to find anything better than that.

"Rainbow Dash—"

"Rainbow was good friends with Pepper," Pinkie cut in.

"You're telling the truth, Pinkie. I don't know what's gonna be the hardest thing for her. Accepting the idea that Pepper lied all this time, or that she... did what she did."

Sunset asked, "Before this, did Pepper ever do anything wrong?"

"Except for her first day that ended in prison, no. She hung out mostly with Rainbow and Princess Luna, sometimes Fluttershy. Mostly for a free meal. For the rest of us—Twilight, Rarity, and I—she avoided us like a herd of cows would flee a snake."

"She became interested in my storage pockets. Once or twice she came to see me right before dawn,  when I was preparing deliveries for Sugarcube Corner. And even though I'm as up for a prank as Rainbow Dash is, I was always the last to know about hers."

"Your storage pockets?" asked Sunset.

"Yep," said Pinkie Pie, before she pulled her festive cannon out of her mane. "Where I keep the important things."

Sunset's jaw dropped. She turned to Applejack, pointing at the festive cannon.

Applejack shrugged. "And again, she didn't mention her Pinkie Sense."

Sunset, her jaw still on the floor, turned to Pinkie.

"Twilight spent a full day trying to prove that there was an explanation for my Pinkie Sense. After being chased away by a four-headed hydra, she gave up, just accepting that there were things she couldn't explain scientifically."

Sunset suddenly grew a mischievous smile. "Oh, I bet I could explain it easily."

Applejack and Pinkie exchanged a curious glance, then approached Sunset. "Could you, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Yes," Sunset replied, looking at Applejack, before pointing at Pinkie. "Because it's Pinkie Pie."

The three mares had a laugh together.





Twilight was lying in her bed, Spike dozing between her forelegs. She felt empty. Nothing had any taste. She couldn't even cry anymore. All she had left was her memories. So, she closed her eyes, trying to remember a happy memory, allowing herself a moment to forget reality. And the most beautiful memory was her first meeting with Celestia. 

At that time, she was just a filly. She didn't have her Cutie Mark yet, though she already had a gift for magic. A preliminary appointment was arranged by the school for Celestia's Gifted Unicorns to test her talent. Twilight found herself alone with her back to the blackboard, facing six rows of chairs. Four judges sat in the middle of the penultimate row at the very top, haughtily taking notes every time she had the misfortune to make a move. In a cart was a dragon's egg. Twilight had to hatch it to prove that she deserved to do her apprenticeship in this school.

Carried by the encouragement and smile of her parents, Twilight reared up, spreading her wings, concentrating all her magic on hatching the egg. Despite her efforts, the egg remained intact. 

At the same time, in Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash obtained her cutie mark by making her first supersonic rainbow. The wave propagated throughout Equestria. The latent power of Twilight was released by it. She was in a trance, the energy pulsing around her to the point of levitating herself as she used her magic on the egg again, making it hatch.

Laughter was heard from the heights of the benches.

A hoof gently fell on Twilight’s shoulder. 

Twilight calmed down, the energy gradually dissipating as she looked at the egg. The laughter became louder. Between the broken shells was a plate with an omelette on it.

Twilight recoiled, looking at her flank. To her horror, her cutie mark was an exact copy of the state she’d left the dragon's egg. The laughter became deafening. Twilight turned around, but instead of Celestia, Nightmare Moon stood there, cackling with the crowd. The young princess turned pale. "N-Nightmare Moon?!"

Dressed for the occasion in a white robe attached by a crest on her shoulder with a moon motif, the one that shared the moniker of “Princess of the Night” realised that she was not behaving in a manner worthy of her rank. Quickly, she resumed a royal attitude before looking up at Twilight, a mocking smile on the corner of her lips. She sighed, for the cacophony of laughter filling her eardrums didn’t help her focus. "It's launch time. The judges have gone to the canteen."

Twilight tilted her head, uncertain how to react.  She turned to the judges, realising that they were no longer there, even though they were still laughing just a second ago. She turned to Nightmare Moon, looking for an answer.

"Post-hypnotic suggestion. Your mind accepted the idea that it was noon and that they were indeed gone. Well, now it would be a good time for you to be a little more lucid about your situation; I don't have all night ahead of me."

Twilight blinked several times. Her cutie mark became what she had always been. She understood then that she had fallen asleep while looking back at a happier past. She turned against Nightmare Moon, not very cheerful. "Is this how you take care of ponies' dreams? By making them have nightmares?" she accused, pointing with her hoof.

Nightmare Moon scoffed. "Excuse you?! How dare you, Twilight Sparkle?! To accuse me of a crime I didn't commit! I came to 'stop' this nightmare, which is only the product of your mind. But when I saw the turn it was taking, I took pleasure in seeing your embarrassment. It's not as if this nightmare was full of Timberwolves. We must act as allies, but that doesn't mean I have to act as if I were your friend."

Twilight shot back, "If you're done laughing at me, I'd like to finish dreaming in peace."

Nightmare Moon took three steps back before making the same bow she did earlier in the day. "Actually, I'd like to ask you for an audience, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Lives are at stake, and I need your help."

The young princess did not know how to react to this. Nightmare Moon asking for her help? She was both surprised and frightened, reluctant to imagine what she wanted from her. But if lives were at stake, she could not refuse without knowing the details. "I'm listening to you."

Nightmare Moon straightened up, about to explain herself, but the scenery caught her attention. "I can't believe I'm in charge of doing everything for you," she said. With these words, she slammed her hoof on the floor. The decor slipped, the classroom disappearing in the distance as the two alicorns found themselves in the throne room of Canterlot Castle.

Twilight observed the new setting, only slightly appreciating the change of scenery. "If you don't mind, I'd rather have this dream happen at my place in Ponyville." The decor changed immediately. Around them were the library’s bookshelves. Twilight, surprised by this sudden change, turned to Nightmare Moon. "Am I the cause of this change?"

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "Of course this is your work. Is this the first time you are lucid dreaming? The slightest desire can manifest itself if you so wish. But let us be clear—I refuse to see you make anypony appear, and you better not use this power over me. I need your full attention. This is about lives. I don't want to be subjected to the soulstates of a filly, Princess."  

Twilight tried to concentrate, briefly flapping her wings. "I am ready. I'm listening."

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I make sure I'm in the best conditions for this conversation by accelerating my heartbeat so that the blood flows into my brain."

"Twilight Sparkle, you're sleeping. Your mind is in the world of dreams. Flapping your wings is useless. Let me guess: you think you're breathing?"

"Of course I..." Twilight realised that she was playing the Nightmare Moon game. "Well, what do you want from me? I hope you're not here to ask me to help you make the night last forever. It’s a no from the get go."

"Nonsense! It was Luna who was afraid that her night would never be revered as much as the sun was, and that she would lose her title because of her sister. This is because of the words of the tyrant whose name must be kept silent because of the prediction. The same tyrant who, a thousand years earlier, distilled a poison in the mind of an immature filly. That same filly eventually succumbed, giving life to the physical manifestation of her jealousy that I am.”

Twilight's anger gave way to disbelief. "And you don't want that anymore?"

"Why would I want that? All of Equestria loves the night. The ponies stopped falling asleep as soon as the sun went down. Through Luna's eyes, I was able to witness it. They stay up late, sometimes even until dawn, to observe the night and have fun. There's even a party where they dress up because they're afraid I'll eat them. Even you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, appreciate my night for its true value. If Luna and I had known four years ago that this was the case, the outcome could have been similar without the use of the Elements of Harmony."

Twilight frowned. "What do you mean, 'Luna and me'? Aren't you one and the same mare?"

"We were, but the Elements of Harmony have this curious habit of refusing to destroy in absolutes. As such, their power separated us, freeing Luna from everything I could represent. From that day on, I was silenced, forced to observe, hidden in a corner of her heart. Once again forbidden to put my hooves upon the world where I came to life, forced to live by proxy through Luna. Watching her do what I could have done, if you hadn't found the Element of Magic."

"That doesn't explain why you're no longer there."

"Luna began to study in secret. She created what she called the Tantabus. I shall spare you many unimportant details about this creation. The important thing is that the Tantabus is the borrowed body that I asked for in exchange for my help. And that's where the heart of the matter lies. Four months ago, as Luna said, I proposed an exchange for reasons of good form; conditional freedom in exchange for my services. No one should know—not even you—that I was walking Equestria, which was fine with me. Taking Luna's appearance had its advantages here in the dream world."

"You could have asked to rule by her side."

"Seductive as this idea may be, I am the one who sought to make an eternal night reign. I am the one the children fear. I know myself all too well. I would have ended up harbouring jealousy towards Luna, because nopony would have ever approached the monster that they see me as. Moreover, I am the only queen in the eyes of bat ponies and vamponies; they have been loyal to me since my return."

"So Dusty Nova—"

"Slowly, Princess. We're not there yet. If you want to understand why I need your help, you have to understand how we got here. I'm trying to be as concise as possible, and it's not easy without truncating the facts."

Twilight kept quiet. She still had trouble believing that Nightmare Moon needed her help. Considering how hard she was trying to explain what had happened, the problem must have been serious.

"Also, Luna, who felt cheated by Pepper, needed to unleash her anger on somepony. There was little choice. In the end, she opted for changelings, Chrysalis at the top of the list."

"The changelings? Why? We haven't heard from those monsters since my brother Shining Armor and Princess Cadance married."

"It is true. But tell me, Princess Twilight Sparkle—how many ponies were injured? How many ponies died during this invasion? Could you answer these questions?"

"No." At that time, she had not considered taking an interest in this kind of detail.

"None, and you already know why: because changelings cannot afford to kill ponies. They need them. Without ponies, a changeling is guaranteed to starve. Changelings are predators by nature. They only know deception and manipulation to feed themselves. Now, consider Chrysalis and Pepper for a moment. Who they are, how they operate, their abilities."

Twilight did so, turning her gaze to the right. While she thought, they appeared before her eyes, standing side-by-side. She went back to their first meeting, when Chrysalis changed her appearance and became Cadance. Pepper also changed her appearance: her mane was shortened into a simple bun, the ornament gone. For a time, both played a role until they took action. Manipulators, liars, unscrupulous. And both of them were able to take on any appearance. If she linked these two profiles with Pepper's absence, it led to only one result. The two silhouettes disappeared as Twilight looked towards Nightmare Moon. "Chrysalis was a substitute Pepper, and, given her liabilities, no one would go to mourn her disappearance?"

"Precisely."

"But it's—"

"It doesn't matter. It's too late now. With a bat pony regiment, I blockaded the northern Badlands, preventing any attempt at a changeling incursion. They had orders to kill those who would try their luck."

Twilight was speechless, unable to imagine that Princess Luna would give such an order.

"However, when I was about to eradicate them, something made me realise that I was making a mistake, and I ordered my troops to retreat."

"What was it?"

Nightmare Moon slammed her hoof twice. The scenery changed to the Badlands on the night of the genocide.

Twilight observed the frozen scene now before her.

The Nightmare Moon of this scene was behind her army. At her side was Antares—still just a private—who assisted the command. The body of a high-ranking bat pony was behind her, a spear stabbed through her throat. Swift, armed with a pertuisane, secured the perimeter, preventing any attempts to attack the Princess of the Night. On the other side of this battle was Chrysalis. Chitin was by her side, keeping the enemy at bay, holding two short swords with  telekinesis.

Twilight noticed that all the warrior changelings seemed exhausted, their magic weak and obviously famished. Without warning, the scene came alive. A changeling charged Twilight, ready to strike. Twilight reflexively raised a shield. But the changeling passed through, disappearing as a bat pony went for the neck with his blade.

Nightmare Moon lightened the scene, erasing the changelings about to succumb 
from the battle in order to spare Twilight’s innocence.

The battle was one-sided. The first lines of the changelings disappearing in the blink of an eye, succumbing to the bat ponies' assault. 

Chrysalis saw no way out of this confrontation. She lowered her head and clenched her teeth. Her time had come, and she knew it. She concentrated what remained of her magic, creating a luminous sphere that flew off into the sky. The changelings in the rear lines imitated it. Like a domino effect, no more changelings were fighting. The bat ponies took advantage of it. 

The Nightmare Moon in this scene had stopped commanding. She watched this spectacle unfold before her eyes, seeing each sphere of light disappear every time a changeling was killed. By the time she screamed to stop the fight, the bat ponies had reached the last lines, hooves covered in what Twilight’s mind assumed was mud. They looked at their queen for orders. She ordered a retreat. They obeyed, flying away from this hecatomb.

When only Antares, Swift, and the queen remained, she spoke directly to Chrysalis. "Explain to me, Queen of the Changelings—this wasn't a spell, was it?"

Chrysalis was running out of steam. Her eyes wandered through the mass grave. There were only a few changelings left by her side other than Chitin. "When a changeling dies, the whole hive gathers to create bubbles of light with magic, thus guiding the soul of the deceased through the endless darkness of death to the afterlife. Since we are going to die tonight, I prefer that my last act as queen be a prayer for my subjects."

Nightmare Moon fell silent for a moment. "Private Antares, Private Moonlit, we're leaving."  

Twilight had never witnessed war before today. Despite Nightmare Moon’s attempt to make it easier to handle, she was crying, shocked by what she had just seen. She turned to face Nightmare Moon. "Why?"

"Why?!" Chrysalis whispered. "Have the courage to finish what you started!" she barked, crying with rage.

The Nightmare Moon of the scene turned away from her, returning to the camp, accompanied by her soldiers. "I have the courage to admit my mistake. And if an ant about to die looks to the stars of my night for the salvation of her soul, she deserves more respect than a weak filly who seeks to rule over the void."

The memory faded, leaving Twilight and Nightmare Moon alone in the dark of a dreamless sleep.

"I realised that, if I killed the changelings, there was no guarantee that Luna wouldn't ask me to eradicate another race. All this time, the euphoria of having my own body had blinded me. It made me forget that I was a queen—and that a queen has duties towards her subjects. And even if the changelings are not residents of Equestria, they are part of it, no matter what  they may think. Until now, I've been lying to Luna. The last lie is how I got the piece of mane you have. Chrysalis gave it to me; she claims she killed Pepper."

Twilight remained strangely silent following this revelation, before resuming, "That doesn't explain what Pepper was doing so far away. She had never left the Ponyville area."

"One of my subjects questioned her.She claimed that something made her go there. But who can believe her?" Nightmare Moon preferred to avoid talking about Aglowing Shell; she didn't want to tell Twilight that she was the aunt of an illegitimate child. "Despite what she said to you this morning, Luna wants Pepper dead. She wants her to die a slow death, like a cat playing with its prey. Hearing someone else have stolen this pleasure from her would prove fatal for that creature. As unpleasant as it will be to hear, I wanted to kill Celestia. When Pepper said that she stole this royal duty from me, I wanted to trample her. So, based on my own reactions, I ordered Dusty Nova to lie. Now, I need you to do the same about your attempts at localization. Otherwise, Luna will find out that she was being lied to, and she will seek the bloodbath the changelings stole from her."

"So that's the purpose of this hearing? To ask me to lie to Princess Luna about the results of my attempts to locate Pepper?"

"Luna is bruised. A thousand years ago, it was jealousy. Now,  it's something else, and I'm afraid the Elements of Harmony can't help her this time. She'll sink and become a new Nightmare. I only see two possibilities after that. I possess her, and stop it. Or, I do nothing about it, and she ends up next to Discord in Canterlot's gardens."

Twilight was shocked. "Are you implicitly asking for my consent to possess Princess Luna and rule Equestria?"

"It's a possibility I'm considering. But without your agreement, I would not do anything about it— as long as you have the Elements. Oh, and no, I don't intend to steal them. I'm here because I'm convinced that you'll have the wisdom to see me as an ally. Probably not the one you expected, but a reliable ally for the greater good of Equestria."

"What if I refuse?"

"Luna will become a Nightmare. However, if you base our first confrontation on imagining what the fight against this new Nightmare will be like, you are making a big and terrible mistake. I was the embodiment of Luna's old-fashioned jealousy. I didn't know you. You were just a bunch of fillies in my eyes. She's mature, more powerful, and knows you all; she'll have the advantage of the first strike. You are free to take this warning into account, now that you know everything and understand the purpose of my request. As for now, I'm going back to the dream plane; you're not the only one having nightmares." Her horn lit up as she made the door that led out of this dream appear.

"But I didn't even give you my answer!"

Nightmare Moon looked at her. "I'm not the one waiting for an answer. I warned you that you must not give Luna a clear answer under any circumstances, otherwise she will react badly. Tell her you're not getting any results. With this warning, I have made you an honest offer. You have all the time you need. I will wait until the next audience to act accordingly. If you consider my intentions sincere, I'll come back to you. If you think I'm trying to manipulate you, I won't interfere when Luna goes crazy. You'll have to assume the consequences of that choice alone. Although, you are not really alone. You have your friends. You can tell them about this audience if you think they can keep the secret of my presence."

Twilight tried to think. "What if I need to contact you outside of dreams, without Princess Luna's presence?"

Nightmare tried as best as she could to repress a satisfied smile. "The observation platform at the top of the tree where you live—put a letter there before the sun is lowered, I will check it every night when I fly over Ponyville. It's my turn to ask a question." Nightmare Moon had a doubt about Aglowing Shell and needed to hear the opinion of an expert in the field. "Tell me, Princess of Friendship. One of my bat ponies has a problem with a friend. He lied to him about his identity. If he found out who this bat pony really is, he could hate him for a more than justified reason. What should he do? Keep lying to him to preserve their friendship? Or tell him the truth, at the risk of losing it?"

Twilight never would have thought she would hear such a question from Nightmare Moon. If she didn't know she was already asleep, she would have thought she was dreaming. "Friendship cannot be built upon a lie. Sooner or later, the truth will catch up with the bat pony. If he really respects his friend, he must be honest and say who he really is. It is better to lose a friend by being honest than to lose him because the truth was discovered."

Deep down, Nightmare Moon already knew this. She just needed to hear it to muster the courage to face the consequences of such a choice. "I understand. Goodnight, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and thank you for the advice."

At the very moment Nightmare Moon closed the door behind her, Twilight opened her eyes, waking up in her bed. Spike was no longer there. When she turned to look, the extra bed was empty. She looked out the window. It was dark outside. The night was quiet in the streets of Ponyville.

She opened the door and went down the stairs unenthusiastically. She could see that the cleaning had been done. The table that usually sat in the middle of the room had already been moved against a wall. The welcome cake sat on it, a few slices missing. Twilight heard a few murmurs go silent. The assembly of ponies—and Spike—playing cards turned their attention towards her. "How long did I sleep?"

"It's past twenty-one," Sunset replied.

"Rainbow hasn't come back?" Twilight asked.

"You know her. She needs some time to be on her own and figure things out," Applejack said, pointing east with a hoof.

Twilight rubbed a hoof across her face ."Okay." She walked towards the door. "Girls, don't leave. I'll be back with Rainbow. Spike, make some coffee for everypony." Upon these words she left the library, closing the door behind her.

The others looked at each other. It took only a few minutes for Twilight to come back with Rainbow Dash, who was clinging to a cloud as black as her mood. She had refused to follow Twilight, the alicorn trapping her and the cloud in a telekinetic field.

Spike returned just in time from the cellar of the science lab, a tray with eight cups of coffee, sugar, and milk in his claws. He handed a mug almost full to the brim to Twilight, who accepted it in her magic. She offered a short hug to the dragon to thank him, before he went to give the one that had been prepared for Rainbow Dash.

"Once again, I'm sorry, Rainbow. But what I have to say is too important to wait. Bad news has accumulated without my knowledge, and Equestria's future is at stake."

"When the kingdom learns that the Princess is dead, Discord will come back in a second." Rainbow frowned.

"Princess Luna will not make an announcement about this. She told me that it must remain a secret, so as not to deprive Equestria of any hope of seeing her again one day. They must continue to live as if she would come back tomorrow," Twilight explained, eyes misting up, ears flattened to her head, unable to look her friends in the eye. 

There was a cacophony of turmoil, but Rainbow's voice roared louder. "So, what, we're gonna have to lie to everypony?! What's the point of knowing?"

Twilight smiled sadly. "I reacted in much the same way. And Princess Luna found the words to persuade me that this is what Princess Celestia would have wanted. Equestria lives in expectation of her return. I don't like it." She sighed. "But that's not the worst part." She walked towards the display case that kept the Elements of Harmony under glass, which had been  hidden under a cloth during the celebration.

Twilight looked at her crown, the Element of Magic, wondering if the gem had always been so dull. "I could tell as accurately as possible what happened in Canterlot, but it’s a real jumble of events, and I, myself, do not know the truth from falsehood in the end. I need you guys to understand that this is an even bigger secret. For the moment, nopony else but us in this room must know about it. Not even Princess Luna. If you don't think you can’t keep it to yourself, it would probably be best if you went home."

Behind her back, everyone exchanged cautious glances. Rarity stepped forward. "Twilight, my dear, I think I speak for all of us when I say that no one will leave this room, but... even Princess Luna? You talk as if something even more terrible has happened. I’m not saying I don’t believe that could be the case, but that’s still a tough idea to swallow."

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," promised Pinkie, drawing a cross on the chest of her hoof before hitting her eye with it. The others imitated the gestures, all taking an oath like Pinkie.

Twilight smiled briefly. "Thank you, girls. And thank you too, Spike. I have no doubt that I can count on all of you, but I want to make sure that you understand the importance of what I am about to reveal. When we defeated Nightmare Moon, she didn't completely disappear like we thought. About four months ago, when Pepper left, Nightmare Moon came back."

At these words, everyone except Twilight and Sunset—who was not there four years ago—felt a great chill run down their spines. The revelation left them speechless.

"The Elements of Harmony purified Princess Luna by separating her from Nightmare Moon. They are two distinct alicorns today. And they have a mutual aid agreement. Princess Luna manages Equestria's business, while Nightmare Moon takes care of the world of dreams. And while I was sleeping this afternoon, Nightmare Moon approached me without Princess Luna's knowledge." 

As she recounted this, she opened the window, took her crown, and placed it on a hoof. She could not remember if she had always had this weight—not on her head, but her shoulders. "Nightmare Moon asked for my help. She lied to Princess Luna. She asked me to lie as well—about Pepper's location. In the bag Sunset was carrying when we arrived, there is a piece of mane covered with coagulated blood, decorated with the ornament Pepper had worn since her return. This was apparently the evidence Chrysalis provided that proved that she killed Pepper. The thing is, Nightmare Moon suspects that might have been a lie. Whether or not this is so, if Princess Luna finds out about this, she will try to exterminate every single changeling out there. And finally, Nightmare Moon asks for my consent to take possession of the Princess, to curb her bloodlust. I... " 

Twilight dropped her crown on the ground. 

"I can’t make such a call... According to Nightmare Moon, in both cases, Princess Luna is condemned, and I think... she’s not wrong. The Elements of Harmony can’t obliterate her pain over her sister’s death. If we use them on her, she will end up as a statue. I can’t see any other solution. But postponing a problem isn’t solving it. What do I do? Do I let Nightmare Moon take over? What if she's playing me? What if she lied to me about everything?! What if she had told the truth?!!! And—" She was pulled out of her rantings by a claw on her side. 

Spike was the most empathetic of the group when it came to Twilight’s meltdowns. He gave Twilight a soft smile. "You'll know what to do, Twilight. You always do."

The bearers of the Elements approached Twilight to offer her a collective hug.

Applejack took off her hat and put it on Twilight’s head before grabbing her by the waist and squeezing against her side. "It's not an easy task, but it's not impossible for somepony like you."

"She's right. And we're here if you need help," Rainbow Dash added.

"Or to make you smile again!" said Pinkie Pie.

"At any time, day or night," Rarity said.

Fluttershy didn’t speak; her just being there spoke for her.

Spike looked at Sunset. "Aren't you coming to join the hug?"

"I'm not really the affectionate type in front of others," she replied.

Pinkie Pie gasped. She pulled a red cap out of her mane and screwed it on her head before turning it backward. "Pinkie Pie, Attack Cuddle!" she said with a deadpanned expression. Then, she chirped, "Pie!" She leapt onto Sunset, throwing her forelegs around Sunset’s neck and nuzzling her cheek.

Sunset startled, but didn’t fight back. She accepted Pinkie’s affection with a smile. "Okay, okay. Maybe it's not so bad once in a while."

"Sunset appreciates the hug! The attack was very effective!" cheered Pinkie.

A general laughter echoed in the library. Observing Pinkie and Sunset, Twilight lent herself a moment of serenity. At a time like this, she was more happy than ever to have her friends at her side. She allowed herself a small, genuine smile. After all this time, when she had spent her days locked up in the library, hoping to find some way to find Princess Celestia or go after Pepper. After her life had just turned upside-down. Finally, tonight, she had hit rock bottom.

In the darkness in which she was drowning in revelations, her friends remained her guiding light. 

Opening her eyes again, she looked back at her tiara. The star-shaped gem was shining again, or perhaps... the glow had never dulled. Only the doubt in her heart was behind that change.  Despite everything she would endure, her friends would still give her the strength to smile. Friendship was still something magic.
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later, when the shift between the sun and the moon was about to happen, Sunset was north of Ponyville. She had slipped out of the library without making a sound, taking her saddlebags with her and a canteen full of water. All around her, nature was waking up, birdsong adding to the sound of the breeze. Sitting on the dew-covered grass, she formed a circle with some rocks collected along the way. She lit a campfire; As the flames devoured firewood,, she prepared a teapot and hung it above the fire. Waiting for the infusion to brew, she took out two tea cups in chiselled metal, each with a different design. On the first cup was carved the cutie mark of Sunset, while the second one was decorated with the cutie mark of Celestia. A few minutes later, after the sun was risen, she greeted the astral body with a bow and poured tea into both cups. She sniffed the mint tea and finally smiled. "Hello, Princess Celestia. I'm sorry I haven't had time to share a cup of tea lately. I've been a bit busy getting back to Equestria, but it seems you already knew I was on my way." She looked down, still with that peaceful smile on her face. "I'll take care of Twilight, Princess, I promise you." She looked up at the sun for a brief moment before staring at the teacups. "That said, I would rather have received this request in person. It's not like you couldn't have contacted me all this time. I don't understand you." She smiled briefly. "I couldn't understand you when I was your student either; some things don't change over time, it seems." She took her cup of tea, turned it twice clockwise before taking a sip, then twirled it again so that she could look at its decoration. She took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, then fought a  tremor. She glanced at the metal parchment case that housed Princess Celestia’s last letter. "Your last words. I cannot believe you are no longer with us." She glanced briefly at the sun. "Had I known, I would have come home much sooner. You tell us not to regret anything, yet, this is all I have left: memories and regrets." She performed the same ritual again before and after drinking the rest of her tea cup in one go with a smile on her face. "Yes, well, you've also left me somepony to look after. Somehow I feel more like this is your revenge. My punishment for not being a devoted student. I gladly accept this retribution. I will treat Twilight as my little sister, and I will watch over her according to your last wish." She refilled her cup of tea, then unscrewed the case to take out Celestia's last letter. As she glanced through the parchment, she sipped her tea, following the codes of the tea ceremony she had learned in Japony.

<My dear students,
When you read this letter, I won't be here anymore.

Several years ago, Bitter Truth, the oracle, came to me and explained what was going to happen today. Circumspect, I did not doubt his words. Year after year, they have come true. The return of my sister, the liberation of the spirit of chaos, the danger during my adopted niece's wedding, the resurgence of the tyrant. The rise of the Princess of Friendship. All that was left was the setting of the Princess of the Sun.

You probably think I should have told you about it, or warned you, but Bitter Truth told me what the future would look like if I didn't face that event. A thousand years ago, I could not prevent the banishment of my sister, blinded by my own pride. Today, I would not make the same mistake. I would do the right thing. I have lived more than a thousand years. Watching the kingdom of Equestria from my tower, I have seen it grow and  prosper. The dream of Luna and I had become a reality. Generation after generation, I have met ponies who left their hoofprint in history—unicorns that I am proud to have had as students. I've had a complete and full life—maybe too full.

You will no doubt look for a culprit in this. If that is the case, I am the only one to blame. I was weak to prefer to disappear, rather than stand helplessly by and watch the prediction that was revealed to me unfold.

Keep this in mind: I am not dying; I am doing an altruistic act for the greater good. And as I have already said to a thick-headed mare, I, too, am just a mare like any others after all.

Warmest regards, your devoted mentor,
Princess Celestia.>

Sunset carefully put the mail in the case and closed it before using a third cup. With her gaze fixed on the symbol, she meditated on the contents of the letter. "If I had not heard Twilight say that this Pepper had set the sun, this letter would make me think that you are still alive. You give explanations, but that brings with it more questions." She had a nostalgic smile on her face. "That sounds like one of your lessons."

In a gust of wind, Rainbow Dash landed beside the unicorn. She watched the campfire before turning towards Sunset, stepping back and spreading her wings. "Sunset? Are you alright?"

Sunset was surprised by her sudden arrival and instinctively threw herself backwards towards her saddlebags. Out of habit, she never parted from her katana. She turned the blade she had partially drawn on her right, looking at Rainbow Dash, frowning, in an improvised defensive posture. When she realised there was no threat, she sheathed the blade, her expression softening. "Yes,you just surprised me. When you travel, you don't just make friends. Did I wake you up?"

 "Oh no. I'm not the only one who gets up at the first minute of daytime. Applejack's off in her orchards, and Pinkie's up baking at Sugar Cube Corner,” Rainbow Dash commented. "It's part of my daily training to become a Wonderbolt." She looked around. "When I saw the fire from the sky, I came to see what was going on. Am I disturbing you?"

Sunset bit her lower lip, smiling sheepishly. "No, it's just a morning ritual that started with my regret phase." She glanced at the pegasus. "Several months after being dismissed as Princess Celestia's pupil, one morning as she rose the sun, I greeted her. I started speaking to the sun as if she was there, as well as sending her boxes of tea anonymously. It must sound silly when you say it like that."

Rainbow sat down, crossing her forelegs. "Silly? Nah, no more than anypony talking in front of a relative’s grave." She sighed. "Which is  actually the case now," she added, looking at Canterlot in the distance.
 
"You're right.," Sunset admitted. "After the sun is risen, what's the next step in training to become a Wonderbolt?" she asked, changing the subject.

Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and began to glide. "I'm flying to Canterlot and having breakfast at Donut Joe's in—"

"Breakfast at Donut Joe's?!" Sunset's eyes lit up. "I'm in!" In a whirlwind, she pulled out a purse and tied it around her neck, tucked her things into one of the saddlebags, and put out the fire with the rest of the tea. "Just a quick stop at Twilight's house to put my saddlebags away and we're good to go!"

"I'll take care of it," Rainbow said, taking the saddlebags off her back. "Whoa! I feel like I'm carrying two basketfuls of apples"

"Almost the bare minimum for living on the road. Tent, blanket, survival kit. About twenty kilos. Think you can handle it?" Sunset asked.

"Even with this on my back, I can make the round trip in less than ten seconds," boasted the pegasus.

Sunset was amused, wanting to spice things up. "I bet you can't do it in less than five seconds. Loser buys breakfast."

"You're on!" Rainbow Dash was gone in a flash, so fast that she created another gust in her wake.

Smiling, the unicorn bent over to compensate for the sudden gust of wind that upset her balance. She concentrated, her magic granting her wings of flames. She rose high enough in the air to see Rainbow fly back at full speed. "It was a sucker’s bet," she said, making sure the harness was properly secured so she wouldn't lose the katana.

"Are you kidding? I can totally do it! I'm going to practice until I get below the five-second mark," Rainbow Dash vowed.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Well, shall we go? It's going to be a long flight to Canterlot."

Rainbow blinked several times before laughing. "Long?" She grabbed one of Sunset's hooves. "I don't think so."

Sunset suddenly grew apprehensive. "Rainbow? What are you doin’—?!" she shouted as she was forced into a flight that broke the sound barrier halfway through, creating a rainbow-colored ring that grew larger in the morning sky.

Rainbow carried her to the front door of Donut Joe's shop. When she turned around to look at Sunset, she fell to the ground, laughing. She held her ribs while pointing at Sunset's mane. It was ruined by the Sonic Rainboom, blown back straight like a head of flaming straw. "What the hay is with your hairdo?! If Rarity saw you like this, she'd faint." She took a deep breath, then straightened up on her hooves. "Let's head in. I'm starving."

Sunset shook her head, putting her mane back in place. "My stomach is still in Ponyville because of you. By the time we've ordered, it will have made the trip here," she said with a mischievous smile.

They entered the store. As Rainbow walked towards the counter, the smell of the morning doughnuts invigorated Sunset’s memory. It was like going back in time. Nothing had changed. The chequerboard floor. The light blue and apple-green contoured counter behind which Joe took the orders. The round tables and their wooden stools. She joined Rainbow at the counter.

Joe watched in amazement and delight as Sunset approached. "If I hadn't been told you were back, Miss Shimmer, I'd think I saw a ghost."

Sunset looked at Rainbow, but the pegasus simply shook her head. "It wasn't me," she said, as astonished as Sunset was. They turned to Donut Joe.

Joe briefly looked at the entrance. "I heard it from a reliable source."

The pegasus that had just entered the shop moved closer to the counter. "But if it isn't Sunpest I see there... So, finally back from the lost maze, girl? It's about time you came home," she said with impertinent malice.

Rainbow reacted immediately, turning to defend her new friend. But as she was about to speak, she immediately took a step back. 

Sunset put a hoof on her shoulder, giving her a warm smile. "Don't worry, it's all right," she whispered. She glanced at the interested party. "Yeah, I'm back. Why? Do you mind? Don't make a big fuss about nothing, Shitfire," 

Spitfire was out of her Wonderbolts uniform. She stood with defiance, looking stern. "Do I mind? Yes, it does bother me. Canterlot's daily life has been pretty quiet lately, but with you around, I have the feeling that it won't last long. So, be a good filly for once, and go back to where you came from," she ordered dryly.

Rainbow stood silent, not knowing what to think of the scene before her. She glanced at Donut Joe. The stallion was also watching, a discreet smirk on his face. She turned again to the two antagonists facing each other.

Sunset and Spitfire were facing each other like statues. It wasn't long before their lips twisted into a smile, and they shared a hoofshake that ended in a shoulder-to-shoulder slap.

"Wait—do you two know each other?" Rainbow asked, leaning forward with her wings spread.

"Yes." Sunset said, "Spitfire was a friend of mine when I was a student at the school for gifted unicorns."

Spitfire laughed. "You mean, the only one crazy enough to hang out with you back then. But let's talk about old times in a little bit. Joe, can you bring us our usual orders, please?"

"Right away, miss," Joe said.

The three of them settled down at a table. Sunset and Spitfire sat face-to-face. Rainbow sat on the side, so was fortunate to be sitting beside one of her idols.

Donut Joe brought three meal trays. For Spitfire and Rainbow, the tray contained a fruit salad, coffee, a glass of milk, and several slices of toast with two squares of butter and two individual jars of jam. For Sunset, a green tea, a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries accompanied by a pitcher of milk, and a whole avocado. When he saw Sunset's surprised expression , he smiled. "I memorised your breakfast. I hope you still like it. Ladies, enjoy your breakfast."

Sunset wanted to respond with the term she'd learned in Japan, but settled for a simple,  "Thank you." She turned to the two pegasi. "Enjoy your meal too."

After some polite exchanges, Spitfire began, "So, what's the story of your little stroll?"

Sunset cut the avocado with the knife. "I wandered all over the world until I ended up in Japony. It was a nice place, so I settled down. New culture, a way of life so different from here. But being a gaijin isn't easy there, even if there are advantages to being a ronin," she thought aloud, watching her reflection in the knife. She realised Spitfire was looking at her oddly. "Gaijin means ‘stranger’, and a ronin is..." She was going to say samurai, but that would make it harder to understand. "...A warrior who serves no ruler. A mercenary, sort of. Over there, the country is divided into clans, each with its own chief—the correct term is daimyo—and its warriors, which are called samurai. In the beginning, it was easy for me to get a job in the sake parlours, making sure the customers didn't get drunk." When she finished dicing up the avocado, she saw that the two mares were lost again. "The local alcohol, made from fermented rice. After that, I was offered a job by a magistrate, who is the equivalent of a criminal investigator. That's when I started making enemies and being on the lookout for intruders," she said, looking at Rainbow.

Spitfire was amused by the second part of the story. "Sunset Shimmer, the royal meanie,  now a representative of justice. If anypony but you had told me, I'd have laughed in their face."

Rainbow poured some of her milk into the coffee and mixed it with two sugars. "The... what?"

Spitfire turned to Rainbow. "Sunset Shimmer was the worst student at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Oh, of course, as a pupil of Princess Celestia, she behaved impeccably towards any authority figure. But as soon as there weren’t any adults around, she became a completely different mare."

Sunset took the blame, but sought to defend herself. "You're exaggerating. I wasn't as much of a bully as you say I was. Okay, I admit that I had a shitty mentality at the time, but not that much. I was still a student of Princess Celestia, after all."

Spitfire had a laugh. "I think you're idealising your past, because, believe me, your name is still being mentioned at the school today. You've become an urban legend."

Rainbow stepped in, eager to know more. "But how did you two meet in the end?"

Sunset happily put aside the ongoing conversation to answer Rainbow. "At the time, this venom-spitting viper was looking for a unicorn to train in live combat. So when she went to see Princess Celestia, she naturally thought of me."

Rainbow turned to Spitfire again. "Real fight with a unicorn? What for?"

"The pony who desires peace prepares for war. And when you see what unicorns can do with their magic, you must be prepared to fight one of them at any moment," Spitfire explained.

"By the way, has that training paid off?" Sunset asked before eating a few spoonfuls of her oats.

"So-so." Spitfire set her cutlery aside and leaned over the table, chin in hoof, looking out the windows to the sky. "Soon after you left, I became Squadron Leader and Chief Instructor of New Recruits." She looked at Sunset  and smiled impertinently. "I think it's fair to say it has been useful to my career."

The oats Sunset had gathered slipped from her spoon and fell back into the bowl. She put the spoon on the tray and took a sip of her tea. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Don't bother. I'm too used to Sunpest. I might take it as sarcasm."  

"Stop it, Spitfire. You were one of the few I was straight with," Sunset grunted.

"I admit as much." Spitfire looked lost in her memories, amused. "Do you remember the first year who kept following you around?” She wouldn't say their name, thinking Sunset forgot it. “You'd make her carry your things, send her shopping, whatever, and she'd ask for more, always ready to oblige. What was it she said when she talked about you? I don't remember," she pondered aloud. 
Rainbow remained silent as she finished her meal, letting her friends talk about the good old days—even though it was hard to imagine that Sunset could have been as Spitfire described.
 
Sunset had to think for a moment to remember. "Yes, I know who you mean. That young unicorn with the light-blue coat and silver and blue mane, she was all over me back then. Trixie, I believe? She said I was the ‘Great and Wonderful’ Sunset."
You have better to suggest? Following everywhere is not better

Spitfire suddenly looked up at Sunset with an amused, nostalgic smile. "Yes, that's it, exactly!"

Rainbow spat out the coffee she was drinking. "You knew Trixie when she was young?!" she shouted.
 
"Uh... yes? Why? Do you know her?" Sunset asked warily.

"Are you kidding me? She's had Twilight in a rage since they first met! She even tried to use the Alicorn Amulet to defeat her in a magic duel and banish her from Ponyville!" Rainbow explained.

"After you left, she began to consider herself the most powerful student in the school. But nothing could be further from the truth. The episode with the artefact briefly made her more powerful than Princess Twilight. Back then, she was still a unicorn," Spitfire added.

Sunset had a vague recollection of the artefact bringing power to the wearer, but the wearer’s spirit would become corrupted as it was used. "Is she all right now?" Sunset asked, worried about Trixie's fate.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since we took the amulet from her. She left Ponyville shortly after. That was last year."

Sunset gave a quiet sigh of relief. "I see." She ate a spoonful of oatmeal before resuming, "I'm not proud of it, but it's all behind me. It was fifteen years ago. I'm not the same pony anymore. I'm not going to let the past stop me from moving forward."

The three mares resumed their meal in silence. Donut Joe approached the table to clean up the coffee that Rainbow had spit out moments earlier. After a stern look, he cracked a teasing smile. "Miss Dash, if the coffee isn't to your liking, just say the word. I’ll brew a new pitcher to change yours."

Rainbow was embarrassed, rubbing her neck with a hoof. "No, it's not that. I just heard something huge about Sunset's past."  

Joe hid a laugh behind a hoof. "Anypony who knew her would have a lot to say about Miss Shimmer. Even I'd have a few anecdotes to tell about her."

Sunset let her astonishment override her annoyance. "Even here? What have I done?"

"Didn't you ever notice that my dad had a new intern almost every week?" Joe asked.

"I don't remember," Sunset admitted after a period of reflection.

"You were a difficult client at the time, abusing your status as Princess Celestia’s student. .  Your unpleasant comments made the interns give up rather than put up with you for another day. In the end, my father pushed me to personally take care of your orders. I remember the difficulty I had in preparing a breakfast that you liked." He laughed nostalgically. "Those were good times. I don't know if I would've gotten my cutie mark without your fussy demands, but I had to be just as fussy to make my doughnuts."

Spitfire held back a laugh. "I remember the day you threatened to bring in a health inspector and shut the shop down if the intern of the day dared to ever serve you an avocado that wasn’t freshly picked again. He looked so freaked out the rest of the day. Good thing it wasn't a pegasus, or it would have rained lightning bolts on your head once you left the shop.”

With a story like that, Rainbow smiled up to her ears, which she could hardly hide behind her hooves.

Sunset remained silent, memories of the same sort streaming into her mind. She lost her appetite, putting her spoon down, her eyes screwed on her plate. When she felt Joe's hoof on her shoulder, she turned her gaze to him.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Miss Shimmer. I brought that up just because you don't seem to be the same. You haven't made a doughnut in your life." He smiled reassuringly. "When you eat a doughnut, the last bite ends behind the first. You're right back where you started, so to speak. Which you haven't done. I’m certain that if Princess Celestia hadn't disappeared, she'd be proud to see the mare you've become."

At the thought of Princess Celestia's disappearance, Rainbow and Spitfire lost their smiles and ended the meal. Sunset, who regained a slight smile, thought about the precept with interest. "’Don't live your life like a doughnut.’ That's an interesting bistro philosophy you've got there, Joe.”

"Sold two bits each, six days a week. Twenty bits by the dozen," joked Joe as he walked back behind the counter.

Breakfast now over, they paid the check and left the store. Spitfire turned back to Sunset and Rainbow. "If you don't have any plans, I'd like you to come with me. Shouldn't take more than an hour." With those few words, she flew off, climbing above the tallest house in the area. The two mares stared at each other, then flew into the skies after Spitfire.

"I'm beginning to think this meeting was planned," Sunset said as she flew to the left of the Wonderbolt, Rainbow on the other side.

"It was, more or less, but seeing you two together at Joe's is more luck than anything else. It's true we used to have breakfast there. And since Soarin made it the Wonderbolts' unofficial coffee shop, I was sure Rainbow Dash would be there. I thought I'd send her to get you."

"Unnecessary, since she literally dragged me to Joe's. Now that we're out of eavesdropping range, you wanna give us a briefing?"

Spitfire smirked. "As eager as ever, I see. Sunpest isn't as dead and buried as you'd like to think. Joking aside, the day after Princess Celestia disappeared, I found an envelope in my office. The letter contained instructions from Princess Celestia. That's how I knew you were coming back one of these days."

"I've got a pretty good idea who the delivery pony was," Sunset said between two flaps of her flaming wings

"Head to the Altostratus Zone," Spitfire said, ignoring the remark.

The three mares flew to the Wonderbolt Academy. While Sunset enchanted her hooves to be able to walk on clouds, Rainbow Dash watched the airstrip, remembering her stay that led her to becoming a Wonderbolt reservist. Behind the academy's administrative district was a restricted area. They arrived in front of a hangar that was guarded by a pegasus officer wearing an indigo blue shirt and cap. His gaze hidden behind tinted sunglasses, he greeted them as Spitfire guided them inside.

Spitfire sighed as she walked down an all-white corridor. "First of all, I want you to know that I was briefed yesterday afternoon by Princess Luna on the status of Princess Celestia. Therefore, in accordance with the letter, I am initiating what she called the project..." She stopped, sighed again, rolling her eyes before casting a reproving glance back. “... ‘Like Every Wonderful Day.’ No comments, you two," she ordered curtly.

It took two seconds for Sunset to understand and need to hide her laughing lips behind a hoof. Rainbow needed Sunset to share the secret hiding in the acronym to understand why Spitfire reacted the way she did. The ensuing uncontrollable laughter echoed in the hallway.
 
The leader of the Wonderbolts used a wing to hide her face, the contagious laughter making her smile in spite of herself. After regaining her composure, she made her way to the main hall. "She always had a knack for bringing a ray of sunshine to even the most serious topics of conversation. I will miss her witticisms." She put the hoof on a panel. The door turned to mist. She walked through and stopped at the entrance. "Girls, this is the old Sandmare Project."

Sunset and Rainbow entered the room. The former just sat next to Spitfire. The latter went over to the centre of the room, looking at  two pegasus dummies of both genders. On both were prototypes of armour without protective plates.

Rainbow tilted her head towards Spitfire." What's this?"

"More specifically, what was Project Sandmare?" Sunset corrected.

Spitfire looked at them before wandering around the hangar, going from bench to bench, from schematics-covered countertops to those with metallurgical studies. "It started shortly after I became chief of the Wonderbolts. At the time, I was obsessed with an idea: What if somepony like Sunpest goes rogue and threatens the safety of Equestria?"

"Oh, so you were obsessed with me? Interesting," Sunset said with an impertinent smile.

Spitfire continued with a brief, knowing smile. "The worst thing about it is that I wasn't the only one in this case. Several high-ranking Wonderbolts were literally obsessed with the idea, day and night. In our dreams, there was a unicorn—sometimes a male, sometimes a female—sometimes a relative, sometimes a stranger—but always a unicorn who was going to be an unstoppable threat to us pegasi. So we started working on this project. In time, we found a metal that was impervious to magic. Only trouble was, it turned out that the samples of this metal came from meteorites. Soon after, the obsession evaporated. Dreams, ideas— just poofed away overnight, as if a page had been turned without our knowledge."

Sunset wondered if Nightmare Moon had anything to do with this, but saw no point in pushing the enemy to do research to fight a unicorn or an alicorn. She kept that idea in the back of her mind for the time being.

"How many have you collected? How much armour could you make out of it?" Rainbow asked as she tried on the helmet, which was designed to follow the contours of the face without obstructing vision in any way.

Spitfire came over to adjust the helmet's fasteners. "A few ingots of pure metal there under the tarp," she said, jerking her head to a corner. "Not even enough to make a full suit of armour," she said as she tied the chinstrap, half-strangling Rainbow in the process.

Sunset went to see said metal. The tarpaulin moved to the side, she tried to use telekinesis on one of the ingots, but it proved to truly be impervious to magic manipulation. She took the time to study the metal. It was so black that it seemed to absorb the light itself. She put the ingot down and put the tarp back on. Without too much difficulty, she found a study report on the metal. "Given its density, if one made an armour with such metal, it would drastically reduce the speed of the wearer."

"This is the major concern.Was metallurgy before or after ‘Sunpest, the righter of wrongs’?" Spitfire asked as Rainbow put her hooves in the solerets.

"Afterwards. When I first started there, I used a regular sword. But the more I learned about this country, the more I appreciated their customs and habits. I worked to accumulate favours with a clan until I could express the wish to make one for myself. To buy a blade, anypony can do that. But a katana is to brandish my honour, to show what metal I'm made of. At least that's how it's perceived over there in Japony."  

Rainbow was both lost and fascinated by what Sunset said, but a physical sensation perturbed her more.She looked at the solerets in more detail, intrigued. "Is it just me, or am I taller?"

Spitfire smiled at Sunset's words, then turned to Rainbow. "Rear up and crush the front hooves as you fall back."

Rainbow obeyed without blinking, and, in doing so, activated an internal mechanism that released manticore-like claws. "Whoa, cool!" She looked at them for a moment. "It'd be, like, twenty percent cooler if we could use them to manipulate objects."

Sunset dropped the study notebook and came closer to see the fitting of the armature. She used magic to put the rest of Rainbow’s body and wings through it. "You look like one of those half-pegasus, half-metallic creatures from those science fiction stories," she commented before turning to Spitfire. "So, what's the project all about?"

"I have to finish Project Sandmare. Make this armour capable of facing a unicorn and put it into action. Any ideas?" asked Spitfire.

"It's been a long time, but what have you learned from our training?" Sunset replied.

"Even with the best mobility, whenever you used telekinesis to immobilise me, it was my defeat." She turned to Rainbow. "Any ideas, Dash?"

Rainbow wanted to bring her hoof to her lips, the prototype’s claws pricking her nose in the process. "Ouch!"

"To retract those claws, you have to click your heels together," Spitfire said.

One heel-slap later, Rainbow tried to find a memory of a one-on-one fight with a unicorn. But nothing came to her. "Not really. The one time there was a fight with a unicorn, I kicked her in the neck, but Twilight and Applejack were distracting her." She sighed. "It was Pepper."

Spitfire put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "I've read the report. Dash, you couldn't have known what she had in mind." When she saw that she failed to cheer Rainbow up, she turned to Sunset.

Sunset looked up at the sky and smiled. "Hey, Rainbow. I forgot—what's the name of the project again?"

Rainbow looked up at Sunset. Though caught off guard, she laughed unwillingly. "All right, all right, I'll keep smiling. Anyway, what about the armour?"

"The armour will always cause you to lose speed. We must reconsider the concept if we try to make a lamellar armour like that of the Royal Guards. Their armour is made of iron,  which wouldn’t allow a pegasus to lift off. No, it would be better to make something like chain mail, or an equivalent like a kikko. The meteor metal would be underneath the armour and block telekinesis, so the wearer could concentrate on flying around to dodge enemy attacks."

"Kikko?" Spitfire asked.

"Imagine lots of hexagonal metal plates no larger than... a square of four stamps, all sewn together over the entire surface of a thick, cloth suit," Sunset explained.

"To the extent that we're talking about creating a virtual anti-telekinesis bubble, we could remove the cloth outfit and weld these plates together inside a complete cloudichalcum armour," Spitfire proposed.

"Cloudichalcum?" Rainbow asked.

"Light as a cloud, stronger than the best steel. It is the metal used for the princesses' regalia. The only one that can withstand their power without ever being damaged," Spitfire explained. "Sometimes I find it hard to believe that princesses have been wearing the same regalia for a thousand years. Yet, it just goes to show how much metal has survived the centuries without a scratch," she added in a whisper.

"So we're talking about making armour like the princesses’? Cool!"

Sunset had an amused smile. "Technically, even better than princesses’." She gave herself a moment to think aloud. "Tests will have to be conducted. The main concern would be to determine exactly how thick the plates must be to make the Wonderbolt wearing the armour impervious to telekinesis."

"She," Spitfire said. "Dash joined the active team yesterday. It remains to be seen which one will be ready first: the armour or the soldier," Spitfire thoughtfully said.

"Wait, what?! Me?!" Rainbow asked, taken aback.

"Yes, you, Rainbow Dash. Why do you think you're here?" Spitfire said.

Rainbow was frozen in awe. She couldn't believe it; her dream was coming true. She was no longer a reservist; she was now a real Wonderbolt. She had imagined that, when this moment came, she would smile up to her ears, crying in joy, taking off into a Sonic Rainboom. Yet, somehow, she felt crumpled. And as Spitfire went into detail, one question nagged at her mind . "I became a Wonderbolt, yes—but at what cost?"





A few hours after moonrise, Nightmare Moon had just left the tunnel and was now treading the rocky ground of the Badlands. The Princess of the Night was still in her simplest attire. A step behind her was Swift. They walked with an accelerated pace through the greatest of silences.

Swift followed the order and his Queen with the utmost respect. The bat pony's armour was shining. Since he had been placed under the direct orders of Major Antares, the latter left nothing unchecked, reviewing him at every opportunity to make sure that he would not embarrass her in the presence of the Queen. Despite this treatment, he had a discreet smile that tried to reach her ears.

Nightmare Moon looked over her shoulder at the hills behind them, then turned back towards Swift, intrigued by the smile he could not repress. "May I ask what makes you smile like that, Private Swift Chess?"

Swift laughed briefly. "I apologise for the misbehaviour, my Queen, but the look on Cute Bite's face when you ordered me to leave my weapon at the camp... I thought her eyes would pop out of their sockets."

"I see. Did you ever think of telling her the truth about her sister—the late Lieutenant Antares?" Nightmare Moon asked curiously.

His smile became faint, but remained present. "My Queen, if you knew Cute Bite like I do, you'd know that even if you told her this yourself, stubborn as she is, she would refuse to believe it. Cute Bite is a dreamer. She looks at Your Night and sees there the two mares that she esteems more than anything else, to the point of putting them each on a pedestal. Her sister, at your side. Two eternal constellations in her filly heart. You, our majestic Queen, and Antares, your devoted warrior."

Nightmare Moon thought it over for a moment. "Perhaps I should do something about that. Luna didn't care much for that at the time. She preferred to plunge into creating the Tantabus rather than worry about picking up where I left off, taking my reign for granted."

Swift was already imagining the look on Cute Bite's face and the endless stream of tears that would follow. "Whatever you have in mind, I believe Cute Bite would be touched by this gesture." A thought raced through his mind. "My Queen, if I may ask you this question—no doubt indiscreet—where does this sudden urge to tell her the truth come from?"

Nightmare Moon gave a side glance at her subordinate before looking ahead of her again. "I had a conversation with Twilight Sparkle. And..." She stopped, drawn by the sudden sound of hooves fighting to remain steady. When she looked at Swift again, he was pale. "Is it that shocking?"

The bat pony blinked. "No, my Queen. I've just realised something. You can never, never, never talk about Princess Sparkle in the presence of Cute Bite. Worse still, under no circumstances must they meet," he said in a firm tone.

Faced with the seriousness of Swift, Nightmare Moon resumed her walk, pensive. It was easy to ask why, but she preferred to think for herself at first. Her deduction led her to an obvious conclusion. "More than those who held the blades that killed her, does she hold Twilight Sparkle solely responsible for her sister's death?"

He joined her side. "Yes. If you're looking for an excuse to start a war between the Moon and Equestria, order her to assassinate the princess. She will be glad to do it, but she will be far from discreet," he said before continuing, his ears drooping, his face low. "She becomes unrecognisable as soon as that name is uttered. Even I find it hard to get her to come back from those moments."

"I've never known the proper punishment for these opportunists. Since I've been back, they rot in jail, waiting for me to find something appropriate for their treason. An execution would be too sweet as a death."

Swift tried to figure out where this conversation was leading. He could see that his hoofsteps were leading him to the changeling hive, but the discussion revolved around Cute Bite and Antares. "My Queen, is there something you wanted to tell me? I can see this is the kind of thing you can't say to everypony, so if you have something to share, just say it. It's not my first secret."

Nightmare Moon stopped to look at the moon. "Swift, this conversation has no real purpose; think of it as a confidence between a Queen and her royal assassin. You may not be trained to kill, but you're the best substitute I've got at my disposal."

Swift sat with his back to the moon beside the alicorn, watching over her safety— though he knew it was useless. "So, I'm just a confidant? As long as I don't have to kill anypony, I think I can do the job, my Queen."

"Now that the ban is lifted, there will be no need for a royal assassin. Antares was the last, and she didn't have to fight me. Even without it, I caused her death," said the thousand-year-old mare, sincerely affected by the death. "I want you to know, like all the royal assassins who were also my confidants before you, the real reason for their presence by my side through the centuries. They watched over me like a hawk. On the day my banishment ended, Antares had orders to watch over my return. In case I was banished again, her orders were to control me, and, in the worst case, to kill me. Anything to prevent a second bloodbath. That is why I have had an assassin at my side for a thousand years. To take my life if I ever again become the senseless monster who decimated Luna's bloodline when her father tried to control me. I was unable to control the rage that overwhelmed me then." She sighed, amused. "Time is a wonderful thing. Whoever you were, whatever you did—in the end, there is nothing left. Luna has been forgotten by Equestria, at best the unknown protagonist of a fable. Just like how my becoming Queen of the Moon has been sublimated."

"Didn't you fight to unite the major bloodlines under your ruling?"

"It wasn’t a fight, but a slaughter. Back then, my adoptive father—an opportunist who was the current Primogen of his bloodline—used me as a leverage to claim leadership over all the Primogen so he could rule Broncoliande. After my banishment, he ordered me to calm down. At that very moment, we both realised that I was no longer a child afraid of father’s wrath. After cleansing what is now my palace, I walked out, and saw that the other Primogen were there. And they knew that none of them could defeat an alicorn. Then, the Major's ancestor approached, removing the symbol of his status as Primogen of his bloodline and surrendered it to me. A sign of submission. And the others followed his gesture."

"I find it hard to believe that it wasn't my ancestor who first submitted to you. Seriously, it was the best move to make to get into the future Moon Queen's good graces, don't you think?" Swift joked.

"He was one of the last to make sure the idea was a good one." She turned her eyes to Swift. "You're taking the revelation rather well."

"Humour is my defence mechanism. If I wasn't wearing this armour, you could see the goosebumps on my back. Besides, that was a thousand years ago; you've changed, otherwise why else would you have turned the Cute Bite bloodline into bat ponies to look after you? If you ask me, over time, the royal assassin was an excuse to be a friend—the only friend the mare behind the queen's mask could afford to have."

"Inasmuch as I was not banished a second time, it will remain just a theory."

One detail didn't fit the story Nightmare Moon had just amended. "My Queen, if all the Primogen did not dare to fight you as one bat pony, and if your own father and the rest of your lineage was not an opposition worthy of your power, how could Antares alone have won against you? Or, if the necessity was there, kill you? Moreover, she did not have the advantage of surprise."

"Perceptive," Nightmare Moon said with a smirk. "That's the question I've always asked myself with increasing anxiety as the centuries have passed. And since I couldn't get any research done on the Moon, I employed Celestia's lackeys to answer the question. As Equestria finally had the necessary scientific level in the last decades, I manipulated a few pegasi in key positions with post-hypnotic suggestions through their dreams. They eventually found that a certain type of meteoric metal was capable of rendering magic ineffective. So I forwarded plans to an armourer, who was killed by Antares once the order was complete. I couldn't allow him to divulge this to anypony."

Two points connected in Swift's mind. "I understand better now why she had to kill that bat pony. It explains a lot. But even knowing all this, I think Cute Bite would refuse to believe that her idol was a royal assassin. But if you think about it, defeating Celestia, or murdering her—it's almost the same thing. Moreover, what would be the point?"

"You're going to let her base all her decisions on a lie?"

"My Queen, I promised Antares I'd watch over Cute Bite. No matter what choices she makes in life, her safety is all I care about. And that's no lie. Antares was your lieutenant—arguably the most loyal of all—willing to lay down her life to defend your legitimacy. Whereas others sought to clear Princess Luna's path to the throne, or even kill you, since that was your order." He gritted his teeth. "I won't have anypony pretend this was all an act. No one!" he shouted, tears in his eyes as he stared into the distance.

Nightmare Moon could not prove him wrong. Like all assassins before her, Antares had been most loyal to her. "This conversation is over. Go back to camp. End the night as you see fit—within reason. I will endorse your choice when I return."

Swift regained his composure, chasing away tears with the thumbs of his wings. Before turning before the alicorn, he curtsied, wings spread. "Sweet night to you, my queen," he said, before turning north.
 
Nightmare Moon went in the opposite direction, sinking deeper into the Badlands. As she arrived at the entrance to the beehive tunnel, she could see Chrysalis sitting there, stargazing.

She turned her gaze when the sound of the hooves caught her attention. "You finally showed up. You got lost on the way? Oh, joking aside, how's the coup d'etat going?"

Nightmare Moon took her place at a reasonable distance from the Queen of the Changelings. "Believe it or not, Luna revealed my presence to Twilight right after talking about Celestia’s death, which made my approach to her much easier afterwards. I don't want to rush anything, so I'm giving her time to think. I'm trying to make sure I'm seen not as the monster, but as a princess, no less than Celestia."

Chrysalis gauged the Moon Mare. "You ooze jealousy from every pore, my sweetness. Was it hard not to kill Twilight on sight?"

Nightmare Moon ignored the taunt. "It pains me to say this, but I need her alive. If I killed her, it would do me a disservice. Even if I admit it, the urge is there. I must turn a blind eye to this urge because my desire to rule Equestria is stronger than any other."

Chrysalis was amused by this. "Even stronger than hanging around my daughter's dreams? I'm reassured; I doubt it's in good taste for an old fossil like you to hang around a child like Aglowing Shell." She thought for a moment. "Even though, considering what Celestia has achieved, perhaps you'd be quite capable to turn my daughter into an alicorn. That would make you her equal, no less," Chrysalis mocked.

Nightmare Moon frowned, but ignored the taunt. She continued in the same tone, "About your daughter, I have been thinking. It would probably be best if she knew the truth about me. As Sparkle said, a friendship cannot be based on a lie."

Chrysalis' surprise soon gave way to a wicked smile. "Hold on, butterfly. You—the one who dreams of being Celestia's equal, who dreams of killing Twilight—went to the Princess of Friendship for advice on your little moral problems with my daughter?" She laughed a thunderous laughter that could be heard all the way to Canterlot.

Nightmare Moon couldn't ignore the taunt this time. As angry as her coat, she used her magic to grab Chrysalis by the throat, and, with all her might, pressed her against the nearest wall. "Yes! So what?!" she shouted in her face.

Chrysalis hiccuped in shock. Despite the pain, she kept smiling as she looked Nightmare Moon straight in the eye—while also waving at Chitin lurking in the shadow of the tunnel to stay back. "All that pent-up anger. That age-old jealousy. Will I ever have the pleasure of tasting it, my darkness?"

Nightmare Moon turned her gaze to Chitin, whose luminescent blue eyes cut into the darkness of the tunnel. She released Chrysalis with an irritated grunt before looking at her again. "Then will you officially introduce me to your daughter?"

Chrysalis considered the idea for a moment, gazing up at the stars, then snapped her tongue and teeth. Chitin started to run, the sound of their gallop getting lost in the tunnel. "Follow me.”

Nightmare Moon had a moment's apprehension. She certainly wanted the child to know the truth, but didn't want to lose the only innocent soul in this world who cared about her at all. Yet, Nightmare Moon had to stick with her decision. If she didn't, she would make a fool of herself.

The two mares advanced through the maze of tunnels to reach the hive, with Chrysalis leading  Nightmare Moon on a different, more convoluted path than the one Chitin had taken. She was taking several corridors, going through the maze they built to disorient intruders. Soon, they reached the northern section of the hive, which served merely to be a decoy. Nightmare Moon followed Chrysalis in nervous silence. After a long walk and many intersections, they arrived in an empty room lit by some large cocoons from which greenish light emanated.

Aglowing stood there, waiting as Chitin had asked her to. When she saw her mother, she rushed towards her, but stopped when she saw the alicorn following her.

Chrysalis reassured her with a cheek-to-cheek caress. "Aglowing, my love, I'd like to introduce you to someone who would like to talk to you."

Aglowing looked at Nightmare Moon with childish curiosity. "I know her!" she chirped proudly.

The two queens were surprised by the child's sudden assertion, glancing at each other. . "Really?" asked Chrysalis.

"Yes!" she said. "All black, all tall! She's Sweet Dreams’ queen!"

It was the moment of truth. Reluctantly, Nightmare Moon took a deep breath. "I am Sweet Dreams, Aglowing Shell."

"Wrong! Sweet Dreams is a drone. You're tall and beautiful like my mother. You can't be her," the child argued.

Chrysalis remained silent. She stood by her child's side, offering a reassuring smile when their eyes met.

This situation could have lasted an eternity. Thinking that a picture was worth a thousand words, Nightmare Moon took on the appearance of a little blackback changeling drone.

"Sweet Dreams! So it was really you? I didn't recognize you!" She moved to greet her, but her mother stopped her. With a few sounds, she asked her to listen to what their guest had to say.

Nightmare Moon didn't dare to look the child in the eyes anymore, for fear of reading a feeling of betrayal, anger, or hatred. "I assure you, it's me. However, Sweet Dreams is a fake name. I didn't want you to know who I really am. For the past three months, I've been watching over you without you knowing it. I've been sneaking into your dreams to chase away the nightmares you're having because of me." She took a breath to find the strength to carry on. "I am Nightmare Moon, Queen of the Bat ponies, Princess of the Night, and I'm the one who attacked your mother's hive. It's my fault that so many changelings died."

There was silence in the room, soon broken by sobs and little hiccups. Aglowing Shell couldn't accept what she had just heard. The one she was beginning to appreciate a little more with each dawn was also the one that had caused the present desolation of the hive? Her little heart was pounding, tears clouding her sulphur and emerald eyes. All her senses were racing; she was losing her grip on reality, her horn crackling with energy. Fortunately, Chrysalis came to the rescue of her child, sharing her pain, offering her a cheek to cry upon.

Nightmare Moon was uncomfortable with this spectacle. She, who wished to be Celestia’s equal—who was adored by her subjects and enjoyed her sun— was far from achieving such results. "No doubt this was the lot of those who shed blood to achieve their ends," she thought. She sighed, accepting this fatality. "I regret my actions. I know there are no words that can erase what I have done. I pray to the stars of the Night that you may hate me as little as possible. I shouldn't have approached you; it was a mistake on my part. I wish you a long and happy life, Aglowing Shell. I'm sorry." She would have liked to leave the room with the royalness that was hers, but she felt so miserable that she preferred to take the primary form of the Tantabus. Without a word, the little cloud of starry dark matter left the room.

Chrysalis pondered the consequences of the predictable outcome of this encounter. Two options were open to her. Time was running out. She had to get straight to the point. So, she started talking to her daughter in their native language. It took a long time before the child looked her mother in the eye and finally answered her. The queen looked at her daughter and resumed a short monologue that calmed the child and made her pensive before answering. Chrysalis looked into the child's eyes and asked her a question before offering her a soft and tender maternal kiss to give her strength. Then, she highlighted a fact that surprised the child, who then looked at the door through which Nightmare Moon had fled before looking at her mother, hesitant. A few clicks were enough to overcome this hesitation. Aglowing ran away in pursuit of Nightmare Moon. Left alone, Chrysalis clicked her tongue. A few seconds later, Chitin appeared.

"My Queen?" the warrior replied.

"If anything should ever happen to me, for the sake of my daughter, I want you to put your hatred aside and take my daughter to Nightmare Moon and ask for her protection," Chrysalis answered with a few clicks.

"I am devoted to you, my Queen. This order I would perform selflessly, but may you help me to understand why Nightmare Moon in particular?"

Chrysalis had an amused smile. "At first glance, everything suggests that Nightmare Moon would be the worst choice to seek protection after what she did to my hive. But if this irretrievable egomaniac as old as Equestria is capable of putting aside her resentment and pride to ask the filly who put her in her place for advice, I'm willing to bet my life that she will protect my daughter as if she were the most beautiful and precious star of Her night. In return, my daughter will feed off this friendship and become a powerful successor I can be proud of as I watch her from above."

Chitin found nothing to add to that. A noise in the distance intrigued the warrior. "Is that the thunder I hear?"

Nightmare Moon had just arrived at the entrance of the tunnel. Without realising it, shehad unleashed a torrential rain on the Badlands. She recomposed herself, the rain stopping as she calmed down. She set off north, devastated.

"Sweet Dreams!" Aglowing Shell cried out in anguish, her voice distant.

Nightmare Moon paused. Part of her wanted to answer this call, but, deep down, she was afraid to hear what Aglowing had to say. She preferred to turn a deaf ear and continue on her way.

"Sweet Dreams, please wait for me," the child begged.

Nightmare Moon was tempted to do so, but denied herself the hope of a happy ending.

Aglowing could see that she was getting nowhere. Although she was running as fast as she could, she could see that she was falling behind. In panic, in tears, she tried to think of anything that could make herself heard. Suddenly, she remembered something Pepper said. With her mind working as fast as her little hooves, she finally found something to please her ear. "Moony!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Nightmare Moon froze, her pride stung by the diminutive—and, at the same time, unable to ignore the child's calls any longer. She regained her physical appearance, but sat with her back to the child, wings spread. She turned her head to look at the little changeling with an angry eye. "My name is Nightmare Moon," she said with a growl.

Aglowing Shell stopped dead in her tracks, skating a little on the clay soil. "I know, but you weren't answering my calls. Then I remembered something Pepper said. She said she gives a nickname to those she likes, so since Nightmare Moon's too long, I thought... Moony would be a good way to say I like you."

Nightmare Moon was stung by her words. Yet she remained impassive. "How could you still like me now that you know what I've done, little queen," the alicorn said with an icy tone. 

"Mother told me, after you left, that we are the changelings. We are the swarm. We adapt, whatever happens. We do not forget the past, but we do not remain chained to it. Yeah, what you did to my hive is ugly. Yes, you lied to me. But you decided to be honest instead of keep lying to me. Pepper said, ‘Honesty in words, Loyalty in decisions. Those are criteria for a true friend.’ Mother said you gave me all these dreams to keep me smiling. ‘Laughter on the lips’ is another criteria."

Nightmare Moon was speechless in the face of this. As she listened to the little changeling, she thought back to the time when Celestia and Luna discovered the elements of harmony. Celestia possessed kindness, generosity, and magic. Luna had honesty, loyalty, and laughter. It gave her a strange feeling to hear a child claim that Nightmare Moon represented these same three elements—she, who was the embodiment of all of Luna's darkness.

Faced with this silence, the young hybrid continued, "Then she said, if I don't catch you, I'll lose you forever." Tears clouded her vision. "And I don't want to lose my friend, Moony. So please don't go. I don't care how weak you are,. I like you just the way you are."

"I'm not weak," Nightmare Moon slammed coldly as she glared at the child.

"Mother says you're just a weakling to apologise, but it's okay. I like you anyway," Aglowing said shyly.

In keeping with Nightmare Moon’s mood, lightning struck the highest mounds of the badlands, frightening the little changeling. The alicorn calmed down and forced the clouds to turn white by her will alone. She approached with a majestic step, lowering her wings to the height of her flanks, offered a cheek-to-cheek caress to Aglowing. "I have to go and have a word with your mother. As for the rest,—I told you I'm never far away." With those words, she began to walk towards the hive. That's when she saw Chitin and Chrysalis—the latter waving her hoof, mocking her. "Chry-sa-liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!" Nightmare Moon shouted, charging towards her.

Aglowing was left behind, but Chitin came to offer her a foreleg to nestle against. She looked up at the sky. The two queens were shooting at each other, offering green and blue tints to the clouds. "What are they doing?" Aglowing asked.

Chitin watched the duel for a moment as they returned to the tunnel. "They're showing feelings for each other that might somehow be considered friendly, in a way that's acceptable to us monsters," the warrior explained. As the changeling carried the child into the lightless tunnels, her horn crackled briefly with yellow and green energy, the sound of the cracklings reverberating in the tunnels.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The unicorn was approaching Ponyville after months of wandering away from Equestria. They had passed through Everfree Forest to pick their favourite treat, a Zapapple apple. They were not afraid of the dangers of this forest; thanks to their ability, creatures such as Timberwolfs were not a danger to them.

The unicorn was arriving southeast of the city, so they passed in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Finishing their apple with one last bite and throwing the core over the shoulder, they approached to see if the animal caretaker was there. A pegasus was there, surrounded by her animals: Harry the bear, Angel the rabbit, Elizabeak the hen, birds, snakes, beavers and many others. all of them were there to comfort her, to try to make her smile again, in vain. She had lost so much that her heart was broken. That pegasus that was there was no longer Fluttershy.

The unicorn was disconcerted, and called the pegasus. Fluttershy timidly looked up and crossed eyes only to lower them immediately. The unicorn asked a question that was never answered, as the pegasus turned her head away, shoulders lowered. Angel laid his paws on one of her hooves, to help her overcome her growing sadness. The pegasus gently took him to seek comfort, and all the animals joined the embrace to try to help her overcome the flood of tears that were now rolling over Fluttershy’s cheeks. The pegasus had no reason to leave her cottage after all.

The unicorn was troubled, so they knew they would not get more information. Their thoughts were racing faster than their hooves as they galloped toward Ponyville. They expected the worst, but nothing could prepare them for what had become of the small country town. Admittedly it seemed the same in the main lines, but the small details were not misleading. The joy of living was practically absent from the general atmosphere. The guards operating in the city wore armour similar to that of the bat ponies, decorated in shades of purple and blue. Even the statue of the fountain was replaced to glorify the reign of Nightmare Moon. No, it wasn't Nightmare Moon who was the model for this statue. It was Luna standing there, transfigured as she was consumed by her anger, a new Nightmare, and it was easy to understand for those who could support the look, that this monster was overshadowing her predecessor.

The unicorn was disturbed. They galloped faster, attracting the attention of the guards, but they didn't care. Soon they arrived at the library. But when they rushed in, only Spike was there, surprised to see this unicorn. Again they asked this simple question. Spike's reaction was almost the same as Fluttershy's, with his index finger he pointed in a vague direction and answered. 

The unicorn was incredulous. They could not believe what they had just heard, and short of breath, they resumed their journey. Following the dragon's instructions, they left the city and arrived at the top of a small hill overlooking the Great Plain. It was one of the names given to the cemetery, the one at the foot of the mountain on which Canterlot was built.

The unicorn was scared. They refused to believe what they had heard. Yet there they were, walking down the aisles. They arrived in a special section dedicated to the illustrious personalities of Equestria. They did not want to enter it at first, but their heart was crying out for them to go and see. Step by step, they dragged themself, forced themself, and step by step, they approached the stele. But they could not take their eyes from their hooves, shaking, their whole bodies traversed by a terror that they had never felt before.

The unicorn looked up, with great effort. At the simple sight of the Cutie Mark engraved on the stele, everything broke inside them, tears came to their eyes.

In a jolt, Bitter Truth straightened up on his forelegs, waking up in tears with a short breath, he carried the hoof around his neck to reassure himself that he was awake. He exhaled, driving away his melancholy, and for a moment this sinister vision of his mind. He removed a ceramic mask that covered the upper part of his face, on which was carved loose webbing worked into a pattern around a central hole this enchantment seemed to be there to prevent any oniric intrusion. He was satisfied that the enchantment of the mask was effective enough to first prevent Luna, then Nightmare Moon from perceiving and learning about his recurring nightmares. It was thanks to Princess Celestia that he was able to create such an object. She, who had to protect herself from her sister’s pranks before she gave in to her jealousy and became Nightmare Moon. However, the satisfaction was short-lived, the vision of this tomb haunted him more and more every day. Even if the present time was different from the vision in his nightmare, he couldn’t get over the vision of his friend’s death.

The unicorn cried once again.

Two hours later, at Sweet Apple Acres:

"Are you telling me that Rainbow is finally a Wonderbolt as of yesterday morning, sugarcube?" asked Applejack incredulously after bucking one of the countless apple trees with hind legs to fill fruit baskets all around.

"Yes." Sunset said before trying to kick another tree to fill the harvest baskets as well. "Why? You make it sound like I told a lie."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, sugarcube, you're telling the truth, I'm not saying the opposite, just..." the mare briefly rubbed her neck to chase away a discomfort. “... It's weird to find that out the next day. Rainbow is not a slacker when it comes to bragging, I thought the day it happened, she'd go talk to everypony the very next minute after finding out. She'd be making Rainbooms all day long, but now I hear it from you a day after, it just feels too weird."

Sunset thought back to the day before. "Probably she takes the project so seriously, that she’d rather be training."

"A project? What project?" Applejack asked.

"Through a letter, Princess Celestia asked Spitfire to complete an older project so that a Wonderbolt could wear the armour involved on said project, and become a guardian of harmony. And since Rainbow Dash was a reservist, having helped save Equestria several times, and is the only one who can break the sound barrier, Spitfire didn't have to look very far to find the one she needed."

"So Rainbow is going to become a special kind of Wonderbolt?"  

"It will be a special unit of the Wonderbolts under Spitfire's orders, but she will have no wing pony, on the event that a menace threatens Equestria's safety, as Rainbow must be able to join Twilight without having to leave the copilot behind."  

"About that, how's Twilight?"

Sunset looked away, biting her lip before screwing up her face. She let her anger run free and ran to another tree, hitting it with a flying kick to make apples fall into the basket. "She just needs time. Spike makes sure she eats, and once she passes the stage of depression, she should be fine."

"The stage of depression? What are you talking about, sugarcube?"  

"Bereavement following a death is divided into five stages. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The time between it’s stages varies from one pony to another. After her meeting with Princess Luna, Twilight came to meet me as if nothing had happened. She was clearly in denial that it had happened, or that she wanted to talk about it when we were all there. In the bedroom, when Rainbow couldn't believe Pepper had killed Celestia, Twilight exploded with anger. Since Pepper is now dead, taking for granted that Chrysalis wasn’t lying, that is, and assuming Nightmare Moon was telling the truth, there’s no way to negotiate bringing Princess Celestia back. This has led Twilight straight to where she is now, depression. I would probably be in the same state if I hadn't been kicked out fifteen years ago." she added distractedly.

"That's a lot of words to say she's having a hard time."

Sunset smiled briefly. "Yes."

"Applejack! Sunset! Hello," Pinkie shouted from afar as she joyfully leapt towards them.

"Hello Pinkie Pie," chirped the farmpony and unicorn. "What brings you here so early?" Applejack asked.

"Well, Rarity came to the shop to take her daily order of cupcakes for tea time and she told me that Rainbow Dash was officially a Wonderbolt so I was wondering if you still had a jar of Zapapple jam to celebrate the event with a cake."

"Wait a minute sugarcube, since when does Rarity know about that?”

Sunset stepped forward. "I told her yesterday afternoon after I left Rainbow with Spitfire at the Wonderbolt Academy, since I had promised to visit her. Between my kimono and this announcement, she had several ideas and started a couple sketches of a new concept for her next few dresses."

"Oh." Applejack adjusted her hat. "I forgot about your promise, sugarcube." She turned to the earth pony with a light pink coat. "It's true that we keep a few jars for special occasions. I suppose we can open one this time."

"That would be great." Pinkie shouted, rearing up on her hind hooves to flail around her forelegs.

Sunset looked around for a brief moment before returning her gaze to Applejack. "I was wondering, considering you’re the element of Honesty and all...about Pepper, didn't you see anything coming? I mean, did she ever say anything that seemed strange to you?"

"As I said two days ago, she was mostly hanging out with Rainbow." she pointed out. She tried to remember how little she had come to know about her. "From the first moment I saw her, she always seemed especially nervous, being all shifty-eyed and such."

"Oh, yes! Like the time when Princess Celestia came to be released from prison, Pepper never turned her back on her, she walked backwards until she was out of the room," Pinkie Pie added.

"And that didn't seem strange to you?"

"Well, Princess Celestia told us that everything would be fine, that Princess Luna would find the words to calm her down, and then asked Rainbow to help Pepper get used to life in Equestria."

"Why Rainbow specifically? Shouldn't this have been entrusted to Twilight instead? She was already the Princess of Friendship, wasn't she?"

Applejack and Pinkie looked at each other before the pink-haired mare turned around to Sunset, lifting a hoof to answer the question with a big smile. "Oh, Oh, I know! You see, after she left the room, Fluttershy said that Pepper reminded her of an injured animal that would refuse to be treated by anypony who tried to approach her, so Princess Celestia gave Rainbow the task of gaining her trust, as the element of Loyalty."

"Twilight told me that Pepper seemed singular, but not malevolent, but now you're not going to tell me that there was nothing to worry about  this human?" Sunset asked.

"Listen Sunset, Pepper was already with Rainbow Dash the whole afternoon and Princess Luna during the night. What more could we do? Monitor every single one of her actions?"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Pinkie took a deep breath. "You mean like when Twilight received a visit from her future self to warn her of a disaster without having time to say exactly what and as a result present Twilight began to monitor absolutely everything in Equestria to the point of almost not sleeping all week and that we ended up by breaking into Canterlot's archives in Starswirl the Bearded’s room to grab a time spell and that in the end there was no disaster the Twilight of the future which was therefore the Twilight of the present left to tell the Twilight of the past that there was nothing to worry about?" she exposited in one breath.

It took Sunset a few seconds to process the endless sentence. "There’s a time travel spell in Starswirl the Bearded‘s room?" She didn't wait for an answer. She turned around, cast the fire wings spell while galloping, and flew towards Canterlot, her wings flapping as fast as they could. Starswirl the Bearded was the precursor in the field of magic, he was the author of many spells still used today. To learn that he had invented a time travel spell was not surprising, although it surprised Sunset that she had never known of the existence of such a spell before.

Abandoned on the spot, Applejack and Pinkie stared at Sunset’s ever smaller shape, already far away on the horizon. "When you explained the outcome, Twilight said that the spell you found only worked once per pony and couldn't go back more than a week, right?" Applejack asked.

"Yep!" replied Pinkie with a big smile.

"And you didn't tell Sunset that because...?"

"A hunch." she replied, her smile persisting.

Applejack watched Pinkie for a moment, her predictions, her insights, she had learned like the rest of Ponyville never to question them, and she would not seek to understand them. She’d rather accept it than have a pot of flowers land on her head. She moved towards the wicker saddle, pulled it up on her back and walked towards the farm. "I'll give you a jar of Zapapple jam right now, sugarcube."

"Thank you Applejack," replied Pinkie, following her as she bounced, always smiling.





In Canterlot, Starswirl the Bearded's room was a large round room of about fifty square metres, in it’s centre was a huge hourglass mounted on an enchanted device that reversed the bulbs when the sand had completely drained, the mechanism on a massive pedestal. From there stretched corridors of shelves, filled with books and other scrolls containing spells and other treatises on magic.

Dusty Nova was chasing the oracle from aisle to aisle.

"Bitter Truth! Listen to me! I have a question to ask you." The vampony called out.

Bitter, who was looking at the books on the shelf at the time, laid his lemon yellow eyes on the vampony. "You're the one who's not listening to me, Lady Nova, it's probably my fault. I was too subtle, so let me rephrase it." He took care to delay it to make it languish. "Not today." he said simply before fleeing to another aisle.

Dusty Nova tensed up out of irritation, she used her magic to dislodge one of the chewed wooden pencils from her mane, which was pulled into a bun, to chew it again, and ran after the unicorn to find it three aisles away. "Don't laugh at me, that's exactly what you just said," she barked after removing the pencil from her mouth.

"I have my reasons, Lady Nova. No, this is not an attempt to prevent the trick from being blown up, and no, threatening to stab that wooden pencil in my throat won't do you any good," Bitter said with a smile. "What is this mania for mares to threaten the throats of stallions." he commented, scraping the bandage on his throat that covered an itching, healing wound.

She moved backwards. "I didn't mean to threaten your throat with this pencil," said the disconcerted mare, before she began to chew the pencil more rapidly, she glanced around, thinking quickly.

"Yes, it's normal to think I'm just a telepath, but no, I'm not."

Stressed beyond her limits, the vampony with the grey coat gave in to anger, she clenched her teeth and broke the pencil with her magic before throwing herself at Bitter Truth. With her telekinesis, she knocked him down and leaned the improvised weapon against his throat. "Stop...... This." Her anger gave way to disbelief. She realised that as he said, she was threatening his throat. However, she could not help but think that this was the result of a subliminal suggestion. "Don't do that again." she ordered.

"Because it drives you crazy? Imagine what it feels like to see plausible futures and to know what anypony will say before they even think about it. Why do you think I avoid everypony?" He sighed, "I only have peace of mind when I isolate myself."  

In her haste, she forgot to formulate her sentence correctly. "If so, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm here to meet Sunset Shimmer, and you're going to open the door when you leave from here. There you go, you've just used your right to ask me a question."

"Hey! That wasn't the question I wanted to ask you."

"You knew I'd only answer one question, you were too curious."

Dusty Nova released her telekinetic grip on Bitter Truth, and began to chew her pencil for a moment, her distracted gaze looking around before a thought came to her mind.

The unicorn that hadn't moved giggled. "I plead guilty. To make it up to you, I agree to answer the one you have in mind at our next meeting. But it will not be unconditional."

She was upset for being manipulated in this way. However, she resisted the urge to kill him. If what he had just said was true, and it was difficult to think that this would not be the case, she would need him, even if she would have to comply with his conditions. "I'm going to leave this place, otherwise I won't answer for your safety. So, until the next time we meet, then." She headed for the exit, biting into the pencil as hard as she could. Behind her, Bitter Truth would get up, and once in front of the gates that acted as a door, she found herself with a unicorn she had never seen before.

Sunset Shimmer observed the one standing in front of her, the glasses that completely protected her eyes from the slightest ray of sunlight gave her a small idea of what she was dealing with. "Hello. We have never met before. I'm Sunset Shimmer. May I enter the room?"

She took the pencil out of her mouth and made an appropriate bow. "I am Dusty Nova, royal magician of Canterlot. Hello to you Sunset Shimmer. I've heard of you, and indeed you have the accreditation to enter this room. What's more, you're expected. Whatever the reason for your coming, good luck with this Bitter Truth, he's going to play with your nerves. That being said, don't hurt him too much."

After some polite exchanges, Sunset entered the room, and from the centre, searched
In which alley was hiding the stallion. She finally found him, guided by a sigh.

"Hello to you too, Lady Shimmer. Yes, it is me, as Lady Nova said earlier. Yes, I was waiting for you. Before you have the idea of asking another question in the near future, be aware that this meeting is not accidental. And that if you have any questions, I will only answer one of them. In clear or cryptic ways, it is up to me alone. You have no idea what it's like to see the future and be exploited for selfish purposes."

Entering the alley, Sunset observed the stallion in detail. In front of her stood a stallion whose age it was difficult for her to determine, his nonchalant attitude left the idea that he was out of touch with reality. The slate-grey coat was summarily maintained, just like the white mane. Sunset could not help but wonder, in view of the hairstyle, if it was not the result he obtained by pulling small strands of his mane but by cutting them short with scissors. The body seemed surprisingly robust for a unicorn, which was nevertheless the most frail of the three races, at the same time the heavy circles under his eyes gave him a tired look, as if he was about to give his last breath. She came closer, and noticed a piercing at the base of each of the ears, a small topaz carved into a star, and when she crossed her eyes, she had the feeling that he had seen the beginning and end of this world. She kept in mind the warning about the question. "Strange, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

"I know. We've met before. Well, I should say I saw you, because you were more busy with somepony else to pay attention to me. The unicorn you are thinking of was certainly much more famous than I was. A small clue, the room in which we are is named after him."

She looked at him for a moment, imagining him with a beard and a large cape and a dark blue hat, both covered with star motifs. "No way." And yet, with this clue, it was difficult for the mare not to see Bitter Truth other than a younger version of Starswirl the Bearded.

"Impossible? Would it be so difficult to accept the idea that my ability to see the future is only a consequence of his work on time and space? After all, he abused time travel so much, and his pretty mirror that led to other dimensions...." He observed Sunset. "....You know, the one you were planning to go through fifteen years ago, immediately following your banishment." He watched her carefully for a moment. "Considering the result, I'm glad I had Reynaud change places with him at the last minute."

She was dumbfounded. "So it's your fault that I was reduced to wandering the road to Japony!"

He smirked. "It was only your hooves that led to this. You could have stayed in Canterlot. You could have had a certain notoriety, as you should have started with the bad reputation of being the student who failed to learn from Princess Celestia's teaching. Your trip to Japony is only the result of the sum of your decisions. Let's face it, if you had passed through that mirror, you wouldn't be a quarter of the unicorn you are now." He sighed, "I take some responsibility for forcing your fate to take an unexpected direction. But once you left Canterlot Castle, you were solely responsible, Miss Shimmer."   

Sunset bit his lip. "It wasn't my destiny you had to force, it was Princess Celestia's."

Bitter Truth had a reproving look in his eyes. "What do you think? I tried, over and over again, I tried to make her give up the destiny she had decided to embrace. But after she asked me her question, nothing could change her mind."

"You could have told Twilight or Princess Luna, or her adopted niece Princess Cadance."

"I am a master only of my own destiny. I am an oracle, I answer questions that can help to drastically change the course of a lifetime, if I am asked a relevant question. Asking somepony else to hide a mirror is one thing. Preventing a princess from doing what she thinks is right, is another. Do you think you have any chance of persuading her?"

"I have to try!" Sunset cried feverishly. "For a lot of reasons, I have to try."

Bitter Truth looked away, empathetic. "I fully understand how you feel." He looked up at a shelf, using his magic, he took out a scroll. "Follow me." he asked calmly.

Sunset didn't ask any questions, she just followed the stallion through Canterlot Castle. She let herself be led into the immense corridor that preceded the throne room.

This corridor had not changed since Sunset's last passage, still as huge, wide enough that fifteen adult ponies could stand side by side without squeezing, and so long that a queue of a hundred ponies could have held in a single line. The floor was composed of a chequerboard with white and blue tiles, in the middle was a red carpet. The room was very bright thanks to the many windows separated by a dozen stained glass windows, all allowing sunlight to pass through. The endless vault was supported by white columns, which were decorated with a bouquet of flowers.

It was about noon now, Princess Luna had already retired for a snack, and the guard had briefly retired to do the same. There was no one there but them.

The mare's cyan eyes looked at the stained glass windows there. She recognised Twilight and her friends who were hitting an alicorn as dark as the night. The next stained glass window was almost similar but the creature was indescribable, each part of his body came from different creatures. The third represented a couple, she easily recognised the mare, it was Princess Cadance, their love for each other that surrounded them, forming a circle around them, dropping strange creatures that Sunset had never seen before. On the next stained glass window, Spike raised his hands high in the sky, as if he had just thrown a blue heart larger than the dragon into the sky. Said artefact, Sunset assumed, seemed to radiate an immeasurable power. And the last one represented only Twilight taking flight, wearing a crown with a purple star, the element of magic.

"Yes, these are the events I predicted."

Sunset, who had been cut off, was now looking at the oracle with an irritated look. "It must not be easy to have a conversation with you."

He unrolled the scroll on the ground and began to read it. "We are not here to have a conversation," he underlined as he studied the scroll. "Indeed, easy if you know how to remove it," he murmured. He concentrated, his magic struck the scroll and the text of the spell was modified in the great widths.

Sunset was going to ask a question but changed her mind at the last minute. "You know what you're doing, I guess."

Bitter watched the mare for a moment. "This spell is limited, Starswirl has placed constraints on it. Normally, because of a specific one, you couldn't go back any further than last week. But with this modification, this constraint is removed. Ready?"

"Go ahead!"

Bitter Truth magically struck the scroll to activate its spell before moving it under Sunset, a bubble formed around it, multiple cogs formed on it, rolling counterclockwise, in an ever faster rhythm, until the bubble became opaque. The next moment, the bubble burst, and there was only the scroll left, Bitter Truth took it back and turned around to leave.

From the other end of the corridor, Reynaud approached, holding a tray with one leg carrying orange juice on it. When he reached the unicorn's height, he presented her with the drink.

He drank it all in one go, the freshness did him good at first, and biting into the ice cube gave him a slight icy headache that was not to his displeasure. "Thank you Reynaud." The oracle observed over his shoulder for a moment before returning to the butler. "Miss Shimmer will be back in a few seconds, can you give her a message from me?"

"Of course, Sir Bitter."





At another time, in the same place, the bubble containing Sunset Shimmer appeared and spat out the unicorn without warning, yet Sunset managed a perfect landing on her four hooves.

"Did it work?" she asked herself. The mare looked around, and very quickly she had the answer. All the new stained glass windows she had seen a few moments earlier were no longer there, replaced by stained glass windows on the theme of the celestial stars. The spell had brought her back at least four years in the past, before the Summer Sun Festival, celebration that commemorated the thousand year anniversary of the day Nightmare Moon was banished. Sunset didn't know how long she was going to stay in that time, but she wasn't willing to waste any more precious seconds.

She turned to the doors, facing two unicorn royal guards, who were puzzled by the sudden apparition. She opened one of the doors with magic and teleported to the middle into the throne room. "Princess Celestia! I need to talk to you!"

The guards of the throne room, surprised by this sudden entrance, moved backwards before standing on the path of this intruder, taking the weapons out of their sheaths, to prevent her from getting any closer to Princess Celestia.

The white alicorn was no less shocked to see Sunset Shimmer. But from the multiple feelings that collided in her mind, only one voice emerged. "How dare you?" she whispered as she stood up. She stood up in all her splendour, spreading her wings to assert her rank, looking angry to see her former student right here in the heart of the palace. "How dare you Sunset Shimmer, introduce yourself to this castle from which you are banished?!"

Following these words, the four guards began to approach the unicorn, to arrest her.

"Princess Celestia, you don't under-"

"Silence!" ordered the princess, using Canterlot's traditional voice.

The guards were just as shocked as Sunset was, they had never seen the princess in such anger, that she came to shout like that. 

The unicorn strangled a sob, she tried to keep her head above the water, but deep down inside, she struggled against her regrets, she tried to find a way to talk to her, but no matter what she could imagine, she was convinced that Princess Celestia would refuse to let her speak. The simple fact of being in her presence, of being able to see her so furious towards her, of hearing her scream after her, her whole body trembled, her regrets turned into a desire to repent. She had no strength left but to cry like a filly who had just been scolded, unable to look up from her hooves.

There were three knockings at the door, all but Sunset turned their attention to the entrance. Bitter Truth was standing there, carrying a travel pilgrim, a travel saddle with two saddlebags, the whole thing was of a sober black. "As soon as I get home, I have to tell Shining Armor not to worry about hearing you scream through the palace. Should I conclude that the surprise is not to your liking, Your Highness? She came with the best of intentions, but if you really want to punish her, I brought here something to teach her a lesson," he said, pushing the door to show what was behind.

The sun princess' gaze went from Bitter Truth to Sunset Shimmer. Seeing the idea he was proposing to her, she could not help but agree. She took a deep breath to refocus herself before speaking. "Guards, leave this room at once, I will personally take care of this proscribed mare's case," she announced in a firm tone, her horn haloed with golden magic as she moved the object of the punishment behind Sunset.

As the guards left the room, Bitter Truth watched the scene with a slight wedge smile. His gaze was only on Princess Celestia, who moved slowly to face Sunset Shimmer, and he could see how cold the alicorn was, so much she crushed the unicorn that had been crying all that time with this icy and distant look. Bitter Truth then closed the door to leave them alone in the room.

The princess used the first of the primary feathers of her right wing to force Sunset to lift her head and plunged her magenta eyes into this foggy look of tears, but she remained frozen in front of this vision. "Sunset Shimmer, despite your banishment, you have on this day entered the castle grounds without prior authorization. As a result, I, Princess Celestia, command you to turn around and face your punishment."

Sunset looked at Celestia's face through all those tears she had been repressing for years, she had trouble not looking at her, she had so much to say to her, but even now she was convinced that the slightest attempt to start a conversation would hit a wall. She was docile, and turned around, and when she saw the object of the punishment, she had a gesture of retreat, shocked to see again the mirror that was the origin of her exile. This mirror mounted on a two-storey pedestal, was as high as Princess Celestia, its frame was shaped like a horseshoe, the nail holes were lined with spinels, a small crown at its top, all coloured with shades of mauve, the outlines decorated with simple arabesques, from the first floor of the pedestal to the top of the crown.

"Look in that mirror, and tell me what you see," ordered the white-coated alicorn in a neutral tone, turning her face to the left, so she could hide it behind her mane. The latter had four light colours, two shades of blue, one green and one pink, which pulsed naturally as the alicorn had magic in it, imitating the eternal flow of the waves, just like her sister Luna's.

The scene made them go back fifteen years, and for Sunset, nothing was more cruel than this question. She laughed nervously, tears running down her golden yellow coat. "What I see? I see a pathetic mare, she had everything, potential, talent, and the best tutor. I see a stupid mare, who ruined everything, because she was impatient, unable to understand the lessons her tutor was trying to teach her. I see a mare eaten away by regret. A failure."

Celestia placed her hoof on the mare's shoulder, then in a gentle gesture and with the help of telekinesis, embraced her in the hollow of her legs, played against her cheek. "Hello, my faithful student."

Sunset instinctively passed her legs around the neck of the alicorn, while clenching her teeth so as not to crack any more. "I'm sorry." she whispered. Only these simple words were like salt on an old wound that had been reopened. "I'm really sorry," she added. In the sweetness of that hug and moment, she let herself go, repeating that she was so sorry, over and over again, shaking more and more as tears flowed more and more quickly.  

Celestia had difficulty containing the unicorn's agitation without hurting her with excessive force. So much sadness and regret did not leave her indifferent, she too had her share of regrets, silently she began to cry too, trying to comfort that filly she had seen grow, her tears rolling down her cheeks to vanish into Sunset's red and yellow mane.

"Princess, please, for the love of Equestria, don't disappear. Your sister Luna, Twilight, and even I can't bear to know you're dead. You still have time to change that. We all need you," she begged.

"Let me look at you." Celestia whispered before resting Sunset on the ground. For a brief moment, she looked into hers, then further detailed her appearance. "Such a long mane. How old are you in your time?"

"Thirty-three years old," she replied, sniffing. "Please, you can't leave this Pep-" She could not finish her sentence, Celestia's hoof on her nose imposed silence on her.
 
The princess took off her hoof. "You have matured so much, a life of wandering on the roads of this world will have taught you the lessons that I have not taught you in this castle. In the end, you didn't need me. And I doubt you need me in your time."

"But you are important for the good of Equestria!"

"One thousand and fifty years ago, my sister Luna and I were important for the good of Equestria. We, who were born alicorns, were the link between pegasus, earth ponies and unicorns. Starswirl the Bearded introduced us to the founders, Princess Platinum, Major Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead, promising them that we would be impartial if we became the princesses of that country they had founded. After all this time, the three tribes are one, and they live in harmony in this country."

"You are the princess of the sun."

"Luna will be able to take over this function. I was in charge of controlling the Moon for a millennium."

"It's not possible, it can't be real, I come to dissuade you and you react as if it doesn't matter, how can you be so indolent?"

Celestia smiled kindly. "You're not here to talk me out of it, Sunset Shimmer. Didn't you hear Bitter Truth? This meeting is a gift, an opportunity to say goodbye, that our last meeting was not the one we had eleven years ago."

Sunset had trouble containing his frustration. "I don't want it to be the last time!" she shouted in a sudden excess of anger that didn't last. "Please, what do I have to say to change your mind?"

The alicorn lowered its head to the height of its pupil, and offered her a caress to play against her cheek. Sunset hung onto her neck again, this time in order not to lose her, which made Celestia smile compassionately. "What a thick headed one you are. Whatever you say, whatever you do, you can't change my future, it would have repercussions that I can't accept."

"I beg you, princess. Nothing could be worse than-" Celestia used magic to muzzle her mouth.

Celestia looked up at the mirror. "Princess? I look in the mirror, I see only one mare like the others, certainly much older. Once proud, I thought I was the best, yet I couldn't see my sister become jealous because of me, to the point of wishing my death, forcing me to banish her. To make amends, I took it upon myself to raise the moon during the banishment. Over time, Equestria forgot Luna, only Nightmare Moon remained, but even the mare on the moon became a legend as generations followed one another. I don't know what my life expectancy is, my faithful student, I could have lived a thousand years knowing that I would see my sister again one day, but I couldn't live a single day knowing that ponies dear to my heart died because I refused this fate that awaits me. I couldn't stand it." She stopped using magic now that she had presented her point of view.

".....please..."

The time allotted by Bitter Truth's spell was coming to an end. A half sphere appeared several metres above their heads, traversed by clockwise rolling gears, within it a powerful vortex tried to send Sunset back to her time, creating a current of air that played on the mares' manes, but Celestia firmly held the unicorn in her hooves just in time to prolong the conversation a little more.

"If I'm so important to you, I'd like you to do a few things for me. Don't live in the past, don't live in regret. I want you to have a happy life. Give the lessons you have learned in your life to those who are lost, offer your help to those in need. Can you try to do that? Can you try to become the sun that Equestria will need in my absence?"

The unicorn did not have the strength to answer, she could not give up so soon the idea of saving her, it was beyond her strength. She just nodded her head.

"Good luck Sunset." said the alicorn, offering a kiss on her student's cheek.

"See you later Princess Celestia," replied the mare, swearing to herself that this was not the last time they saw each other, while Celestia released the embrace and vortex, immediately closing on the unicorn before bursting.

The princess of the sun found herself alone in the throne room, she cried for a while longer, this brief encounter relieved her of a burden on her conscience. She turned her gaze to the entrance, amused by the behaviour of the male standing behind the doors. "Since when have you been waiting to make your entries?"

One of the doors opened, but Bitter Truth remained hidden behind the other. "I'm making an exception for the occasion. It is not every day that you receive a visit from the future. It takes time for a mare your age to recover from such emotions," Bitter teased.

Celestia had a light laugh. "Are you kidding? I was travelling back in time and in alternative dimensions with Starswirl and Luna a few years after getting our cutie marks, long before Discord appeared. I didn't expect to see Sunset, though. Than- " She changed her mind. "...It was beyond my most fanciful dreams."

The stallion entered the room without a word, closing the door behind him and his attention focused on the princess' face.

"Why such a look?" Celestia asked.

"I've thought of ten different ways to change your mind, and yet every time you sweep it away like a straw."

The princess suddenly had a little idea, and a mutinous gleam in her eyes, she took a lighter tone. "Don't be so bitter about it, my friend."

Bitter winced. "Could you be serious at least for a moment?"

A mischievous smile was born and she followed. "Don't you see it? I'm dead serious!"

The oracle sighed, he felt the need to sit down for a moment. He looked at the mirror, embittered. "I should have broken my four legs and this mirror the day I came to warn you of the danger that this human will pose to you." He took a deep breath and then sighed briefly, looking to the corner in the direction of Celestia. "There's no need to ask, the answer is yes. I'll help you round out the angles for the transition. I can't refuse you anything."

Celestia, grateful, came to sit beside him. She simply offered him her simple presence to comfort him, she knew how much he hated receiving thanks from her.





The time bubble appeared and Sunset was back in her time. She had not been able to convince Princess Celestia, but with a time travel spell, she had the opportunity to fix things in a different way. No longer seeing the unicorn, she turned around and had a gesture of retreat when she found herself face to face with the earth pony mastodon in butler's costume. So imposing and that intimidating electric blue look that he was pointing at her distracted her, preventing the mare from seeing Bitter Truth at the end of the corridor, turning into another gallery.

When he saw her face, Reynaud pulled the yellow sunflower silk square from the pocket of his suit and undertook to make the unicorn presentable. "Miss Sunset, it's good to see you again. Look at the state you're in. Shall I summon the beautician who used to take care of you?"

Sunset stepped back to get out of reach of the old butler. "Where is he? Where's Bitter Truth?!"

"I am sorry Lady Sunset, and I quote, not being able to leave you in possession of such a spell, it would be too dangerous between your hooves, what you intend to do, is not worthy of a student of Princess Celestia. The latter offered you a second chance, don't waste it."

Sunset's gaze fell like a leaf from a tree, twirling as her thoughts flowed to her hooves. She was there, walled in silence, thoughtful, considering her options. If Bitter Truth took this scroll with him, it meant that it was unique, or that he had already taken care to confiscate the other copies. The opportunity to warn Princess Celestia was a pathetic failure. This opportunity was a poisoned gift, she had lived fifteen years away from her mentor, and she was convinced that it had detached her from the princess' death. But it only took her less than fifteen minutes with her mentor to suffer from losing her forever. Now the poison was running through the veins, to better undermine her will. The worst thing was probably the still warm feeling of this shared embrace on her coat. She sighed tiredly, then got up and nodded to Reynaud as she walked past him, walking towards the exit. There was nothing holding her back at the castle. There was nothing keeping her in Canterlot. She walked through the streets, like a shadow in the middle of the crowd at the beginning of the afternoon, yet she felt alone in the world. She walked to the edge of the cliff, south of the city. One more step and it was the big void, a fall of several hundred metres. Right there in front of her was Ponyville. She had come here to rid herself of her old regrets, but instead she had won new ones, with some promises. But for the moment, she didn't want anything. For the moment, she didn't feel anything. She needed to feel something.

With a slow exhale, she closed her eyes and stepped forward, bracing herself as gravity took hold.
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A small silhouette entered Chrysalis' private chambers. Unintentionally silent, Aglowing dragged her hooves to a heavy tapestry. Behind it, halfway up the room, was the alcove. The latter was large enough to offer the comfort worthy of a queen, the walls covered with the same greenish and viscous material as the hive's light sources. The young hybrid came to nest against the one who slept there.

The queen, who was lying on her flank, laid a foreleg on top of the child before affectionately tightening the embrace. Then she sighed, her mind still drowsy. "Haven't we had a conversation about this nasty habit of yours, my love?"

The child half-heartedly caressed her mother's cheek, before answering with a small distracted pout. "But mother, it was Chitin who wanted me to come and tell you. The tree has grown again. Besides, she says it's fruiting."

Chrysalis' deep luminescent green eyes opened in shock. Through the darkness, she looked at her daughter, thoughtfully. She wasn't questioning what had just been said, but that fast? Why not, she was far from being an expert in farming, after all. Resigned, she offered a sweet kiss to the child’s forehead before getting up.

Chitin silently followed them from the shadows, as the mother and her child went to the south wing of the hive. After the endless spiral descent, the warrior could see that the distance between them was increasing recently. And the attempts to fix the gap didn't change that.

Forgetting her worries, the child left her mother behind, running towards the feet of the tree. She climbed over the branches without difficulty, thanks to the microscopic hooks under her hooves that even let her perch herself upside down on the ceiling, and began to jump joyfully, shaking the leaves and the few fruits that were on the tree. "Look! Look! Look!" she chirped in the heat of the moment.

"I saw it. Calm down now." Chrysalis had stayed at the entrance, green cocoons were circling the entrance along the walls and ceiling, emitting this soft bioluminescent light. She observed the tree, and fully understood why she had been advised to plant it there. The gigantic, gnarled shrub had grown spreading its highest branches to reach the ceiling that separated it from the open air. Several times, it twisted on itself as if tortured from being locked underground. The bark seemed to have petrified in a stage of advanced decay. On its largest branches were heart-shaped red fruits. Chrysalis approached the tree, and used her magic to grab one of its fruits. "Let's see if it lives up to the promises this unicorn made," she whispered to herself, observing the fruit more closely.

Chitin came closer to Chrysalis. "My Queen, let me eat the first fruit. We cannot take the risk that you will end up poisoned," they proposed, sincerely worried for Chrysalis' well-being.

Chrysalis kept the fruit under the influence of her magic, observing Chitin from the corner of her eye. She could not prove them wrong, however, since Chitin was the weakest, depriving themself the most to save what was left of love. And the queen could not afford to lose a changeling of this magnitude. "No, go get one of the drones who patrol-" A noise caught the queen's attention.

On the branch of the tree, attracted by the smell, Aglowing had grabbed another fruit, and made it her morning snack, biting into the fruit with appetite.

The queen and the warrior took fright. "Aglowing!" they shouted in unison.

The child took her nose out of the fruit, wiping the juice that was dripping down her chin off with her hoof. When she saw their eyes, she felt like she had made a mistake, making a little pout while she was watching the two adults below. "What? Mother said it was a gift from Pepper, and Pepper said she would be here to help me! Besides, this fruit tastes like her love."

This last sentence challenged the queen, who tossed the fruit to Chitin who quickly tasted it to make sure that the little queen was safe. "How do you know the taste of her love?"

Aglowing needed to think for a moment, she scratched her cheek with her hoof, her eyes showing intense reflection. "While you were away to see Nightmare Moon, she asked me to collect her love."

Chrysalis was as surprised as she was puzzled. "She asked you to collect her love? Why?"

"I don't remember much, but she seemed happy afterwards."

This new information left Chrysalis thinking. For as long as she could remember, no pony had ever offered a changeling their love voluntarily. She observed the base of the tree while revisiting the memories of that night. Slowly, she remembered the words of Nightmare Moon, the explanations of Bitter Truth. From there, it was easy to imagine theories about why she had asked this.

In the meantime, Chitin had bitten into the fruit. And as they chewed, they felt their hunger calming down. They devoured the rest of the fruit in a few bites. When it was done, they let a sigh of satiety, inhaled deeply before stretching all the muscles of their body. "Strange. I feel better, feeling like I've collected love. But yet I feel like I haven't gained in strength."

Chrysalis looked at her subordinate, curious about what they said, she picked another fruit before eating it whole. She put the core on the ground, wiping off the juice that was dripping on her chin with the back of their hoof. "You're telling the truth." She mentally counted the number of fruits as she looked up at the highest branches of the tree, wondering if there was enough fruit to feed the sleeping changelings.

But suddenly the sound of heavy hoofsteps was heard. Someone was walking down the gallery that led into this room. Chrysalis rattled towards her child's direction as she was turning around into an aggressive position, Chitin at her side also ready to kill the intruder. Aglowing obeyed her mother's order, and went to hide in a higher branch. The sound of footsteps faded, the intruder continued to descend, he soon appeared in the light of the subdued sources. He stopped there, whistling impressed at the sight of the tree.

Chrysalis relaxed when she recognised Bitter Truth, she laid her paw on Chitin's shoulder to silently instruct them to calm down, which the warrior did.

Aglowing asked from her hiding place with a rattle if she could come down, but her mother's rattle as Chrysalis turned her attention towards the tree, was so virulent that the child became afraid. The branch in which she was hidden started shaking, betraying her position.

Suddenly, in a murderous mood, the queen turned towards the stallion. "As far as I know, this is the third time you've entered my hive without permission. What are you doing here?"

The oracle sighed wearily, yet he smiled. "I wanted to see with my own eyes if the tree gave you satisfaction."

Chrysalis took a look at the tree and at Chitin. "Barely," she spat. The pony was not born to whom she would be grateful. "Fruits, and then what? Once we've eaten everything, we'll be back to square one. We are predators, not farmers."

"It's a substitute for your diet, I admit, but it's better than starving, right? I couldn't either give you food that would make you more powerful, I already have enough problems to deal with as it is. Your child, for example."

The atmosphere suddenly became electric. Chitin whistled, all fangs out, trying to intimidate the pony. At these words, the branch stopped moving, the child cautious by the turn of the conversation.

Chrysalis shot Bitter with her gaze. "Be careful of what you say, pony, because chances are, they could be your last words," she said in an icy tone.

Bitter Truth sighed again, then he inhaled: "I am an oracle, in other words, I know the future, that's why I manage to get into your hive without being detected by the few sentinels who patrol the tunnels under the badlands."

Faced with this revelation, the reaction of the changelings ranged from misunderstanding to scepticism.

However, Chrysalis understood better how he had known her intentions regarding Pepper's body. The tone of the conversation could have become lighter, if it had not been mentioned that Aglowing Shell was a problem. With a few clicks of her teeth, she ordered Chitin to escort the child to her room and stay with her until further notice.

The hybrid hovered to the ground, the warrior made sure to stand between her and the intruder. It was the first time the child had met a pony of the opposite gender, the robust figure intrigued her very much. When she passed him, she tried to see him over Chitin, and Bitter looked back at her, smiling at her. Aglowing immediately smiled back at him. Not appreciating this familiarity, Chitin suddenly stood up to cut off eye contact, whistling again with anger, in order to keep him away.

Bitter looked out of the corner of his eye at the duo leaving the room; as soon as they were out of sight, he turned his eyes to Chrysalis and cut her off. "Yes, I am an Oracle. No need to repeat my words, Your Highness."

Chrysalis watched the unicorn with a mixture of uncertainty and fury, not very delighted by the impression that came from his last words, the crazy idea that he was able to read her mind. There were endless questions in her head, but everything she was thinking about, was her daughter's safety. "If you care a little bit about your life, pony, you're going to use this gift you claim to have and you're going to tell me exactly what I want to know, otherwise..." She pointed at the tree with her hoof. "I will use your corpse to grow a second one," she whispered.

The stallion looked down, seemingly thoughtful and serene he was despite the situation. "Your daughter, recently, has developed new fears because of you, Your Highness."

Chrysalis reviewed what she had done to disturb her daughter. But having done everything for her well-being, even going so far as to encourage this friendship with Nightmare Moon, she didn't find out what the problem was. She rose up, to have a better look at Bitter Truth. "Continue."

"Your daughter is worried. She gets jealous; she's afraid of losing her relationship with her friend, because of you stealing this friendship from her. I know- don't get carried away, it's silly- but its no less stupid than the jealousy that gave birth to Queen Nightmare Moon."

Chrysalis blew through her nostrils. "My daughter is jealous? Big deal, all I have to do is explain to her that I'm not trying to steal her friend. Then, the deal will be settled."

"You are the changelings, you are the swarm, you are the predators who lie to get the love you feed on. You are her mother, and I do not doubt that she will always obey your maternal authority. But in this case, on this very specific subject, will she believe her rival? Moreover, friendship is a pony thing; only a pony could explain that to your daughter."

Chrysalis squinted. She was beginning to understand what he was getting at. "And I'd have to leave you alone with my daughter, I suppose? You're too late, there's already Nightmare Moon circling her."

"I've seen what will happen if I don't talk to her. Just as I saw what would happen to you if you gave Pepper's body to Queen Nightmare Moon. I do what I can, it doesn't satisfy everypony, unfortunately." He sighed. "Yes, there's no need to ask me the question, I'll answer it. Informing you would have been pointless. Queen Nightmare Moon would have hunted you down relentlessly. The maze of your hive was your best asset, elsewhere you would have been exposed, rendering your daughter vulnerable. Princess Luna's talent allows her to watch over dreams, but it's like the stars in the sky, there are so many of them. She can detect nightmares easily because they have the particularity of shining brighter. Queen Nightmare Moon would never have discovered your daughter if she had never had a nightmare. And without this discovery, she would never have sought to protect you later. As I always say, I'm just an Oracle. I can help people by answering one and only one question to change their lives. You wanted to know how to save your kin, and I told you so. For the survival of the changeling race, the genocide had to take place."

Chrysalis was thinking while listening. She didn't know which was worse. If she had known, she probably would have tried to escape that threat. In another subject, there were so many conditions to get to this situation that the probabilities of getting there were almost nil, and yet, simply by following their lifestyle without changing anything, she stood in front of a pony that could predict the future, and behind her was a tree capable of feeding her kin. Her gaze meandered, as she wracked her brain. The worst thing undoubtedly, was that feeling of helplessness that was growing in her, the idea of being just a pawn on Bitter Truth's board was slowly but surely becoming unbearable. With a renewed anger at the refusal to do his bidding, she raised her eyes to the unicorn. "So you think you can sneak into my hive, tell whatever you want, and get out harmless?" she asked as she approached.

Bitter Truth laughed nervously. "No, last time I almost bled out. And today seems like I'm going to end up hurt again. But I am convinced that the mother that you are will put the well-being of her daughter before the rest, Your Highness," he said, while moving back slightly to the left.

"Before being a mother, before being a queen, I'm mostly a monster. Give me a reason not to hurt you right now," she said while following him.

"You are a changeling. Your diet... certainly that makes You a monster ever since your first breath, from Equestria ponies point of view. When opportunity arose, you seized power and became a Queen, as such, you took what you desired. Love from a young groom. Now a mother. And it would not take much, thanks to this last step, for the queen you are, to become a princess," he said, cornered against the wall.

The simple idea of being a princess, in Chrysalis' eyes, was most absurd, even coming from an Oracle. "Don't make me laugh."

Bitter Truth made a fake pout, smiling on the corner of his lips. "So I can't tell you the joke I was keeping in reserve?"

The queen suddenly raised her right forehoof and hit the wall next to the stallion's head with all her might. "You're in the changeling hive, facing the queen you are pissing off a little more every time you open your mouth, any pony would tremble with fear in your situation, and yet you stand there, smiling, quiet, as if you were convinced that I would never suddenly want to kill you like the other sociopath who serves as a magic compost, and I can't help but wonder why."

He lost his smile, becoming strangely serious. "Simply because you are a queen back from the Equestria’s classical period, ensuring your domination over your subjects by force, never hesitating to kill those who proved unfit to serve you. A sociopath whose intelligence never ceases to devise twisted and perverse plans, despite being able to compete with those of the greatest strategists that this planet has known, a haughty mare who was not afraid to fight against all odds, you whose power depends only on consummate love, to defeat Princess Celestia, when you yourself did not know the outcome of the fight. Now you are taking sadistic pleasure in making fun of Queen Nightmare Moon, belittling her under the guise of her nascent friendship with your own daughter, and at the same time, you are weaving a unique relationship between queens." A strange passion emerged from his voice as he painted a portrait of Chrysalis as he knew her. His gaze was as cold as the one he was diving into. He used his telekinesis, and forced Chrysalis to lower her head, so that their faces would be at the same height. "I'm not afraid of you, Your Highness, simply because this pest that you are, I'm in love with her." At these words, he put his lips on those of the monarch, a brief contact, the best proof that he could offer to a changeling to support his statements.

With the telekinesis dispelled and the shock had faded, Chrysalis licked her lips. He wasn't lying; this flavour on her tongue was undoubtedly love. And this love, this flavour had something exhilarating, a little something  the queen couldn't define. In turn, she stole a kiss, this exhilarating feeling came back, more pronounced. It was love that was dedicated to her, love that she didn't have to steal, it had something addictive. Soon she felt it, a faint flavour that she had never tasted before. She kissed him again, to revive this buzz, letting out a little sigh of ecstasy. She lost the thread of her thoughts, only counted the desire to feed herself with this love that was exclusive to her. Her hoof, still on the wall, lowered, now pressing against his shoulder,  pinning him against the wall, to make sure that the food did not escape her. But the intoxication was already diminishing, the changeling resolved to hammer the lips so that the euphoria remained. Starting out sweet, those kisses gradually became brutal, more vivid and just as bitter. Chrysalis needed even more. The pressure of her paw forced the pony to bend over until he fell off and finished all four irons in the air. She hissed with anger at this sudden interruption, as she bent over to feed on that addictive love again. Tucking behind her ear a strand of hair with a little telekinesis, she kept the hoof leaning against the base of his neck. It  was a silent tell to him not to dare to move, as she dominated and possessed him. This tasty poison running through her veins tunnelled her mind, as the Queen was soon trapped in a cocoon of well-being. She couldn't stop kissing him, her gaze losing that gleam of intelligence, there remained only the monster, who was feasting on this love that was hers.

Bitter endured the starving assaults without failing, He suffered this animal submission, making kisses for kisses, he couldn't help but smile. He concentrated, as best he could, his magic accumulated in a golden aura around his horn, his gaze at the foot of the tree, and without warning, he disappeared.

The shock of the surprise passed, the changeling beginning to whistle with rage while looking around immediately after this meal that had escaped her. She looked over her shoulder and realised that he was sitting near the tree, picking a fruit. Hungry, she began to run towards him, whistling. Her wings vibrating as she used all the body language at her disposal to intimidate him, convinced that he’d no longer dare to move.

The oracle took a look at the predator. Chrysalis' eyes had become entirely green. The Queen’s pupils were phosphorescent like those of the lower rank changelings. Even if he had just said that he loved her for the monster she was, the vision of this feral state visibly hurt him. Using telekinesis, he removed the core and crushed the fruit into an improvised jam. When the changeling reached his height, he threw the porridge onto her face.

Cut off in her momentum by this sudden aggression, Chrysalis instinctively gave it a lick The taste of the love contained in this fruit, so insipid compared to the one she had just tasted, made her grimace and regain consciousness of herself. She slowly opened her eyes, her cold gaze on the one facing her. Swiftly, she used magic to clean her face, throwing the mashed jam to the ground on her side.

Bitter Truth looked down. "I'm sorry, it was the only way to cut your frenzy short." He remained silent for a few seconds. "I made a promise to Princess Celestia. I do what it takes, so that harmony reigns in Equestria despite her absence, and this requires a conversation with your daughter. I could have approached her without your consent, but I want to bet on harmony. My honesty against your kindness."

The queen sighed, angry. "How could my daughter ruin your precious promise, so that you'd be reduced to bargaining in such a pathetic way?"

"Her hybrid nature, as if you didn't know it." He said, suddenly getting carried away. "If she's always so healthy, physically, it's because of this duality, isn't it? You and Chitin are perpetually hungry, but she, all this time, has never experienced the insatiable hunger for a real changeling. Her body feeds on its own feelings, weaker than a drone and yet in better physical shape than any other changeling. Now that she has a friend, and she is jealous because of you, it could probably give her magical power proportional to the strength of those feelings, make her even more powerful than an alicorn, but it's not a problem after all," he said sarcastically. “Surely, you would let her drown in her own jealousy, and become the monster of her own making. I just remembered who I'm talking to. Queen Chrysalis, or should I say: Chrysalis the monster. Surely you already have so many ideas of how to torment that 'daughter' of yours. Surely you would be just as ready to trample her innocence, despite the mother you claim to be. Surely, I have no doubt, you’ll use the filly as a pawn-- nay, as a tool! All to achieve your own ends!"

This monologue managed to trigger Chrysalis’ motherhood to such an extent that for the second time in her ageless life, she felt disgusted by her own self. The oracle’s words brought to life thoughts she would never have had before, filling her with such unyielding rage, that in a blink, she landed the most brutal hoof in Bitter’s face, making him glide several meters on the floor.

He knew what was coming. He could have avoided the hit with great ease, but her rage would not be satiated before he was hurt as much as he hurt her heart. He stayed silent and still, hooves pressing on the impact zone, trying to smother the burning pain.





Less than an hour later, Chrysalis and Chitin were sitting in front of the entrance to the hive, watching Aglowing Shell walking alone towards the unicorn, who was turning its back against them, facing east. Chitin was worried about leaving the little queen alone with Bitter Truth after the Pepper episode, but it was the queen's will.

She kept going over and over it in her head, that moment in her daughter's room, that expression of jealousy as she turned her face away, unable to answer the question that had just been asked to her. Her daughter never had such a fearful reaction towards her. The monster thought that jealousy was irrelevant, she had made a big mistake. Now that the question was asked, she, who excelled in the art of manipulation, had a better understanding of her daughter's attitude in recent days. Moreso, she knew why Aglowing was distancing herself even more now, locked in a bubble of silence and unable to look her in the eye. What could she say to her child to dispel her fears? Nothing. And the mother hated it.

Aglowing Shell was approaching at a slower pace than her small legs would allow. Even though she was going to be able to meet and talk with this pony, her mother's question was still in her head. Was she afraid her mother would steal her friend? Yes. Yes, she was afraid, and it infused painful anger into her heart. Changelings are predators; they take, they never ask. And it was her mother, the queen of the hive. What could she say to prevent her friend from being stolen away? Nothing. And the child hated it.

Sitting next to a rock, Bitter Truth sighed with relief as the ice bag on his right eye worked. Certainly, because of the badlands' weather in the middle of the morning, it was already hot to the point that the ice cubes were only fresh water. But it was enough to ease the pain. Next to him was his travelling saddle, to which something wrapped in large white cloth was attached. He observed the child who was sitting on his left with his still functional eye. "Why such sadness, Your Highness? Is your mother's question what makes you so upset?"

Aglowing remained silent. She was usually so curious about new things but right now had no heart for anything.

"I was right to come with somepony with the same concerns as you. The three of us can talk about this problem that hurts your heart."

The young hybrid's attention was drawn to them, but she saw no one else. "I only see the two of us here." When she turned her attention back to the stallion, she found herself face to face with her reflection, a mirror in a simple wooden frame, came out of one of the saddlebags in the travelling saddle, almost as big as her. At first she made a gesture of retreat, and realised that the child she was seeing was imitating these gestures, she approached, squinting her eyes, and put a hoof on the mirror. "Is that me? Is that how I look like?" she asked, looking towards Bitter.

"Indeed, Your Highness. Before I start with my duties, I shall introduce myself first" He got up, dropped the ice bag on the rock, made a bow, the horn touching the ground. "My name is Bitter Truth. And I bring you gifts, mine to start with. And before you ask, a gift is something you give for a reason that differs from case to case, but always more to please the one who receives the gift.” Following this explanation, he deposited a large notebook and a box of grease pencils. "Consider this like the mirror of your heart. Use the fat pencils on these white sheets to colour whatever you like. For example, your friend would be a good choice for the first page."

The child used her magic, which manifested itself in a green/yellow aura, to open the box to pick out the purple, blue and black pencils. But she was stopped by the magic of the oracle.

"Please, You Highness, not right away. I also bring a gift, one offered to you by somepony who cannot deliver it in the flesh." At these words, he loosened the strings that held the object still wrapped in the saddle and placed it in front of Aglowing Shell, placing the book alongside the hybrid. "It was the princess of the sun who wanted to offer you this."

This term revived memories of the night she learned the truth. "The princess of the sun? But she's Mother's enemy!"

"The princess of the sun, like all the princesses of Equestria, believed more than anything in harmony and friendship. She was a single-minded altruistic pacifist who never considered herself anyone's enemy. She has always sought to discuss before using force. The real concern is that the respective desires between the princess and your mother were not the same, and she only defended her kingdom."

Aglowing observed the gift without touching it, thinking about the words, and she realised a contradiction. She looked up at the unicorn, her eyebrows frowned. "You're lying! Nightmare Moon says she's the Princess of the Night, but what she did to the mother's hive was far from being friendship!"

He sighed. "Her Highness Nightmare Moon." He remained silent for a few seconds. "It's not good to talk about somepony who's not here, but in this case, it could be beneficial. A long time ago, the princess of the sun and the princess of the night were friends. Together, they ruled equally on Equestria. However, as the subjects of their kingdoms only played during the day, and slept at night, Her Highness Nightmare Moon became more and more jealous. She was afraid of having her nobility title stolen by the princess of the sun. She did not understand it at that time. Then fear became anger, blackening the heart of the night princess, to the point of making it darker than her coat. When her heart was corrupted by this anger, she became a queen. Then she shoved aside all the precepts in which she had believed until then. It grew to such an extent that she no longer even believed in friendship, convinced that power was the only solution to her problems. After a fight with the Sun Princess, she was banished from Equestria. Two years before your birth, at the end of her banishment, she returned. The princess of the sun gave back her title of princess of the night, making her cumulate both titles, being Princess of the Night in Equestria’s eyes, and Queen of the Moon in Broncoliande’s eyes."

This account of her friend's past upset Aglowing, and throughout this story, she was able to put  words to the unpleasant feeling that surrounded her heart. But part of that story frightened her more than anything. "She no longer believed in friendship. But she believes it now? Friendship, between her and me, it's for real, isn't it?"

"Yes. And that's why the Princess of the Sun wishes to offer you this gift." He watched the child use magic to cut the string that kept the linen around the object, he continued. "She apologizes to you for what you have experienced, she considers herself the main responsible for your suffering. This gift will allow you to defend everything that is dear to your heart."

After untying the strings that held the fabric in place, the child observed her gift. It was a claymore in a night blue, stained leather sheath, decorated with silver threads sewn in the shape of stars. The weapon was huge compared to the small changeling, just the handle alone was as big as she was, and literally as figuratively, Aglowing didn't know how to take this gift. "I can't use this."

The oracle smiled, "Don't worry about that now. Included with this gift is a request, by the Princess of the Sun, a promise from you."

"What is a promise?"

"A promise is based on honesty. For example, I made a promise to the Princess of the Sun that this gift will be given to you, and I did. Now the Princess of the Sun asks you to promise to use this blade only to defend yourself, or others. Never to hurt someone who hasn't done anything to you. Facing the sun, can you make such a promise?"  

She remembered her mother's explanations. Honesty, to never lie. She could not see why she would want to harm anyone for nothing, and defend those she loved, she had not been able to do so in the past. But as a queen in the making, she could not remain inactive. A queen must watch over her hive, and one day it will become her duty. And she had to be at her strongest to protect those who swore to serve her. Resolutely she turned her gaze north, facing the sun. "I promise to do so."

He smiled again. "This blade is yours. The Sun Princess wishes that your friendship with your friend will shine brighter than the friendship she failed to preserve in the past. Do not allow anypony else to use it to fight. Now, are you still afraid your mother will steal your friend from you?"

She lowered her head. "Maybe a little." she admitted with a pout. Suddenly she froze, turning to the unicorn. "How do you know I'm jealous because of my mother?"

He shook his head briefly. "It's not a detail that deserves your curiosity." He pushed the claymore with his hoof, to make it slide towards the child. "Tonight, exceptionally, use this blade, fight your friend, in the name of your friendship. Don't be afraid, you can't hurt your friend with this sword, let alone with your lack of experience in handling it, but the more dangerous you look, the better. However, keep this in mind. If you fight your friend, keep the moon to your left. Always. To avoid hurting somepony else, it is very important that the moon always stays to your left." He moved the rock under which he had previously dug a cavity large enough to hide the claymore. "Let's hide your weapon here. It's an ideal hiding place for when the time comes, you'll see." After placing the weapon and putting the rock on it, he laid his valid eye on the child, who remained both silent and uncertain at this proposed idea. "Any problem, princess?" he asked in a teasing tone.

She was looking at the hive’s entrance, at her mother, but the question drove her thoughts away. "I'm not a princess, I'm a queen!" Aglowing corrected.

"Do you even know the difference between a princess and a queen, Your Highness?"

"No." admitted the child.

"Queens use their strength to direct their subjects according to their own will and do as they please, princesses use their kindness to make their subjects live happily and harmoniously. If you still have doubts, ask yourself this question. What Queen Nightmare Moon did to your mother's hive and what you experienced then, would you do that to others?"

Aglowing looked down, thinking about the question. She thought back to those dark days, her forced confinement, the heavy loneliness, her mother's cries, the misunderstanding, her growing fear. Could she do this to anypony? Her heart tightened by the emotions that overwhelmed her, she looked up at the mirror, she saw herself, trembling lips, tears rolling on her cheeks, the crackling energy around her horn. No, she could never dare do that to anyone. "So I am a princess?" she asked uncertainly, her eyes lowered.

Bitter Truth telekinetically took out an embroidered handkerchief from the bag. "Dry your tears with this. You are a queen by birth, but you are a princess at heart. You think you're weak, but your friendship, your feelings, make you powerful." He sighed, smiling. "The Princess of the Sun gave me an answer to that question. She discovered the solution to this riddle a very long time ago, shortly after she and your friend became princesses. During her travels with a particular form of magic, she met another kind of queen. A Cæsar. Few people know this title of nobility today. You, your friend, and me." He deliberately avoided talking about Luna." To the rest of the world, it is meaningless."

"If it is meaningless, I would no longer be respected as a queen!" she said fearfully.

"It is up to you to forge the meaning of the title of Cæsar Nobility. Chitin, your mother, your friend, will always respect you as much as ever, believe me. Your choices, your actions, your words, the sum of all this will give meaning to others as Cæsar. If you act accordingly at every occasion, everycreature shall consider you as a queen with a princess heart."

Dizzy about the extent of such work, lost as how to do it, Aglowing instinctively turned to her mother, but remembered her behaviour towards her, which was aggravated when the question was asked.

"What's the matter?" Bitter asked, putting the notebook and pencils next to the child.

"My jealousy. Did she hurt Mother's heart? If so, how could I tend the wound?"

"Often, when the problem is not too serious, such as a cold between a mother and a child, the best way to solve it is a hug. It's a good way for monsters to show that they're sorry, without saying it openly."

She couldn't believe it was that simple. "Just one hug would be enough?"

"Take the book and the pencils, run and hug her. Make sure to not forget where this rock i-"

Suddenly she couldn't hold it in place. She used telekinesis to grab the unicorn's gift and ran as fast as she could to reconcile with her mother who was waiting there. When she had covered three quarters of the distance between them, she left her notebook and pencil box behind her, and jumped to hold onto Chrysalis' neck. She didn't want to hurt her, but being sorry was a sign of weakness, and she did not want to disappoint her mother by showing herself weak in this way, so she remained silent, and offered her a hug with all her strength.

Bitter Truth didn't pay attention to the scene, the mirror in the bag, the saddle on his back, the ice bag on his eye, he was already a figure galloping north.

The rest of the day was a quiet afternoon at the end of summer. And a few hours after dusk, three silhouettes flew across the Badlands sky towards the hive.

Swift, with a mischievous smile on his lips, observed the surroundings while adjusting the saddle on his back before getting closer to Antares. "Is something wrong Cute Bite?" he whispered.

"Cut it out," replied the major between her teeth.

But he couldn't miss such an opportunity. "Are you upset because we had to leave the camp tonight, Cute Bite?"

"I am our queen's aide-de-camp, I obey her horn and wing, you low grade moron," she replied quietly, angry.

He pretended to consider the weight of the basket she was carrying. "Is the basket the matter? Is it too heavy?"

She inhaled through her nostrils, counted up to four, and exhaled through her mouth, trying to stay calm. "It's just food, I could carry much heavier, and you know it."

"Yes, it is true. It should be added that leaving armour and weapons at the camp helps, doesn't it?" he said with a big innocent smile.

She turned her gaze to him with a murderous look. "You're going to suffer so much when we get back." she whispered.

Nightmare Moon turned her head slightly to her left so that her voice would carry backwards. "Enough, you two, we're here." She tolerated these disputes. First of all because she knew that Swift remained alert - having experienced it herself a few times - and would never allow himself this kind of quarrel if he did not think the surroundings were safe. Then because he needed to maintain this stupid attitude for appearances. Especially because it allowed the major to relieve in record time. She sighed inwardly, wondering if she had such a friend a thousand years ago, would she have given in to the torments of her jealousy?

The alicorn landed not far from the entrance of the hive, the bat ponies following it, and those without waiting for the order, undertook to prepare what was meant to be a night picnic. She waited, looking lost in the stars, for her friend to arrive, wondering what she would appreciate in this little mess of food, having brought everything, even meat, a dish she herself loved.

Chrysalis, with Chitin at her side, soon emerged from the tunnel.

Aglowing galloped, passing between their legs, which she pushed with the book and the pencil box. She went to Nightmare Moon, in front of which she stopped, opening the large notebook on the first page to show her the drawing she had made. "Look! Look! I received this gift! So I drew a nice picture of you!"

But Nightmare Moon was not happy to see the drawing, she made a gesture of retreat, spreading her wings. All this time it had not occurred to her to offer a gift as simple as paper and pencils to this child.  She was much more concerned about the situation of changelings, taking advantage of every night and even more so of every session to ensure the health and power of these love eaters. She knew that Chrysalis would never ask her for anything, she herself would not have done it if she were in her place. Trust was relative and it was necessary to preserve appearances in order not to appear weak towards each other. However, it was impossible that the reserves would not be empty. She had to find something to feed them without Luna's knowledge. She could not take away ponies by force so that the changelings could feed on their love. And the bat ponies were a race of predators of another kind, her subjects moreover.

The child saw her friend's reaction and lost her smile. And convinced that she knew what was going on in Nightmare Moon's mind, she threw the notebook and pencils to the ground. "I hate this gift!" She shouts before getting closer with a shy little smile. "Please don't be jealous." she begged.

The sudden outburst surprised the audience but neither Chrysalis nor Chitin showed any reaction, digging into the food without asking permission. On her side Antares grabbed Swift by the neck and dragged him further to talk to him separately.

"I'm not jealous!" said the Princess of the Night.

"You seemed scared, now angry, if not jealous, then honesty in words, what is it?" the incredulous child asked, frowning.

They observed each other like earthenware dogs for a brief moment. Nightmare Moon could not help but think that Aglowing Shell's empathy was frightening. Yes, jealousy had made its way into her mind, the idea of losing her friend, bought with gifts. But she couldn't admit it in public. So she diverted the subject from the conversation. "Tell me, since when are you a jealousy expert?"

Antares had finished dragging Swift away from the turmoil and she grabbed his face between her hooves to stick her gaze into his. "Listen to me, if you dare to make the child cry, the punishment of our queen will be nothing compared to what I would do to you, I hope I've made myself clear, Swift." she made it in her most threatening tone, showing her fangs.

He didn't expect this, but the threats made him smile. "Come on, Cute Bite, I've known you for twenty-three years. Have I ever made you cry?"

The bat pony didn't like the implication. An unprecedented anger seized her, and without warning, she struck her most violent blow on his head.

He hadn't seen this attack coming, but his head was hard.

And she was not to be outdone. Seeing him half knocked out, she let go so he would collapse to the ground. "Maybe it's time you quit seeing me as a child," she breathed as she turned her back on him to join the queen.

The bat pony sighed, he would have liked to do her that pleasure, but his oath forbade him to do so.

Meanwhile, Aglowing Shell thought back to the unicorn's words. She turned her eyes to her mother and asked her a question in a cackling noise.

Chrysalis, who until then pretended not to exist for the sake of her daughter's well-being, considered for a moment what should not be told to Nightmare Moon. "Under no circumstances, don't tell her about the tree or the fruits, much less about the unicorn that entered the hive." She ordered in a few cackles.

She didn't like it, but her mother said it was for the good of the hive. "A unicorn came to talk to mother, then to talk to me alone. His name is Bitter Truth, and thanks to him, I understood what jealousy is."

Nightmare Moon immediately turned her attention to Chrysalis. "Did you leave your daughter alone with him? Wasn't the Pepper episode enough?"

Chrysalis looked at her from the corner of her eye. "Chitin was ready to act if he made a wrong move," she lied. She had to keep withholding information, otherwise Nightmare Moon would have feared, in this case, that Bitter Truth's love would make her powerful and therefore dangerous again. "But tell me, my darkness, can you explain to me how a second unicorn has passed your siege?" she asked, carefully choosing her words, before eating a pear pie, a mocking smile on the corner of her lips.

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes before coming back to her. "By the moon, are you trying to make me believe you don't know this Bitter Truth?"

Antares was back by her queen side.

Chitin, who had noted the altercation between the bat ponies while standing by Chrysalis, asked permission to approach the stallion, who was still apart, in a clicking noise.

Amused, Chrysalis turned her head and wished them a good appetite in their own language, before turning to Nightmare Moon. "I can't believe you didn't try to get him on your side from the beginning."

Chitin went to approach Swift, which was not to Antares' taste.

"He is elusive, even his dreams are out of reach. Either he is using the artefact I granted Celestia after my banishment, or he managed to craft his own to protect himself from my intrusions in his dreams."

Aglowing Shell, who listened wisely so as not to disturb the adults' conversation, was suddenly curious about a certain detail. She caught her friend's attention by putting her hoof on top of hers.

Nightmare Moon looked down at her. "What is it?"

She stepped back a few steps. "That Celestia you're talking about. Is she the princess of the sun?"

It didn’t take long for the mare to understand how the child was aware of that fact. "Yes. But tell me, this Bitter Truth, what exactly did he tell you?"

"He... " She hesitated, but it didn't go against her mother's prohibitions. "He said I have a princess heart, and the difference between princesses and queens, so when I said you weren't like the description of the princesses, he had to tell me about your past. Why you became a queen. And also a little about the princess of the sun."

Nightmare Moon could see that the child was uncomfortable. She didn't like that someone else told her about her past, but that wasn't the most important thing right now. "If you have any questions about me, I have nothing to hide from you."

Aglowing looked away, feeling uncomfortable that she couldn't say the same. "No. Nothing comes to mind."

The alicorn used its magic to bring back the notebook previously thrown in front of its owner on the drawing page before offering her a cheek to cheek caress. "I look pretty in this drawing, but I also look so lonely, why don't you draw yourself next to me? I would like this drawing even more that way. In the meantime, I need to talk to your mother about this Bitter Truth."

The hybrid took advantage of the opportunity to jump on Nightmare Moon's face and hold onto her, partly out of jealousy. She looked for an excuse not to be left out. "I drew you, so you should draw me on the drawing instead," she said with a pout.

Nightmare Moon straightened up, but although she was blinded, she remained calm: "I can't believe it. I Nightmare Moon, am the victim of an eternal night perpetrated by a two-year-old child. Who would have thought?"

Antares no longer knew where to stand, much less what to do in such a situation, convinced that if she had the misfortune to take an initiative, one of the two queens would immediately jump at her throat. Under the influence of doubt, she preferred to wait until her intervention was required.

"I am a queen! And I'm almost three years old." She was not yet ready to use the title of Cæsar, instead, she wanted to do what she wished, like a queen, and at that very moment, she wanted to be with her friend.

Chrysalis was amused. Still on her seat, she used her telekinesis to unhook her daughter and made her levitate until she lodged her in the embrace of her forelegs. "My love, it would be good for you to behave like the queen you claim to be. Why don't you go with Chitin?"

Even if the mother seemed tender on the surface, the child felt that she had no choice. "I'm going, but only because I decided to," she said with a tone and a haughty attitude that made her adorable to the eyes of the two queens. She jumped off her mother's embrace and went to join Chitin.

When the child was close enough, she could hear Chitin, facing Swift, who was making mocking comments. "If you're here, it's because your queen must have great self-confidence, is it my capture the reason, bat pony?"

Swift was not to be outdone. "You have no idea. You are currently looking at the Commander General of the Moon's Undersea Army. But due to a lack of equipment, the bat ponies in my army share masks and snorkels."

Chitin frowned at this casual comeback. For the second time, he made them speechless. They changed their mind, their eyes wrinkled, wondering how to handle him.

"Release Chitin immediately." protested Aglowing Shell.

Only the changeling warrior was surprised by the sudden arrival, Swift having heard her arrive thanks to the echolocation while they were speaking. "But I'm not even holding her," he defended himself after turning to her.

Chitin was about to explain it to the child, but curious to learn more about the bat pony, they let him handle the situation, addressing a mischievous smile at the cornered stallion.

"She just said you captured her, so you release her right away."

Swift observed Aglowing and Chitin in turn, and realising that Chitin would not explain what it was all about, tried to come up with an idea, which did not take long. "All right, all right, all right! I'm releasing her right now." He turned towards Chitin and pretended to untie a knot around his neck before removing an imaginary rope that he presented to the child. "See?" He pretended to throw the rope to the side. "She's free now."

The young queen tried to understand what had just happened. Unsure, she turned to the changeling in armour. "Are you really free now, Chitin?" she asked perplexed.

The changeling hesitated to answer by the affirmative, but they could not let the misunderstanding get any worse. They bowed to the child. "Thanks to you, my queen." They couldn't help but look at Swift, intrigued, wondering what this clown was doing in an army.

Aglowing Shell sighed with relief. Distrustful, she watched Swift for a moment before going to nestle between Chitin's legs to seek comfort.

"Is something wrong, my queen?" asked the nurse.

"Nothing important. Mother wants to be alone with Nightmare Moon to talk," she replied with a sad face.

"And you, what do you want, Your Highness?" Swift asked with a kind smile, who couldn't help but think back whenever Cute Bite was depressed because Antares couldn't play with her.

Chitin was divided by this initiative. They cared about the child's well-being, but the nerve of this bat pony who dared to interfere with what wasn’t his affairs, annoyed them.

Aglowing was surprised by such a question. She never had a say, despite her status, obeying Chitin because the latter held her orders from Chrysalis. She stared at the stone underneath which the claymore rested, thinking back to Bitter Truth's words. "Mother taught me to survive even without mimicry, but not to fight. I would like to learn. I need it."

Swift considered the details of the situation. "We have nothing for that, but we could make it a game." He observed the child, letting curiosity take over. "Mimicry is that ability you changelings have to take on the appearance of anypony? In my opinion, it is not very useful. This warrior right here, even they do not use it perfectly."

Chitin, who had remained speechless until now, so surprised by the child's desire, almost choked when they were targeted by the bat pony's mockery. In an outburst of anger they whistled at him. "My mimicry is not flawed at all."

"Oh really, Cute Bite?" said the stallion with a big smile on his face.

Chitin took the fly and draped themself in their dignity, turning the head away rather than having to put up with the sight of that smile anymore.

Aglowing, who had not understood anything about the exchange, remained silent all this time, observing the adults with her big curious eyes. A little frightened by Chitin's sudden anger, but not to the point of diverting her from her desire to learn. "So, about this game..." she asked with a blooming impatience.

Swift looked down at the child, realising that he had strayed from the initial conversation. "Oh, yes." He got up and distanced himself from the changelings before facing them, even further away from the entrance of the hive to the east. "Try to touch me with one of your hooves."

She lifted a foreleg, hesitating for a moment before slipping out of Chitin's embrace, who began to walk behind the child without preventing or hindering her movements. Very quickly, she got close to Swift and jumped to touch him with her hoof, but he moved to the side. She looked at him, not understanding.

"Like in a fight, this game involves a lot of movement. I have to avoid your hoof, and you, no matter what happens, must always try to achieve your goals. The game only stops if you win or give up."

These words echoed in the child's mind, a lesson from her mother. Without thinking too much, she concentrated, using her magic to immobilise one of Swift's foreleg on the spot while running to touch him with the hoof, before giving him the same big smile he had given earlier to Chitin.

Swift had tried for a moment to free himself, but realised soon enough that it was a lost cause. He let her win, without hiding his fun. "Well, it seems that the adage 'the end justifies the means' is a well mastered concept for you. It's a combat basic, but it won't help you learn to fight."

"How is this game supposed to teach me how to fight?" asked Aglowing, who released the magic grip.

"If I may, my queen, I think this bat pony thinks he can teach you attack and evasion, which are the basis of an unarmed fight for those who are not capable of magic like him. But this game is far from real warrior training."

Swift smothered a laugh. "Let me guess, your favourite mimicry is the Smarty Pants toy?"

"We cannot take the appearance of an inanimate object," Chitin said before trying to hit him with a direct hit with their right foreleg.

Swift evaded with a big smile. "You didn't touch me with your hoof. Do you want to try your luck again or do you give up?"

Chitin was angry, and returned to a neutral position behind the child.

Once again, Aglowing remained silent in front of the scene, observing in silence.  "So if I play this game, I'll learn the attack and dodge it like you just did?"

"Your warrior is right in that it will take a long training, but yes, I am convinced that some games can make training to fight easier. Along with the right equipment such as wooden swords. That would be a minimum." He smiled teasingly. "But above all, using magic to paralyse is still a very good way to gain an advantage in a fight, though." An ultrasound came to his ears, he turned his gaze to the entrance of the hive. "I think I just heard Cute Bite shout, the queenly conversation must be over."

At these words, Aglowing Shell hurried off to the entrance of the hive, leaving Chitin and Swift in a cloud of dust. They followed in her steps at a slower pace.

The changeling dissected what had just happened. They didn't find much to blame him for. "On my own behalf, I would like to thank you for your attitude towards my queen. You were considerate and pati-" A kiss on the cheek froze them on the spot.

Swift took a few steps and turned around, "What? If I'm not mistaken, it's the equivalent of a mango for your kin. And don't tell me you have food to eat since you've been holed up in this hole for months without trying anything funny. By the way, since you're really Cute Bite's twin sister, I'm going to call you Second Bite from now on. Say Second Bite, I was wondering, a wedding, for you, is it the equivalent of an all-you-can-eat buffet? Would you grow so big that you could mimic a rock if you did? No, because if that's really the case, you should think about converting yourself into a wedding caterer, or something like that. Second Bite, do you listen to me when I talk?"

Chitin saw red, under the effect of their anger they began to regret their attempt to show their gratitude to this moron, as they started to chase Swift who fled away, laughing.

Aglowing arrived before the queens, glad to be able to find her friend again. The improvised picnic was well underway, but there was still a little bit of everything. The clues, in the form of crumbs, all led to Chrysalis.

Swift passed by, still being chased by Chitin, pursuing further into the Badlands. "You're not likely to collect moss, see how you roll me afterwards!"

Antares was jaded, head in hooves, swearing that she would kill him at least twice once back at the camp. Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon watched the scene, but since Swift was shrieking with laughter as he was being chased by Chitin, the two queens acted as if they hadn't seen anything worth focusing on. After all, the pony that mattered was already before them.

The child walked on the tablecloth, amidst the variety of food. Frosting spread over the child's face as she bit into the cake, while a small glimmer of malice appeared in Chrysalis's gaze as she turned to the Queen of the Moon. "But now that I think about it, you have not touched a single item from this buffet," she said accusingly, playing pretend to trigger the evening's tussle.

The Princess of the Night rolled her eyes. "My body does not feed on terrestrial food."

"And what is your lackey's excuse in this case?" replied Chrysalis. "She does not fit into her armour anymore, so she's on diet?" she mocked. "Months staying there watching us, wallowing in your opulent Equestria, and you come throwing us your leftovers," she said as she got up, pretending to be angry.

But before Nightmare Moon had time to answer, a plate flew between them. Antares had the reflex to stand up to defend her queen, but the latter put her hoof upon the guard's shoulder to silently order her to return to her place. Once assured of being obeyed, she turned her gaze towards the child as well.

This one was in an aggressive posture, the look filled with anger. She refused to spend so little time with her friend tonight. She also wanted to play. She wanted to demonstrate her feelings in a way acceptable to the monster she was. The words of Bitter Truth echoed in her mind. "You will not face Nightmare Moon tonight, mother. This evening, I will have that privilege."

The queens exchanged gazes at these words. It was Nightmare Moon who spoke as she turned back to the child. "Aglowing Shell, my dear friend, playing to fight is not the kind of game for someone your age. When you become as tall as us, it'll be another story."

The child exhaled by the nostrils, into her mind, frustration mingled with jealousy, her horn crackled with energy. Looking at the queens, she let her emotions take precedence over the rest. When will she be as tall as them? She did not want to wait that long. To be as tall as they were was the only condition? It was not a problem, she knew exactly how to achieve her goals. She closed her eyes, and concentrating, driven by this hunger for friendship, she recalled the lessons. Her mind visualised what she needed: on the tablecloth, a circle of green flames began to dance around her. "Tall. As tall as they are!" Thanks to her reflection in the mirror, she had a clear image of herself. Mimicry operated. In a sheaf of green flames, she adopted an adult appearance, just as tall as they were. She watched herself for a moment, making sure that she had not missed a detail, then turned her gaze to Nightmare Moon. "Am I tall enough now?" Without waiting for an answer, she got up, and went to the rock.

Speechless, the alicorn watched her walk away before turning to Chrysalis.

She was delighted at the sight of what her child accomplished, when she caught the look of Nightmare Moon out of the corner of her eye, the smile of wonder turned into something more mischievous. She turned her head towards the mare, tilting it slightly towards the right. "What did you expect? First, monsters do not take a no for an acceptable answer, as you and I know well. And secondly, when she will be as tall as we are? Really, could you not choose your words better? "She rolled her eyes, a little sigh of happiness betraying her true state of mind as she picked up a coffee flavoured mini-eclair. Her only daughter, who wasn't fully a Changeling,  had finally managed a Mimicry. And a perfect one no less! Too bad it was for a friendship problem, and not in order to harvest some love. But still, Chrysalis felt such pride. "Make sure you do not hurt her, otherwise I'll scream everywhere that Celestia is dead, that you've killed her, and that you're pretending to be Luna."

Nightmare Moon shot a glare at this threat, then got up and went to join Aglowing.

This one was in a state of unprecedented nervousness, a hoof on the rock. She looked at the moon, remembering the advice. She noticed that Nightmare Moon was approaching, and she leaned her head towards the rock. "Bitter Truth asked me to always keep the moon on my left, so it would be nice if you could face me."

The queen obeyed, however curious. "Did he say anything else?" She asked once in front of her.

Aglowing pushed the rock to the side, taking the claymore with her telekinesis. Once the sword came out of its sheath, she observed it in the moonlight, seemingly much smaller now. She didn't know if she could make good use of it, but she had to try. "Yes. Many other things."

Nightmare Moon was shocked at the sight of the weapon. "What is my claymore doing here?"

She had so little control over her emotions, that magic completely covered the blade, giving it an incandescent glow. "It's mine. A gift from the Princess of the Sun, from Princess to Cæsar. To defend those I love! And to fight you!" At these words, she charged at Nightmare Moon, raising the sword high before slamming it down beside the alicorn.

So many unexpected developments occurred so quickly, that the queen lost track of them. As she saw the heavily infused magic attack coming, she preferred to dodge it and assumed the ether form of Tantabus, and her intuition was correct. When the child in a magic adult form struck nearly where she was standing a second before, the impact exploded the ground, projecting rubble and dust cloud around.

Aglowing was frightened by the effect of her attack, a chill running down the spine, she observed the hole she had just created. She turned her gaze to Nightmare Moon.

The queen stood upright, her two straight hoofs floating in the void dug by the attack, she looked back, her eyes as two galaxies turned calmly in their sockets.

"Aren't you supposed to attack me too?" At these words she resumed the assault, frustrated in her heart of this unilateral fight, the advice to act as dangerous as possible in mind, the following blow scarifying the badlands with a larger crater.

Nightmare contented herself with dodging again, for fear of hurting the child, she refused to go to the counterattack.

Knowing how each of her attacks would look like, Aglowing focused on the fight. Her only fear was her inability to make her take a more active role. Frustration gave way to fear. She clenched her teeth, to remain strong, not to be weak. "What am I doing wrong? Why do you refuse to fight with me? Tell me. Tell me!" she shrieked the plea before her third assault. The power behind it gouged a hole in the earth, which swallowed up the previous evidence of her attacks into a deafening crash.

Nightmare Moon took a position on the other side of the crevasse before assuming back a physical form. "It is not that I refuse to fight with you. Simply put, I do not want to take the risk of hurting you that is all. "

Her efforts remained in vain, she turned her head away, her heart caught in a vice. "Taking the risk of hurting mother does not bother you though."

Nightmare Moon watched her, she proudly refused to ask the reason behind this behaviour, wanting to understand the substance of the problem by herself. "I do not specifically try to hurt your mother. She knows how to fight, but you still have a lot to learn, you are only a child after all."

These words echoed in the mind of the hybrid, drunk with rising anger, she glared furiously at the alicorn. "I am a Cæsar!" Following this correction, she dropped her sword, concentrated the sum of all the feelings in her heart to launch a magical attack. A sphere began to grow at the tip of the horn until it reached the size of a mandarin orange. But when the attack was released, slow at first, the sphere grew as it gained speed and its destructive power amplified, leaving a furrow in its path before exploding against the eastern side of the Badlands’s mountains.

Nightmare Moon, having resumed the form of the Tantabus for safety, was just as impressed as frightened by the scale of this attack. If Tantabus was not a creation from the world of dreams, and therefore insensitive to material attacks, it was certain that it would not have emerged unscathed. She turned to Aglowing Shell to contemplate a show of a different kind.

The anger completely consummated by this attack left a vacant place in the terror that slowly closed on the child's mind, her jealousy becoming so unbearable that she began to weep with rage. "Why do you not fight me? What do I do wrong for you to prefer to fight with my mother over me?!" she asked with a broken voice.

At the sight of that gaze she knew only too well, having seen it many times in the reflection of a mirror during the banishment, Nightmare Moon realised what was at stake. In a short gallop she threw herself on Aglowing, regaining a physical form to embrace her affectionately in her forelegs, spreading her wings to cover her back. "Quiet and calm. I'm here, look, I'm here. Everything is fine. Please calm down."

The bubble of jealousy burst, she lost all her strength at once, and wept with tears. "I am scared. I'm so afraid of losing you," she stammered between sobs.

Nightmare Moon was beginning to understand, the clues finally fitting into each other. "Jealousy is a terrible poison. Do not be afraid, no one will be able to get in the way of our friendship."

"You promise?" The child asked, frowning out of a painful relief brought by her words, her eyes filled with tears.

One last surprise that snatched a smile from Nightmare Moon, who tightened her embrace tenderly.

"Yes, Little Cæsar, I promise you. Our friendship will last forever. "
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was about to be risen. North of Ponyville, Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes, focused on the training she had long neglected. The travel teapot already on the campfire, the unicorn stood motionless on the plain, visualising in her mind imaginary opponents. Her telekinesis having a firm grip on the katana, which was still inside the sheath she was holding against her left flank, waiting for the moment to unleash the perfect strike. With the fluidity of water, she took a placement step to her right to improve the striking angle. She anchored her hooves in the ground, drawing energy from the plain. The fire of her heart, reborn from the embers of the consumed mourning, tried to ignore all thoughts. Suddenly, a wind blew from the south, carrying some yellowed oak leaves and playing with the mare's hair. She focused her attention on the sound, visualising in her mind the flight of leaves that were carried by the strong breeze. Sunset waited for the perfect moment, unloading the saya blade and striking a single blow. When she opened her eyes again, she realised that of the five leaves, one was still intact. At the time of the strike, her mind did not visualise the leaves, but Pepper's throat. Sunset lowered her head while putting the katana in its sheath in three movements. She had no excuse for such a result, trained to cut much smaller cherry leaves.

With Luna’s help, the moon shifted with the sun, the burning star now high in the sky.

Sunset walked towards the campfire,  poured the tea into the tea cups, as usual after greeting the sun with a bow. She wasn't smiling, but pondering, trying to put her ideas in order. She sighed, before taking a sip of tea, not daring to look towards the sun. "Hello, Princess Celestia..." She sighed, raised a brief shy look at the sun. “... I thought I was far away from you. In the end I was just in denial, and our conversation, or should I say my last lesson, was the push I needed," she said with a brief embarrassed smile before getting serious again. "I promised to take care of Twilight, and I won't back down from my vow." She sighed again, looking down at her tea cup. "But to be a sun for Equestria? I can't do that. Not right away at least." She drank another sip of tea. "I'm just a ronin. If I had had the courage to return earlier, you could have been my daimyo, and I would have served you as the most loyal of your samurai. But here and now, I serve no pony, and as long as your death is not avenged, my heart will cry out for injustice, I would never cease, from now on, to hunt down your murderer until her death is proven. I may have to disappoint you once again, but I was never the kind of mare to be reasonable."

"Sunset! Hello," Pinkie shouted from afar as she pranced joyfully towards her, carrying a saddle with delivery bags from the Sugar Cube Corner.

The unicorn turned around on herself, leaning on her right front hoof, to look behind it. Seeing the earth pony coming in her direction, Sunset returned to her tea cup to practise an ersatz of the purification ritual. She concentrated on the steps she had to go through, soaking her mouth for a moment with the rest of the tea while driving away from her mind the current mood. Once this was done, she threw the contents of the cup onto the dying embers of the campfire and then turned back to the earth pony. "Hello Pinkie, what are you doing up so early in the morning?"

"Oh, just the daily delivery of pastries for customers who have ordered from the Sugar Cube Corner. Seeing you here makes me think that you're feeling better. Is it the same for Twilight?"

"Twilight was much more affected than I was, but in recent days I've noticed signs that she is about to fully recover from her apathy."

"That's good to hear!" admitted Pinkie Pie before a smell tickled her nostrils. But, being the Element of Laughter that she was, couldn't take it any other way than with a smile. "Oh, I'm willing to bet a breakfast that Fluttershy would love to take care of you right now."

A statement that left Sunset perplexed. "And why is that?"

"Because you smell like a manticore!" She said before laughing at her teasing.

The unicorn tried to smell her own coat of her forelegs. "In my defence, there's no room to wash anywhere at Twilight’s."

"She usually uses the Cake's bathroom. Come on, I don't think it's a problem if you do the same."  

The idea of taking a bath did not leave Sunset indifferent. "I'm not going to refuse such an offer twice. Just wait until I get my stuff tidied up and I'll follow you, Pinkie." Without delay, using her telekinesis, the unicorn poured the rest of the teapot to put out the fire before putting the tea service in her bag. With the saddle on her back, the harness holding the katana against her right flank, she finally turned towards the earth pony. "Ready."

Pinkie observed Sunset, uncertain. "No need to take all this with you to wash, you know, the Sugar Cube Corner is at the end of the street."

Sunset was cut off in her momentum, she bit her lower lip for a moment. "As unicorns say in Japony, old customs never disappear." she says with a smile.

"You say that, but you left it to chase after Twilight when you got here," Pinkie said.

"Only because, back then, I didn't know how far our conversation would get me close to Canterlot, and I couldn't get too close to the castle, armed to the teeth," Sunset explained as she headed towards the Sugar Cube Corner.

"Ooooooooh.~" said Pinkie as she followed.

"What happened while I was away, has Rainbow Dash finished her training?"

Pinkie had a second stop, she lost her smile when the pegasus was mentioned. "Yes, she's a Wonderbolt now."

"Is something wrong, Pinkie?"

"Since she became a Wonderbolt, I've only seen her from afar, during her patrols. If I dare to call her, she looks at me two seconds before bolting in a sonic rainboom. Applejack doesn't see her anymore either. It's as if her friends no longer exist now that she's a Wonderbolt."

Sunset frowned. "She just has to devote herself entirely for her dream to come true, that's all." she thought aloud. "How are Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy?"

"Applejack is training for the Running of the Leaves, she hopes the competition will attract Rainbow. Fluttershy helps animals prepare for hibernation. Rarity lacks inspiration for the kimono designs, she would probably be happy to have your <expertise>" she says, imitating Rarity with a hoof gesture. "...to fix it."

"It's good to hear they're fine, but about Rarity... She'll have to wait until I have higher priorities."

"Like taking a bath?"

Sunset smiled. "Yes, it will be a good start."

A bath later, following Pinkie’s directives, Sunset presses on the pink candy of the ice cream cone which acts as a decoration at the bottom of the staircase, opening a hatch under her hooves, and making her fall on a slide that leads her into a room filled with a few monobloc files, holiday decorations and sweets.

"What is this place?" she asked, noticing her travel saddle next to the slide.

"The place where I organise all the parties for all the ponies in Ponyville."

"it must be a long-term task."

"Oh! You have no idea!"

Approaching the earth pony, Sunset noticed her standing in front of a door at the back of the room. "What are you doing?"

"I was hoping my friend would be here today, but he seems busy."

Sunset raises an eyebrow. "A friend? Behind that door at the end of the cellar? Does he have a name?"

"The time I asked him, he replied that I could call him Lazy Bones, but I think it's just a nickname. He's pretty nice, he always has a joke in reserve. We do competitions for the worst joke sometimes."

"Why don't you open the door and go see him?"

Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Daaah~" She opened the door for a few seconds to show that it was not leading anywhere.

Sunset raised the hoof to the temple to contain a blooming headache. "It's really hard to keep a logical reasoning with you." She took a look at the pink-haired mare with a smile. "How do the others do?"

Pinkie laughs. "They never ask questions. And talking about questions, what are you going to do? You said you had priorities earlier."

"I'm going to hunt down this Pepper and avenge Princess Celestia."

"How do you plan to find her?"

"I brought back from Japony a device that I was using at the time to track down criminals, it captures the subject's magicprint and then indicates the direction in which it is located, no matter how far away."

"Try it on me! Try it on me!" said a Pinkie leaping on the spot.

"All right, all right!" Sunset capitulated smiling. "Give me a minute to get it out of the bag." With these words she went to look for a purple metal compass the size of the hoof. It wasn't marked like a normal compass, on the border of this device, there were twenty-four notches on each side, which was attached to a string. She returned to Pinkie Pie, then activating the magic print capture while aiming at the earth pony, the compass opened in two on the edge, sucking a cloud as pink as the mare's mane into her breast before closing suddenly. But the instrument overheated. Sunset barely had time to throw it away and set up a shield with its magic to protect them before it exploded. "Are you alright, Pinkie?"

Pinkie pouted, puzzled. "It exploded because my magic is beyond eight thousand?"

Sunset didn't understand what Pinkie was getting at, she was going to say no, but remembered that it was better to go her way without questioning it. "Yes, Pinkie, your magic print is off the charts, clearly beyond eight thousands."

The earth pony had a brief laugh that tore a contagious smile from the unicorn. Once the laughter subsided, she looked at what was left of the compass "Are you going to be able to fix it?"

Sunset picked up the biggest debris, thoughtful. "I don't think that's a good idea. You said Pepper was interested in your storage pockets, is she capable of the same kind of magic?"

"Yes. You can find her magic print near Fluttershy’s cottage, that's her nearest waypoint."

"What do you mean?"

"Rainbow Dash once told me that for Pepper the teleportation is more complex, while Twilight just needs to visualise the destination place in her head, Pepper has to take into account additional details, otherwise she would find herself on another planet in another dimension. As a result, she has waypoints, a kind of signal that makes her teleports easier but at the same time more limited. One close to Fluttershy's house, one next to the ruins of the two sisters' castle, and one in the armoury of Canterlot Castle."

"This information will make it easier for me to track her. Based on the ornament at home, I can eliminate her ghost prints from the tracker, I just need to make the device with a stronger material, so that it will support a magic print of your calibre. And I know which door I'm going to knock on. I will also take the opportunity to check in with Spitfire about Rainbow Dash," Sunset said, putting her travel saddle on her back.

"That would be great." Pinkie said.

Faint footsteps were heard from the back of the room, Pinkie smiled with a huge smile, ran towards the door, followed by a Sunset walking with a quick step.

"Lazy Bones! What took you so long? Bone tired as always?" Pinkie said cheerfully.

He  answered only by slipping a sheet of paper under the door before the footsteps moved away, which amazed Sunset and left Pinkie perplexed.

The latter picked up the leaf and began to read it.

Sunset, with her curiosity aroused, could not help but take a look over the shoulder of the earth pony, but she could not read a word of what was written. "What language is that? Pinkie?" When she took a look at the earth pony, she was shocked to see her for the second time so deprived of joy.

With her mane turned  smooth, her hoof on her mouth while crying in silence, Pinkie finished rereading. "It's Common, the writing used by humans. Lazy advises me to destroy the recipe of his decoction, as it has permanent harmful side effects beyond fifteen minutes. He knows it because, a human child has arrived in their world." She sniffed. "Killing everycreature. Unless he can change their mind, he says he's not going to make... old bones." She smiled hollowly as she said these last words.

"Can't we do anything?"

"This magic that allows me to talk to someone from another world is called <breaking the fourth wall> but ironically, I can't go there."

Sunset could not find the words to ease Pinkie's pain, she lured her into her hooves, to comfort her. This event only reinforced her aversion to humans.

Two hours later, Spitfire was behind her desk in her office at the Wonderbolt Academy, signing papers when Sunset entered the room, having left the travel saddle at Twilight's library, but keeping the harness that held the katana in place against her right flank in its sheath and the purse that contained the few coins she had left.

Spitfire took a brief look at the unicorn, at the sight of the serious look Sunset had on her face, she knew she wasn't coming for a courtesy call. "Hello Sunset, what brings you here so early in the morning?"

"I need a favour."

The eyes of the pegasus widened, realising how important it must have been for Sunset to ask for help, she took off her sunglasses and stared straight into her eyes. "I'm listening."

"I'm trying to track down Pepper, but the device..."

"Sunset." Spitfire cut her off. "Get to the point. What do you need?"

"Cloudichalcum, one can be two ingots. And a place where I can make the tracker with it, piece by piece, without Princess Luna catching wind of it."

"Why the secrecy?"

"If she finds out I'm making a device that can track anypony with the accuracy of a metre, she'll ask for it and that would put Princess Twilight in an awkward position."

"Great, I give up, it only raises more questions, and I have the feeling that the less I know, the better. It's not like anypony could deny you anything given your credentials. You want access to the forge? You have them, you'll have them at your disposal. Two bars of Cloudichalcum is still something I can't just make disappear like that in the administrative paperwork. You'll have to forge a blade, you'll use the anti-magic metal for its core, but officially it will be made purely of Cloudichalcum."

"Why would you need such a blade?"

"It's not for me, it's for Dash. You'll never guess who was introduced to me by Princess Luna lately."

Sunset had an idea, but in order not to make a mistake, she replied in half words. "This pony seems terrible. Did you have bad dreams about it?" she asked with a mocking smile.

Spitfire understood the allusion without difficulty. "How long have you known?"

"The night I returned, she approached Princess Twilight in her dreams to ask her a favour."

"No wonder, given her return, that the Sandmare project was dug up by Princess Celestia. But Dash is going to need a blade and you're going to forge it for me, in return for the favour, Sunset."

"Relax Spitfire, I know and understand your eagerness to prepare for the worst, but from what I know, Nightmare Moon wants to be an ally of Princess Twilight, she asked for her help, and even revealed information hidden by Princess Luna."

"She plays her cards, nothing more."

"Fine, you want a sword, sure, I'll forge it for you. And since she’s been mentioned, how's Rainbow? Pinkie says she's changed since she became a Wonderbolt."

"Yes, I noticed a change in her attitude. I tried to talk to her, but I always hit a wall. I'm her superior, not her mother, I can't force her to tell me what's wrong or send her to a psych just because she's giving her all."

Sunset was torn. She wanted to build the tracker as quickly as possible, but Princess Celestia's last words during the time travel pushed her to intervene. "I'm going to have to get involved in this case, Equestria won't be able to endure two Spitfires. Where can I find her?"

"Catch her, you mean. The best solution would be to wait for her at home tonight."

Sunset reviewed everything she knew about the situation thanks to Pinkie. "Well, I have the afternoon to prepare my ambush."

"Anything you need for the ambush?”

"No, Mom." Sunset said impertinently. "I will come and start working at the forge as soon as possible." she continued more seriously. "I'm going back to Ponyville, see you later, Spitfire."

The day went by without incident. Sunset went to see Rarity, and gave her an impromptu lesson on kimonos. In the second half of the afternoon, she went to see Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres.

It was almost time for the sun to give way to the moon in the sky. To the east of Ponyville was a glade surrounded by cherry trees, their petals shaded from bright white to the brightest pink. Sunset was sitting there against a barrel of cider lying in the grass, a mug half full between the hooves, another on the barrel. With the harness detached, the katana rested against the barrel to the right of Sunset. She was facing the sun, her eyes closed, she was enjoying the moment, a peaceful smile on her lips.

The unicorn didn't have to wait long, Rainbow Dash was returning at full speed from the Wonderbolt Academy after her daily debriefing. She stopped abruptly a few flaps of wings from the cloud on which her house was standing when she realised that Sunset was in the clearing. She hesitated for a moment, before giving in to curiosity, landing on the dry land beside her. "Hey Sunset, what are you doing here?"

With calculated nonchalance, Sunset opened one eye. "Oh, Rainbow, hello. As you can see, I’m appreciating a keg of Applejack's special cider cuvée. What are you doing here?"

When the special vintage was mentioned, the pegasus drooled a bit, but the question did not please her. "What am I doing here? That cloud above us is my home! There's my mailbox right there behind you," she said, pointing at it with her hoof.
 
Sunset took a look that was meant to be lazy over the barrel at the blue steel mailbox with Rainbow Dash's cutie mark on the side. She turned back to the mare. "You're the fastest pegasus, I bet you could place that mailbox and cloud anywhere in Ponyville in less than ten seconds."

"Of course I could! Wait..." She realised afterwards that this was not in her favour. "Nevermind, I don’t care, do whatever you want," she said frustrated, before taking off, flying toward her home.

"Do you want to help me finish the barrel?" Sunset calmly proposed.

Rainbow came back in a blink by her side. "Okay," she replied without hesitation. Nothing could have stood in her way of drinking a barrel of Applejack's special vintage. She grabbed the second pint, drunk the first fill bottom up, then refilled it before sitting next to Sunset.

Sunset remained deliberately silent, so that the growing silence between them would cause Rainbow Dash to feel uncomfortable, forcing her to speak.

And the expected effect did not take too long to come. "How are the others?" she asked.

"What others?" Sunset said, pretending not to understand.

"Well, the group! Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity."

"How should I know? They're your friends, not mine. You should know that. How are your friends doing, Rainbow?"

"Oh come on, you have just seen them!" accused the pegasus.

Sunset was only half surprised by this statement. She looked up and smiled. "How do you know?" she asked before taking a sip of her pint without taking her eyes off it.

Rainbow looked away, embarrassed. "Forget it."

Sunset tried to bounce off these words, looking at the bottom of her mug. "Life would be so simple, if we could just forget the unpleasant things on command, don't you think? There was a time when I wish I had forgotten my past. But in Japony, a master blacksmith helped me to accept it.”

"What did he do?"

"I'll tell you the long version. This is the day after my request to forge my katana was accepted, but before that, I had to go through a conversation with the master blacksmith, so that he would know who was making the request. I thought it would have taken five, ten minutes. It took all day. He made me say every thought I had from as far back as I can remember until the very day before. At the end, he told me: <Sunset-san, if you forge your blade with such a state of mind, never before has a blade had as many shadows as yours...> At the time I thought he would refuse me his sup-"

"Wait a minute, <-san>? <shadows>?"

"Ah. Yes. Do you remember the banner, Sunset-senpai the day I arrived? The suffix -san is used in the case of addressing a pony of equal or lower rank than our own, -sama for someone of higher rank, and, especially to address a princess, there is the suffix -hime. You following so far?"

"So... Twilight-hime to say Princess Twilight?"

"That's right. Can you fill up the pint for me, please?" she said, handing her the pint. "Regarding shadows, it's about the forging process. Five elements are determining factors in the quality result of a blade." She took back her full pint. "Thank you. The metal used represents the earth, the fire of the forge and the wind that keeps it burning, the water in which the metal is cooled and finally the blacksmith's ki. According to him, in view of my past, my ki, which is, to explain it simple to you, an internal energy unique to each one of us, was not the best there is insofar as I dragged my regrets and fears like a ball and chain attached to my hind legs, and no meditation could have helped me to drive them out of my mind." She looked at Rainbow from the corner of her eye." Meditation is a spiritual warm-up to empty your mind. Still, according to him, my ki would have impregnated my soul states in the blade."

"And so it was?"

"When the head of the family, who spent his youth learning from his father, who himself learned it from his father, and who will spend the rest of his life forging blades that are still praised today by all the clans of Japony, tells you that the blade will have shadows, you take his word for it, Rainbow."

"All right, all right, all right. Well, then, what did he say?"

"He told me: <No blacksmith worthy of the name would dare to present such a blade in return for an order, he would shame himself. But in your case, Sunset-san, you may be tormented by your past, but you seem to have a healthy personality. Similar blades have been created by master blacksmiths recognised by all, and have been the reward during tournaments... > what you need to know is that the katana has in some way, a spirit of its own, in the image of the one who forged it.”

"So your sword is like what, alive?"

"Yes and no. It is not alive in the same way as you and I are alive, but more in the sense that when we sing a song, we put our heart into it. A katana is a bit like the same idea. This weapon is imbued with my being, the one I was back then when I created it. Kind of like a copy of me. Do you understand me, or did I lose you there?"

"It reminds of an old book about your adventures in Japony, and also of my Element of Harmony that recognised my Loyalty to the group, am I right?"

Sunset needed to think, based on what Twilight had told her during their period of common depression. "It's kind of like that for the element except you didn't create it. But you understood a little bit the idea I'm trying to explain, very badly, I admit it."

"And so with the master blacksmith, what happened next?"

Sunset tried to find back the thread of the conversation. "He then said: <Whatever you have done, whatever you have said, the past cannot be changed. And if you flee from it, as far as your steps lead, it will always be there by your side when it is time to go to bed until the day of your last breath. So maybe it's time to turn the page for good, and for that, you'll have to accept it with serenity. I will help you to make your past a basis for resuming the path to your destiny, Sunset-san, a weapon that will allow you to face the future, no matter what form it takes to challenge you. But before I start, I'm going to ask you to take stock of your life, to reflect on everything that has been said today. Take the night, the day of tomorrow, the rest of the week, whatever it will take. You are my honoured guest. When you have accepted the idea of moving on, come back to me, with a definitive name for the blade.”

"Wait a second. Your katana has a name?"

"It is a bad omen for the newly forged blade of a katana to be immersed in water before naming it. In Japony, such a blade would be considered as soulless ... as a dead tree with only the bark left, the inside totally gnawed away by termites."

That image gave Rainbow goosebumps.

Sunset followed. "And so today, I have Spitfire ordering me to forge a blade especially for you."

"Shouldn't it be me doing it, you know, so the spirit of the sword can be a copy of me?"

Sunset smiles inwardly. "No, I'm not going to forge you a Rainbow katana, just a regular sword of the Equestrian army."

"Oh come on, you can't tell me all this about how swords are forged in Japony and then tell me you're going to forge a common sword for me."

Sunset's inner smile overflowed on her lips into a corner smile. "I guess you could probably convince Spitfire that as a special unit, you could have an unconventional weapon. But do you understand what this means?"

"Am I going to have to find a name for it?"

"No, before that."

"Uh, I'm going to have to learn how to forge?"

"No, before that."

Rainbow tried to remember. "No, I don't see it."

"We need to talk, Rainbow. The conversation that took me a day. But I'm only interested in one thing. I need to know what's wrong with you so you avoid your friends like you've been doing since you became a Wonderbolt."

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that. I talked to Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie today, and they can't explain it. So, please, help us understand what's wrong."

"Spitfire said it, Princess Celestia wanted me to be a special unit within the Wonderbolts. I'm a Wonderbolt because somepony I thought was my friend … did something that I can't even say. And I can't disappoint Princess Celestia, I have to dedicate myself, making sure everything is fine everywhere."

Sunset blinked several times, she couldn't believe her ears. She tried not to laugh, but could not hold back for long. "All of this for that?" Her laughter became louder. And Rainbow's offended face didn't help. "If I had known." She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

"How can you laugh?!"

"Rainbow, you've got yourself all riled up so much, it's so absurd that it's better to laugh about it than to cry about it."

"What do you mean?!"

"I was there, Rainbow. Princess Celestia didn't choose you. Princess Celestia asked Spitfire to make a Wonderbolt into this special unit. Spitfire chose you."

The pegasus was troubled by this statement. "No. I'm sure of it. Spitfire said it was the princess' orders."

"Rainbow, don't make me drag you to the academy by the skin of your neck to ask Spitfire to repeat what she said. Please."

Rainbow's certainty ended up melting in front of Sunset's confidence. "So it's just because of Spitfire that I'm a Wonderbolt?"

"Did you really not listen to anything the other day? It's only for your achievements and talent. If your appointment to the active team had not arrived this month, it would only have been a matter of time. Fire Streak is about to leave the active team to become a teacher in the academy. You were at the top of the list to replace him."

Rainbow was lost, staring at the bottom of her pint. Not knowing how to react, she turned to Sunset, her eyes begging for guidance. "What do I do now?"

"Nopony forces you to be the guardian of harmony all the time, not even Spitfire, even if it makes her very happy that you give your all. Your friends miss you, three of them told me so. You're going to join the Running of the Leaves, because Applejack hopes to see you there, she told me it won't be the same without you." Her thoughts made her realise there was only one course of action. "Regarding the sword, I doubt a katana is what you need. Spitfire knows about Nightmare Moon, that's why she's asking me to forge a blade for you. But you are a guardian, Rainbow. When my katana was finished, the blacksmith's first words were: <You gave birth to a beautiful slayer.> So tell me, in the event that Nightmare Moon possesses Princess Luna, would you be ready to kill her?"

The question shocked Rainbow Dash. "W-what?!! No!"

"In that case, explain to me in detail, why do you want a katana?"

"Because it seemed cool, considering the history of yours, the shadows and putting a bit of yourself in the blade and everything."

Rainbow's innocence made Sunset smile and start thinking. "Something cool that can fight somepony like Nightmare Moon." She thought about the conversations with Twilight. "If I could channel the energy of your Elements of Harmony into a blade. A magic sword of Harmony, how cool would that be?"

"Cool? Are you kidding me? That would be awesome," said the pegasus, waving her forelegs in a sudden upright position with her wings spread. "Do you think you can do that?" she asked after sitting down.

"I'll try. The idea is simple, but the execution isn't. I'll think about the concept, but I make absolutely no promises. In the worst case scenario, you'll have a Cloudichalcum sword."

“By the way, what’s its name?” asked Rainbow.

“My Sword? Danzan-maru. Maru is also a suffix, literally, it does mean <circle>, but it is often applied to swords and ships, with the implication that the item is something beloved. Danzan means <separator>.”

As Sunset cleared up the misunderstanding, they kept talking, and even  after they had finished up their barrel of apple cider, Sunset continued regaling tales of her adventures in this far away country.

The next morning, Sunset set out to get Twilight out of her torpor, with the help of the group. A party was organised by them during the afternoon, while Sunset made the plans for the various parts of the tracker to be made, and all celebrated at nightfall the appointment of Rainbow Dash as a Wonderbolt.

When the components were ready, Sunset made the soldering of the printed circuit board itself before assembling the whole thing. Once this was done, she tried the device on Pinkie and this time it held on. Confident, she used the device and collected Pepper's magic print from the hair strand. However, given the time that had elapsed since Twilight received it, it was no longer possible to collect the magic print of the clotted blood. Sunset had to fall back on the three drop points Pinkie had mentioned to get a print. When she arrived in front of Fluttershy's cottage, she realised thanks to the leaves falling from the trees, that they delineated an area large enough to contain Princess Celestia herself no less, the waypoints forming a bubble that prevented organic elements from entering. Sunset then understood that these drop points had some protection, assured that one of them would prevent any creature from being inside if Pepper were to open the passage. At the same time, she set the tracker so that it would ignore them from now on. She realised that the Regicide had a sharp mind if she took these kinds of precautions, and this encouraged her to be more cautious. Moments later, she discovered the ruins of the two sisters' castle and after much investigation, the Tree of Harmony.

With the sword project still in mind, and seeing the symbols on the tree that seemed identical to the cutie mark of Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia, she was convinced that this tree had a connection with the Elements of Harmony. With great respect, she took one of the round, translucent gems hanging from the branches of the tree.

Back in Ponyville, Sunset spoke to Twilight about the sword project before asking for permission to manipulate the Elements of Harmony, and her help. After a few tests, the two students of Princess Celestia managed to find a reliable concept. Spitfire later approved this concept.

The day of the Running of the Leaves arrived very soon. Out Of the seven mares, Rainbow, Applejack, Twilight and Sunset were the only ones to participate: Pinkie and Spike were the commentators in duet from a hot air balloon that flew over the race, Fluttershy and Rarity, with their own reasons, did not participate. The idea behind the race was simple, the gallop of the participants would help the leaves of the trees to fall.

The next day, Sunset went to Fluttershy's cottage. She spent the day there, but towards the end of the day she went to get Twilight to show her the discoveries she made; that she could use magic to open Pepper's waypoints. She had to be aware of the specific place the waypoint was to use them. However, this only worked with the waypoints previously created by Pepper, the waypoints Sunset had recently visited. From the two sisters' castle, Twilight managed to open the gate leading to Fluttershy's cottage.

One night, in the northern district of Canterlot behind the castle where the noblest families lived, whose roots went back to the very foundations of the Kingdom of Equestria, three ponies gathered around a round table made of ebony wood.

"Lady Storm, Lady Shawarma, how are you?"

"As good as you are, Sir Adamantium, as good as you are."

Thing is, they were tired of the constant attempts to approach the pony who was sitting next to the throne.

"If only Princess Lu-"

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." said the earth pony.

A servant came in,  seemingly very embarrassed. "A unicorn at the door wants to talk to you."

"Who is this?"

"He didn't introduce himself, he just sputtered something." Just thinking about it increased her embarrassment, making her blush even more.

"I'm waiting."

She mustered all the courage she could under the stress of what she was ordered. "He said that you would know who he is if I stated: <If only Princess Luna was as malleable as Princess Celestia was.> " She wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

Sir Adamantium closed his eyes in a long, exasperated sigh. "Send him in."

The maid disappeared without further delay.

Bitter Truth stayed at the door frame. "May I join this exciting beginning of conversation you have here?"

"What do you want? When we last spoke, you didn't want to have anything to do with us anymore, as I recall."

"I had no reason at the time to work with puppeteers. But, to the extent that my vision of the future proves to me that it is time to change direction, and to work with the camp that will soon be at the head of the kingdom."

Like three sharks sniffing the drop of blood that had just mingled with the ocean, the pupils of the three nobles shrank so much that all their attention was focused on the stallion that remained at the door of the room.

With a predatory smile, Sir Adamatium spoke again. "By all means come in, my dear friend, come in. And be kind enough to let us see this future you just talked about."

Bitter Truth entered and telekinetically closed the door behind him, with a fine smile on his face. He slipped to the table, facing the three ponies that had stood side by side to face him. "It may be that in the very near future, Princess Luna may have an accident that will make her unable to rule Equestria. And then somepony will have to take over the regency. But I'm sure you, the descendants of the founders of this kingdom, have some idea of who the ideal candidates would be."

Like hyenas, the three nobles began to plan for their future at the head of the kingdom, under the satisfied gaze of the oracle.

And so days passed.

Since Bitter Truth's visit, Nightmare Moon came every night with her claymore carried by Major Antares, and a new way to tease Chrysalis, which forced Aglowing Shell to defend her mother with her sword. This was a pretext for their training session, the time varied according to the child's only desire, who later discovered a passion for Equestrian Astronomy.

One morning, in the badlands, a silhouette entered Chrysalis' private apartments. Without especially trying to be discreet, using his magic to light his way to the hanging, the pony slipped into the alcove.

The queen, who was lying on her stomach and bent over herself, was woken from her dreamless sleep by the presence that crept into her alcove, her mind still disturbed by the sudden awakening, convinced that it was Aglowing Shell that woke her up. She smiled a little. "How many times-" She was cut off by a kiss on the lips, and the sensation of fizz that invaded her mind made her have a gesture of retreat. "What-" She was not allowed to speak, the kiss took hold of her, the fizziness overcame her spirit, she sighed as she succumbed, the kiss lasted for a while, giving power to the queen, until Bitter Truth slipped a slice of the fruit of love between her lips eagerly looking for another kiss.

"Your loyal subordinate arrives, may you have the kindness to reassure her, we have to discuss a matter of life and death concerning your daughter."

It didn't take long, Chitin arrived in a hurry, opening the door with a crash. "My queen! Are you all right?!” They were cut off in the momentum by a snap. An order from Chrysalis to not make another step.

Chrysalis was gathering her thoughts. "Yes, Chitin. He came to bring me breakfast in bed, that's all. Go with my daughter, and make sure she doesn't come to disturb us."

Chrysalis' low tone said nothing worthwhile to the warrior, so they followed her instructions without blinking, closing the door behind them.

The queen looked at the unicorn and glared at him, "Funny are those obsessions you have, pony."

Bitter Truth, who illuminated the alcove with his magic, gave her a softer look. "Isn't that the duty of a jester to entertain the Queen? If you don't mind, I'd dare ask to offer you a hug while I explain to you how to save your daughter once again. Your power will be a necessary asset, believe me."

"It's not like you've been wrong so far." She sighed exasperated. "All right, go ahead. But about your explanations, don't beat about the bush this time. I'm not in the mood," she said as she went back to bed.

The oracle clung to her side, and placed his head on her back, at the height of the heart of the changeling. "Your daughter next year will have the opportunity to meet her father, who will try to kill her. If you want her to be saved, the only way is to dig Pepper Chilly up, during the night between Sunday and Monday next week. She's the only one who can save her. I didn't see a plausible future where anypony else could."

"The parasprite is dead, I don't see her saving anypony once she's dug up," Chrysalis mocked. But the silence that followed left her with a headache as she savoured the love she was receiving, a very surprising sweet and salty mixture. "I reduced her heart to jam, and you want me to believe that she survived that?"

"It was only one step towards her complete destruction. You have seen her true appearance. What she did to Celestia transfigured her. She has not only consumed the power, but Celestia’s very essence. And even though the Princess was as old as her kingdom, she wouldn't have died so easily."

"Let's pretend I believe you." she sighed, focusing on what mattered most, her daughter's well-being. “Then what, I pull her out of her hole? I apologise for killing her, and beg her to save Aglowing next year?"

"That would be the worst thing to do. Pepper doesn't know yet she's immortal, and she can't know that, not right now. Imagine, if you were her. You wake up one day, and let’s say her Highness Nightmare Moon greets you, tells you that she personally destroyed your heart and yet you are still alive, how would you react?"

She thought about her reaction. She would have found a way to get revenge while conquering Equestria. "Very badly," she summarised. "So I have to lie to her?"

"Tell her a beautiful story, how her magic saved your race from hunger, that you were forced to syphon her magic without stealing her power. This will explain that her magic that hid her true form has dissipated. She won't be able to blame you. Not after your confession. And when the question of her needs comes up, explain to her the virtues of your cocoons, moreover I advise you to produce some of them, you will need them."

"The cocoons? It's not something I can produce in abundance, do you know how much love it takes to produce one? What a question, how could you, you visited my hive in the past to steal a few."

"I had to study the virtues of the fluid you fill these cocoons with. Equestria could make use of such a gift you know. You could save lives with this."

"Too expensive in love to produce, and for what result? A few bits? We are not cows."

"Why do you think I'm here for your breakfast?"

"How generous. Is there anything else you should know about Pepper?"

"Have her thrown into the underground lake as soon as your daughter is asleep, the human will wake up at dawn, not before. Make sure in person to tune her violins to the little story you told your daughter. Don't do the half measure, as long as you don't say that you killed her, everything will be fine."

That story of bad blood in her head had slipped her mind. "Is that all?"

"Hide your daughter's sword in the farthest part of the hive, where she wouldn't go for it immediately. Pepper must not see it when she wakes up." Bitter Truth lied. He could not say that in the very same day she would release Pepper, Chrysalis' life would be in danger of death.
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


<Gamine, wake up.>


Gamine reopened her eyes upon reaching the bottom of the lake. Immediately she leaned on her hind legs and swam to the surface. Once her head was out in the open, she looked around, while catching her breath. It was so dark that she resolved to use magic to light beyond the tip of her nose. "Kyndal?" she called, her incomprehension of her situation coming up against the hope that her mother would appear.

"Your mother? Have you already forgotten? She is dead," Pepper whispered in a neutral tone, noting that the body had returned to its true form.

Chrysalis couldn't believe it, yet she saw the mare alive and well. She hesitated for a second. Then, she grabbed the unicorn by the jaw and pulled her closer for a private conversation. Chrysalis bent her head down to whisper in the ear of her guest. She slipped the crystal shard she'd previously used to kill her against her throat, leaving no room for discussions. "Listen to me, Pepper, listen to me carefully. If my daughter ever asks you, you are cured of the bad blood that was in your head that you had sought treatment for. If you deviate from this simple line, I will kill you."

Gamine was looking at the queen, lost. "Who is she?" asked the guardian.

"Let me take control, you will learn by listening," Pepper suggested.

Gamine had no choice, her memory was muddled, she remembered the south trip, the bat ponies, the long tunnel... the rest was blurry. They switched places, the guardian giving control back to the monster. "I'll take control back if you try anything I don't like," she threatened.

Once the switch was made, Pepper resumed the conversation. "Given the situation, I am willing to get a little more wet," Pepper said. She magically covered the shard against her throat to wrap the edge and render it harmless before she grabbed Chrysalis by the paws with her telekinesis and threw her into the lake. "But why should I be the only one?"

Chrysalis didn't expect this, she plunged by force, the splinter broke in two under the pressure of the two opposing magics manipulating it, and the changeling came back to the surface as soon as the telekinesis released her. She found herself a few metres away from a monster who was holding an improvised weapon, her nervousness growing.

Pepper stared into Chrysalis' eyes. "I am not against lying to your daughter if this request comes from you, Chrysalis." Pepper looked at her before she looked at the shard she was holding by telekinesis. "You said that between predators, we could find common ground. These are my conditions: if you try to threaten my life like that ever again, you will regret it. I will play by your rules, just another predator who promises to behave, just requesting from you to answer a few trivial questions." She released the magical grip on the shard which then sank in. "Acceptable?"

"It's not like I really have a choice, do I?" Chrysalis said, before swimming back to shore.

Pepper also pulled herself out of the water. "I am in great shape, and the magic I was hiding behind is gone. How long has it been .... since I left for treatment?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Forty-five days," replied Chrysalis with a predatory smile.

"What?!" screamed Gamine out of surprise.

"Forty-five days without feeding me, would you have me believe that?" Pepper said amused before her guts growled so loudly she held the belly with one foreleg.

"You were imprisoned in a cocoon on which we have the secret, the fluid it contains keeps you healthy, and can heal any wounds, but does not make amputated limbs grow back. On the other hand, you must be starving. There is only one remedy for this."

"I will have to eat then." Saying this, Pepper's eyes narrowed, devoid of emotion as she tilted her face slightly to the left, the monster in all its splendour, projecting the aura of the predatory she was in the room.

Chrysalis took a step backwards and raised a shield for safety. It was already cold in the room, but suddenly the temperature had dropped another notch. The queen could hardly tell if the shiver she felt was due to fear or to the freezing cold.

"You only amuse yourself. Stop it at once," Gamine grunted in a breath, exasperated.

Pepper cut the comedy short. "I am joking. From what I have seen, your ability to change shape is certainly better than my magic, but at the same time with those green flames, it is far too showy. You are excluded from my hunting list and that is final. I would settle for a little bowl of soup. But I have a feeling that you do not have that here," Pepper commented with a mocking smile, before hearing the sound of a gallop approaching.

Chrysalis lowered the shield, a furious desire to kill her a second time crossed her mind.

The young Aglowing arrived at full speed, but when she saw Pepper, she tried to slow down abruptly, skating for a moment before falling headfirst. But her fall ended up in a hand made of golden magic at the end of the false unicorn's hoof. More fear than harm, the child watched her for a moment. "Is that really you, Pepper? You weren't that tall before!"

"I have eaten a lot of soup," she teased. "Seriously, I used magic to hide my true appearance."

"Why?" chirped the little Caesar.

"I will tell you later, FaceHugger. At the moment I would like to go back to the surface, if that is possible. It is pretty cold down here."

"FaceHugger?" asked Gamine.

The monster didn't need to explain, the hybrid jumped in her face to give her a hug. "I'm so happy to see you again!"

"Oh, I get it now," Gamine said.

Pepper sat down on the floor and used her magic hands to unhook the child before placing her on her mother's back. "I am happy too. But I really need to get out in the sun to dry my coat," she said, turning her eyes to Chrysalis.

"Follow me," the queen commanded before trotting through the tunnel through which Aglowing had just arrived, the little Caesar giving her a hug while hanging on her neck.

As Pepper followed her through the galleries, Gamine whispered, "So it was from these creatures that the call came?"

On the way, Chitin appeared from the darkness of the corridor, and started to follow Pepper.

"They are the changelings, and the call came from this child," Pepper replied.

"What do you mean it came from the child? That's just not possible," replied Gamine.

"Why is that?”

"But think about it! If I could feel this child's distress from so far away, I should have felt the distress of others in this world within the same range, it's just impossible to have felt only her," explained the guardian.

Pepper hadn't seen it that way. "I do not care. As you can see, I have kept my word, so in exchange, you are going to give me control of my body for the day."

Gamine was speechless. She tried to counter-argue, but she only had one word. "Only one condition, and it has already been stated," she replied, resigned.

It didn't take long before they all reached the open air at the bend of a gallery. Pepper unfurled as much as she could, stretching every muscle in her body one after the other, ending with her wings. She took the opportunity to do a quick check-up to make sure everything was OK. She felt a gaze on her and turned to Chrysalis immediately. "What?" she said.

The queen had a smirk on her lips. "You remind me physically of a certain Sun Princess."

"Does she know?" Gamine asked.

"Is there a problem with that?" Pepper replied to both of them as she folded her wings. "No. better question, what happened while I was away," she asked, pressing that last word.

"Your departure present charged with your magic is very beneficial to us. A tree that offers us love in the form of fruits. You truly have spoiled us," Chrysalis explained half-words.

Aglowing Shell jumped from her perch and landed in front of Pepper. "I've made a friend! Nightmare Moon is her name!" she said in a chirp "Oh, and I'm a Cæsar, that means Queen with a princess heart!"

Pepper was frozen both physically and mentally by the first wave of information.

"What?" whispered Gamine.

"For all I know, Luna became Nightmare Moon when she grew jealous because of Celestia. But when you went to see her, she was herself," Pepper explained.

"She was herself? You expect me to believe she used to be like that?! She tried to kill us!" screamed Gamine.

"It was a poor attempt, then," Pepper replied with a smile addressed to the guardian before turning her attention back to Aglowing. "Remember how you know a potential friend when you see one? Have you noticed any of those signs?" 

"Honesty, Loyalty, and Laughter!" Aglowing chirped.

Pepper raised an eyebrow, surprised, but still smiling. "That's a lot of them."

"Oh, by the way," said Chrysalis. "Your mane ornament, I gave it to Nightmare Moon. She was so eager to search for you that I asked her to give it back to you if you two were to cross paths. But it seems like she didn’t find you."

Pepper hadn't noticed until then, how heavy was her wet mane.

Gamine was horrified. “We have to recover my Mother’s gift!”

“Calm down, Gamine, I will take care of that, since it seems to be so important to you,” she said to the guardian before her attention focused on Aglowing Shell.

"Say, Pepper, will you stay and play with me?"

"Well..."

"Accept or I'll do it," Gamine threatened.

Pepper sighed. "Okay. What do you want to play to? I do not know many games, and the only ones I know would not please your mother."

"Usually I sword fight with my friend, but you don't have one."

"Indeed, I do not have any." she replied, grinning.

The child could not find an alternative. So she asked the question that had remained unanswered. "Say, why did you hide your appearance?"

"I did something very bad to the Sun Princess, and now I look a lot like her. So I am hiding it, to prevent her subjects from thinking I am their princess," she explained in a simple way to make herself understood.

This confession shocked the young hybrid. "Did you really kill Nightmare Moon's sister?"

"Yes," Pepper replied nonchalantly.

Why?" My friend told me that everypony loved her!"

"What is the big deal?" Pepper said. You changelings also hunt ponies. You drain their hearts. Is that different?"

"We hunt for food, we don't kill!" the child took off. "Otherwise there would be no one left to feed on," she squealed.

Pepper wanted to explain her philosophy ...

... but Gamine interfered, "Move on. I wouldn't like to see her cry," she scolded.

"I am wasting precious time here. Oh, I know." She used her magic to return to her average unicorn form. "Would you like to go for a walk in the forest?"

"We did that yesterday. There were a lot of bat ponies by the tunnel," Aglowing said, a little sullen.

Pepper frowned, and turned to Chrysalis.

"When your friend is a queen, you can do a lot of things, so Aglowing and I spent an afternoon exploring the forest, and as she just said, we don't kill nice ponies like you, we just use them for food, after Chitin throws them away."  

Pepper thought she understood what was being said there without the child's knowledge. "Since it took me hours to get here from Ponyville, where can I set up one of my markers to get here in a second if I ever felt the need again?" she asked while taking a quick look at the young hybrid.

"Out of my hive," Chrysalis commanded in an uncompromising tone.

Pepper looked around. The large rock formation nearby was to her liking. She went there and walked around it, followed by the curious child, who herself remained under the watchful eye of Chrysalis and Chitin. The unicorn stopped in front of it, at the opposite of the part facing the entrance to the hive.

"What's this marker you're talking about?"

"Do you know teleportation?"

"No." the child admitted.

"It is a long way from here to the throne room, is not it? I use magic so that I do not have to walk from here to there. It is as if I open a door and arrive the next second in the throne room. But this magic does not allow me to see where I am going, so I put a magic light to show me where my destination is."

"Tell me, how did you get to Equestria then?" Chrysalis asked.

"In the ruins of the two sisters' castle, not far from Ponyville, there was a mirror that was imbued with the same kind of magic. It was through it that I came. I had trouble at first with this imposed appearance, but as I was looking for my next hunting ground, I tried my luck. What came next, it seems you know it." With those words, Pepper turned to the rock, considering for a moment how she would proceed. She turned to the child. "Go to your mother. I will tell you when you can come and see."

Aglowing hesitated for a moment before she went nestling against a leg of Chrysalis, who for a moment was reassured to see her daughter away from Pepper.

The latter concentrated, her horn lighting up with a golden aura, a cavity dug into the stone in a crash of broken stones, deep and high enough to contain Pepper's true form. With the marker in place, Pepper resumed, placing four protective seals one on top of the other, making sure, as always, that no incident would occur during a warp. Pepper waved at the changelings. "The creation is complete and secured."

They approached out of curiosity, Aglowing arrived smiling, but when she saw the result, she was disappointed. "There's nothing there. It's just emptiness!"

"Of course it is. You can not see my markers with the naked eye. But no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to get in there."

Aglowing didn't want to question Pepper's words, but at the same time she found it hard to believe that it would be so difficult to enter this empty space. So she tried, but hit head first against a force field. "Ouch! What's that?" She frowned, and struck both front hooves on this invisible shield. "That's cheating!" she said as she turned to Pepper.

The unicorn smiled, leaning her neck towards the child. "This hole is here because I have placed my marker, now imagine if you were in it while I use the same magic to open the passage, what do you think would happen to you?"

Aglowing widened her eyes, she looked at how deep and high the hole was. She understood how dangerous it was for her and became frightened, taking a few steps back, before fleeing to take refuge on the back of her mother who was coming closer to observe. 

"How flashy. You would make a killing in Las Pegasus. It's just an invisible shield tho," said the queen.

"More like a closed door, leaving me with two options. The first, I teleport to it. the second, I open a passageway to it." With those words, she used her magic on the marker to open a passage leading to Fluttershy's cottage, before passing through the portal. "Well, if that is all, I am off. I am starving," she said, waving with her left hoof.

"Pepper, wait!" Aglowing Shell almost shouted. "Are we friends?"

The mare stopped. She remained silent as she considered the question.

"Tell her yes," whispered Gamine.

"No." Pepper replied in a neutral tone. "But that does not make me your enemy. If you need my help, let your despair overwhelm you, like the night we met. I will come, I promise."

"Will we at least meet again?" asked the child, saddened.

"It is not among my habits to visit the same place twice. I am a monster like your mother, I go from one world to another, I kill someone, I leave."

"I'm a monster too. And I like you, I think."

Pepper used her magic, closed the gate without uttering a word.

Aglowing Shell didn’t take it well, tears coming to her eyes.

Chrysalis used telekinesis to grab her and console her. "Don't worry, she'll be back soon, she's just very hungry and you know how I am when I'm hungry."

The child squealed, squeezing out tears and closing her eyes tightly before nestling against her mother.

At the same time, Pepper walked towards the door of Fluttershy's cottage. "Why," asked the despondent guardian.

"Very simple. First, if Nightmare Moon is really her friend, she will be so jealous that she will kill us on the spot if I was stupid enough to befriend the child, if not for what I did to her sister. Secondly, I do not know what your plans are once this day is over, but I do not think you are going to stay here for the rest of your life".

Gamine was stunned for a moment after the explanation. "I haven't made any plans yet. But it's true that staying in this world where you killed the local princess is not a wise choice. But then, why did you want to regain control of your body for the day?"

Pepper knocked on the door. "I want to be able to say goodbye to my friend."

"Rainbow Dash? The one who brought Twilight, one of those you said could kill us with their artefacts of power? Do you really think she's still your friend Pepper?" Gamine said, incredulous.

"Handsome is the bearer of the element of Loyalty. She is my friend, no matter what I have done, our friendship remains. That is what loyalty is all about."

Gamine remained speechless before this aberrant naivety. "You killed my mother, and I'll never forgive you."

Fluttershy opened the door, but when she laid her turquoise gaze on Pepper standing in front of her, she was petrified with terror.

"We are not friends, and I am willing to bet you never had any. You can not understand what loyalty is." The unicorn smiled a smile that was meant to be warm towards the Pegasus. "Hello Fluttershy, would you kindly offer me a bowl of soup? I have not eaten in a while."

With all her body trembling, the mare cracked with a tight smile and clung to the exit door. "A bowl of soup, yes, right away Pepper, don't move, I'll bring it right away," she immediately stepped back before making a quick U-turn and retreating into the kitchen. Her idea was simple, open the window at the back of it and run away to warn Twilight. The difficulty lied in doing it quickly, without making too much noise to avoid arousing the suspicions of the murderer. 

In front of the door, different animals stood in front of Pepper to prevent her from entering. Angel the rabbit was above the rest of the group, Harry the bear was behind him, several birds on his flanks, and Fuzzy Legs the spider had just finished weaving a web in the door frame. These creatures were trying to make themselves as intimidating as possible by making big eyes at Pepper. The spider would look back at each one of them, most of the time it would stare at Angel, the second in command when Fluttershy wasn't there, when he wasn't forcing her to do his every whims.

"I am only here for a bowl of soup. I did not ask for meatballs. So what do you want?"

In the kitchen, Fluttershy was looking for a way out, but the windows wouldn't open, and getting through, despite the urgency of the situation, was out of the question. The only acceptable solution for the mare was to hide, curled up under the table, close her eyes and wait for the danger to pass. She had only this solution, trying to convince herself that with luck, Pepper would leave sooner or later.

There was a duel of stares between Angel and Pepper, the two opponents camped on their positions with the firm intention of getting their way. The contest ended abruptly as orange wisps appeared from the corner of the mare's eyes, shocking both opponents. And when she turned her gaze to the left, in the direction of the kitchen, she closed her eyes before letting out a worn-out sigh.

"Do something," shouted Gamine.

Pepper cleared her voice. "Fluttershy. Listen to me. Listen to my words. I understand why you are scared of me. If you want to run away, if you want to warn Twilight that I am here, you can walk by me, I will not stop you, I will not hurt you. My word must be of little value to you, but I know how much Handsome cares about you. And you know how much I like her." Her belly growled again. "Please, Fluttershy. I just want some soup."

The element of kindness trembled, curled up on herself, her eyes closed, she didn't dare to look out of fear, but she couldn't turn a deaf ear to Pepper's words. And as she listened to her, she heard and felt it, the lament of this wild beast who just wanted to stop being hungry, even cracking open a word of politeness, something she had never done before. She calmed down, just enough to speak. "I-Is that all?"

"Your animal friends are blocking the front door, I can not get through. If you want to run and tell Twilight, you can go out by the backdoor." She was lying, of course she could've come through if she wanted to, but she wasn't there to hurt anyone, and she wasn't there to imprison Fluttershy. The wisps were gradually fading from her eyes.

Fluttershy looked towards the entrance. "Really? You won't stop me?"

"I would be too busy digging food out of your pantry."
 
Fluttershy was almost calmed down. "So can I go?"

"All you have to do is ask your animal friends to make room for you, and nothing else will stand between you and Ponyville. Tell them to let me in so I can eat in the meantime."   

The Pegasus mustered all her courage, so she closed her eyes and started galloping out. Fuzzy Legs barely had time to clear a passageway, the animals and Pepper moved to make way for her. She ran down the slope to her cottage and stopped there. She was surprised when she turned her head over her shoulder.

Pepper looked at her, her head down to make herself small, a faint smile that was meant to be sad, a look that didn't pay off, behind which hid the monster that she was, so as not to frighten her further. After a moment of silence, she turned her eyes away and entered the cottage without a word.

Fluttershy looked towards Ponyville. she was about to leave but didn't do anything. looking at the cottage, she wondered why Pepper didn't do anything to hold her back.

As Pepper watched over the cauldron heating soup in the kitchen fireplace, she suddenly felt watched and mechanically turned her gaze to the kitchen entrance.

Fluttershy was standing there with only her head sticking out, and when their eyes met she immediately closed her eyes and cowered, but nothing happened. She calmed down, stuck her head back into the doorway and looked at Pepper again. She had fought alongside her friends against the enemies of Equestria. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, and Sombra. Pepper's gaze didn't seem evil to her. Gathering all her courage, she started the conversation. "Pepper, I don't understand, why did you do that to Princess Celestia?"

"Should you not tell Twilight I am here instead?"

"Why do you want me to? She's going to use the elements on you, shouldn't you stop it from happening? Not that I want you to hurt me," she whispered.

"Why did I do this to Celestia?" She looked for a simple analogy. "Imagine two predators fighting over a hunting ground. The one who wins will be the stronger. I did this to be stronger, to defeat those who will sooner or later try to kill me."

"So it wasn't so you could move the sun in your world?"

Pepper opened her eyes, in shock of such absurdity. "No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Well, Twilight said Princess Luna told her you said something like that."

For her it was yesterday. "That night I moved the sun to prove I was not lying, when I told her what I did to Celestia."

"I see. I thought you were a good pony, but in reality you were manipulating us."

"This is how I live. I am not Twilight, I do not have artefacts of power that automatically assure me a perfect victory. I am alone, I have always been alone, and if I had stayed here in Equestria, sooner or later I would have been an easy prey to a predator far too powerful for me. And this is something I can not come to terms with."

"What about Rainbow Dash? Do you have any idea how much she has suffered because of what you did?"

Pepper was silent for a moment. "Prince, princess, king, queen, I have seen a lot of those during my travels. And when one dies, another one takes its place. Celestia is replaced by her sister. Maybe Luna will be replaced by Twilight. And so on, that is life."

"But Princess Celestia was our Princess! She was Princess of Equestria for a thousand years! And she surely could have ruled a thousand years longer! You had no right, Pepper! You had no right!"

Pepper shook her head. "Celestia, a princess? Maybe to you." The corner of her lips folded into a mocking smile. "Twilight is a princess in training, yes. Luna is a princess, that is for sure. To me, Celestia was just a weak, old mare."

Fluttershy had tears in her eyes. "Monster! You monster!" With those words she fled in a gallop towards Ponyville.

"Tears and blood, is that all you wish to leave in your wake, Pepper?"

"Come on Gamine, you are the one who said giving them hope is just needlessly prolonging their suffering. I was only telling the truth, just like how you felt you had to tell Luna the truth."

Gamine was silent for a moment. "What do you mean by telling the truth?"

Pepper used a spoon to stir the soup before tasting if it was hot enough. "You did not see Celestia the way I did. And when I said she was just a weak old mare, I meant her soul."

"How could she be weak, Fluttershy just said she could have ruled for a thousand years more! And she was an alicorn, you told me she was the most powerful race of creatures in this kingdom! And you expect me to believe she was weak?!"

Pepper remained calm despite the screams that twisted her nerves. "Stop shouting. I have been feeding on souls since I was able to cast spells. I can look at a disembodied soul and tell what kind of character it belonged to. During absorption I can feel with accuracy the power that is added to mine. Celestia's was weak. I thought she was the most powerful of all the princesses, but it is almost as if her soul was fading. I gained her abilities, but this supposed power was a lie."

"What, are you saying she was somehow dying?"

"I do not know exactly. She was always calm, serene, but her eyes were dull, if not extinguished. The rare times her eyes lit up were when Luna was there. But also when she drank her six o'clock tea. One day at that time I caught her daydreaming, and when she realised I was there, she looked embarrassed, as if I should not have seen that."

"And did it ever occur to you to tell anyone?"

Pepper couldn't take it anymore, her rumbling guts were reaching its limits, not caring if the soup was lukewarm rather than hot, she drank it in one sitting. Once full, she licked her lips. "No predator cares about the mood of their prey, let alone whether orphans will be left behind. So, no, I have never talked about it, and nopony has ever remarked on it," she replied as she put out the fire. She left the cottage. Rainbow Dash's home was straight north from there, but Pepper knew the pegasus wasn't the type to stay in bed, so her best chance of finding her was a confrontation against the six mares. She set off to Ponyville, marching, for she had the day ahead of her and was in no hurry.





South of Ponyville, there was a park behind the Carrousel shop, which was both the shop and Rarity's home. In this park a tent was pitched, daylight had come fifteen minutes ago, and Trixie Lulamoon slept almost peacefully, except for a few shivers that made her move to and fro.

Outside, the campfire was rekindled as the hot embers were blown over the still warm embers and the dry wood became the prey of new flames to heat the travelling coffee pot.

Trixie was awoken by the sudden noise. She slowly straightened up on her forelegs, as irritation and bitterness fuelled her body and lifted the veil upon her eyes as they glared towards the noise’s source outside of the tent. She traded her pyjamas for the casual magician’s outfit. "Who dares disturb the sleep of the Humble and Sorry Trixie? she asked inquisitively as she took her head out of the tent.

Bitter Truth finished unpacking tea towels containing white rose petal sandwiches. "The Humble and Sorry Trixie? Oh, my apologies Miss, I thought I had come to see the Great and Powerful Trixie, real name Trixie Lulamoon."

That title was like a cold shower for the mare. She looked down in shame. "There's nothing Powerful about Trixie. Trixie was lying to everypony and most of all to herself." The mere thought of what she'd done to the ponies of Ponyville last year made her feel remorseful.

"I don't agree, the greatest lessons are learned in defeat. Despite what you did, even somepony like Princess Twilight has found the strength to forgive you. But your past is not what brings me here. I have a job for you. But please eat, this meal is here for you."

Trixie looked at what was being offered to her. Apples peeled and cut into six, sandwiches, hot coffee, and orange juice. She hadn't had a lunch like this in ages, and didn't hesitate to start eating. "Trixie doesn't remember knowing you, sir...?"

Bitter Truth smiled. "My name doesn't matter." He took out of his black pilgrimage a metal plaque depicting the Cutie Mark of Celestia, the royal seal. "The work I have to offer you comes indirectly from Princess Celestia. You will be highly rewarded, but understand that this is an unofficial mission that you will have to follow the instructions to the letter, without questioning them, without ever doubting them. The work involves no more and no less than putting your life in great danger. But if you do as I say, you will come out unscathed."

Trixie was divided. It was a great honour to work for Princess Celestia. She needed the money to buy a new trailer, and she was struggling to make ends meet, but to hear him say it was more dangerous than facing a minor Ursa, was something she didn't have the strength to do alone. Was it worth it? "When you say that Trixie will be highly rewarded, how much are you talking about?

"The equivalent of a monthly Las Pegasus Super Jackpot at the very least."

Trixie wasn't the venal type... "And what would Trixie have to do if it was so dangerous that her life would be in great danger?" ...but with that kind of money she could afford a new, comfortable trailer.

Bitter Truth waited until she had finished drinking her coffee. "I need you to follow and assist the one who is responsible for Princess Celestia's disappearance."

The unicorn was stunned by what she'd just heard. "Are you asking Trixie to help a criminal on the run?!"

"Speak as loud as you want, in that bubble no one will hear you scream."

Trixie looked around, and didn't notice the proofsound bubble until Bitter Truth fed it a little magic.

"Yes and no," replied the oracle. "Pepper Chilly, the one you are about to help, is not actively sought by the authorities. Only a handful of ponies know the identity of the criminal, and you are now one of them. As I said, you're going to live a very dangerous life in the next few days. Princess Twilight will be your enemy again, but you've been fine with that in the past, so everything will be fine."

The illusionist was becoming reluctant to accept such a mission, even if it was indirectly at the request of Princess Celestia herself. "You keep saying that my life will be in danger. What proof is there that Trixie won’t get harmed?"

"The criminal believes in Loyalty. The more you put your life in danger for her, the more she will protect you in return. She gets it from Rainbow Dash, but her version of Loyalty is ridiculously absolute. Think of this work as performing the Moonshot Manticore Mouth Dive. On the surface, an omnipresent danger. In reality, I assure you, you'll be at Manehattan by the end of the week."

She was more suspicious than surprised. "How do you know where Trixie was supposed to go?"

"How could I not? Do you really think Princess Celestia doesn't know what's going on in her kingdom? She's keeping an eye out for promising elements at the school for gifted unicorns."

"She does?" Trixie was hesitant, but almost ready to accept such an offer. One last detail was bothering her. "Trixie can't approach this Pepper out of nowhere."

"That's right," he said. “That's why you're going to start by getting one of her belongings back. And then you're going to add the items in that envelope with it," he said as he took the item out of his travel saddlebag. "This will be a good start to gain her trust, and therefore, her friendship."

"Does Trixie have to be her friend?"

Bitter was amused by the question. "You have no idea what this Pepper could do for a friend,” he said, daydreaming as events from countless timelines passed before his eyes. “No one's asking you to be her best friend, tho." He took out two packets, one wrapped in brown paper, one in lilac paper with star-shaped stickers and another envelope from the other bag. "Here are your weapons for this journey" he said, pointing to the lilac package with his hoof. "The other contains food. The letter in this envelope contains everything you need to know to complete the work. But for the moment leave the letter aside."

She followed the instructions, taking a look inside the package. It was filled with the kind of tricks she used during her performances. She looked up at the stallion.

He was amused by this incomprehension. "I hire the Great and Powerful Trixie. What did you expect?"

She began to smile. "What about Trixie's reward?"

"I will personally deliver it to you in Manehattan." He took out of his pocket one of the smoke bombs that Trixie uses at her performances. "Any last questions?"

"Why me?"

"Your background, your talents and your knowledge, you have what it takes to help somepony like this Pepper. All I'm asking you to do is follow her for three days. Then you can leave for Manehattan." With those words, he threw the smoke bomb at his hooves. "As they say in the business, let the show begin."

Trixie closed her eyes, coughing as she tried to scatter the smoke. When she could open her eyes again, she was alone. She took a look at the envelope containing the instructions and decided to open it to read them.
 
<Agent Lulamoon,

Your mission, if you accept it, will be to approach Pepper Chilly by posing as a burglar who starts her career by targeting important ponies like Princess Twilight Sparkle. To support this alibi, you will take advantage of the absence of the Ponyville library's inhabitants to go and retrieve a blue mane clip belonging to the target. It is in the basement, on the laboratory bench, in an airtight bag. It is covered with dried blood from almost two months ago. Enclosed in the first packet is a cleaning lotion and items that will complete this robbery.

Your target, Pepper Chilly, must never learn that you have been hired by me to provide support. If she were to find out, her nature would cause her to be suspicious and it would put the future of many lives, except yours, at stake. Use your former dispute with Princess Twilight as a motive to help her. Everypony will believe the lie.

Two simple instructions.
1/ Always stay in the hooves of the target.
2/ Always do what the target tells you to do, horn and wing. If this contradicts the first instruction, such an order can only be acceptable after today. Find an excuse not to obey, fear for example.

From now on, you have thirty minutes to get to the Ponyville library.
Once you have retrieved the accessory and exited the building, find a white-coated unicorn that will undoubtedly be hunted by Princess Twilight and her friends.

Of course, should you be captured by any authority figure, the kingdom will deny any knowledge of this unofficial mission.

You have ten seconds to throw this letter into the fire before it self-destructs.
Good luck to you.>

Without waiting, after throwing the letter into the flames with a piece of apple stuck between her lips, Trixie began to pack up her tent at full speed.





Fluttershy arrived at the Sugar Cube Corner in a hurry, distraught and in tears. Pinkie Pie was the closest of the Mane Six from Twilight’s house.

And when she saw Pegasus in that state, the earth pony lost her smile on the spot. "Fluttershy, what's wrong?"

"It's Pepper." She tried to catch her breath, unaccustomed to such a gallop. "She's back, she's at my place. Do you know where Twilight is? She's not at home."

Pinkie Pie's mane became totally smooth as the iris of her big azure eyes grew smaller than a grape. The last letter from Lazy Bones was running in her head, and she couldn't help but think that it was all going to end badly for Equestria. "Go and get the others, I have an idea. I don't know where Twilight is, but I know how to get her attention."

As Fluttershy went to Applejack, which was the one to live the furthest away of all mane six, Pinkie went down to the cellar. What her friends didn't know, despite the fact that they'd all visited the room, was the presence of a single-piece folder hidden in a recess in the wall by another single-piece folder.

In each of the drawers were recipes that Pinkie might have borrowed from those who, just like her, had the ability to break through the fourth wall.

There she was, trembling with fear, standing with her head between the front legs that pressed against the one piece file. She glanced at the door, still no sign of life from Lazy, it had been two weeks now. Slowly, the right hoof grabbed the handle to open the locker, she took out a black sports bag so big that it could hold an adult pony. "You said it was too dangerous, that means you used it yourself. To protect your loved ones. You can't ask me not to do the same Lazy, I have to protect their smiles. Even if it costs me an eye." She took out a big soda can with a simple word on it.


<DETERMINATION> 






The road to Ponyville was a quick and smooth walk, Trixie reached the building without meeting any of the local guardians on her way. Still, she had a shiver as she entered the bookshop. Breaking and entering was something new to her, but at the same time she was just retrieving something that didn't belong to Twilight. She noticed the display case in which the elements of harmony were resting, and rather than going straight up, she went to take a closer look. Five of the six elements were there: Rainbow Dash's necklace was missing. For a moment, she wondered if she should not act on her own initiative in order to prevent the elements from being used. But on second thought, the instructions were concise, and at no time was she ordered to do such a thing. She immediately turned back and walked down the stairs. Once in the laboratory, she followed the instructions, and found the bag without the slightest trouble. She was prepared for the smell of blood, but the bloody wick of mane made her retch. Keeping the hoof over her mouth so as not to vomit, she concentrated the best she could on retrieving the hair clip.

All of a sudden, the noise of the front door opened with a bang, a pony entered the bookshop, galloping from one end of the ground floor room to the other.

Trixie's heart was pounding, she wasn't expecting it, she was staring at the doorknob of the door she had entered by, trying to find an excuse for her presence here.

But the pony left just as she had come, the sound of the gallop returned to the door, which closed with just as much noise.

An adrenaline rush ran through Trixie, her breath was quick, the muscles in her legs were boiling. Relieved to know that the threat had been averted, she finished what she had started and took the barrette out of the bag. The smell of dried blood came to her nostrils, forcing a grimace on her face. She opened the packet and looked at it. There was a bottle of water, a clean handkerchief, two phoenix feathers, and a unicorn signet ring. Trixie used her telekinesis to clean the barrette with water, rubbing it with the clean cloth before leaving the premises, taking the ornament and the signet ring with her, leaving the rest behind. On the ground floor, in too much of a hurry to leave, she did not notice that there were only four elements left in the display case.





Pepper had tested the reaction of a few royal guards at the town hall by walking in front of them, ready to send them to Chrysalis if she had to get rid of them on the spot, but they didn't pay any attention to her, and thus she concluded that she was not actively sought after. She headed for the library, walking the most direct route. In the last third of the long street, there was a large wooden frame that went from one side of the road to the other, it was impossible not to cross it in order to move forward. A few steps past the frame, she had a strange feeling, as if she had just entered another world. For a moment she looked around her, the surroundings were strangely empty, she could hardly hear the birds singing. Suddenly, she had the kind of shiver she had never felt before during her stay in Equestria, a murderous aura against her, the human immediately took hold of her, and she could hardly believe the vision that had just appeared on her right.

Standing against the wall, Pinkie Pie had headphones in her ears, listening to <Ready To Die by Andrew W.K.> on a loop. She was wearing an outfit, a white t-shirt covered by a blue hoodie, and black pants, white slippers on the hind legs. Over the left sleeve were six odd watches. Her left eye had been staring at Pepper since she had entered peripheral vision. She turned the volume down to minimum, then took the earphones out of her ears while she still walked to stand in the middle of the street facing Pepper. With a peaceful smile on her face and a pensive look on her face, she dropped the open backpack on the ground.

"What's wrong with her right eye," asked Gamine, shocked and no less frightened.

"Shut up, just shut up, this is not the time. Let me focus, she has never looked so violent before," Pepper replied. "Pinkie? What is wrong with your right eye?" she asked anyway.

Half hidden by the smooth mane, the orbit of the right eye was empty. The earth pony laughed again. "Not even a hello? Or how about asking how have I been after all this time?" She sighed. "Why Pepper? Life was peaceful while you were here, everything was going well, the preparations for your birthday were complete. What did we do wrong to deserve this?"

Pepper shook her head, a brief, barely perceptible gesture. "I do not have birthdays, I am not like you."

"Of course you do. Everycreature do." Pinkie understood then. "Wait, you don't know when you were born? I've got to say, it was a shock to me, not that it's uncommon. You were born on June 21st, Summer Sun Celebration Day."

Pepper remained sceptical. "How can you know something like that?"

She sobbed but kept smiling. "I'm Pinkie Pie, the one who plans birthday parties for all the people of Ponyville, it's my special talent to know these things. And for a while, you lived among us. Did you really think I wasn't going to plan anything special for you? Especially considering how important this day is to so many people?" She had an uncontrollable laugh, tears in her eyes. "The day Twilight became our friend, the day Nightmare Moon was banished, the day Princess Celestia celebrated every year. Why Pepper? Why did you have to be born on that day?"

Pepper remained impassive to this detail, which was trivial to her. "I do not care about these stories. I just came to see Handsome, say goodbye, then I am leaving for good." Even though Pinkie was just an earth pony she could keep under control at any moment through telekinesis, Pepper never let her guard down.

Pinkie calmed down, a peaceful smile on her lips. "You want to see Rainbow? I can bring her over here." She took a pink and white whistling rocket out of her pocket, tied a piece of paper to it, aimed it at the sky and lit it. With a long whistle, the rocket flew away from Ponyville and disappeared into the distance. "Let's have a little fun in the meantime. At the end of this path is a frame like the one you have just passed. If you cross it, you'll be able to see Rainbow when she comes."

Pepper concentrated her magic, its crackling power around her horn.

The earth pony pulled the soda can out of a hoodie pocket and drank it all. Her one eye was focused on the unicorn with an intense gaze. "It's a nice day, don't you think? The birds are singing, the leaves are falling from the trees." She activated the timer on the watches in succession, then pressed a button on her walkman, <party party by Andrew W.K.> started playing. "You dirty Princess killer. On a day like this, a human like you, should stay six feet under." At those words, she slammed her right hindleg on the floor.

In response to the seismic tremor this strike caused, a Pinata twice the size of Pinkie Pie sprang out from the gym bag. This one, made of papier-mâché, resembled Celestia's head, white eyes, mouth wide open. Pointing towards Pepper, it spat out a bluish ray of energy that crossed the street and then disappeared back into the bag.

Pepper had just enough time to dodge it. Her attention was totally absorbed by the reflection that was the source of this attack, hiding in the depths of the Pinata. The element of laughter. It was impossible for her to counter, she couldn't afford to be touched by any of the elements of harmony, not now. As constrained as she was, she turned her back on Pinkie and began to gallop.

In the space between the second and third houses on the street, a party cannon on each side exploded and covered the lane and the walls with sharp candy cane sticks.

Pepper barely had time to move back, a second too late and one of the sticks would have gone right through her throat.

"Usually the candy slips down the throat, they don't pierce through it," Gamine whispered to herself.

"Shut up," Pepper shouted as she jumped over the deadly hedge. Just a few steps away, several bundles of flour fell from nowhere around her and exploded into a huge, blinding cloud.

Pinkie Pie arrived at full gallop, a kitchen knife in her mouth, and without hesitation threw herself into the cloud of flour to slice the regicide.

However, against Pepper's instincts, such an attack did not come to an end. Pepper used her telekinesis and threw Pinkie Pie back down to the ground, hooves and neck nailed to the ground by magic, Pinkie’s head being targeted by a hoof ready to strike.

"We'd need a strong wind to get rid of that cloud," thought Gamine. And strangely enough, a gust of wind suddenly rose to sweep the flour down the street. "Did I do this?" she wondered.

"Speak again Guardian, just one more word, and I will kill Pinkie Pie before you have time to stop me," Pepper threatened.

Gamine didn't take a word like that lightly and kept her mouth shut.

Pepper and Pinkie glared at each other. The predator could have ended it right there, but a voice came from behind her. "Pepper, did you miss me?"

Pepper, still staring at Pinkie, was disturbed by the voice. Incredulous, she turned her head to see if she had a problem with her ears. Pinkie Pie stood there, a little out of breath but in great shape, next to the gym bag.

"Because the explosion won’t miss you~," Pinkie Pie chirped, grinning.

When Pepper looked back at the one she was holding at her mercy, only an adult pony mannequin was there, painted pink with a grotesque lipstick face, all filled with explosives, the wicks about to burn out. She had just enough time to open a portal under the model, leading to a place where she knew the blast would not hurt anyone, before she walked away from it with a roll to the side. A sheaf of flames burst out of the portal before Pepper had time to close it.

"You pretend you want to leave for good. You should leave now, it's not like Rainbow wants to see you, you know. You have no idea how much you've hurt us. I won't let you hurt us any more," Pinkie Pie said before invoking the pinata again with a kick.

Again, Pepper rode sideways to dodge the attack before getting up on his legs facing Pinkie: "I am not here to hurt anypony. I am just here to see my friend." She had a sudden doubt. "Is Fluttershy physically injured? When she left the cottage, she was unharmed."

"You definitely don't understand anything. It's not a physical injury we're talking about. You have trampled on the harmony of Equestria, you have stolen our joy of life, the reason for our smiles! It's like breaking a Pinkie promise!"

Pepper remained insensitive to these accusations. A quick glance at the surroundings and she noticed that despite the ruckus, the street was still empty.

Pinkie took a deep breath before she let out a slight sigh. 

"Still there? Hang on, I'll give you a reason to gallop." She put her right hoof into her hoodie pocket and pulled out a pebble, threw it at the trunk of a tree to Pepper's left, knocking over another gym bag and then did the same thing with another tree to the right.

Pepper understood what was about to happen there, so she took a few steps back, then turned instantly and galloped off in a great gallop to reach the frame that the earthly had mentioned earlier as quickly as possible.

"At last," Pinkie said, with a smile of sadistic satisfaction on her lips, before hitting the pavement with a more powerful kick, making the three pinatas jump higher than before.

It was a never-ending race. Pepper fluttered between the countless attacks of all kinds that tried to bring her down every time she passed between two houses.

Pinkie's laughter resounded, candy cane sticks flew, knife attacks rained down when they weren't directly spat out by a dozen party cannons.

The unicorn dropped the magic shield once she had passed through the frame that marked out this Pinkie-only play area. As soon as she felt that same strange yet familiar sensation of having passed into another world, the people of the country town were visible again.

She was back in the town hall square.

Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy were arriving at full speed.
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been almost an hour since Princess Luna had raised the sun. At Donut Joe's, business was in full swing. The active team of Wonderbolts besieged the place. Two tables had been moved together so that the six members could sit down, only for a third to be added when Sunset, Rainbow, Twilight, and Spike joined the breakfast. Dirty secrets flowed, causing a cascade of embarrassed blushing as everypony's secrets were revealed. No one was spared, and every creature was laughing—that is, until a customer opened the door of the shop, allowing a pink and white rocket with a message tied to it to blast past them and finish its flight in Rainbow Dash's oatmeal bowl.

There was mockery over who the recipient of the projectile-based communiqué was. Rainbow Dash untied it and began to read, only for the smile on her face to disappear, and in a sudden gust of wind, she departed the shop and Canterlot with a sonic rainboom, leaving the message behind.

The atmosphere fell flat, and anxiously, Sunset caught the note.

<Pepper is in Ponyville. Come quickly.
Pinkie.>

She was appalled; all the time that she'd kept an eye on the tracker had been for nothing. This entire time, the human had remained undetected. She turned to Twilight. "Pepper came back. We have to get back to Ponyville now."

"Are you kidding? Even with Rainbow Dash, it would take us twenty minutes to get back to Ponyville, and she just left without us!"

Sunset didn't need to look far for the solution. "The portals—there's one in the armoury of the castle. If we open it in front of Fluttershy’s cottage, we can be there in less than ten minutes."

With those words, Twilight—with Spike on her back—Sunset, and the Wonderbolts stormed out of Donut Joe's shop, heading towards the castle.

"Do you have a plan?" Sunset asked.

"Not really, usually I come up with a plan once I’m on the spot," Twilight admitted.

"If you don't mind, we should start by dismissing all the non-combatants. They would only get in the way—no offence," she explained while looking at the Wonderbolt leader.

Spitfire reacted within a split second. "You heard the royal meanie, go back to the academy. We'll take care of the target."

With a collective nod, the Wonderbolts obeyed the order and slanted toward the sky. It didn't take long for the remaining group to reach the castle armoury.

Sunset opened the gate, letting Twilight through, and then signalled Spitfire to stop while casting a sound barrier spell to conceal the coming conversation. "I have a job for you. Go into the castle and tell the first royal guard you come across that you've passed Bitter Truth and that the oracle just told you that Pepper is about to attack Ponyville."

Spitfire couldn't figure out why, but there wasn't enough time. "I don't know what's on your mind, but I trust you," she said, turning back.

Sunset burst the bubble of silence, passed through the gate, closed it behind her, and teleported to catch up to Twilight.

"Where's Spitfire?" the unicorn asked.

"She doubts she'll be of any use against somepony like Pepper, so she'd rather not get in our way."





Meanwhile, in Ponyville, Pepper had just used her magic to draw a line between herself and the trio that had just arrived. "Do not cross that line. I am only here to say goodbye to Handsome. After that, I will leave."

Applejack came to the forefront of the group, being the only one who had both the physical strength and the fighting spirit to deal with the threat posed by Pepper. "I can say for once you're being pretty honest, but if you think Rainbow wants to talk to you, you're wrong, Pepper."

"You are not the first to tell me this, but seriously, I do not care what you think. What are your options? You could try your luck like Pinkie Pie did, armed with your Elements of Harmony, which could lead to the devastation of this town. Or we can sit quietly and wait for Handsome to arrive."

"Now that you mention her, where's Pinkie Pie?”

Pepper shrugged. "She must be recovering from her attempt to give me a bad time." A hint of movement behind Applejack caught her attention. "Apparently, she is not finished with me yet."

Applejack turned around. “Blooming Apples!” she cried, her eyes widening in shock.

Pinkie was standing about ten metres away from them, still in her blue hoodie and black trousers. She was holding a two-and-a-half-metre high candy cane between her forelegs, on top of which a pinata which resembled Princess Celestia's head was mounted. Roughly ten firework rockets were attached to the rear of the pinata’s head.

Rarity took some uncertain steps towards her. "Pinkie, dear, are you all right?"

Fluttershy hid between Applejack and Rarity, just as scared of Pinkie as Pepper.

Pinkie's face was unbelievably grotesque, wavering between a smile that pushed the limits of the zygomatic muscles and crocodile tears that streamed continuously down her face. Her left eye stared at Pepper as if Equestria depended on it.

Gamine watched in silence as the situation worsened.

Pepper prepared to react. She intended to keep her word—the first blow would not come from her.

Pinkie Pie ignited the rockets, adding their thrust to her strength. The improvised rocket hammer began to shatter the ground in its path, spitting out rays of blue energy every time the mouth of the pinata touched the ground. She had drunk the potion earlier to protect her friends' smiles, but she failed to realise how much of a danger she would become instead as she charged directly at her target without considering the lives of her friends who were in the way.

Rarity ran for her life, letting loose a high-pitched scream.

Applejack was about to do the same, but she realised that Fluttershy was frozen in terror. It was too late to pull her away, so she tried to kick her way through the pinata to protect the pegasus.

Gamine couldn't remain passive in the face of the situation; seizing control of the body, she used her magic to lock the weapon in a bubble before pulling it out of Pinkie's hooves.

"Give me back my body! The day is not over yet," Pepper grunted.

Applejack stared at the giant weapon in disbelief and then turned to Pepper.

Gamine stood there with her eyes closed. "I’m sorry, but I had to. Kyndal wanted me to be a full-fledged guardian. I’m not sure if I will ever manage to empathise with the weak, but at least it’s easy for me to protect them. And if you don’t protect anyone in danger, I will have to do it myself again, Pepper.”

With that cleared up, Pepper was back in control. She reopened her eyes, her attention briefly drawn by a faint presence which wasn’t there a moment ago, localised in a nearby bush. Keeping this fact in mind, she looked at Applejack as the rockets burst into a myriad of colours. "What?" she asked the earth pony as she shrunk the bubble to crush the patchwork weapon. She then dumped the debris in front of her hooves, looking for something among the scraps.

Pinkie sat there, laughing crazily at her failure.

Fluttershy was as silent and immobile as a statue, watching the situation with her big, frightened eyes.

Rarity came back, pretending she hadn't run away screaming like a scared filly.

"Did you just help us? Why?" Applejack finally asked.

Pepper ignored the question at first, having quickly located the inert Element of Laughter. "I am only here to say goodbye. That is all I am here for." At these words, she used her telekinesis to toss the Element to Applejack, who caught it with a hoof against her chest. 

Trixie took this as her cue. After throwing smoke bombs to obscure her entrance, she jumped from the bush and galloped closer to the four friends, tossing large coloured sheets matching her cape over them.

Pepper watched without moving. There was no aura of bloodlust from this stranger, and she was not the intended target.

Trixie, now standing in front of Pepper, took off her hat to curtsy. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has come to the rescue!" she said, pulling away the sheets to reveal that the four unwilling volunteers of her magic trick were now bound and gagged with countless coloured scarves.

Both Gamine and Pepper were speechless in the face of this magic that could stop four ponies at once. Pepper glanced at Trixie. "Why are you helping me?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has dealt with Twilight Sparkle and her friends in the past. Trixie has recently been reduced to stealing to survive. Being able to get back at them by getting in their way is a bonus, especially after the meagre loot Trixie found at Twilight's house." Reaching into her hat, she took out the blue barrette, two phoenix feathers and a horn ring.

“Mother’s gift!” shouted Gamine.

"That barrette and the feathers most definitely belong to me," said Pepper, frowning at the light headache caused by the shout.

"Really? Well, Trixie only steals from wealthy ponies. If those belong to you, Trixie will gladly give it all back. You can even take the ring, which is not to Trixie's liking." With these words, she hoofed Pepper the items.

With her telekinesis, Pepper grasped the barrette, first making sure that there were no new enchantments added to it. However, a smell called out to her. In her haste, Trixie hadn't completely cleaned the ornament, and the smell of blood was still perceptible. She kept this in a corner of her mind as she finished checking for any enchantments before putting the complete ornament back at the base of her mane halfway between her horn and her ears.

"Examine the ring," suggested Gamine with a tone that dripped with childish curiosity.

On guard, Pepper first made sure the situation remained under control before inspecting the signet ring. The accessory was beautifully crafted, carved from a brass alloy. The ring’s head depicted a phoenix embracing a heart-shaped ruby with its wings. After checking, the ring too had no enchantment.

"Put it on," ordered Gamine covetously, like a thieving magpie unable to stand still in front of such a beautiful object.

Pepper had seen it coming as soon as she noticed the protective phoenix. "First your ornament, now this? Why not make me shapeshift an orange coat while you are at it?"

Gamine squinted her eyes, her whole face wrinkled. She wouldn't give up this new whim of hers.

Pepper sighed as she rolled her eyes, placing the signet ring at the base of her horn. "You are just a parasite. My body is not your property; sooner or later, I will find a way to dislodge you."

"Wait till you sleep to dream," replied Gamine in a whisper.

Pepper was about to reply when she heard a familiar noise. She barely had time to take a few steps back before Rainbow smashed into the ground between Pepper and the four mares laying on the grass.

Standing tall, Rainbow had a sword in her mouth, having taken a quick detour to her house. The weapon had no physical blade; instead, a ruby-colored aura formed an unusually long thirty-centimetre magical edge. The hilt was rudimentary, small, and round, chiselled from a white crystal and holding the Element of Loyalty.

Trixie stood silently next to Pepper, following Bitter's guidelines, and gulped at the sight of the crater

Pepper observed the new weapon. In her eyes, it was a formidable weapon, like one she used to wield a long time ago, and facing somepony wielding such a weapon made her even more wary. "Handsome! I am so happy to see you again," she said with a big euphoric smile on her lips.

But Rainbow didn't care; the whole situation seemed bleak. The way her friends were tied up, she was sure they were about to be kidnapped. She stood up like a shield, wings spread across Pepper's path.

Pepper couldn't miss the fury that emanated from the pegasus, but she decided to overlook it, adopting a meek demeanour. "I am just here to say goodbye. There is nothing to fight about," she said softly, still smiling.

From Rainbow's point of view, it sounded very different. For her, the last time Pepper had left, Princess Celestia had paid the price. And that, along with the sight of her bound friends, gave a different meaning to the goodbye. "Oh yeah? Well, go then," she said, sword still in her mouth.

Pepper was taken aback, her smile fading as she witnessed her friend's curtness. "I did not even make it to Twilight’s library when Pinkie blocked my way, drank something and then jumped on me armed to the teeth as if her life depended on it. She even almost hurt Fluttershy. If Trixie here had not intervened she would probably be still going on right now. All I want is to talk with you, nothing else."

Rainbow moved her head slightly to the left. She took a quick look at Trixie. She wanted to look at her friends, but she couldn't take her eyes off Pepper. Her glare hardened as her iris shrunk. "You're lying."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie can confirm what Pepper just said. Pepper really helped Applejack protect Fluttershy, stopping that giant hammer before breaking it into a thousand pieces with her magic alone. Trixie can testify to that."

Rainbow quickly observed Trixie without taking her eyes off Pepper. She didn't know what to think.

"Handsome, if it helps, I drew a line in the ground a few steps behind you. I promise you I will not cross it, no matter what. Go free Applejack, she will tell you herself. I am staying right here."

She hesitated for a moment and then turned her back on Pepper to go and free Applejack. "Are you all right, AJ?" she asked, turning her eyes back to Pepper and Trixie.

"I'm fine, sugarcube," she reassured as she stood up on her hooves. "It's just as she said."

Rainbow then freed Fluttershy and Rarity. When it was time to untie Pinkie Pie, she stopped a few hooves away from the earth pony. “What happened to your eye, Pinkie?” she asked, concerned.

The still-gagged mare watched with a speck of madness in her azure eye, bigger than usual. "Not smiling, not smiling! Must protect their smiles! Must make them smile! They must smile! They must! At any cost I must make them smile!" The first of the six watches began to ring, covering the music coming from her headphones.

The sound of galloping hooves beating the ground drew Pepper’s attention behind her as Twilight and Sunset finally arrived on the scene.

Turning her eyes to the newcomers, Trixie was shocked and at the same time moved. She had moved to Pepper's side as the situation was souring and it was best to stay in the target's hooves as she had been instructed. At the same time she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Sunset Shimmer? Is that really you?"

Pepper was watching the stranger who had just arrived with Twilight, and the unicorn was staring right back. Pepper felt studied from every angle.

Sunset was split. On the one hoof she was happy to see Trixie after so many years. On the other hoof, she couldn’t help but glare at the white-coated mare standing beside Trixie who matched the description of Pepper provided by Twilight and her friends. She needed an opportunity to strike but Trixie was in the way. "Yes, Trixie. Listen to me, I want you to step aside, you don't know who you're standing next to."

The second watch on Pinkie's foreleg began to ring alongside the first.

"Trixie knows exactly who she's standing next to and what her crime is," she boasted.

Pepper dropped the meek attitude at these words and locked her now icy glare on Trixie,  surprised and suspicious after such words. As a magical aura igniting her horn, she put her left hoof on the illusionist. 

Trixie had barely enough time to turn her gaze to Pepper before they both disappeared.

Sunset’s eyebrows rose in surprise and she immediately activated her tracker to collect the residue of Pepper’s magical imprint from the teleportation. It was with delight that she noted that the artefact finally located the destination south-east of here.

"Are you all right, girls?" Twilight asked.

"Well, yes and no, sugarcube," Applejack said, turning to Pinkie Pie along with the others.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked, looking at her.

"Why is she the only one still tied up?" Sunset added, starting to walk closer to Pinkie Pie.

Rarity spoke. "Sunset dear, it seems that Pinkie Pie is not in her normal state. According to Pepper, she's been like this ever since they met."

Sunset watched Pinkie warily. The third watch began to ring, which startled the unicorn. She looked at the watches. "You made six watches ring at one minute intervals? Why?" she asked, taking off the gag.

"Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile!" was all the crazy mare had for an answer.

Sunset put the gag back in her mouth, quickly stopping the music and the alarms. She tried to remember everything about Pinkie Pie that had to do with time. Only one thing came to her mind as the fourth watch rang. "Pinkie, did you drink the potion that your friend Lazy told you not to?" she asked, freeing her mouth again.

"Smile!" Pinkie replied continuously.

"Pepper mentioned a soda," Rainbow said grumpily.

Sunset stood Pinkie up on her hind hooves with her telekinesis and went behind her to keep her that way. "Applejack, she's poisoned herself. Kick her in the stomach to make her vomit. We have two minutes before it becomes permanent!"

It didn't take much more explanation for Applejack to buck so hard that Pinkie and Sunset flew for several metres, the pink-haired mare vomiting a reddish liquid before falling unconscious.

Immediately they all came together to make sure Pinkie and Sunset were all right. The fifth watch started ringing.

"Sunset, are you all right?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, a little bruised, but I'm fine." She turned off the last alarm, then she did a quick diagnostic, making sure Pinkie's vital signs were stable.

Looking closely at Pinkie’s empty eye socket, Twilight noticed a strange detail. Using her magic, she removed a meticulously decorated eyepatch that perfectly blended into Pinkie's fur. The work had been so detailed the illusion of the empty socket was virtually unbreakable without this close of an inspection.





Immediately after their disappearance, Pepper and Trixie found themselves in front of the ruins of the two sisters' castle. For Pepper, during her first two months in Equestria, this was the best place to retreat away from everything, no matter what reason or situation caused her to isolate herself.

The illusionist was disconcerted to see the scenery change from one second to the next. "What? How?" She looked around her, trying to figure out what had just happened. Without warning, Pepper's hoof, which had been on her shoulder, slipped under her leg to come to rest on her chest and knocked the unicorn over onto her back. 

Trixie felt the pressure pinning her in this uncomfortable position, and cautiously turned her attention to Pepper.

Pepper was looking back at Trixie with narrowed eyes. She seemed calm on the outside but inside she was like a volcano about to erupt. Gamine was on the lookout, ready to steal control of her body if things got out of control. Pepper jumped straight into interrogation mode, casting a spell upon Trixie. "Would you kindly not lie to me for an hour?"

Under the influence of the spell, Trixie blinked in surprise. "Trixie has no reason to lie to you."

"Oh, really? Why did you help me back then?"

"Trixie has been hired to help you for three days," she said without blinking before trying to gag herself with her hoof, realising she had just blundered.

The information left Pepper perplexed. "Who hired you?

The mercenary tried to answer wrongly, but it was a waste of time. "Trixie doesn't know his name."

That line of questioning didn’t appear to be leading to an imminent breakthrough, so Pepper picked a new angle of attack. "Why three days?"

"Trixie doesn't know," she readily admitted. "All Trixie knows is that you made Princess Celestia disappear, and that Trixie will be paid a small fortune to follow you wherever you go for those three days."

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Unlike the others, you are taking the news pretty well, and you are even willing to help me for a bundle of money. Amoral and venal. In the past, I fought alongside comrades-in-arms, so I do not mind you sticking next to me, but as you seem to be willing to do anything for gold, consider this a warning: I killed Celestia. I can kill again.”

Trixie’s eyes grew round. "What?! She's dea..." The shock of the revelation overcame her, and she fainted on the spot.

"Oh, she didn't actually know," Gamine said, relieved to see that Pepper was no longer nervous about the truth behind Trixie’s boast.

Pepper laid Trixie on her stomach, only to start rummaging through her saddlebags to make sure nothing could be used against her. She found nothing dangerous at all, but a familiar smell made her dig deeper. Tucked into a food pocket were braised slices of pork; a tempting snack, if not for their unknown provenance and accompanying poisoning risk.

"Why three days?" Gamine whispered.

After mulling over the question, Pepper sighed. "It does not make sense. Equestria's ponies have a ‘carpe diem’ style of life so to speak. Even after the return of Luna, Discord, and the invasion of the Changelings, and … uh, I forgot the name of the tyrant king—they never prepared for the next problem. But one of them, obviously aware of what I did whereas the royal guards are not, ended up helping me in such a way..." she said as she turned to Trixie. "This is not a question for me. You are going to be back in control at the end of today, so what are you going to do in the next two days?"

Gamine thought for a moment. "I don't know. Go home, go to my mother's grave. I..." She paused, the vision of it and the feeling of the dirt that accumulated under her nails invading her mind.

"At least she has a grave. Celestia will probably never have that privilege," Pepper nonchalantly pointed out.

The sadness that had overwhelmed the young guardian as she thought about the last day in the place she could call home was instantly crushed by her rage. Her mind pounced on Pepper's, as if grabbing her by the throat, as her hatred towards Pepper grew.

The body, no longer under their control, collapsed to the ground while the spirits opposed each other.

Pepper smiled in response, not afraid for a moment. "Go for it! Surrender to your primal instincts! I know that underneath your guardian's appearance is a Dis Astro! Do not lie to me; I have noticed the ease with which you used our skills on the bat pony called Swift and the spell of obedience upon the bat pony named Antarès! Go ahead, do it, reduce all the efforts of your mother to nothing! Kill me! CONSUME ME!"

The cruel truth that Gamine was trying to obliterate and Pepper's confidence in the face of death gnawed at her strength like an acid. The weight of her duty crushed her little by little, and without the ritual that gave her the higher ground, she was no match for the monster. She fled, retreating away from the creature, folding back in on herself.

Pepper regained control of the body, both satisfied and disappointed by the conclusion. "You have been trained well, but sooner or later, I am going to make you succumb."

"What's wrong with you?!" yelled Gamine defensively.

"Oh, do not get me wrong, I will do my best to survive as long as I can, but I am under no illusions that sooner or later I am going to die, one way or another. But if you, the immaculate young Guardian that you are, corrupt yourself by killing me, you will succumb to the lure of my power. And for me it will be one last victory."

Gamine was terrified. She had no regrets about sacrificing her future to lock up the monster, but she never thought she would be harmed in any way given the level of control the ritual gave her over Pepper’s body. 

In the end, if all the lessons her mother had tried to teach her were lost in a moment of forgetfulness, was it worth imprisoning one monster at the risk of creating another?

“Azari was wrong, I am not the last one,” whispered Pepper to herself.

“Who’s Azari?” asked Gamine, trying to change the topic.

Pepper, with her eyes closed, enjoyed the silence and the rays of the sun that warmed her coat. “A planeswalker like me. The first entity I talked to once I became one myself.” 

“I see,” muttered Gamine.

Pepper turned her gaze to the walnut doors sitting on the ground, her eyes focusing on the blackened remains of a magical attack designed to destroy a bowl of soup that had just been offered to her. Next to them were the footprints of Luna's royal sabatons. The marks were the result of the righteous anger of the Princess of the Night following Pepper’s mockery.


<Your sister? You claim that the taller white coated mare is your sister? 
Hah! You look like day and night! >



<Well, for your information, impudent youth, it's true we only have our father in common, but we're sisters nevertheless, and you, you vulgarian, are dead meat!>


With these words Pepper warped to the marker just outside and hid in the ravine. Luna broke down the doors with a kick of her hoof and set off in pursuit.

Pepper chased the memory from her mind as she opened a portal to the hideout below her hooves. The lair was just below where she arrived, dug into the bottom of the ravine with dimensional magic. The entrance was hidden by rocks, allowing air to circulate, but also blocking light.

Pepper illuminated the small room with her magic, a square room that was just big enough to hold six adult ponies. This secret place was mainly used as a safe shelter for sleeping. In one corner of the room was her pallet: a vaguely rectangular bale of straw with an old sheet and pillow borrowed from one of the rooms in the ruined castle. The hideout was also used to store everything she could not afford to carry with her during her stay in Equestria—more specifically, mint & liquorice sweets. These sweets, which she loved so much, were scattered on a table dug into the rock. "Barely nine left," she thought after a quick count as she chewed the tenth. Pepper didn't pay the slightest attention to the toothbrush and the tube of toothpaste that Pinkie Pie had given her along with the candies, nor to the last item on the table—Gamine's bundle, still wrapped in white silk. Turning away from the table, Pepper summoned her weapon and waited for the dozen seconds it took for it to appear from the dimension she had left it in. She then left it to rest in its sheath against the wall; if an unexpected fight arose, she would be able to summon it in a split second now it was in the same dimension.

Cowering over herself, Gamine remained silent, thinking back to all the moments when her mother brought her happiness.

Pepper paused for a moment, looking at this cold and empty room, with its narrow opening to the outside. It brought a smile to her face, how much it reminded her of her current situation: imprisoned in a small box with a beautiful window to the outside world. In a more nuanced manner, this shelter summed up her life and what she would leave behind the day she would be killed.

As she remembered with a faint smile on her lips one of the duels of insults she had lost, Gamine suddenly raised her head, looking up through the monster's eyes. "Pepper!"

"I know," she said, her gaze filled by the orange wisps. "I can feel it through the marker I created this morning."  She was already channelling the magic needed, and moved there the next moment.

In the badlands, the young Cæsar was facing the marker, sitting a few steps away from the rocky cavity. She had her head down, a grimace of pain on her face, tears in the corner of her eyes.

Pepper arrived, quickly coming out of the bubble that protected the marker to come to the child's side. "What is going on, FaceHugger?" she asked, alert.

Aglowing reopened her eyes, and when she saw that Pepper was really there, as she had promised, she stopped concentrating on those sinister feelings, so much so that the orange mist disappeared entirely from the eyes of the white-coated mare. "I'm bored," she chirped, wiping tears from the back of her hoof.

Pepper was dumbfounded for a moment.

In contrast, Gamine understood the situation and had to put her hands over her mouth so she wouldn't start laughing out loud.

Pepper had the unpleasant feeling of being deceived and approached the child with a cold look in her eyes. "Did you deliberately have bad feelings just to get me to come back here because you are bored?"

Scared by Pepper's attitude, the child leaned back and looked away. "Maybe?"

Pepper watched the child for a moment with her stern glare. She lowered her head, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. "You are lucky you had no ill intent."  She reopened the gate to the ruins of the sisters' castle. "Stay still," she commanded as she went to fetch Trixie, carrying her with a magic hand on the end of her left foreleg before dropping Trixie unceremoniously in front of Aglowing.

The young guardian worried about seeing a pony in the territory of the changelings. "Pepper-"

"Nothing bad will happen to Trixie," the monster cut in.

The landing shook Trixie to the point where she regained consciousness in a jolt. "What?" She straightened up, looking around her. "Where am I?" She asked drowsily. Pepper was there, and that reassured Trixie somehow, even though she didn't remember losing consciousness. And on the other side was this strange child. At first Trixie thought it was a bat pony because of those big eyes with cat-like pupils. But immediately afterwards she noticed the horn on her forehead, similar to hers, but with holes here and there. And what finally shook her sense of security was the insect wings on her back. "W-who are you?"

The child stood up before taking a step backwards to curtsy as Nightmare Moon had taught her. "I am Cæsar Aglowing Shell, daughter of Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings."

Trixie widened her eyes. Now she knew where she had seen monsters like her before. The love-eaters were no strangers to her, as she was performing in the streets of Canterlot on the day they tried to invade the capital. "C-C-Changeling," she stammered feverishly, before fleeing northwards, her mission completely forgotten, screaming at the top of her lungs the terror that fuelled her legs.

Pepper and Aglowing observed unfazed. The child did not understand what she had done wrong, even though she had made and repeated these gestures under the uncompromising gaze of her friend, who taught her the rudiments of the etiquette that would suit the one who presented herself as a Cæsar. She then turned to Pepper. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it was not you personally. But ponies like Trixie will always be naturally afraid of the predators we are." She thought about the situation for a while. "I am going to catch up with her and talk to her. Wait here, FaceHugger."

Trixie was galloping away breathlessly. Her eyes filled with a faint hope of reaching those mountains she was staring at over on the horizon.

When Pepper judged that there was enough distance to give Trixie a false sense of security, she used her magic to ensnare her hind legs before dragging Trixie to her hooves.

Without a glance back, terrified of coming face to face with a changeling, Trixie began to scream as her hooves searched for every last pebble to hold on to.

Pepper used her telekinesis in the form of a hand to close Trixie’s mouth before forcing her to look at her. “Cease screaming or I shall give you a true reason to," she whispered, her face so close to Trixie's that their horns crossed.

Trixie could only whimper in response.

Pepper released the mare. "I have seen monsters in the Everfree Forest. Next to them, changelings are not a great threat. At most, they are big insects in need of affection."

The adrenaline wore off and Trixie started shaking in spite of herself. "Trixie heard that they ponynap foals by night to devour their hearts."

"The Queen's daughter told me they do not kill, otherwise they would soon be left without a single prey to hunt. That same child you ran away from devoured my love. It was painful, but I did not die from it." Pepper looked around her as she thought. Remembering a particular fact, she turned to Trixie and began to rub her cheeks then her flanks on the illusionist's coat.

"What are you doing?" Trixie asked with a blush of embarrassment.

"I am putting my scent on you," Pepper replied after she had finished. "Changelings have a good sense of smell and if I mark you like this they shall hesitate before they try anything. In that time you give them a cuddle, and they will leave you alone."

"How could Trixie be affectionate? They're monsters!"

"I am a monster too, yet you do not seem to mind. Is it because of how I look? Maybe they became these love-eating monsters because they never had any friends, just like your Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon because no one appreciated the beauty of the night a thousand years ago."

Trixie wanted to argue, but when presented with this, nothing came to mind.

"I am facing a dilemma: a child is bored, but I do not know what to do to entertain her. What is your special talent?"

Trixie dug through her bag of stage magic items. "Trixie's an illusionist." She pulled out a red silk scarf with her magic, then presented her right hoof, proving there was nothing in the sole of it before covering it with the scarf. The unicorn then pretended to concentrate, making some gesture with her left hoof over the scarf. Then, with a sharp jerk, she pulled the scarf from her right hoof, revealing a red apple. "This is prestidigitation. Trixie performed all over Equestria. Then the Great Wonder Trixie met ... " She sighed, her mood soured. "...Twilight Sparkle."

Pepper kept a close eye on Trixie, having faced so many magic traps in the past that she found it hard to believe that the purpose of the magic was to make a simple apple appear. But hearing Gamine's awe, she knew Aglowing would like it. "Ready to do a performance for the pleasure of a child?" she asked, turning her back to the sun.

Trixie didn't answer, her gaze wandering from Pepper to the south, slowly eating the apple in an attempt to buy time. Despite the words of the one she was ordered to follow, and even though she was hoping that the smell of her would be enough to deter the changelings, the mare was reluctant to retrace her footsteps.

Trixie's hesitancy was clearly obvious to Pepper. She could have forced Trixie, but it was more judicious to incite her to do it on her own. And this mare obviously had an ego that was easy to exploit. It was easy for Pepper to figure out how to handle her. "Do you know who Twilight's friend Fluttershy is? Fluttershy is a shy mare who is afraid of her own shadow. I am sure she can be convinced to hug a changeling. And yet the Great and Powerful Trixie could not do the same?" she asked with a mischievous smile.

Pepper's bait was too obvious to bite; instead, Trixie decided to bite her apple to buy some time. Since the magic duel with Twilight, she started to think twice about the situations she was involved in. She was hired to follow the unicorn, and was promised total protection during this journey, but she would have refused the offer if she knew she would have to approach the Changelings. In the end, these three days were really comparable to the moonshot manticore mouth dive she had always dreamed of performing. She had to light the fuse of the cannon and trust Pepper. She got up and walked towards the hive. "With you as her assistant, the Great and Powerful Trixie will give a performance the Changelings won't forget anytime soon."

Pepper was surprised. Surprised that her attempt to manipulate Trixie's ego had worked so easily. Surprised to see such courage now animating this mare who a few minutes before was running away like a coward in the face of non-existent danger. She shrugged it off, setting off again towards the hive.

A dozen steps further on, the magician could not contain her disbelief about what she had just been told any longer. "Trixie can't believe that these monsters will settle for a hug as a meal," she confessed after turning her eyes to Pepper.

The regicide looked back out of the corner of her left eye. "If you keep thinking of them as the monsters they are, they are bound to act like monsters and syphon your heart out."

Gamine, having been silent for a while, shivered as the memory of this scene made her feel again the sensation of those predators devouring her love.

"I admit that they do have an aggressive attitude and that they hiss at the slightest opportunity. But that is just to intimidate. They will never hurt you; they can not afford to, as your life is far too precious for their own survival,” continued Pepper. "When you know that Twilight is using her friendship to wipe out all of Equestria's problems, it would not surprise me if a friendship could fill a void where all the love in this kingdom has failed miserably for years."

The mare remained incredulous at what she had just heard. "Even if she did, the Great and Powerful Trixie will have a hard time offering her friendship to an army of changelings."

"Good thing that will not be necessary, following the genocide for which I am indirectly responsible. I have not seen more than five of them in total," she said coldly.

Trixie remained frozen in the moment, wary. "What’s genocide?"

Gamine frowned. "Bat ponies know the term but not ponies?"

Pepper stopped walking. She barely turned her face towards Trixie, her attention fixed on where they were going. "An act of mass murder, the victims being of the same race or living in the same kingdom. In this case, incomplete because there are still survivors," she whispered bluntly before resuming her walk.

Trixie was frozen in horror, her face decaying as her mind pondered the horrible meaning of the word. What had started out as a simple escort mission became a winding walk through a much darker part of Equestria than she was accustomed to. As she caught up with Pepper, a question arose as to how far the walk would go over the three days.

When the two unicorns arrived near the rock where Pepper placed the marker, Chrysalis and Chitin were now there, conversing with the little Cæsar. The queen's eyes lit up at the sight of Trixie. "Just in time for the end of brunch," Chrysalis said, licking her lips in advance at the thought of the meal as she walked towards the duo.

Trixie was terrified, her shaking limbs refusing to budge.

Pepper took a step to the left, cutting across Chrysalis’s path. She lowered her head in challenge, ready to strike if the Queen got too close. She didn't utter a single word, content to stare at the queen with her icy glare.

Neither moved, unwilling to show weakness to the other and refusing to back down first; like statues, they watched each other, emitting an oppressive tension of which Trixie was the main victim, being the prize of this staring contest.

Aglowing Shell butted in, running between the two predators. "If you don't stop now, I'll... I'll..." She trailed off, her lack of ideas draining her otherwise unfailing confidence.

Chrysalis was the first to react to this ultimatum, turning her eyes to her daughter. "If not, you'll hit one of us with the other ?" she asked, amused.

Pepper was not to be outdone, seeing that the atmosphere was taking on the tone of one of those days at Ponyville. "Otherwise you'll give us Fluttershy’s stare?" she said in the same tone.

Looking at them one after the other, the child did not expect this turnaround, convinced that both sides would stand their ground. She regained a certain amount of self-confidence to finish her threat. "Exactly! If you don't stop immediately, I'll hit one of you with the other while giving both of you Fluttershy’s stare!"

"All right, all right, I will stop. Here, Chrysalis, you can eat her, I do not want any trouble with a Cæsar," Pepper said, using her magic to push Trixie in front of her.

Trixie stood there with her eyes wide open, clinging to the slim hope that Pepper would protect her at the last moment.

"Too late, brunch time is over, and since she carries your scent, I assume that you have eaten her soul as well. I've never tested it, but I’d imagine that a body without a soul wouldn't contain much love."

Trixie was shocked by these words, and it didn't take her long to put the pieces together. She turned to Pepper. "You had eaten Princess Celestia's soul... ah." She collapsed again, her mind not able to handle the shock of learning the real truth under those conditions.

"Oh? She didn't actually know?" Chrysalis asked, grinning.





Meanwhile in Ponyville, Sunset hid her tracking artefact behind some large books on the shelf to the left of the stairs, then left Twilight's bedroom. Rainbow remained at Pinkie's bedside, the latter lying unconscious on the extra bed, still tied up and gagged as a precaution.

At the bottom of the stairs Applejack and Twilight were waiting for her. Not far behind them, Fluttershy was reporting back to Angel, the rabbit watching her sternly with his front legs crossed as he tapped his hind leg on the floor. Spike was taking care of Rarity, who was still recovering from the scare. 

"Still unconscious?" Twilight asked.

"Yes," Sunset sighed thoughtfully as she walked down the last steps. "She's just exhausted. Rainbow wanted to be alone; she'll stay up there and keep an eye on Pinkie."

"I still can't believe Trixie has joined forces with Pepper. I went to look in the lab and she actually broke in to steal the mane clip while we were away. I don't understand how she knew about the ornament and where she found the ring. Luckily, she didn't take anything else," Twilight said, looking at the display case where the six Elements of Harmony were.

"Pepper obviously didn't like hearing Trixie saying she knew the truth. Do you think Trixie is in danger, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"I'd be inclined to think Trixie's safe," Sunset said. "She knows who Pepper is, her crime, where the item was, and she appears just in time to help her. I have a feeling she was approached by Bitter Truth. It’s the only thing I can think of, but I can't understand why."

Twilight smiled, half worried and half relieved. "Let's hope you're right."

Outside, the sound of a wagon landing could be heard, and the next second, Princess Luna, with her wings spread out imposingly, entered the library. Everyone turned to greet Luna as she made her way towards Twilight.

"Princess Luna, what are you doing here?"

"Twilight Sparkle. One of my guards came to tell me that he heard from the oracle that Pepper had destroyed half of Ponyville. Imagine my surprise halfway through my trip here when I saw that everything was peaceful as usual. Having trouble believing that Bitter Truth could be mistaken, I came to you as a precaution."

Twilight was perplexed by the announcement. If Sunset was right, Bitter Truth helped Pepper through Trixie's assistance, and now Princess Luna said that she had received information from the oracle through a guard? What was his motivation? It seemed as if he was trying to help both sides. But such a theory didn't make sense.

Sunset smiled inwardly. Her plan had worked—the guards, being tied to their posts, had to resort to passing her message by word of mouth from one guard to another until they reached the throne room, and the expected chaos was now here.

Nightmare Moon chose this moment to make her unannounced appearance, her anxiety over her need to protect the changelings having gotten the better of her.

This caused an uproar, but having been warned beforehand by Twilight, almost all of them managed to keep calm, except for Fluttershy who hid behind Applejack.

Luna did not appreciate the initiative. "What do you think you're doing? Get back inside me immediately."

"I'm sick and tired of being there all day long, and as far as all the ponies here know, why deprive me of the opportunity to greet them," she said, before dipping into a meek curtsy. "Hello to you Twilight Sparkle, and I salute each and every one of your companions here."

Luna rolled her eyes, far from suspecting her alter ego's true intentions.

Twilight's group was confused to see Nightmare Moon behave with such humility. It suddenly made her less terrifying, in stark contrast to their first meeting in the castle ruins and the thunderous laughter she had then.

"I think I can locate her," Sunset suddenly said, going into the basement laboratory to get what she needed. Even though the blood had dried, that was all it took for a simple locating spell. She took a map of the continent, of which Equestria was a part, and returned to the main room of the library. Once the spell was cast, the magic reduced the blood to carmine dust, which immediately surrounded a specific area of the Badlands.

"She was in the Badlands from the beginning," said Luna, who then cast a murderous glance at Twilight. "Why didn't you warn me sooner?!"

Sunset stepped in, directing a stare harder than steel at Luna. "As the stars bear witness to my words, we couldn't locate her until today." Her whole body was tense; the slightest wrong move on Luna's part, and she would use her body to defend her sister in heart.

From this duel of glances, only Nightmare Moon dared to step into the staredown, inciting Luna to step back literally and figuratively with a hoof on her shoulder. "As she travels through dimensions, it simply means that she was away all that time, and that she has returned for the third time. Now that we know where she is, let's go and flush that rat out of its lair." She couldn't suggest returning to the castle; the thirst for blood that animated Luna's heart left her no room for any other suggestion. Unbeknownst to all, she hid a clone in the shadow of the central table, then went back to hide in Luna.

"You're right." Without any consideration for the assembly, the Princess of the Night left without any farewells.

After Luna and her retinue flew away, the clone came out of hiding and took physical form, to the surprise of the ponies who were still emotionally recovering.

"How is that possible? I saw you leave with Princess Luna," Twilight said, taken aback.

The clone, that part of the Tantabus that was not connected to Luna, was the concentrate of the Moon Queen's feelings that had been repressed during the earlier conversation. She was furious. Not only had Sunset directed Luna exactly where she should not go, but of all the places at the regicide’s disposal, Pepper had to hide there. Finally, it was proof that Chrysalis had manipulated her by making her believe that there was nothing left of Pepper. The clone exhaled, exasperated. "We don't have time for this. The one standing in front of you is only a part of Nightmare Moon, and our physical form is limited by the magic that animates this fragment of the Tantabus. This body will disintegrate if we don't return to the dream plane soon enough. So let's give the reason for our presence: do we have your consent to possess Princess Luna?"

“What? I mean, why?”

“We've already explained why Luna should be kept in the dark. But now, thanks to the help of this mare’s initiative", she said, casting a brief glare at Sunset, “the changelings won't survive another day, especially if they have to face Luna. Even the bat ponies would not be a sufficient bulwark against Luna . And I doubt Pepper will raise an eyebrow at the sight of the ensuing bloodbath.”

Twilight understood that she had to make a choice. Despite the attempted invasion, the life of the changelings was no less important than that of a pony—or at least she imagined this was something Princess Celestia would say.

But Sunset didn't hear it that way. "So you are asking Princess Twilight to make a choice between you and Princess Luna? But in the end we'll be facing a Nightmare, and you've already tried twice to impose eternal night. Why should we rely on your good words to choose you over Princess Luna?"

"We've changed!" replied Nightmare Moon.

"Another fine word," replied Sunset.

"I believe her," Applejack said. "Her words don't sound hollow."

Sunset turned, looking sternly at her. "Just as you thought Pepper had good intentions?" 

Those words spoiled the atmosphere. 

"What were your words about her, Twilight? ‘Singular, but not malevolent?’"

The air was heavy enough to cut with a knife as Sunset turned towards the clone.

"That seems like a good enough description for you. So no, you won't force Twilight to make a choice, but whenever Nightmare comes back from the badlands, she will end up imprisoned in stone just like Discord. So if you were to take possession of Princess Luna's body, don't come back to Equestria. No ponies will ever consider you a legitimate princess of Equestria."

Nightmare Moon remained still in front of such vehemence. She could not blame her for thinking like that; she had no proof beyond her word, which had no value. "If this is your decision, we accept it, and we'll act accordingly." Emitting magic from her horn, she cut through the fabric of reality to open a precarious portal to the plane of dreams, which she immediately closed behind her.

Silence reigned in the room for a while. Sunset realised that in her outburst, her words had hurt her friends. "I am-"

The door to the room opened, "Girls! Pinkie's awake!" Rainbow said.

Everypony galloped upstairs to gather around the bed, but were taken aback by Pinkie's face.

Twilight soon noticed the instrument of the crime – a red marker half hidden under Rainbow Dash's rump and she was doing her best not to laugh while biting her lips. "Seriously, Rainbow? We leave you alone with Pinkie for five minutes and you put a red marker smile on her face?"

"Oh come on! She was like <smile smile>" replied the pegasus, imitating Pinkie back then.

After taking some precautions, Sunset removed the gag, thinking she'd be the quickest to react if Pinkie was still under the effect of the potion.

Pinkie, who had been watching them all, still and quiet yet at the same time worried to see them like this, asked them with a warm smile like only she knew a secret: "Girls! Why so serious?"
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The afternoon was coming to an end. Autumn had done its work, exposing the branches of the trees of the forest juxtaposing the Macintosh hills. Their previously green foliage now lay on the ground, yellow and withered, giving this place a gloomy appearance.

Swift, in his assuredly impeccable armour thanks to Antares' daily inspection, was wearing his requisite daytime vision goggles, like every other bat pony that stood watch during the day, to protect his sensitive eyes from the sunlight and looking off into the distance.

Another bat pony, Dauntless Halberd, came in to landing near him, his full attention focused on the forest in front of them. "Swift, we have an intruder, get up, we'll make him turn back together before I replace you."

Swift stood up and turned around to see what Dauntless was looking at and talking about. When he did, he noticed that there, at the border of the woods, a stallion wearing the mail pony's outfit, consisting of a uniform and a blue kepi, was walking in their direction. Swift had a sudden nervous laugh. "First the Regicide, then the changeling, and now the mail pony. I’m thankful that the worries in the area are getting lighter."  

Without waiting, the duo flared out their wings and took to the air, and with a few flaps of their wings, landed in the middle of the stallion's path. Dauntless was the first to speak up. "Please turn back, there are military manoeuvres being conducted here and as such, the area is restricted to the public."

"Oh, don't worry, I wasn't planning on staying," the stallion said calmly, looking up at Dauntless with his lemon yellow eyes, The stallion’s horn suddenly lit up in a yellow aura.

Not even a second later, the large bat pony collapsed, asleep.

At first surprised, Swift did not hesitate in taking his blade out of its sheath and holding it to the unicorn’s neck to hold him at bay.

Bitter Truth merely remained quiet as he looked at the latest blade to threaten his throat. He then looked up at Swift. "My hooves are covered with moon blood."

Swift remained silent for a moment as he examined this stranger in front of him who apparently knew one of Antares' secret codes. His mind began to gallop at full speed, from disbelief to misunderstanding, unable to arrive at a logical explanation for the situation he’d just found himself in. He eventually regained his composure, or at the very least the best he could muster, to act as if the words the stranger had just spoken held no meaning to him. "Go back, last warning."

"Sir Swift, I'm Bitter Truth, the oracle. Three years, five months and a few days ago, I met with the late Lieutenant Antares and asked her to write a few letters, one of which was for you. I borrowed this outfit to come and give it to you today, but I'm not convinced that the concept of a mail pony, so slow that he delivers the mail five years after receiving it, is all too funny."

Swift's heart wanted to believe what he was being told, but his mind just could not accept it. "She would have told me about it."

Bitter Truth looked down, sadly. "And yet, just like Princess Celestia, she did not do so. Your friend by loyalty, the princess by generosity."

"I can't believe it. There’s no way that Antares, knowing what awaited her, would do nothing to change that!"

"Yet she did so in the end, and no, I’m only an oracle, it’s not up to me to decide who should live or die, every creature is the master of their own destiny. If I hadn't approached her, she would have never had the chance to confide in me her last thoughts so that I could deliver them to the right pony. So if you really consider yourself her friend, so as not to disturb the rest of her soul, respect her decision."

Hearing these words reopened a wound Swift had been trying to hide behind an eternal smile. He almost immediately dropped the sword, which fell heavily to the ground, after Bitter Truth finished speaking. "Give me that letter," he ordered in a dry tone.

Bitter had a fine smile. "One moment, I must first give you her last words." Upon saying this, he suddenly put his hoof on his throat, put on a shocked expression, and began making disgusting gurgling noises as if his throat was filling with blood.

The expected reaction did not take long, the bat pony entered into a blood rage, and with all his strength, he bucked and sent the oracle flying into the nearest tree. Without losing a second, Swift galloped to Bitter and pressed his front hooves into the stallion’s throat, half strangling him. "Do you think you're funny?!"

Despite the pain of the blow and the difficulty in breathing, Bitter did not lose his smile. "How does it feel to be in the Major's sabatons?" he asked between laboured breaths.

Swift blinked, and when he realised that he had been caught in one of his own traps, one that was certainly much more morbid than he would allow himself to direct towards Cute Bite, he could only nervously laugh, taking a few steps back before sighing and sitting down, smiling, yet ashamed to not have seen it coming.

As he straightened up, Bitter’s smile disappeared as he used his telekinesis to take out an oiled envelope that had protected its contents through years and handed it over to Swift. "I asked her to write to you with all her heart."

The bat pony took the letter, cautious about the last statement. He remained still to contemplate the royal seal he was seeing adorning the letter. Antares was the confidant and Lieutenant of Nightmare Moon, so it frightened him that a unicorn could have entered the castle so easily without any sentinel noticing them, made even worse by the knowledge that said unicorn had also been able to approach the royal assassin directly and in private. Using the thumb of his right wing, he broke the seal and gently began to pull the sheet out of the envelope before suddenly freezing. He felt Antares' ghostly presence, her hooves around his neck, hugging him with tenderness. The sensation hit his guts as the weight on his heart formed from her absence fell. Taking a deep, wavering breath to block the tears that came to his eyes, he hurried to read the letter.

<Swift, my unrecoverable tactician,

I am writing this letter knowing that I will never see you again. My future has been revealed to me, and that of our revered Queen too. And I accept it with a smile on my face.

Without Bitter Truth's intervention, I would have died leaving nothing behind. But our forced meeting with him gives me the chance to leave a farewell letter to my loved ones.

Why did I die defending the throne of our Queen despite everything? For fate had decided so, that I would be the last of the royal assassins. And I have so much blood on my hooves. I never fully recovered from all the murders I carried out at the request of our Queen. There is a scar on my heart for each of the lives I have stolen, each one healed from its previous condition as a gaping wound by you to the best of your ability, and even now I thank you for it. My public life, in the end, was only a pretty facade to hide the murderer who was raised for a fight that will never come. So I prefer not to defy fate, that my life should end as it should have ended if he had not approached me, defending the throne of our Queen at the cost of my life.

I would like to die as I lived. Loyal to our Queen, even after the last day of her reign.

However, I am constrained this night during which you read this letter, to beg you to grant a last request. Save our Queen, help Bitter Truth. Knowing that I was going to die, and that I was going to take the secret to the grave, he told me everything, explained to me what he expected from you. Such devotion to our Queen and the Princess of the Sun, deserves my trust.

I release you from your promise to watch over my sister, the answer to my question gave me a glimpse of her future, a future I didn't expect, and yet one that satisfies me on the eve of my death.

I end this letter on this simple note, now live your life as you wish to live, nothing is holding you back, my friend. It is time to look to the future, to move forward and to leave myself behind as a memory of a past that is now over.

Tenderly,
Your Antares >

Halfway through, he realised that by closing his eyes, he could see her writing this letter, serene, with a peaceful smile on her face. He had to pull the thumb of the wing several times on his day vision goggles so that his tears could finally run down his cheeks. When he finished reading, he put the letter back in the envelope and tucked it under his left wing causing the ghostly presence that had manifested to immediately disappear. "I'm listening," he said dryly, the sense that he had lost his friend once again rendering him unable to be his usual comedic self.

Bitter first took a white silk handkerchief out of his bag and motioned to Swift. "Close your eyes." When he was sure that Swift had done so, he removed the bat pony’s glasses and used his handkerchief to make sure the bat pony's eyes were properly dried. Once that was done, he put the handkerchief away and put down a parchment case he had attached to a shoulder strap. "The enchantment on the late Lieutenant Antares' letter is psychometry, the spell in this case is a more advanced version. Ask your queen to use it on the helmet in the command tent and wear it until the end of the night. Only the helmet, it will be useless for her to wear the armour. No one can know except for you and her, and at no time talk to Pepper Chilly about me. Prescience is both a power that she covets at all costs and that she fears even more. Revealing my existence to her would be like betting the future of this world on a coin flip."

 "If you've finished your monologue, leave." Swift’s voice was brittle, his words no longer having their tell tale soul.

"Indeed, it is time for me to take my leave." The tone of the oracle’s reply was neutral, an even tone that lacked the previous humour and sympathy he’d been using. As he turned around, he turned his head back towards the bat pony to add one last thing. "When the time comes, you'll be the only one who knows what to do, come up with a good enough story so that everypony will believe it. Goodbye until our next meeting, Sir Swift."

Swift watched the oracle slip noiselessly into the woods before turning to look at his comrade, who was still sleeping peacefully. He then went over the information in the letter and the request in his mind, taking a guess as to what would be happening tonight. He didn’t understand how the spell would be useful in saving his Queen, but it seemed obvious that it wouldn’t be long before the regicide attacked again. To imagine Nightmare Moon as the next victim of the soul eater, the very thought caused a chill to run down his spine.

After waking Dauntless and claiming that the mail pony and him had been having such a boring conversation that he had fallen asleep on the spot, Swift returned to the camp to see it in turmoil. When he arrived outside the command tent, he understood why. 

Princess Luna was there, a sheathed rapier against her left flank, lowering the sun to better raise the moon.

“It is too soon to do that.” Nightmare Moon pointed out as she came out of her prison of flesh. With eagerness, she opened a rift into the world of dreams, and allowed the clone she had left at Twilight’s library to emerge and join her. She was shocked at first when she felt her clone merging to her and increasing her magic pool, but when she read her clone’s memory, she knew why that was. The clone left at the library had called all the clones left in the dream world to her after learning Twilight would not intervene. Now, she was the last bulwark protecting the changelings from Luna.

“Maybe, but if I can grant an edge to my soldiers over the changelings’ army, I will act accordingly.”

Swift quickly ducked into his tent to store Antares' letter, and after finishing that, he proceeded back outside and moved closer to his friend the Major's side. Discreetly, while the latter followed the Princess and Queen on their way to the command tent, Swift drew Cute Bite's attention and silently asked what was going on, however, to Swift’s dissatisfaction based on her reaction, she knew as much as he did about Princess Luna's presence. Swift mentally sighed, asking why Bitter Truth had not mentioned that fact. There were now too many possible scenarios and not enough information for him to know where the threat the late Antares had feared so much would come from.

Major Antares, who wore the dorsal sheaths holding her sword and Nightmare Moon's claymore, was too concerned with the presence of the Princess of the Moon to worry that Swift was still wearing day vision goggles, or to notice the parchment case he had under his right wing.

Once in the tent, when Luna saw the map of the area with pawns placed on it depicting the balance of power between the army of bat ponies and changelings as being in the latter's favour, a deliberate misrepresentation, she flew off the handle, blaming Nightmare Moon's incompetence for her inability to pacify the Badlands due to these insects.

Nightmare Moon turned a deaf ear to her alter ego’s irrational rant, instead choosing to stare at her while remaining silent. Behind the Tantabus' blank mind, something she discovered a few weeks ago she could use as a mental shield, she was internally fuming at the fact that Luna was so close to the Badlands. She knew couldn't try anything, not yet, but to protect Aglowing Shell, even without Twilight’s permission, she was ready to be frozen for a thousand years alongside Discord, because that was the only possible way out if the elements of harmony were used against Luna. And unfortunately, said alicorn was no longer an immature child. She would not surrender her body to the Queen of the Night, not again. If Nightmare Moon tried to possess Luna, it would turn into a battle of wills, and if she failed, Luna would undoubtedly trap her forever. Luna would then force Nightmare Moon to watch her end the life of the helpless little Cæsar. She had to act in the presence of Chrysalis, so that the Queen of the Changelings could fully understand the situation and act accordingly if Luna emerged victorious. She had for now to wait for the right moment.

Luna announced that she was going to end the changelings tonight. She would be leading an assault consisting of every bat pony force presently deployed in this outpost, and having fully mourned Celestia’s death, it was time to avenge her, so she would personally be taking care of Pepper once she had her hooves on her.

The worried eyes of the bat ponies turned to Nightmare Moon, who had to give up her physical appearance so as to not let her emotions show through.

But as the two alicorns left the tent, Swift intervened: "Lady Nightmare Moon, I have a report for you regarding the reconnaissance mission you gave me last night."

Everypony turned to Swift, neither Nightmare Moon nor the major understood what he was talking about, but Luna could not have known that it was a lie. "You have an urgent report and you wait until now to bring it up, soldier? What's more, ’Lady’? Is she not a princess to you?"

Swift bowed, unfolding his wings and lowering them and his head so that they were touching ground. "There is only one Princess of the Night, and that is you, my Queen. I didn't want to bother you with this mission report because it's up to your subordinate to handle this. If you permit me to make a suggestion, I am sure Major Antares will make it a point to assist you in preparing the troops while I give my report."

Luna considered Swift's words for a moment and, her ego sufficiently flattered, appropriated the suggestion as her own idea. She turned briefly to Nightmare Moon, looking down at her. "Don't keep me waiting." she ordered before leaving the tent. "Major, after me."

Overwhelmed by events, Cute Bite left the tent in a hurry, following in the princess' hoof steps.

Verifying that Luna was far enough away that she wouldn't suspect anything, Nightmare Moon regained a physical appearance before creating a magic bubble in order to assure that the conversation that followed would remain private. "I'm listening."

Swift didn’t dare move from his curtsy. "My Queen, I'm sorry I had to-"

Using telekinesis, Nightmare Moon clamped his mouth to cut the apology short. She forced him to raise his head and removed his glasses so she could look him in the eyes as she pleased. Upon doing this, she could not fail to notice how red and swollen they were. "I understand, Swift. You were supposed to see me in private and you did the right thing, I won't hold it against you. However, if you waste my time by tying yourself in knots with excuses again, I won't forgive you. Now, speak," she ordered before releasing her grip, and waited for him to explain himself. 

"Bitter Truth came to see me just before the end of my shift. He brought me a letter from Antares, our late Antares. She..." he sobbed as he thought back to the letter. On the verge of a nervous breakdown, he unconsciously felt the need to laugh about it. "Can you believe it? A unicorn came to the Moon during your banishment, all the way to your castle, to the royal assassin, to tell her everything that was going to happen tonight. It doesn't make any sense." He released an uncontrollable laugh. "No s-"

Nightmare Moon slapped him with the back of her hoof. "Focus, Swift. The rest." Certainly she was shocked to learn of this, moreso given the revelation that it had been her royal assassin who had hidden such an encounter from her, but this was not the time to lose sight of the situation.

He calmed down, keeping his head down. "I immediately recognised her writing, the nickname she gave me, it was even sealed with your royal seal. In the letter, Antares asks me to help the oracle, because your life is threatened. He told me to use a spell on your helmet. The spell would allow you to sense the feelings of a person who had touched an object, the oracle says it is called psychometry," he explained, removing the shoulder strap to give the case to Nightmare Moon while pointing at the armour in the corner of the tent with his left wing. "He said you'll only have to wear the helmet for the rest of the night. That I would know what to do when the time comes. That the regicide should not learn of the presence of an oracle in Equestria. Then he left."

The summary confirmed Nightmare Moon’s suspicions. "It seems that the confrontation with Luna is inevitable. I don't really understand how this spell will be useful to me, but if Antares felt that this plan would work the best, I will put my trust in her judgement."

After seizing and opening the case with her magic to take out the scroll, Nightmare Moon walked over to the front of the armour display, facing her armour, facing her past. She had it transported to this tent to have a constant reminder of the mistake she had made.

She had underestimated Celestia, and because of that, the elements of harmony had been used against her.  

She scanned the scroll for a moment, finding it to be rather complex, a spell that Star Swirl would probably have liked to study. However, she didn't currently have the time to ponder such things. From what she could tell, there was nothing wrong with the spell’s formula. Concentrating, Nightmare Moon applied the enchantment to the helmet.

She had underestimated Twilight, and the elements of harmony had once again been used against her.

Grasping the newly enchanted helmet in her magic, as she brought it down onto her head, she swore a promise to herself.

Tonight, she would not underestimate Luna.

She slid the spell back into its case and threw it to Swift, who reflexively caught it. "Swift, no matter what happens, I know you'll do the right thing. I intend to do just that in order to protect the changelings." She headed for the exit. "Whatever it takes," she added before dispelling the magic bubble.

As Nightmare Moon made her way out of the tent and through the camp, nearly every set of eyes towards her.

Luna, who was just finishing going through the last of the bat ponies returning from patrols and other surveillance posts, noticed this shift in attention and turned to look at just what was drawing everypony’s eye. When she did, she saw her alter ego, and couldn't help but move closer to satisfy her curiosity regarding her current appearance. "What's the point of wearing the helmet?"

Nightmare Moon didn't need very long to come up with the excuse she needed. "You heard the soldier, there is only one princess of the Night, and by wearing this helmet, I admit to being only a soldier at your service, as I proposed five months ago. Is there a problem with that?"

Luna looked at the soldiers, at the Major, to Swift, then returned to Nightmare Moon. "None. It's time to go."

Luna and Nightmare Moon flew away, followed soon after by Antares and her second, and the army after them. A black cloud of roaring thunder began to form above the advancing army, growing bigger and darkening the night sky as Luna drew closer to the Badlands. A cold silence of nervousness was also growing within the army's ranks. Every soldier knew how much their queen cared about the life of the changelings, so the fact that they were following Luna into the Badlands on their current mission caused more than a few to exchange uncomfortable glances.

[br]

Earlier that day, as Luna was travelling from Canterlot to the south of Dodge City, Pepper was taking a nap in the shade of a rock, leaving Trixie with the three changelings.

Fortunately for the mare, after presentations, Aglowing Shell’s attention was fully focused on the great and wonderful illusionist. The unicorn had started by performing her entire repertoire in an effort to assure she would keep the child entertained, but gradually, after being won over by the enthusiasm of the young hybrid, she used all the tricks given to her by Bitter Truth for the sole purpose of putting stars in Algowing’s eyes.

Gamine forced Pepper to open an eye, squealing an "I want to see!" every time the only spectator exclaimed a little too loudly, disappointed that she couldn't also attend the show, but she had to keep the promise to let Pepper control the body, and the monster had her habits.

Chrysalis and Chitin would have enjoyed making a snack of Trixie, their current diet of these fruits of love filled their bellies, but as it stood, their respective magical powers did not exceed those of the average unicorn. However, seeing the little Cæsar so happy during the day, compared to her usual languid sadness she expressed as she waited out the night, seeing the big smile she was wearing, it discouraged them from listening to their primal instincts.

The gathering was shocked when the sun and the moon shifted places in the sky. 

“Trixie didn’t see the passing of time.”

Pepper stood up. “It is too soon.” As Trixie resumed her performance to keep Aglowing entertained, Pepper, now alert, jumped on the rock and started to monitor the surrounding area.  

A strong wind carrying a dark cloud rumbling with thunder began to howl as it enveloped the badlands.

"Who is it?" whispered Gamine.

"I do not know yet, but there are quite a few of them, and their intentions are not friendly," Pepper replied.

"You protect them, or I will!" Gamine ordered.

Pepper jumped off the rock, and the sound of her hooves landing on the hard ground attracted every creature’s attention. It didn’t take them long to notice where Pepper’s attention was focused, and they too began to observe the developing situation.

Only Aglowing smiled, jumping on the spot. "It's Nightmare Moon! She's here!"

Trixie’s fur began to prickle up when she heard this. Certainly she was aware that the alicorn was once again roaming Equestria, but at the same time, she had been more than happy to chalk said information up to merely being a bad dream.

Chrysalis, however, was sceptical. "She usually arrives two or three hours after the sun and the moon switch places. Something's not right."

Pepper approached Chrysalis while keeping their unexpected guests within her sight. "How much do you trust Nightmare Moon?"

Chrysalis was going to answer her, but Aglowing Shell jumped on Pepper's face to give her a stare. "She's my friend! Mother trusts her completely!"

Gamine had a shy laugh. "This habit of hers adds some weight to her words."

Pepper, dislodging the child via telekinesis for the third time now after being silenced by her, turned her eyes to Chrysalis as she gave her back the one who so aptly deserved the nickname Facehugger.

"She won't hurt my daughter in any way whatsoever," Chrysalis said.

For Pepper, this statement eliminated a few scenarios she’d conceived of given the situation she was facing. It remained to be seen though who she would have to fight. "Trixie, stay with Aglowing Shell. No matter what happens, the changelings will protect you. Me, however, this is really not the time for you to get in my way," she said, walking a few steps forward.

This was counter to the instructions her employer had given, but in view of the general atmosphere, Trixie knew that it was better not to make things more complicated.

Chrysalis clicked her tongue and Aglowing went to hide behind her mother. She knew that her child was safe because of Bitter Truth's prediction, but that didn't prevent her from taking precautions.

Pepper was five hoof steps in front of the changelings, close enough that they could hear what she would say, and far enough that it left a margin of safety.

Luna landed ten steps in front of Pepper, Nightmare Moon by her side, Antares one step back and to the right of the queen, and Swift to the right of the major. The army, meanwhile, was standing as a single unit behind the one they pretended to serve.

Pepper observed Nightmare Moon for a moment before turning her attention to Luna. "What is the Princess of the moon doing so far from Canterlot this early night? Do you not have any bad dreams to chase away, Luna?"

"Insofar as you are responsible for many, especially mine, I have come to end your life, so that I can dream again and again of your last gurgling while you drown in your own blood. At the same time, I would finish pacifying the region of the extant vermin, since the mare to whom I have entrusted this duty is incapable of doing so," Luna said, taking a brief reproving look at Nightmare Moon.

The latter preferred to look away when she felt Luna's eyes resting on her, clearly nervous, not knowing how to turn the situation to her advantage with Pepper standing right there in front of them.

Pepper laughed wryly. "I have already pacified the area, behind me are the only three changelings left. I was planning to eat the soul of one of them, but your hooves on my plate bother me. You want me dead? Let the taller black mare take care of them, you and I have a friendly duel to finish."

At the mention of this duel, lightning struck the ground less than a dozens metres away as Luna's gaze darkened. "I will inflict on you the humiliating defeat you should have received. Nightmare Moon, make sure that the changelings are dead by the time I finish with her," ordered the Princess of the Night, moving eastward with Pepper while keeping an eye on her and remaining at a safe distance.

A two-eyed storm started spitting lightning bolts.

Nightmare Moon now knew that Pepper was on her side, as she knew the human through interactions with Luna. The proposal she had just made was too perfect to just be a fluke. And if the fight weakened Luna enough, it would greatly facilitate her attempt to take possession of her alter ego.

When the two duellists were too far away to hear anything, Chrysalis approached Nightmare Moon. "What is she doing there?" she asked, while Aglowing Shell jumping into her friend's forelegs, happy to nest in her embrace and scared by the thunderbolts.

Nightmare Moon was relieved that the child was fine, but the mother's question caused her to release a quick and heavy exhalation out of her nostrils out of frustration. "Blame Bitter Truth. A guard came to peddle the words of the oracle to her in the middle of the morning, one thing leading to another, now you have the result before your eyes. And you won't have to rely on Twilight Sparkle. She doesn't consider your lives important enough to defy Luna's will."

With wide eyes, these words engraved themselves in Aglowing's mind. With her heart once again shaken by powerful feelings, Aglowing’s horn briefly crackled with energy.

Chrysalis rubbed her cheek against her daughter's to calm her down while reflecting on what had just been said. "Pretty sure he would approach her himself, not through a proxy." She turned her gaze to Pepper in the distance. "What's this about the duel?" she asked, watching Nightmare Moon.

Pepper concentrated on her shapeshifting magic, and once she finished visualising what she needed, a golden halo ran through her body from her horn to her hind hooves. The first thing to change was Pepper’s torso, shifting to become humanoid while maintaining her wings, immediately followed by her pushing on her hind legs to reposition them to allow her to walk like a biped. After that, her forelegs, transforming into fur covered arms and began warming up the muscles of her fingers as soon as they appeared, stopping once she was content that everything was working properly.

"During her first stay six months ago, Luna wanted to test Pepper’s combat skills. At first, it was supposed to be a mock fight to pass the time, nothing very serious," explained Nightmare Moon.

Chrysalis turned her eyes to Nightmare Moon, amused. "How bad did it get?"

Nightmare Moon was split between enjoyment and annoyance just thinking about it. "Celestia had to separate them, and forbid them from fighting each other in the future. Canterlot Castle would have been left in ruins without her intervention."

"Pepper? Why this hybrid form? Why not become totally human?" asked Gamine.

"Because the laws of this universe do not so easily allow such," Pepper replied. "Not impossible," she continued, summoning her katana into the palm of her right hand. "But it would require that I continuously infuse every cell of my body with the magic that allows me to travel from one reality to another to maintain my true form. Certainly I would be able to fight at my full potential, but it would be worse than burning a candle at both ends," she explained before facing Luna. "This body is currently a good compromise to allow me to fight as I usually do while dealing with the laws imposed on me. Now shut up."

The two eyes of the storm merged, the meteorological phenomena was now a cage for the two opponents.

Luna, with her legs bent, kept her wings pressed against her sides to provide the smallest surface area for an attack. Using telekinesis, the princess drew her rapier. It was a work of art, forged with Cloudichalcum, the bell guard finely carved to represent a starry night with the princess' Cutie Mark sitting in the middle of the stars. It would have been customary for her to greet her opponent, but tonight she had no respect for the one facing her.

With the back of her left hand on the handle, as if she was presenting a gift in the palm of her hand, Pepper moved forward slowly, calculating each of her steps as she circled Luna, looking for an opening that didn't come.

But unlike her, Luna did not have the patience to wait for the right moment, and based on the first skirmish, Luna knew that a frontal attack would inevitably be countered. So she opted for a sudden teleportation behind the regicide's back and went for the head.

Pepper did not expect Luna to use such a technique, and it was only out of pure reflex when she saw the alicorn disappear that she rolled to the side. However, she did not come out unscathed, the rapier cut the string that had been holding her mane in a heavy braid until now.

Luna lowered her guard for a moment as she contemplated the result.

Pepper would have preferred it remain a secret, but if it could give her an advantage over Luna, she might as well seize it. She shook her head from left to right to get her mane to start rippling as her magical power began to make it wave, like a river of blood. "A gift from your late sister, do you like it?" she asked with a sly smile.

Utilising her Canterlot voice, Luna unleashed all of the air in her lungs out of rage in a deafening scream, and in return, the storm unleashed an equal frenzy upon the land, discharging a heavy rain of lightning bolts down in a cacophony of explosions. Unconcerned about the consequences, Luna threw herself into a flurry of successive attacks. Her sole desire was to inflict a thousand cuts upon Pepper’s body. Her resolve was to induce so much suffering that Pepper would beg for a quick death. To Luna’s irritation though, Pepper simply lept out of her reach, just enough to encourage her to try her luck once again. 

As Luna was so focused on taking revenge, Pepper noticed an opening, and immediately switched to the counter-offensive. With a movement of her arm and wrist, she caught and parried Luna's last attack, adding another chip to the edge of her rusty, pockmarked blade, before following up by moving to execute an overhead strike. While the katana was completely caked in rust and appeared to be only one or two counters away from breaking in half, it was still sharp enough to claim another life.

Luna, caught off guard, and with her eyes focused on the blade, felt like an attempt to raise her guard would be too slow to make it in time.

However, the blow never came, Pepper was fighting another battle, one to keep control of her body. 

Gamine couldn't stay inactive, she was restraining the body’s arms to prevent Pepper from delivering a deadly blow. "What are you doing?!" The guardian shouted in shock.

"I am protecting the changelings!" Pepper barked back.

"I never asked you to kill Luna! There have been enough deaths!"

"What?!” Pepper tried to get away, but was unsuccessful. “Let go of me, you stupid fool! Now is not the time to-"

The storm vanished as Luna seized the opportunity to claim victory with a swift thrust.

Monster and Guardian in unison screamed out in pain as they both felt most of Luna’s rapier sink into Pepper’s chest. Gamine gave up control of the body to Pepper, unable to bear such physical suffering. Pepper, meanwhile, fell on her rump, her breathing unsteady, with each exhalation being a weak cough that brought with it just that little bit of blood.

Luna’s rapier was still lodged through the regicide's chest. The princess enjoyed the view for a moment, she knew that with a compromised lung, it was only a matter of minutes before Pepper died, drowned in the same crimson liquid within her that she so eagerly took from others. Like a cat who caught her prey, she used her magic to pull back and twist her blade with the slowest pace she could muster, simply for the sadistic pleasure of inflicting the most suffering, watching Pepper in pain for the longest time possible, engraving it into her memory. When the point of her blade was extricated, a large sheaf of blood spurt onto her face. "If memory serves, ‘Vae Victis’, Pepper," she said after using Pepper’s white coat to wipe the blood from her rapier. "And I'm going to enjoy every second you have left to ensure you suffer before you draw your last breath."

By removing her blade, Luna had deliberately aggravated the internal bleeding, it was no longer a matter of minutes, and Pepper knew it. Bringing her hands to the wound to try to stem the flow of blood, Pepper attempted to warp away, but without success. The fits of bloody coughing prevented her from concentrating, and her eyelids were becoming heavier and heavier. "Gamine, help me reach and break the prism in the pillow of my hideout."

"I can't do it! The pain is too much," whined the guardian.

Pepper felt too weak to fight any longer. She felt the end coming. "What were you saying this morning? Power must be used to protect others? If you do not do something..." She couldn't hold on, her eyes were closing slowly. "... the changelings will also die because of you. In the end, you are not up to your mother's lessons, she died for... nothing," she whispered as she disappeared from Gamine’s sight.

Luna raised an eyebrow, somewhat disappointed by the ease with which the mare in front of her had let herself die. 

Time dilated as Gamine’s humiliation burned her to her core. Humiliated to be pointed out that she was failing at her self given duty. Infuriated that it was pointed out by the one who killed her mentor. Despite the pain, and with great difficulty, she took control of the dying body, refusing to let Pepper have the last word, and fought back. She gasped for fresh air as she regained consciousness, greatly startling Luna, and after only a few seconds, the guardian had warped herself to the hideout.

"Honestly Pepper, I've known less stubborn cockroaches," Luna said as she teleported to the two sisters' castle with a smile on her face. But that same smile quickly disappeared when she found herself alone in front of the ruins. She turned around, once, twice, looking for the slightest drop of blood, but to her shock, her prey had vanished under her nose. "Very well! Die alone in total indifference, no one will regret you!" She said before teleporting to the Badlands, far from suspecting that the fugitive was only twenty metres below her hooves.

Gasping for breath, and spitting blood with each exhalation, Gamine dragged herself to the bed, grabbed the pillow, and searched it for the prism Pepper had hidden there. As soon as she got her hands on it, she broke it, and the spell contained within instantly teleported her out of Equestria, unceremoniously dropping her in front of a bonfire.

She found herself on a large half-spherical surface made of stone slabs, in the centre of which was a recess where the flames of a fire oscillating between opal and jade were dancing.

Exposed to this fire, Gamine felt strangely better, her breath gradually returning as she felt the mortal wound seal up, before disappearing without a trace. It didn’t take her long after this to realise that Pepper's body had regained its human appearance, and the only explanation was that she was in another dimension.

Looking around her, Gamine could see to the left of her dozens of rows of tiered seating carved into the side of a stone hill and illuminated by the light of the fire beside her. The rows rose so high into the sky that they looked as though they could accommodate thousands of adults without difficulty. The manner in which these seats enveloped that side of the stage  she found herself on gave her the impression of a dragon jealously guarding his hoard.

To her right was a wall that rose as high as the stands, adorned with finely chiselled carvings depicting the culture and beliefs of the people who called this place to which she had been thrown by the spell imbued in the prism home. Just in front of the fire was a doorway, and from where Gamine stood, she could only see darkness on the other side of its frame. She tried to decipher the figures engraved upon the wall, but turned her head away as soon as she realised the morbid nature of the place.

Looking above her head, it initially appeared as though it was night. The sky was clear, yet not a single celestial body broke up the infinite void that was the firmament above her. Additionally, Gamine was unable to pick up a sound nor feel even the barest caress of a breeze. 

This place was the definition of a dead land.

The landscape was not the same, but the young guardian was convinced that the fire she was standing in front of was the same one from Pepper's dreams. Why was she fixated on this fire? With Pepper still unconscious, Gamine was left with no answers. She could feel the body building up more and more energy, but the knowledge that the changelings were still in danger of dying still weighed on her.





As Luna abandoned Pepper to her fate, Chrysalis, who was keeping her daughter held against her to reassure her as the lightning stopped striking and parcelling the sky, suddenly became nervous when the scent of blood reached her nostrils.

When Nightmare Moon saw Luna coming back with the face covered with blood as if nothing had happened, she knew that it was ultimately her responsibility to protect the changelings: "I will try to reason with her, but don't get your hopes too high. She's the stubborn type."

"Is she too stubborn to die?" Chrysalis said, smiling despite the situation.

Nightmare Moon, hesitating at first after hearing this wit, could not help but smile back. "Impossible, I need her alive, but if it comes to that..." Determined, Nightmare Moon spread her wings, flew in front of Luna, not too far from where Pepper had been not that long ago, and stood in her way.

Chrysalis knew the situation was out of her control, if Nightmare Moon failed to defeat Luna, Aglowing would be an easy target. She needed an excuse to send her to the safety of the hive. As she was looking for one, she realised that Bitter Truth had provided her with one without her knowledge. He had once again manipulated her, a fact that brought her no small degree of displeasure. Without warning, she turned around and stuck Aglowing in Chitin's forelegs before pushing Trixie to their side.

The illusionist did not dare to react.

Aglowing did not understand at first. "Mother?"

"Do you remember the promise? The sword you received to protect? You must go and get the sword, to help me protect the hive and all the changelings that still sleep," Chrysalis said.

"I don't need the sword, I'm powerful, I can fight without my weapon!" replied the little Cæsar.

But Chrysalis turned a deaf ear to her daughter. She concentrated, and cast a spell, causing a circle of green flame to form around Chitin, creating a bubble that imprisoned the warrior, child and mare together. And slowly, the prison sank into the ground, taking the captives with it through the maze of the hive.

"For the survival of the hive, don't come back. Without a queen, the sleeping changelings will be abandoned to their fate," Chrysalis ordered.

Chitin lowered their head and looked away, accepting what seemed to be their queen's last order.

Aglowing refused to obey though. She tried as best as she could to free herself, but she did not dare hurt Chitin, and her voice could not pass through the bubble, which disappeared completely a few seconds later.

Chrysalis was relieved to know that her child was safe, she could turn around and face the enemy with peace of mind, even if it was her last fight. She could see that Nightmare Moon was trying her best, but Luna wasn’t making it easy.

"No, I will not only avenge my sister's death, I will eliminate this teeming threat and thus perpetuate peace in Equestria," said the Princess of the Night.

"We have already killed enough changelings as it is. What little remain are no longer a threat. Celestia would never have endorsed this. And you know that." It cost Nightmare Moon mentioning Celestia, but it was the only way to get Luna to focus on something other than the fight.

"Listening to your whining, I would think you’ve started to care about the lives of these vermin," said Luna, suspicious.

Nightmare Moon briefly turned her gaze to Chrysalis before impertinently responding to Luna. "Aren't you aware of the latest news? Friendship is really magic."

The princess of the night felt the need to call her alter ego to order. She concentrated for a moment, forming her magic into a small sphere that quickly burst like a soap bubble.

To the common mortal witnessing the scene, there was no impact, but the spell spread through this reality and that of the dream world of which Luna was the guardian, and Nightmare Moon felt the effects, the link between the Tantabus and Luna had been severed, and for the Queen of the Moon, this now meant that her magic pool was all that remained before the Tantabus would disappear like a bad dream.

"Kill the changelings, and I'll restore the bond. If not, prepare to die with them," declared Luna as an ultimatum.

Nightmare Moon had already made her choice. Without delay, she engaged Luna in a duel of magical power, shooting forth a beam from the form she still had left. Taken slightly off guard, it took Luna a fraction of a second to respond, fireing her own beam in order to counter the attack. When these two beams hit each other, a sphere of magic began to form. It required great spiritual concentration for Luna to maintain this riposte, and was the fastest way for Nightmare Moon to weaken her in order to take possession of the body, but it was a deadly gamble to see, which would yield first, her power or Luna’s spirit?

Luna held Nightmare Moon in respect, and her gaze turned to the army of bat ponies in the face of the situation. "What are you waiting for?! Protect your Princess!"

But there was no reaction.

"Bat ponies! A step backwards," Nightmare Moon ordered.

And all obeyed, in perfect synchronisation.

"Did you really believe all this time that the bat ponies were committed to your cause? You're so naive, you poor filly."

Luna became enraged, resulting in the duel turning in her favour.

Seeing this development, Chrysalis moved to join the fight. It was now the Queens' fight against the Princess, and the balance was restored, for a time. "I don't know what you have in mind, but I know you have to win."

"If she grows weak enough, I could possess her body again," explained Nightmare Moon. "But my power is limited. Your help is welcome," admitted the alicorn without shame.

"Don't mention it, I haven't had a good meal in forever. I wouldn't last long on my own," Chrysalis conceded before her mischievous mind developed an insidious thought. "By the way, Pepper made Aglowing Shell cry this morning."

The words echoed in Nightmare Moon’s skull, and she snapped. It was not just mere anger, but visceral wrath that consumed Nightmare Moon. Her pale blue magic turned green and purple as any form of restraint was incinerated within Nightmare Moon’s brain.

Luna was pushed back several metres, but the distance between her and the sphere remained unchanged.

Nightmare Moon, with her eyes clouded by hatred, did not see this fight ending in her favour. She had to fall back on something she could rely on. "Chrysalis, if you still want to taste the darkness of my heart, it's now or never."

The changeling was initially surprised by the sudden proposal, but quickly realised the reason for this offer. She stopped supporting Nightmare Moon, and without missing a beat, collected and devoured the thousand-year-old heart. Unfortunately though, her stomach could not stand such a meal. In no time at all, she collapsed as she was seized by a severe coughing attack as her body tried to vomit up what it was having difficulty assimilating.

Neither Chrysalis nor Nightmare Moon had expected something like this to happen, and being caught so off guard, Nightmare Moon struggled to keep the sphere at a distance. The exertion leaving her feeling more and more hollow with each passing second. She had overestimated her capacity, and was about to receive the full force of the consequences.





Gamine had just used the marker created by Pepper to return to the Badlands, her body instantly becoming that of a bipedal alicorn again upon arrival. When she saw the situation unfolding before her, she began looking for a way to help, and couldn't help but think back to her mother's fighting technique. She had never been able to do it perfectly, but she knew, because of her prisoner, that it was now possible. She began to run, concentrating, her magic covering her right hand like a thick glove. When she reached the sphere of magical energy, she extended her arm and whipped the sphere with the back of her hand, sending the sphere of magic high into the sky where it exploded, made unstable by the intervention.

Nightmare Moon felt divided at seeing the hybrid she thought to be Pepper standing there in perfect health. Above all, it was a surprise to see the hybrid's mane now pulsating with power. In the end, she preferred to see the bright side of this situation. Even if possessing Luna had recently been rendered an impossibility and Chrysalis was still lying on the ground, said changeling was not hurt, save for her coughing attack, which was finally seeming to calm down, and with Pepper back, that meant that Luna was outnumbered three to one.

Luna was the most displeased with this surprise. "How could you survive the injury I inflicted on you?!"

"Silence." Gamine ordered without raising her voice. "Promise to leave the changelings alone, and never come back to the Badlands, you're not welcome here."

"And if I refuse, what are you going to do Pepper, kill me like you killed my sister?" she asked, talking down to her.

Luna had barely begun to laugh at Gamine's words when a potent projectile of green and violet magic struck her head-on, pushing her several dozen metres before finally exploding. "I can not speak for her, but as for me, certainly." Chrysalis said, a purple mist emanating from her now entirely green eyes.

Gamine and Nightmare Moon turned to the Queen of the Changelings, the latter of which incensed by this development. "Are you brainless?! If you killed her, I'm doomed! And no one will be able to protect you if Equestria seeks revenge," Nightmare Moon shouted at Chrysalis.

"Be happy you haven’t suffered the same fate already!" the changeling shouted back, her mind clearly tainted and consumed with hatred.

Gamine didn't understand. "How could Equestria find out?"

Nightmare Moon turned her gaze to the guardian. "Twilight knows we're here. And she is far from being stupid. When Luna's absence gets noticed, she will make the connection, and as she is a princess, she will accordingly be elevated to the head of the kingdom. I am convinced that she will not seek revenge, but if she informs the wrong pony of where Luna disappeared... The grumpy insect here -" she pointed at Chrysalis with a hoof before quickly removing after an attempted bite "- is going to have to answer for her crime."

Gamine's mind was analysing the facts. There was a possible alternative. "I have a solution." she said as she flew over to Luna.

Luna was in a bad state. Unable to dodge in time or move to safety while Chrysalis’ attack pushed her back, she had tried to protect her face with her front hooves. The cloudichalcum sabatons absorbed most of the impact, but the bones of her forelegs were now broken. Seeing Gamine landing in front of her, out of fear, the alicorn used her telekinesis to begin slashing the air with her rapier in an effort to defend herself. "Back off! Back off! Back off, Pepper, or I'll kill you!"

"I am the only one around here who does not want you dead. Kill me, Chrysalis will be happy to have you for dinner, if she does not kill you within the hour," said Gamine, her eyes colder than usual.

Luna considered her options. She could try to kill her again, but she was not so insane as to think that stabbing her with her rapier a second time would end any different from last time. Neither Nightmare Moon nor the bat ponies would help her, and she had no doubt that Chrysalis would capture her before she managed to drag herself out of the Badlands. She surrendered, releasing the rapier, which thusly fell to the ground.

Gamine became so irritated that she went into a state of rage shift. Her previously crimson mane turned an ethereal blue.

Luna was used to this vision, which had become common enough to have tormented Pepper’s dreams every time the human played a bad trick on her.

Gamine put a knee down, to better stare into Luna's eyes. "Listen to me carefully, Luna. The changelings are now under my protection, if I find out you have made a move against them, directly or indirectly. I will come for you, and I will methodically break your horn and every bone in your body. Then I will destroy Equestria. When I am done, all you shall have left is a scorched wasteland, one you will be forced to look at as all you will be able to do is cry. Have I made myself clear?" She remembered that Pepper said that her long threats would easily be perceived as the lies they were, but right now she didn't care.

"What if they're the ones who attack us? Will you help them?" mocked Luna.

"Of course not, but unlike you, they do not kill.” Gamine replied as she calmed down, the effect of the Rage Shift dissipating. “Unless they are forced to, I guess," she murmured to herself.
 
"The changelings have nothing to fear from me if you stay in Equestria, Pepper, because once I recover, I intend to find an effective way to kill you permanently." She blew through her nostrils. "What's next, am I going to have to walk on both hind legs to Canterlot, or are you going to have the kindness and generosity to open a gate directly there?"

"Actually, I am not done with you yet," she said, grabbing Luna’s rapier off the ground and putting it in its sheath. She did so with great respect for the weapon, her mother having taught her that some swords could be symbols of hope. "Do not dare to try using it." With these words, Gamine used her telekinesis to pick up Luna. She visualised the place where Pepper and Luna duelled earlier, then used her magic again to grab and return her katana into its saya before grabbing it in her left hand.

When Gamine arrived and placed Luna in a sitting position, Chrysalis was ready to emulate the late Celestia and send the Princess of the Night to the Moon.

But the young guardian stood in the way, spreading her wings to intimidate the monster that was now Aglowing’s mother. "Chrysalis, you calm down or I shall give you a hug!" she threatened. "If you wanted her dead, you should have gone pick her up yourself."

Chrysalis found the ultimatum so stupid that somewhere deep down she wanted to laugh about it, but her corrupt mind was content with a growl of frustration.

Gamine then did what had to be done so that the changelings could live in peace. She turned to Luna, drew the misshapen blade, and cut the Princess' cheek with a small cut, making sure that the blood pearled on the edge of Pepper's weapon. Then, she turned to face everypony else, brandishing the murder weapon high. "You are all witness, that I, Pepper Chilly, am the one responsible for the state that the Princess of the Night is in. If one of you dares to say otherwise, I will find you, and nothing will protect you from my wrath!" She turned her eyes to Luna. "This goes especially for you."

Major Antares was confused. "Couldn't we just lie?" she whispered for herself.

"It's semantics." explained Swift. "In inflicting the last wound, the state which Princess Luna is in is her fault. It's not the strictest truth, but it's not a lie."

"It's... twisted as a concept," said the bat pony staring at Gamine, dubious.

"But it's a very convenient way to lie when it's necessary," the bat pony replied with an older brother's look as he watched his friend with a smirk.

Protected, and at the same time manipulated by the one who had killed her sister, forsaken by her subjects for her alter ego, and worst of all, at the mercy of all, Luna could only describe herself as humiliated.

"Moony!" Aglowing Shell carrying her claymore in her telekinetic grip, closely followed by Chitin and Trixie. The little changeling, seeing that the situation had visibly improved, dropped her weapon and jumped into Nightmare Moon's embrace. "I was so afraid something would happen to you," she squealed. Relief enveloping her features as she clutched her friend's chest as tight as she could with her four little legs.

Chitin explained in a few clicks that despite their efforts, preventing Aglowing from returning was impossible.

Following her explanations, Chrysalis, grumbling, brought her face closer to her child, then blew through her nostrils, a criticising look towards her own daughter.

Aglowing turned her gaze to the queen of the Changelings, and took fright when she saw her eyes filled with violet mist. This fright passed quickly though as a look of understanding passed over her features, jumping on her face to offer her a hug as well. "Of course I was also worried about you mother!" chirped the misunderstanding and smiling child.

The love the child offered was a drop in an ocean of hatred, but yet Chrysalis found a semblance of a smile, all fangs outside, too frightening to Trixie's taste.

Nightmare Moon suddenly felt the Tantabus react to an order from Luna, and she barely had time to turn her eyes towards Luna before her body betrayed her, once again becoming a piece of a dream outside the world to which she belonged. With Nightmare Moon no longer being a physical entity, the helmet fell to the ground. The Queen was now incorporeal, a ghost in all but name. The Tantabus seemed to compress in on itself, as if the enormous dreamlike mass of which it was composed was collapsing in on itself to an impossible degree. Nightmare Moon, a prisoner in a sense, struggled against this, her silhouette emerging in an attempt to escape her fate, as if the ice of a frozen lake had just shattered under her hooves.

The sight was horrific, leaving every creature present other than the princess frozen on the spot

"Moony?" Aglowing said in doubt.

Gamine immediately turned to Luna. "What is going on?"

The princess responded with a subtle, satisfied smile. "Nothing serious, I'm just getting rid of a part of myself that's no longer needed."

Upon hearing this, the bat ponies ran, led by Major Antares, to surround the Princess of the Night, weapons in their mouths, to hold her at swordpoint. 

Swift, on the other hand, went to secure the helmet, borrowing Trixie's hat without asking for it, to avoid touching it directly, for fear of contaminating it with a part of his memories.

"Moony?!" Aglowing shouted worried.

The young guardian was livid at seeing Luna treat Nightmare Moon's life so dispassionately. Keeping her calm with difficulty, she grabbed Luna by the horn. "Stop it!"

"I promised not to touch the changelings, Nightmare Moon is not a changeling," she calmly reminded whom she thought was Pepper. “Besides, it's only a matter of seconds now.”

"Moony!!!" shouted Aglowing in terror.

Gamine, orange wisps trailing from her eyes, realised that she would not be able to save Nightmare Moon. She smashed Luna's head against the floor in rage, and started to run towards Nightmare Moon.

The shock was too violent and Luna lost consciousness.

The bat ponies kept an eye on her.

The Tantabus was barely larger than an apple, and the presence of Nightmare Moon was barely visible, a leg or horn desperately trying to reach freedom.

Gamine, not knowing if the destruction of Nightmare Moon would be complete, wanted to make sure that her soul would survive the Tantabus. She was forced to use her native magic. Her eyes and the golden halo around her horn turned into a deep shade of purple and green as she threw herself on the Tantabus to tear Nightmare Moon's soul away from it.

The ethereal body disappeared like a soap bubble, only a powerful opalescent flame remained, which flickered in silence, weakly illuminating the guardian's face, who held it the palm of her left hand, gloved with a purple halo.

In tears, the child approached first, observing the flame that reminded him of a star that had fallen from the sky. "Pepper! Where's Moony?!"

Sitting on her rump, Gamine replied, fascinated by the soul. "What I hold in my hand... is all that is left of her," her gaze was glued to the soul. The power that emanated from it, she felt it pushing through her arm.

Pepper woke up. As she witnessed the situation, she frowned, yet remained silent.

"What do you mean, all that's left of her?" asked the child.

Never before had any creatures in Equestria seen a soul, but it was enough to know what kind of monster was standing in front of them to quickly come to the conclusion of what this luminous white flame was. Trixie, Chitin, Chrysalis, Swift, Antares and all the bat ponies present understood that the situation had just degenerated into the worst possible scenario. If nothing was done, Nightmare Moon would suffer the same fate as Celestia.

The tension in the air quickly became palpable, and captivated by the soul in front of her, Gamine confused the ambient uneasiness for hostility. Every second she spent like this, simply holding the soul in her hand, using magic that required embracing her true nature, her heart was closing on her mother's lessons while her nature took over.

Pepper could feel the strength of the soul pulsating in the palm of the hand. It was among the top four she ever handled in her entire life. "Would it be this easy to ruin everything she taught you?" she whispered to herself.

With a click of her tongue, Chrysalis ordered her daughter to step back. The changeling could imagine the hunger that the human being must have felt at that moment only too well, and it was better for her child to stay away from her, because the bat ponies would surely not stand by and do nothing.

The little hybrid complied with the order, but  asked for an explanation on Gamine's answer, which did not come. Her look of concern remained on the strange white flame throughout this entire exchange, because according to the one holding it, it was a part of her friend.

Antares, on the other hand, could not see how she could force a soul eater to abandon a potential meal. Seeing Swift standing there, she assumed in more than one respect that he did not want to confront the regicide again, given how their first meeting had gone. “Pepper Chilly, the city state of Broncoliande is grateful to you for saving our Queen's soul, but your only option now is to let her become a star to guide our people," she ordered firmly.

But Gamine refused such an option, instead of answering, she growled while spreading her wings to intimidate the soldier and tightened her fingers on the soul, not allowing it to leave her sight for a moment.

The tension went up a notch when several bat ponies, swords still in their mouths, began to move slowly towards Gamine. However, considering that this would only worsen the situation, Antares signalled to them to hold their position until further notice.

Frustrated, Pepper sighed. “Gamine, stop being foolish.”

Chrysalis, the corners of her eyes still exuding purple and green wisps because of the hatred that refused to release its hold on her, watched the scene with detachment, until she noticed her daughter's yellow and green eyes pointed at her. And when she read the beginning of sadness in her big eyes, she looked down, and came to offer her a caress on the cheek. "Don't cry, she died to protect us."

However, this was small comfort for the young changeling who was still reeling from the notion that the flickering white flame being held by Pepper was all that was left of her friend. She remained staring at her mother with tears of fear and confusion in her eyes, seeking a more comforting answer. The air suddenly became so heavy that the little Cæsar began to have trouble breathing, her heart beginning to race with a feeling of helplessness, causing tears to roll down her cheeks and wet the arid soil of the Badlands.

The tears of a child, tears shed for a loved one forever lost, reached Gamine's wounded heart. This song of despair distracted Gamine from the soul she was holding. The purple wisps that filled her green, iridescent eyes were driven away by orange wisps as she regained control of herself due to her aching heart echoing Aglowing’s. She coughed as she faltered to hold back tears, wincing in disgust of herself as she tore herself away from the monstrous thought that had almost devoured her. As she stood up, a tear rolled down her cheek as flashbacks of her mother's death raced before her eyes. The unscrupulous feral monster that had stood there a moment prior was now walking towards the child, animated now by more noble intentions.

Pepper sighed again, out of relief this time. “At long last.”

Except for mother and daughter, all could see Gamine's attitude had changed completely, moving now like a model of rectitude.

Antares was not left in awe, remembering the words exchanged two months ago, she wondered if it had anything to do with the so-called call she had been talking about.

"Despite all the magic I have, there is nothing I can do to bring your friend back to life, and believe me when I say, I regret it, Aglowing Shell."

The child, still in tears, left her mother's cheek, who until then had offered her little comfort to turn to her friend's soul. "Moony? Moony, please come back, I don't want you to leave, we haven't played yet tonight," she begged.

Chrysalis, Gamine, Antares, who was now following her closely, and the other bat ponies who had come closer, all clammed up in a cold silence following the plea. Only Swift, who was standing next to Trixie while they both stood behind Antares, his hooves still holding the hat which contained Nightmare Moon's battle helmet, had any hope that this scene could end with a better outcome than the current situation suggested.

"She can not hear her," Pepper whispered.

Gamine only then realised Pepper's presence. "You're back? Since when?" She noted the whole situation, and turned pale. "It's not what you think, I-"

"You saved her soul. I am aware, now repeat my words," Pepper ordered before explaining why.

Each word Pepper said was repeated by Gamine as she stood up straight, focusing her attention on the child. "She can not hear you. A soul is not conscious, Aglowing Shell. A life is composed of a body, a soul, and a spirit. But without the latter, she will not be Nightmare Moon. Just an amnesiac mare."

Swift was sure that was the whole point of Bitter Truth's spell. "Then there's still a chance. Our Queen Nightmare Moon, anticipating such a possibility since she never had her own body, enchanted this helmet to keep a copy of her memories. Would that be enough?"

"It could work if she had a body," Pepper sighed, with a shrug.

Antares was surprised. "How do you know that? Even I didn't know about it."

"I got it from your sister, she was our Queen’s lieutenant where you are only her aide de camp," Swift explained.

Antares was sceptical. "Why would my sister have shared such information with a moron like you?"

“She didn’t.” The comedian could not help himself from capitalising on such an opportunity. "She talks in her sleep."

"Oh." Antares said before it clicked in her mind. "Wait a minute, when did you sleep with my sister?!"

The glimmer of hope offered by Swift and the playfulness between the childhood friends was all it took to ease the mood, the bat ponies burst out laughing, embarrassing Antares to the highest degree.

After the laughter was over, Aglowing used mimicry to take her adult form. "Use my body! I want my friend back!"

"Impossible..." whispered Pepper.

And again, Gamine repeated the explanations. "Impossible. It is a thousand-year-old soul, yours would be crushed by its weight. You would not survive it." She turned to Luna. "That leaves us with only one solution."

"Me," Chrysalis intervened, no longer wanting to see her daughter in such an eager state despite the wrath fuelling her.

Gamine gave a shy laugh. "About 30 years older than your daughter would not make much difference, Chrysalis."

"I am nearly one thousand and one hundred years old, ignorant. Concerning Nightmare Moon, either we rely on Luna, who is a little less than one thousand one hundred and fifty years old, or on the fact that Nightmare Moon was born on the day of her banishment, which makes her one thousand three years old. What's more, I ate Nightmare Moon's heart during the battle, and the icing on the cake is,” she used her changeling magic to shapeshift, "I can use mimicry to make it easier on every creature.” Despite being fuelled by Nightmare Moon’s heart, Chrysalis wouldn’t waste her life force replicating the ethereal mane, but the mane she designed with her mimicry gave Nightmare Moon a look as regal as the original. “Anything to complain about?"

"Too perfect to be real," Pepper commented incredulously before explaining the procedure to Gamine.

"Yes and no. Is it possible to keep the appearance, but the eyes remain unchanged?" said Gamine.

Although frustrated, Chrysalis complied. "Can I at least know why?"

"The eyes are the gates to the soul. In this way, it will be easy to tell which soul is in control of the body."

"Anything else, Lady Soul Expert?" Chrysalis mocked.

"Just to put your mind and soul into a deep sleep with the spell of the Frozen Flame," replied Gamine.

Feeling her life somehow threatened, Chrysalis hissed, spreading her wings to make herself appear most impressive. 

The sight of their queen hissing and pulling her tongue in an attempt of intimidation was not something the bat ponies were prepared for.

Gamine remained serene as best she could. "Calm down, it is just to avoid a spiritual conflict between you two. When you wake up, you will remember everything she did as if you dreamed it."

Chrysalis hissed again, not loving the idea, but when she saw all the hope in her daughter's eyes, her maternal instinct prevented it from turning into big tears. "Make it quick," she spat.

"Lay down, you will fall asleep and your body will fall if you stay standing." said Gamine.

Chrysalis turned her eyes to Chitin. "One month, no more." Then looked at her daughter. "During that time, make sure that your friend quickly finds an alternative." She sighed, closing her eyes. "I look forward to receiving some sweet dreams,” she punned under her breath

Gamine put her left hand on Chrysalis' forehead, letting Pepper cast the spell. Chrysalis struggled for a moment against the sudden state of fatigue, but quickly sank into a magical sleep.

At the request of Gamine, all of them, without exception, took a few steps back, Swift took the opportunity to get closer and, with the agreement of Gamine, put the helmet on the head of the sleeping mare. Gamine immediately lodged Nightmare Moon's soul in Chrysalis' chest after Swift moved back away.

Bitter Truth's spell took effect, Chrysalis' memories were supplanted by Nightmare Moon's, and Nightmare Moon awoke with the freshest memory. She jolted in a scream of terror, rearing up to escape her imminent death.

Swift and Gamine barely had time to drag themselves out of reach of the alicorn to avoid an errant kick.

The shortness of breath, the alert senses, her light blue eyes surrounded by purple wisp, she observed her surroundings, realising quickly that the situation had suddenly changed.

"Moony?" Aglowing Shell said, holding her breath and restraining her tears.

The alicorn turned her gaze to the child who had not left her adult appearance. She leaned forward, frowning and glaring, her wings spread to assert her status as Queen. "How many times must I tell you, Aglowing Shell, my name is Nightmare Moon! Not Moony!"

This scold made the little Cæsar cry with joy, immediately embracing her friend who had come back from afar.

Nightmare Moon was a little lost, but returned the hug.

"Nightmare Moon, we have a problem to solve as soon as possible," said Gamine.

The queen noted Chrysalis’ absence, and saw Swift nodding discreetly. "And what's the problem, Pepper?"

Gamine searched for the right words, but she lacked the empathy to formulate it in a subtle way, so she decided to be blunt. "To sum it up very roughly, you are dying."
> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few quick explanations from Gamine and Swift, summarising the state Nightmare Moon was in, the Queen went about isolating herself for a moment, leaving command to Major Antares after informing her of some imperative directives.

Aglowing reverted to her true form and began running towards Nightmare Moon, as she wanted to see her friend again. However, before she could get too far, Chitin held out a hoof, preventing her from proceeding. When she looked at the changeling, her heterochromic eyes filled with confusion, Chitin assured her that after today, even Chrysalis would need some time alone, and that it was better to wait for her friend to return on her own.

Gamine, noticing that Pepper’s alicorn bipedal body was being examined from hoof to horn by most of the bat ponies, teleported the jagged katana back to the hideout before assuming the form of a regular unicorn again.

While this was happening, Trixie had moved closer to the Equestrian regicide, overwhelmed by events, and seeking some form of security. The duel she’d had with Twilight last year seemed like a child's quarrel compared to the power that had been unleashed over her head but half an hour ago. After she’d been sent into the deepest part of the changelings' hive, it took only a matter of seconds for the walls to begin to shake. It had been so violent that Trixie had been convinced that she was going to end up buried with the remaining changelings, only to then becoming their meal.

Seeing that their presence was no longer required, the bat ponies took off, with Swift leading them as they returned to the camp with Luna's unconscious body so she could be treated without further delay. Antares, however, stayed behind, because her place was near the queen.

Once the regiment of bat ponies was far enough away, Nightmare Moon turned back to the small group. She would have never believed that on the day of her imminent death, such a motley band would be there to witness it.







Less than half an hour later, the very group Nightmare Moon had noticed after the battle entered the command tent of the Moon Guard military camp. Trixie Lulamoon remained at Gamine's side, while Aglowing Shell, her claymore under a hoof, followed soon after, with Chitin to her right. The changeling guard for his part kept his warrior's eyes fixed on Nightmare Moon, watching her like one would a dragon in its lair. Antares didn't appreciate this, even though she understood the reason for it, and was about to intervene when Swift entered the tent.

The bat pony saluted with a thumb to his forehead. "My Queen, the doctors are finishing treating Princess Luna's wounds, and as per your orders, she has been placed in a medically induced coma," he said before standing next to the entrance.

Nightmare Moon fell back into thought, concerned about the future of her subjects now that they had revealed to whom their allegiances lie.

Pepper, who had remained silent until then, began to put some pieces together regarding the present situation. "The more I think about it, the more I think you are not exploiting the full potential of your idea to take the blame for Luna’s condition. And since my day of freedom is not over yet, you will make it your duty to give me back control, since no one is in danger anymore. Then I will have the pleasure of explaining it myself."

True, there was still a whole night to go before the dawn of a new day, and Gamine was true to her word, so she conceded to the request.

The monster sighed easily. "Nightmare Moon, I do not know what you are planning in regards to your situation, but concerning the changelings, I have an idea about how to get and keep them out of danger."

Antares snarled, spreading her wings and showing her fangs. "Who do you think you're talking to?! Show some respect when you address our Queen, you impudent commoner!"

Nightmare Moon intervened, putting a hoof on the major's shoulder to order her to regain her composure. She stared at Pepper for a moment before speaking. "She has never shown that level of respect towards Celestia nor Luna, I'd be worried about her intentions if she did otherwise," the queen commented.

The aide-de-camp watched her queen for a moment before giving the unicorn a glare.

Pepper continued. "Blaming me for Luna's condition is one thing, but I realise that there is more to it than that. Equestria needs to know that their precious princess Luna risked her life in order to protect the changelings from an extra Equestrian threat."

It was Aglowing’s turn though to flare up in rage, taking on her adult form as she sprinted over to bark in Pepper’s face.  "That's not true! She's the monster!"

Pepper remained calm, a mischievous smile on her lips. "Precisely. We are going to wrap this monster in a pretty lie. By making her the hero of the story, she will wake up trapped in a paper thin cage. She will never be able to reveal the truth, or she will lose the trust of her ponies. And if your mother had the sadistic desire to go and thank her, Luna will be forced to accept her thanks, no matter how hollow. The more she is revered for this selfless act, the stronger the sour taste of total defeat will remain on her tongue."

A grunt of pain suddenly sprung forth, and everyone turned their attention to its source, Nightmare Moon. She had a hoof pressed against her chest. "Chrysalis' heart just skipped a beat, looks like this twisted plan is to her liking." The pain passed, and the alicorn swept her eyes over the plan that no longer had any reason to exist. "First, the accommodations. Major, have two tents set up for our guests and one for myself, not far from here, and make sure they are lacking in nothing."

Before the bat pony could take a step towards the exit, Pepper spoke up. "I will decline the invitation, I will not sleep among creatures I do not trust. There is a forest east of here, I will camp there, and if an emergency arises," She pointed to Aglowing Shell with her left hoof. "Facehugger knows how to summon me." She looked at Aglowing. “And emergencies only, not because you are bored.”

Nightmare Moon was not surprised, as Pepper had never slept in Canterlot Castle despite the many offers of hospitality. "Do you need anything?"

"Yes. I will need a wash, so I will require something to dry off with, a ration of food, and anything I can use to tie up my mane." replied Pepper.

Antares took the lead. "Swift, fulfil the unicorns' requests and then lead them out of the camp, I'll take care of the tents."







A few minutes later, as Pepper and Trixie headed deeper into the forest, Trixie sighed with relief for the first time in hours. To spend an afternoon in the company of changelings without ending up being eaten was an experience she never thought possible. But Nightmare Moon's arrival at Princess Luna's side, and what followed, would haunt her for some time. "The Great and Wonderful Trixie can't believe she survived today’s events," she said, fatigue overtaking her now that she was out of danger. "Trixie can't decide whether to be happy about sleeping away from Nightmare Moon and the bat ponies, or complain that she has to set up camp when we were offered a tent to sleep in."

"There would be too much tension if I stayed there. I need to replace a tool I used after the fight with Luna, and for that, I need some place calm so I can concentrate, besides, you are being paid to follow me."

"Trixie definitely needs the money, but now that she knows what you did to Princess Celestia, Trixie regrets agreeing to it. Trixie feels bad for what she put Ponyville through in her quest for revenge against Twilight Sparkle, but you're clearly worse than Trixie!" the illusionist shouted as she extended an accusing hoof towards Pepper. But seeing the utter lack of remorse in the latter's scarlet eyes, the mare sighed in frustration as she put the hoof back down. "Trixie will go no further for tonight, and will pitch her tent here." With that, she used her telekinesis to pull out her personal tent and began to set it up.

"Trixie is right," Pepper thought.

Gamine raised an eyebrow when hearing this from the monster. "Really?"

"Yes. We are far enough away from the military camp," Pepper said, setting the supplies down before walking over to the nearest tree to slam it with her hoof.

Turning her back on Pepper, Trixie busied herself with setting up her tent for the night.

Even though she was far from Ponyville, Pepper preferred to make sure no creatures were living inside it. She didn't want, once again, the potential inhabitants to go and complain to Fluttershy. She was indifferent to her reproachful stare, but the next potential meal offered by the pegasus was a privilege she couldn't afford to lose. 

"Ah," Gamine said, disappointed at the turn in the conversation.

Ignoring her, Pepper concentrated, using her magic to slice through the base of the trunk with a clean horizontal slash before reducing it to scrap wood. Then, she opened a portal to the ruins of the two sisters' castle and collected a dozen stones from the ravine, before planting a stone slab in the ground to cover the back of the portal. Once she had done this, she swept away the ground covering of leaves to make sure she had a clean area to work and began arranging the stones in a circle, and arranged the scraps of wood she had created into the shape of a pyramid in the centre of this circle. 

The sounds of crackling fire startled Trixie, and bewildered, she looked at the campfire and the slab, twice the height of Pepper, upon which the regicide’s shadow was cast. “Well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that you can pay to the great Trixie,” she commented before approaching the campfire and, sitting before it, listening to the crackling fire. Something she was used to given her life as a travelling performer. Something that, here and now, gave her a sense of normalcy.

Pepper focused next on replacing her used prism. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but it was better to be prepared if Gamine had the good idea of putting them in a dangerous situation again while staying in Equestria. Concentrating more intensely than usual, the planeswalker placed a temporary marker at the base of the stone behind the portal and pointed at where she wanted to warp back to once she collected the pebble.  “Trixie, I will leave you for less than three minutes. Until my return, do not get any closer to this stone behind me, for your own security. I will warp back to this exact point and I do not wish to hit you,” she explained.

“You mean teleport?” asked Trixie.

“I can not teleport, I can only warp, so no,” corrected Pepper.

“Trixie fails to see the difference.”

Pepper shrugged it off and warped away.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “So you call it warping because you fancy up your teleportation with a popping sound? When I think about how many times my persona has been called out for being too extravagant, those don’t even hold a candle next to that!”







Pepper appeared in the very same place Gamine travelled to only an hour ago, human once again. 

“Pepper, what is this place?”

“This is my dimensional sanctuary, a pocket dimension Azari created for me, … how long now?” She paused, calculating how many years it has been since then. “Two decades ago.” Pepper walked next to the fire, going for the door carved in the stone, and passed through the doorway. 

The young guardian felt the benefits of the fire energising Pepper’s body again. "Pepper, about that fire, the pictures on the wall, ..." the teenager didn't know how to phrase the question that was burning her lips.

"Why are you interested in this?" asked Pepper phlegmatically, "Was it the soul of Nightmare Moon in the palm of your hand that’ fanned the embers of your nature?" she continued mischievously. "Are you trying to get rid of your mentor’s lessons so that you can finally be who you should be?" she finished in a tempting whisper.

Gamine looked away, dropping the topic.

Creating a ball of light in her right hand using magic, Pepper dispelled the darkness filling the room to expose what was sleeping in there.

"A prison?" asked Gamine.

There were six cells, each with metal bars dividing them from the hallway. Three on each side of the aisle that ran from one end of the hall to the other. The cells were as wide as the wall that hid them, built to contain one hundred prisoners each.

"Once upon a time. Now I keep my items here."

She went to the first cell to her right, walked up to a table, and picked up another of those prisms to use as a recipient for the immediate warp spell.

“What’s this … shiny metallic wristband?,” muttered Gamine.

Pepper looked at said item. “It is an interdimensional communicator.”

“Call someone!” ordered Gamine, in awe.

“It ran out of battery years ago,” Pepper pointed out. “Hence why it is in the cell where I keep the items of little value.

“Oh.” Gamine was disappointed at first, but a bit puzzled by this last statement. “So, you can use it to talk to people who are in another dimension, but it’s worthless in your eyes?”

“It has little value only because I can not use those items anymore, just like this ethereal blade.” Pepper said, pointing at a bladeless hilt. 

“I see.” But considering Pepper’s personality, something still felt off to Gamine. “Why do you have that anyway? I don’t picture you as a social type.”

Pepper sighed at the comment. Memories coming back as she mechanically picked up the communicator with her left hand, rubbing the screen with her thumb. “Sometimes, you are forced to do things. Remember me mentioning the planeswalker named Azari? I had to work under her command, in her recon squad. I was freshly a planeswalker myself back then. I had so much to learn, about what I am, about what I became, and all the dimensions I could now reach. Also, my homeworld’s inhabitants were all soldiers like me. So, I ended up signing a contract with Azari’s owner, sold them to him. This communicator was my leash for the next few years, until I fulfilled my part of the bargain. And everything in this room are weapons, armours, artefacts and treasures I collected during that period of my life,” she exhaled through the nostrils. “A habit I got from spending time with my mentor as a planeswalker and superior in this extra dimensional planet sized slave market, Azari.” 

If Gamine had had control over the body, she would have gone as pale as a ghost at this revelation of Pepper’s past. For now, she settled for going speechless as a few pieces of the puzzle started to fit together. 

Pepper put the wristband back on the table. “Now that I have quenched your curiosity, I have to ask myself, why did I waste my time? Answering you shall not make you shut up about everything you see in this place, am I right, Gamine?”

“Get out of my head!”

“But I am not in your head, you are in mine. And it is really easy to read your mind. So, by all means, if you are fed up, feel free to dispel the forbidden spell at any time.”

“Never!”

Again, Pepper shrugged it off. “Suit yourself.”





Swift, who had made sure Antares’ letter was still in his tent, was returning to the command tent when he saw Dauntless Halberd came galloping in from the west of the camp, holding two letters under his right wing. One of them was trailing a red ribbon that was lost behind the maze of tents. "Swift! Swift!" whispered the muscular bat pony in a vain effort to not attract attention from the soldiers around them.

Swift noticed the letters and quietly asked "What's the matter with you, Dauntless?"

"The mail pony from this morning, he came back!" the large warrior said. "He said I should deliver these letters to you, that you should read your letter before you deliver the second one to our Queen," he explained before stretching out a foreleg to present the envelopes to Swift.

Swift, however, was sceptical. "You're taking orders from a civilian now?" he asked as he took the two letters, noting that his name was on the envelope that the ribbon was not attached to.

Dauntless stood mute for a moment at this observation, realising that he had indeed done such. "He said it was of utmost importance," he said in his defence.

For a moment, Swift wondered if the letter was written by his late friend. "Let's see it." he said, opening his letter with the thumb of his wing before reading its contents. But at the mere sight of the small and precise style the letters were written with, he knew it wasn’t from her. This skill was a craft only a Canterlot unicorn noble could pull off, and he knew just who this author was.

<Soldier Swift Chess, Having delivered -without the slightest information about the sender- the missive to your Queen, fly to make sure Pepper does not cross my path. Pretend a training session is about to start for the little Caesar.>

Swift grunted. He looked up at Dauntless, spreading a wing to rest his thumb on Dauntless' shoulder. "You've done the right thing. Go back to your post." After the usual military greetings and farewells, they parted, and the soldier entered the command tent.

Within, Nightmare Moon had just put away the tactical plan that had been on the table. After today, it was no longer needed to mislead Luna. 

Sitting near her on the table in front of a blank sheet of paper, the little Aglowing manipulated a quill with her magic and was trying to make lines of symbols to learn the Equestrian alphabet. 

This had the benefit of distracting her while Nightmare Moon weighed the options about how she was to proceed. 

Chitin and Antares stood nearby like two dogs waiting for an order from their respective queens.

Swift gave the letter attached to the ribbon to Antares and left after summarising in a whisper what he was going to do.

Nightmare Moon turned her attention to her aide-de-camp. "What's going on?" she asked, then noticed her young friend was watching her, to whom she smiled to reassure Aglowing. 

"Swift just brought this, it's meant for you, but it's not his writing. He said he was going to make sure Pepper didn't bother you under the pretence of a training session."

Suspicious, Nightmare Moon used her telekinesis to grab said letter, disturbed for a few seconds at seeing her magic under the effect of all the negativity in her heart. She opened the envelope and removed the sheet of paper within, reading the few words written upon it.

<I, Bitter Truth, have the honour to inform her highness Nightmare Moon, that I am at the end of this ribbon.>

Nightmare Moon remained speechless. "What does this mean? All this time I've been trying to put the hoof on him, and now he dares to send me this? Does he think he's so important that it's my job to move? Who does he think he is?!" she thought internally.

"What does it say?" inquired Aglowing, still looking at her friend.

"It seems that Bitter Truth is hoping to have me come to him by following this piece of cloth," she replied absent-mindedly. There was no way she was going to be the one to come to him.

But before the alicorn could give her subordinate an order, Aglowing jumped from the table and used her mimicry to land on the floor in her adult form. Her eyes growing with hatred, she grabbed her claymore and began galloping like a tornado out of the tent, under the stunned gaze of Nightmare Moon and Antares.

"By the stars, what's wrong with her?" muttered Nightmare Moon, bewildered.

Convinced that it was the right choice to let Aglowing pass through, Chitin looked away from the exit, turning to the queen to answer the question. "Did you not tell my queen, in the presence of her daughter, that the oracle is the culprit for tonight's events, and therefore, your current condition? If the oracle is waiting outside-"

Just then, an earthquake rattled the tent. There were tremors following a magical detonation so powerful that the sound it created was heard by every inhabitant of the two nearby towns. When Nightmare Moon, Antares and Chitin came out of the tent, they took off like the rest of the bat ponies at seeing such a gigantic cloud of dust which continued to grow in size as if it were trying to reach the sky.

Near the epicentre of where the explosion had occurred, Aglowing Shell stood, out of breath from the attack she had just launched, trying to gather enough strength to launch a second attack, glaring at the oracle. "Why?" she muttered. "Why did you do that?!"

Bitter Truth lowered the wooden longsword he had magically extended into a shield around himself as protection from the devastating attack, causing the blast to instead pass harmlessly around him like a turbulent river splitting upon hitting a stone. This caused the deflected energy to scar the surrounding plain before it exploded a hundred metres away when it became too unstable to continue, resulting in a huge crater. He gave an annoyed pout before shrugging his shoulders and roughing up Aglowing, tapping the pommel of the wooden sword against the changeling's muzzle.  "I don't have to answer you. Besides, a Caesar who allows herself to break a promise, what a disappointment. It seems you’re still far from deserving of such a title, little queen."

Aglowing found her second wind at such a statement, her anger rekindled, she charged, claymore haloed with energy to deliver a vertical attack.

Bitter merely dodged, the attack completing the gash by digging into the area once spared by the shield. The stallion took advantage of the opening this created to rough her up once more. "One would wonder if you learned anything from your friend's lessons."

"Silence!" the child ordered while initiating another attack that Bitter dodged with a curtsy before landing a third pommel blow. "Shut up!" she shouted after a grunt of pain, literally making the unicorn dance as she waved the sword around in an attempt to land a blow, leaving too many openings to avoid the blows that were thrown back at her. "Enough," she breathed, so weak that her mimicry broke and her claymore fell to the ground.

"You are angry because you have no control over your friend's situation, and you seek to take out your frustration on the culprit. I understand perfectly how you feel. My friend is dead, the criminal is right there, I could use my precognition to kill her." He sighed, "But this death won't get me anything. Avenging your friend will get you nothing. Have you forgotten your own words the day your friend came to you? Yes, what I did was ugly, but you cannot be inconsistent, forgiving what she did, but not what I did. It is not befitting of a princess, let alone a Cæsar." He sighed again, tired, the dark circles under his eyes growing heavy now that the reason for his recurring nightmares had been mentioned. However, a faint smile came to his lips. "Strangely enough, whether it's visible or imperceptible, it's with a smile on her lips that the Princess of the Sun and the Queen of the Moon share this surreal serenity in the face of death," he commented just as faintly, observing Nightmare Moon as she arrived.

"She's not smiling!" objected Aglowing vehemently before turning to her friend. "Tell her Moony! Tell her you're not smiling!"

Nightmare Moon stood silent for a moment, but having sent Major Antares to Dodge City to calm any fears, confident that the oracle was pushing in that direction, she was able to allow herself a moment of honesty with her friend, ignoring the unicorn that was walking away towards a rock north of their position, presumably out of politeness. "Aglowing Shell, do you remember that feeling of jealousy you used to have because of your mother?"

At the mention of that feeling, with a tight heart, the child looked down, the memories aching in her mind. "I remember it, yes."

"There is something you need to know about me. Jealousy has been a common thread in my life. For a thousand years, I was jealous because of the Princess of the Sun, because I was afraid I would no longer be a princess in the eyes of the ponies of Equestria. For four years I was jealous because of Luna, because I was afraid I would no longer be the queen in the eyes of the bat ponies." She smiled faintly. "But this friendship I have shared with you brightens this dark picture, these two months are a perfect epilogue to close the novel of this life that was never mine."

The child didn't quite understand the words, but she grasped the meaning of the metaphors, and it brought tears to her eyes. "I don't want to lose you." she whispered, her voice broken by sadness as she came to clutch at her chest.

"I do not desire death though, but my options are limited. If my soul were to return to Luna, I would be trapped there forever, I fear. And I have enough blood on my hooves already, I can not consider the option of stealing anyone's body for my own survival." Nightmare Moon clutched the child with a foreleg, attempting to offer some comfort to her friend. "I would at least have the opportunity to make amends to the changelings who died because of me, and watch over your dreams with them from the stars."

The embrace left a strange impression on the battle-weary child. The duality between the presence of her mother and the appearance of the friend, her mother's slow heartbeat, and the soft ebony fur around her that offered a most comfortable cocoon, all this drowsed the little Cæsar "All my dreams?" she asked with a sad pout and a fleeting yawn.

"All your dreams," Nightmare Moon assured her, smiling. "Until we meet in another life."

"What do you mean?" asked Aglowing, struggling to keep her eyelids open.

"One day my soul will be reincarnated somewhere. I will live another life, never knowing the one I had today. Maybe our paths will cross and we can be friends again."

"No!" gasped the child in a burst of energy. "Not perhaps. I don't know when, I don't know where, but I will find you. We will continue to be friends, because it's like you said, our friendship will last forever!"

"We're not there yet. Rest my friend. It seems that I am expected by the troublemaker," Nightmare Moon said, glancing at the oracle who had once again donned his mail pony costume which it looked like he intended to wear for the duration of the upcoming conversation.

The oracle approached her as he telekinetically pulled out a package and placed it on the ground in front of her. "Your Highness, I request an audience," he said after curtseying, horn against the ground. Then without waiting, he unwrapped the package, unfurling a thick blanket of black twill wool decorated with white wool star patterns. "Would you be so kind as to swaddle the little Caesar in it, and then give her over to Chitin for the next ten minutes, please?"

Recognising the object presented to her, Nightmare Moon remained silent for a moment, but with the surprise gone, and considering he had approached Lieutenant Antares years before, was it so surprising that he was in possession of one of the bed covers from her palace on the Moon? She conceded to the request.

"What's that smell?" whispered the child who was now enclosed in a cocoon of cloth, only her green and yellow eyes shining in the darkness of the makeshift bed.

"This is one of my personal blankets, so I assume the scent in question is that of the body I possessed for a thousand years," Nightmare Moon explained, impling Luna in this conversation.

"You smell good, Moony," the child said candidly.

The alicorn was taken aback by this remark. Carefully, she came and offered a caress of her muzzle to the child's face, seeking strength and courage to not fail. "I'll be back soon," she said, before turning to look down at the oracle for a moment. "What do you want from me, oracle?"

Before answering, Bitter erected a dome of silence around them. "To answer all your questions except one, which will be under conditions, your highness. It's the least I can do considering your situation."

Nightmare was taken aback by the offer. "How ironic to hear those words now," she thought.

"And I'll start by answering the one that's burning on your lips," the unicorn continued. "How was I able to infiltrate your kingdom three weeks before your banishment ended? Quite simple, I added myself to the monthly delivery of necessities, hidden in the double bottom of a crate of mangoes added for the occasion. The return to Equestria was made more simply, by teleportation."

Her curiosity sated, she looked down, thoughtful. Thinking back to her personal plans months ago, she realised something. "All this time I lost sight of what seemed important to me before, and left aside my duties as queen." She glanced at the main reason, wrapped in the blanket.

Aglowing was falling asleep. She released a big yawn that drew a tender smile from the queen.

"I could use this opportunity for more selfless matters." She turned her gaze to the waiting oracle, looking down on him, cold and distant as could be. "The changelings, what fate does the future hold for them?"

Bitter Truth smiled peacefully. "Everything will be fine from tonight on. When this conversation is over, I will tell Chitin that they can finally bring the sleeping ones out of stasis. After you leave, Aglowing will be melancholic for a while, but that will pass soon enough. And one day, she will keep her promise to you."

This last sentence cracked the mask on Nightmare Moon's face, his emotions turned upside down, the fear of death, the hope of a new life, devoid of this eternal jealousy. Her heart began to race. Hidden by the purple wisps emanating from her eyes, a tear fell from the corner of her right eye. So many questions about her upcoming reincarnation came to mind, but she brushed them from her mind, determined to focus on the present. "Will Luna take revenge in any way on my subjects?"

Bitter Truth pulled out the same handkerchief he had used this morning to dry his own tear with small, gentle squeezes at the corner of his eye. "The Moon was never her kingdom. And Equestria is not an expansionist kingdom. If Broncoliande’s citizens don't recognise her as the legitimate sovereign, what can she do? Besides, she'll have enough to do regarding Equestria already, don't you think, your highness?"

The alicorn recoiled when she saw the handkerchief come towards her face, but against all odds, she let it happen. She felt a strange warmth spreading throughout her body, giving her strength, unaware of the feelings the unicorn had for the changeling queen, and a more disturbing feeling of wanting more, which she had to suppress, and not without difficulty. "Who will take my place?"

The stallion put away the handkerchief with an amused laugh. "According to Princess Celestia, the primogens made wise choices when their advice was sought. If I were to tell you which of their descendants would succeed you, it would alter your attitude when you will present the situation to them, and the others would feel wronged. You of all ponies know how far jealousy can go.

She could not find anything to object to. She looked up at the moon, thinking about what question she could ask next. As she thought about the possible threats to her people, she remembered the rumour that had been going around Equestria for the past few months. A little nervous to know the answer, she turned her gaze to the unicorn. "Who will be the culprit in the resurrection of the dark tyrant?"

At the mention of the rumour he was responsible for, Bitter lowered his eyes, affected by the subject. "I will answer it, but please don't tell anypony. It's a hoax. If I spread that prediction ..." He sighed. "... It is to force Princess Cadance to look after her people. Logic would dictate that she be allowed to grieve, but then she wouldn't get out of bed, and her psychological state would only deteriorate."

Nightmare Moon didn't expect such a revelation, but her clones having watched over the Princess of Love's dreams on more than one occasion, she understood the intent perfectly. "Celestia would have been better off dying a thousand years ago than banishing me. It would have avoided the impact her disappearance had on those around her." she said bitterly.

"Maybe." the oracle said. "But in that case, being the sole ruler of Equestria, you would have been Pepper's target. One thousand years later, her victory saved your life." he pointed out with guilty pleasure. "Oh, by the way, she left me a letter for you," he said, telekinetically pulling out an envelope with the seal of the sun embedded in the sealing wax.

Nightmare Moon was so surprised that she spread her wings. "For me? Why me? I hate her, I tried to kill her!" she pointed out as she took the letter.

He shrugged. "I stopped trying to understand her many years ago."

She opened the letter and hastened to read its contents. It contained only a few lines running down the middle.

<My dear sister,
If fate would have us meet in the next life, would you accept my friendship?

Humbly,
Celestia.>

Nightmare Moon frowned. Her glare piercing Bitter Truth, resolved to find out for sure. "It can't be. Her soul is destroyed, she can't be reincarnated! Did she not know that?!"

The oracle watched the stars in the sky. "No, she knew the fate that awaited her. But the element of Magic chose her for this reason." He sighed again, but this time, with a sense of well-being. "I have a theory, though. Fully aware that you were back and that she could not help you, Princess Celestia placed her hopes in her pupil, and the element of magic carried by Princess Twilight is shaped like a star. What if the stars in the night sky were a glimmer of hope in the darkness of an uncertain future?"

She was not gullible enough to think that this monologue was trivial. "How? How can her soul be restored?" she shouted angrily.

Bitter raised an eyebrow at the queen. "How would I know? I'm an oracle, I predict the future. If you want an answer to that question, just ask Pepper."

Her gaze hardened, refusing to be routed so easily, and moved on to an even more important question. "Will she succeed?"

"Ah. The conditional question. Your Highness, you are faced with a choice. You can go and ask Pepper the previous question. Or you can openly admit that you are too afraid of her, and under that condition, I will answer your latest question."

Nightmare Moon felt anger boil through the blood that was not her own. "I am not afraid of her!"

"There is no shame in admitting it. I am afraid of her, and rightly so. But in your case, it's even worse. Two months of preparation and she steals your royal duty, where two attempts and a thousand years of preparation were not enough. And must I remind you that she had your soul in the palm of her hand, there is reason to feel vul-"

Utilising magic, Nightmare Moon shut him up by grabbing him by the mouth and pulling him to her. Breathless, she stared at him with such hatred that her eyes had gone entirely green.

Without blinking, he simply pointed to the east with his hoof.

She turned her head slightly, observing what he was pointing at. The camp, and behind it, the forest. Despite the situation, he dared to question her bravery. She wanted to kill him, but she suddenly felt her heart racing. Nightmare Moon felt Chrysalis struggle, and strangely, her stomach began to cry out. She abandoned the idea and the unicorn on the spot, galloping a short distance before taking flight. She wasn't afraid, and she was going to prove it by forcing Pepper to answer that bloody question.

Antares was only now returning from Dodge City. Seeing the queen in such a state, she stepped back without asking any questions. Seeing those still present, she couldn't help but ask ... "What happened?"

Chitin, who was watching over Aglowing Shell while observing the scene, thought it was good form, once again, to make an exception, and not follow Nightmare Moon right away. At Antares' question, they couldn't help but turn their interest to the oracle as they magically stowed the child's claymore in the sheath they were holding. "Ask the oracle," they replied, before approaching said stallion. "You should get yourself treated, unicorn. At first I thought you were reckless in brushing ice and fire upon my queen, but now I can tell, you are clearly deranged."

Bitter, still in the bubble and holding the back of his head in pain from the rough landing, laughed heartily at this, and when the giggle finally passed, he sat up straight and dispelled the magic. "It's hard to stay sane when you're an oracle," he commented to Chitin. He glanced briefly at Antares before returning to the changeling. "Warrior, you should know that as of tonight, I guarantee that the changelings are no longer under threat, so as soon as you can, you can bring out of stasis those sleeping deep in the hive. On another note, could you take care of your little queen, and go join her friend? By going at a walking pace, you will give her time to settle a matter close to her heart. I have my last appointment of the day, which has just arrived. Oh, and remember, you can't talk about me in front of Pepper. Make sure she does the same," he added, glancing briefly at Aglowing Shell.

No answer came. Instead, silently, the changeling momentarily watched the unicorn, as if trying to find out what he was up to, but they saw, once again, only that same gentle face behind which lay a tortured soul. Without a word, and without hurrying, they took the child away, leaving Antares alone with him.

Antares took a few steps closer, thinking. If Nightmare Moon had abandoned the oracle like that, he was of no use to her, otherwise she would have arrested him using her soldiers. She looked up at him, wondering what urgent business her queen might have with Pepper. She supposed she would know soon enough. "What do you want from me, oracle?" she said coldly.

The latter did not answer, gesturing for her to wait, and watched Chitin as they walked away. When they were too far away to hear the answer, he turned to the bat pony. "Me? Nothing. Your sister thought, she has a few words to say to you," he announced as he looked away.

The major, eyes wide, stepped back, spreading her wings as the answer left her feeling as if the ground was falling away beneath her hooves. Anger overcame her. "Impossible, my sister is dead!" she shouted, vehemently.

"It's true," the stallion said, putting one of the saddlebags on his hind legs and pulling out a letter which he placed in front of Antares' hooves.

She looked down, on the envelope was written a single line. <1. Impossible, my sister is dead!> With disbelief, her gaze went from the oracle to the letter, she didn't dare accept it, and yet, driven by that same disbelief, she grabbed the mail with a galloping fever. The magic of psychometry did its work, and Cute Bite felt the sororal love of her late sister as she wrapped her forelegs around her neck.

<Impossible, and yet beyond death, I speak these words to you. Hello little sister, I have heard that you will have the rank of Major, and that you will have become our Queen's aide-de-camp when you read this letter. Congratulations, it is as you said, you really wanted to follow in my hoofsteps.> A sense of pride accompanied this letter.

There was no more aide-de-camp. There was no more major. Just a filly who cried her eyes out, gutted as her wet eyes scanned the lines. "You have no idea how much we miss you, big sister," she whispered in a broken voice. Almost immediately she felt another letter land on her hooves. <2. You have no idea how much we miss you big sister."> She threw herself at the letter.

<And I miss you all just as much right now. But you don't need me. You never needed me. Only our revered Queen needed me. And I did my task until my last breath .... It feels strange to write an action in the past tense when for me it hasn't happened yet. But it is hard not to believe the unicorn standing before me, predicting your every word four years in advance. That said, he told me how Swift is making your life impossible. I have no trouble believing him on that point.> A playful laugh was heard in the reader's mind.

Despite the tears that kept rolling down her cheeks, Antares had a contagious laugh "Your death didn't help," she thought. "Antares, what did you want to tell me?" she asked, trying to chase the tears from her eyes. The answer was not long in coming, accompanied by a handkerchief that had already dried so many tears today. <4. Antares, what did you want to tell me?> The major twitched, her frown going to the oracle. "Where is the third letter?"

The oracle raised an eyebrow at the remark, as he shredded the letter number in question before her eyes with his magic. "Read," he said in reply.

What he had just done did not leave her indifferent, but her reaction time was so slow that she was faced with a fait accompli. Both saddened and angry at having lost such a precious letter, she dried her eyes to make it easier to read.

<If you're reading this letter, it means you got straight to the point. According to the oracle, a plausible future was for you to make a comment about Swift, or this question I am answering. However, regarding Swift, don't be too hard on him. If he has been behaving like this all this time towards you, it is because of me, because of an old promise he made to me.

To come back to the question, I will start by asking you a very simple request. Give up your desire for revenge against Twilight Sparkle. If in your eyes she is indirectly guilty for my death, in reality, she has saved many lives, both in Equestria and on the Moon. If I could, I would write her a letter to express my sincerest thanks from the bottom of my heart.> These last words were full of gratitude.

Disturbed by the joy she felt thanks to the enchantment, Cute Bite let her heart take over. "What do you mean you're grateful to her? I don't understand. How could you be grateful to... her." she said, her gaze lost. She grabbed the fifth letter on the fly.

<Simply because, by her victory, she has put an end to our Queen's torment, and in doing so, she has put an end to our family's role. You cannot understand, for it falls to the first child of each generation to hold that role. The direct descendants keep the secret, even from siblings, so that the secret does not leave the main branch.> At the end of this letter, there was such apprehension that the major felt herself choke up.

<I cannot let you live a lie any longer, little sister. Following my death, you become the heir to the family, worse, the heir to a dark and heavy secret. Inasmuch as our Queen was no longer the official ruler of our kingdom, I understand why Father and Mother spared you, but I will not allow it.> Apprehension had given way to a keen resolve.

<I was our Queen's royal assassin, like our father before me, and his father before him. But behind this facade of a lieutenant, we do not kill at the behest of our Queen, no, it is far worse than that. Since the first day of her banishment over a thousand years ago, our family has been ordered to watch over her, to make sure she doesn't lose control of herself again. To kill her if I could not reason with her, that was my order, little sister.> From the magical ghost of the late sister emanated a sense of relief at having written these few lines.

<I am responsible for the death of the blacksmith, the father of your friend Molten Core. This was not an attempted robbery gone wrong. It was a step in my training to not fail when the time came. A time that will never come. If only I had known. Those lives I stole, those families I shattered. All for nothing.>

The perfect image of Lieutenant Antares, idealised in her little sister's heart, shattered into a thousand pieces, and with it, all the Major's certainties. Physically prostrated, mentally and morally devastated, she could no longer find anything to hold on to.

Bitter Truth remained silent for a moment, no smile, looking away. Seeing that the conversation was paused, he opened a letter in an envelope marked with the number nine and pressed it to Cute Bite's neck.

Once again, the magic worked, spreading a gentle warmth as the bat pony felt her big sister's love embracing her. A warmth that roused her from her torpor, and encouraged her to continue. She took the letter to read it.

<I'm sorry. I wish I could have spared you all this, but at the time I had to keep up appearances, to be that lieutenant you so idealised. I don't deserve your admiration. I don't deserve to be a legend.

Until the last day of my life, I will pray to the stars for the opportunity to watch over you, and to see my little sister work for the prosperity of our people and Equestria, so that peace and harmony reign day and night. You have the chance to be free, to make your own choices, so please do what is right and live for yourself.

I refuse to believe that your destiny was to make me a hero. I am only but your sister, and I wish for you to finally fly away from this small world you were content with until now.

Become again the pony you should never have ceased to be and live a life that will leave you no regrets when the time comes for you to join me in the afterlife.

Live happily soldier,
that is an order from your superior officer,
It is the wish of your big sister.
Affectionately, Antares.>

"If I had not intervened, your sister would have died the same way. Knowing this, she decided not to defy fate."

"Why didn't she do anything to prevent our Queen's defeat?"

Bitter Truth held out the tenth letter on which this question was written.

<You do not know our Queen, as Father and I have known her. Generation after generation, our family has had the privilege of being the sole confidants of our Queen. I will probably never know if I was a friend to her, but from my perspective, that is the word I would use to describe this relationship between her and me. And knowing her, knowing the future that awaits her, questions nag at me. Is this really a life, to be consumed by anger and jealousy? Knowing that I can make the difference between her victory and her defeat, should I prioritise my queen's victory, or should I sacrifice her to free my friend from a thousand years old pain?

If I warned her, she would take precautions, and win I have no doubt. But at what cost? How many more lives will be wasted? How long before the elements of harmony finally deliver my friend from the suffering that is hers? I prefer to remain silent. My loyalty dictates that I do what is right for my friend.

My loyalty tells me to betray my queen for her own good.

And I would pay for this betrayal with my life, defending her throne against the opportunists. Until my last breath, with courage and pride, I will face death, knowing that my friend has finally found peace of mind, I will die, keeping in sight that I have fulfilled my duty as royal assassin.

{My hooves are covered with the blood of the moon}.

This sentence is one of my first mission codes.

If you tell Swift or our Queen this code, they will believe you when you say you know.
Don't blame Swift, yes he knew I was the royal assassin, but for many reasons, including the promise I mentioned in a previous letter, he had to keep the secret, his life depended on it.>

Such a family secret, the heaviness of this burden now weighed on Cute Bite's shoulders. Being the latest one of her generation, the weight of such a secret that she had to carry pinned her in place. In her heart, the truth had knocked her sister off her pedestal, and with it, all certainties had cracked. The sister she had glorified all this time was in reality a liar guilty of high treason, and a murderer. And worst of all, she was grateful to the one the Major had sworn to kill at the first opportunity. Cute Bite’s heart was beating wildly, and she felt feverish, but at the same time, goosebumps formed on the front of her body. The truth had devoured her from the inside, leaving only an empty shell on which the mass of heavy armour weighed.

The oracle collected letters and envelopes in the saddlebag of his travelling saddle except for one, the ninth letter, which he tucked almost entirely into the corresponding envelope, and pressed that protruding piece against Cute Bite's throat, so that her sister’s hope would give her the fortitude to endure this trial. "Despite everything, she is still your sister. A sister who tried to live up to your admiration, and mustered all the courage she could to confess the crime she was about to commit, before living her last days exactly as she would have lived them if I had never approached her, to live her last days as if she did not know what fate awaited her. Don't reject her, accept her for who she really was, and become a good pony." Thanks to the armour, he wedged the letter against her coat, and without a goodbye, he walked off in the direction of the moon, humming to a sad tune. "I hurt myself today..." the words that followed and the unicorn singing them very quickly dissipated into the night air .





Meanwhile, with her back exposed to the warmth of the campfire, Pepper faced a portal leading to the hideout and stared at her katana. Focusing on the peddle, she cast the spell to instantly warp her back to her dimensional sanctuary the day she would need for that to happen. She then telekinetically placed the shiny peddle within the pillow, and closed the portal.

“Is this okay to do that in front of them?” pointed out Gamine.

Out of the corner of her right eye, Pepper looked at Swift and Trixie.

Caught marvelling at the magic portal, they both looked away and began whistling. Feeling this was not enough though, Swift played pretend teaching an astrology lesson.

Creeped out by Pepper silently looking in their direction, Trixie played along, stammering.

“They can not pinpoint the location of the hideout. And they can not reach it anyway.” she thought, replying to Gamine. “Now the contingency plan is once more set, time to take a bath.” She opened the portal again, this time leading to the ruins of the two sisters' castle, and took advantage of the nearby river to clean the blood off her coat. 

Left alone in front of the yawning portal, Swift and Trixie, like two kids sneaking into the kitchen in an attempt to snatch a cookie, approached it.

As Pepper was rubbing the blood off her coat, Gamine’s questions echoed back into her mind, and brought back Pepper’s memories, ones she would have preferred remained buried in a corner. Memories regarding what had to be done on her native planet. Her whole life flashed before her eyes. The weight of her choice pressed down on her a little more each moment, like the hands of the victims demanding justice, giving her a quiver more terrible than that of being chest-deep in a river at the bottom of a ravine on an autumn night. She sank until she disappeared under the water, blowing all the air out of her lungs through her nostrils, and centred herself, letting her past and her doubts be swept away by the current, before she emerged, serene and focused.

Swift and Trixie were interested by this magic which was making Pepper able to open a door to another place, passing through the portal several times. Incredulous, the soldier took flight to check their positions while the illusionist recognising the place where she had collapsed earlier in the day. Teleportation was one thing, but this was magic they had never seen before. The first saw it as a tactical advantage that could change the tide of a war, while the second saw it as an opportunity to make her performances match the fame of the Great and Wonderful Trixie.

Pepper used telekinesis to get out of the river and then the ravine, drying her coat as she closed the gate behind her. Sitting with her back to the stone slab, she couldn't miss Trixie's starry-eyed gaze, the smile going from ear to ear. She soon came to a conclusion that seemed obvious to her. "No, Trixie, I am not sharing my ration, you should have just asked for one for yourself," she said firmly.

Swift struggled to hold back a laugh as Pepper misunderstood the nature of the request.

The illusionist blinked at the misunderstanding. "What? No! The great and wonderful Trixie wanted to know if you could teach her that magic that opens doors to other places. Trixie would be greatly helped by such magic for the Humble and Repentant Trixie’s deep apology tour she is planning."

"Impossible," Pepper pointed out. "From what I have learned, the magic that allows one to roam the dimensions is innate, sometimes even hereditary. My case is an exception to this rule." she said, half-emphasising how she acquired such magic. "It is however possible to use it without having the talent, I have been told that some mages have in the past used this magic to save people, but this was possible at the cost of their life. However, I can create two portals if that would assist."

A little chilled by the toll such magic would take on those who did not possess it, Trixie was more circumspect. "Trixie wouldn't risk her life using these portals?"

Pepper stepped back from the slab. "Just as an example, considering that this block of stone represents the distance between here and Ponyville, and forgetting about teleportation for a moment, any unicorn would break its neck trying to get through." She carved a large cylinder with slightly asymmetrical ends with her magic through the stone before then withdrawing the piece to slip a paw through up to her shoulder. "But with a mental image and a minimum of magic, you can easily open a passage to your cache, and pull out anything that will fit through. Once the object is on the other side." She placed the cylinder back into the rock, which held in place. "It will be almost impossible to see where the object came from, the illusion will be almost par-" She suddenly turned her full attention to the west, alert.

Swift quickly began to scan in that same direction, but no sound came from the forest. He kept his ears peeled for the slightest sound as he moved closer to Pepper. "What did you see?"

"Nothing. Just felt..." she gestured before turning her attention back to the forest. "A creature is approaching, and it is not a friendly visit."

Gamine, shaking with all her being, watched the two natives with her peripheral vision. "Protect them, Pepper," she ordered.

"Stand on the other side of the campfire," Pepper firmly ordered.

Trixie obeyed without waiting, Swift in her wake, only because he had the idea that if he didn't, Pepper wouldn't mind doing it herself, imagining her throwing him directly into the fire on a whim.

Without further delay, Pepper set up a shield to protect them, standing by as she wondered how she would deal with the impending threat.

Suddenly, Nightmare Moon landed in front of her, frustrated and enraged by the conversation with the oracle, she didn't mince words, she asked the question as it swirled around her head. "Can you bring her back?!"

Pepper frowned, trying to understand. "What?"

"Celestia! Can you bring her back?!" Nightmare Moon reiterated, trying in vain to calm herself to find the words.

"I already said it. She is gone." replied Pepper.

"But can you restore her?" surmised Nightmare Moon, seconds away from letting his anger get the better of her.

From Swift and Trixie's point of view, the conversation was like two stray dogs having an unfortunate encounter on a street corner, barking at each other to see who would get to devour a piece of stale bread. Gamine, on the other hand, was watching this parody of a conversation with her mouth agape.

For Pepper, the situation was becoming absurd. "Restore her? But there is nothing left."

This answer was not enough for Nightmare Moon, but worse, it was the last straw. With a howl of hysterical anger and uncontrollable rage, she used telekinesis to grab Pepper by the belly and flipping her onto her back. Without giving her time to understand what was happening to her, she began to pound her against the floor, again and again, no matter what state she ended up in, pounding, again, and again, no matter how many bones she would break in the process.

Neither Swift nor Trixie had seen such savagery before, neither of them daring to intervene, terrified as they were of this alicorn who was nothing but anger and hatred, a force of nature unleashing her power on the one who had the misfortune of provoking her.

As mental fatigue began to set in, anger and frustration consumed, Nightmare Moon refocused her magic around Pepper's neck and lifted her so they were now muzzle to muzzle. "Last chance to answer me, Pepper. A closed question, to be answered with only a yes or no. Is there any way to restore an existence you previously destroyed?"

Pepper had endured as best she could. The shock treatment had not left her unharmed, her body was sending distress signals all over the place, yet she was not coughing up blood, which led her to believe that her organs were still intact. "No," she exhaled.

Nightmare Moon smiled with satisfaction. "A clear and concise answer, at last, was that so difficult?" She released a small, good-natured sigh. "This no of yours sounded almost like it was impossible. And as you described it, in your world, night and day, rain and shine, no creature is in charge of that, so it stands to reason that restoring one of your victims is beyond your abilities. How fortunate for you, however, that you are no longer in your world. Welcome to Equestria."

Pepper squinted, it was hard not to see her coming with such big hooves, so she played along. "My chances of restoring Celestia's existence are equal to finding a speck of dust in the void, though let us assume that being in Equestria gives me a very small chance of doing so, there are just two small concerns. Firstly, I am a warrior, not a scholar, I can not see myself finding a magic formula that would allow me to accomplish the impossible. The most magically gifted unicorn around, I killed her mentor, and officially, I just put Luna in a coma. I do not think she would be willing to help me, even if I asked her politely. Secondly, what is in it for me? I doubt you have any offer that would make me agree to your request."

The analysis of the situation, indeed, left Pepper at a dead end. Nightmare Moon released her so that she could land on her feet, to monopolise her concentration on the problems presented. Even if she could convince Twilight to work with Pepper, which wouldn't be difficult with such a goal, the queen was sure that Pepper would run away at the first opportunity.

"Your freedom," Gamine suddenly whispered nervously, no longer holding her ground.

Wide-eyed, Pepper thought she had hallucinated the proposal. "I am going to isolate myself for a moment to think," she lied as she walked about ten steps away. "Repeat what you just said to me?"

"You restore Celestia, and I promise I'll break the ritual, so you can go do whatever you want, but on the condition that you never come back to this world," the young guardian offered, blushing so nervously, her spiritual self avoiding eye contact with Pepper's.

She squinted, trying to get inside that little head to understand her. It didn't take long. "No way," she said as her toothy grin widened. "Am I under an illusion spell? I have the strong impression that you are placing your wildest hopes on the success of this improbable plan. Indeed, if we can restore Celestia, you can restore your mother."

"What's wrong with that?!" retorted Gamine defensively.

"Oh. Nothing at all. This hope is your weakness, and will be your undoing, Gamine. This hope will slowly crush you as time goes on. And when you are finally down, crushed by the weight of your own hope, you will be faced with a choice. Give up, or hope some more. But I can see it in your eyes, you shall not give up. You will not. I am still looking forward to that moment. That moment when I can read in your eyes that you have finally given up, that you have let despair consume you. I will wait, looking for that moment, because when it comes, you will no longer have the strength to impose your orders on me, and you will envy the dead," Pepper foresaw.

Tormented by the monster's words, Gamine searched within herself for the strength to retort. "You are wrong! Hope is my strength! Hope is the weapon of the guardians for the triumph of good over evil! That's why we step in when all seems lost!" Determined to achieve the impossible, she presented the offer again. "If you succeed, I'll release you, do we have a deal, Pepper?"

"If you want to delude yourself, that is your business. If tomorrow you want to chase a spell that restores from absolute destruction, it is not like I can stop you."

"Pepper?"

She turned her attention to Swift, who was standing to her left, but keeping his distance.

"It looks like we have a solution to the first problem," he continued, before nodding in Trixie's direction.

Pepper turned her head, raising an eyebrow.

Chitin had just arrived, and convinced that Nightmare Moon was in a better mood, entrusted her with the improvised cocoon the child was sleeping in.

Trixie stepped forward to stand with her back to the campfire. "The great and wonderful Trixie knows a unicorn. Trixie considers her as gifted and powerful as Twilight Sparkle was before she became a princess.  And Trixie is sure that the crime you committed won't be a problem if you ask her for help. Her name is Starlight Glimmer."

The name had never occurred to Pepper, who was still convinced it was a waste of time, but if Trixie was certain that this mare was capable of helping Gamine, this information was at least a mediocre lead, which only had the merit of keeping Twilight out of it. "Well, in that case, we will go see her as soon as we are done here," Pepper commented.

Nightmare Moon squinted, intrigued. "What happened to the second problem?"

Pepper shrugged. "I am not in the mood for hunting right now, attempting the impossible after hearing a dying mare's last wish seems an acceptable alternative to pass the time."

Nightmare Moon remained incredulous at this answer, knowing Pepper all too well. She entrusted the cloth cocoon to Chitin to watch over for a moment, then moved closer to Pepper with slow steps. In silence, she lowered her head and stared at her for a moment. Only then, assured that she was not mistaken, did she crack an amused smile, as she prepared to play a card she had kept secret from every creature for two months now. "I rather think that the second human who inhabits your dreams, solved that problem for me."
> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The revelation from Nightmare Moon, who was indulging in a toothy grin while staring at Pepper, took half of those present by surprise.

Trixie, Chitin and Gamine were all shocked, unable to think straight.

Swift, for his part, understood better why the Regicide's gaze switched from one extreme to the other, sometimes reflecting the scarred gaze of his late friend, but had now settled on this predatory, icy gaze.

As for Pepper, she quickly drew the obvious conclusion. "It was not Luna who was torturing me through my dreams, it was you," she said, sitting back down.

"Imagine my surprise the night you returned. Right after I slipped into your dreams, I came face to face with that little human, staring at me in horror, before seeing you a little further back, as usual, sitting by that campfire. Who is she?"

"Her name is Gamine; she plays at being a guardian. Long story short: I killed her mentor just like I killed Celestia. So, to make sure I will not cause any more casualties, she used a forbidden spell to take over my body. However, as a result of a mission she gave me," she said, glancing briefly Aglowing. "I asked in return to have full control of my body for one full day."

<Sweet dreams, my precious night mare.>

The title of Guardian brought a hazy memory back to Nightmare Moon's mind. A memory that sent her back to the time when Equestria was just a bunch of farms and pastures. A mare whose gentle smile was the last memory she had of that dark time. A feeling of dread seized her by the throat. It was a feeling so profound that she temporarily forgot herself, acting very much in opposition to her usual regal demeanour. "You killed a guardian? What was her name?! Answer me now!" she ordered, anxious.

"Kyndal," Pepper replied.

Not the name Nightmare Moon feared to hear. Reassured, she regained her composure as if her lapse in decorum had never happened. "I will have Luna sent back to Canterlot before dawn. I must return to my palace on the Moon to secure the future of Broncoliande."

Pepper, listening only to her intuition, took the lead. "I can open a portal to shorten the journey to Canterlot to repatriate Luna as well as create a portal you can move at your convenience to travel to the Moon, even during the day."

This offer, however, only served to make the alicorn suspicious. "It is not in your nature to offer help."

“This is where I have to rebuke you. I did offer to use a black hole to banish the three clowns to Celestia.”


Hearing this, Nightmare Moon was more shocked to hear that Celestia didn’t jump on this opportunity to cull Equestria from the founder’s actual generation. "Under the circumstances, I wouldn't refuse your offer. That being said, only the portal to travel to the moon during daytime will be needed."

"In that case, I will just need a physical object to create a transportable portal, any material that will act as a door frame, as long as it is sturdy."

Nightmare Moon, with a small, sidelong glance towards the camp, wondered what could fill that role. One possibility quickly came to mind. "The tent frame, would that do?"

Pepper considered the suggestion. "Yes," she replied as she stood up before turning her gaze to Trixie. "This should not take me long, so you better stay here and rest. I shall be back as soon as she dismisses me."

Trixie stood still for a moment before sitting back. Yes, the guidelines required her to follow Pepper everywhere for the three days, but after what she'd been through today, both body and mind needed rest, so she merely gave a brief nod.

"Swift, you watch over her for now, I'll send a soldier to replace you shortly. You will bring Luna back to Canterlot," Nightmare Moon stated before turning to Chitin and the sleeping child. She watched the latter as she thought for a moment before deciding on a course of action. "I'm sure the tent is prepared, let's avoid disturbing her sleep any further," she muttered as she turned her gaze to Chitin.

And so, the three creatures set off back towards the military camp, with the changeling warrior telekinetically carrying the child, Nightmare Moon to her left.

At the Queen's request, Pepper was at the head of the group, out of sheer suspicion. As a result, she stood in front of Chitin, placing herself in a way that allowed her to keep the alicorn in her left eye’s peripheral vision, just to make sure she didn't try anything.

Chitin didn't breathe a word, but they could feel how electric the atmosphere was.

Halfway through, Nightmare Moon, thinking back on the events of the evening, couldn't help but notice a detail that didn't seem to fit. "Assuming you're only hunting prey that is more powerful than what you last killed. Seeing as you consumed the power of Celestia and a guardian, how could you lose to Luna?"

Pepper barely had time to stop and answer when Gamine lunged at her to paralyse her mouth. "No! Don't tell her! If she were to know that her sister's soul was flickering, she would not find rest in the afterlife!"

Pepper was decidedly not enjoying this habit and gave her a glare from the corner of her eye. "If that is all you are worried about, I was not going to bring up that detail," she thought.

"Oh, okay." Gamine then released her hold and let the conversation continue as she resumed where she had been a moment earlier.

"Gamine intervened and paralysed my body because she thought I was about to decapitate Luna, who then took advantage of this opportunity," Pepper explained.

"Well, that’s thoughtful of her,” the queen said in a whisper so as not to wake the child.
“The repercussions for Equestria would have been most terrible."

"She is alive, worrying about what might have been is a waste of time. More importantly, since you are giving us an impossible quest, did Celestia have any special powers or abilities that might help? Aside from her talent for moving the sun, she was never inclined to demonstrate any ability other than raising a cup of tea to her lips when I was around. Even in the duel with Luna, she was content to lock us in a magical bubble and raise her voice. This is not the kind of information I learn during absorption. If I have no awareness of my new abilities, I will not be able to use them, at least not consciously."

"She was an alicorn, just like me. We became the princesses of this realm because we represent the three tribes, and therefore you should possess their respective abilities, the ability to manipulate the weather and clouds just by your will alone, and a magical power capable of moving the sun and moon of this world, and most importantly in Equestria, a precious connection to the land, allowing you to grow fruits and vegetables at your pleasure."

"So, during the confrontation with Pinkie in Ponyville, I commanded the winds?" muttered Gamine to herself.

"But if you didn't know that, why did you choose her? Luna was happy to give a full demonstration of those traits that make us second to none in this world," the queen pointed out.

Pepper shrugged, taking Nightmare Moon's answer at face value. "In retrospect, between two planeswalkers, I chose the oldest one. It seemed the most logical choice, but if I had known Luna had two millennial old souls in her bosom, it would be Celestia who would be mourning her sister."

Chitin raised an eyebrow at this statement.

Nightmare Moon turned livid, and rightly so, shocked to see a page of her life, forgotten after a thousand years, revealed so casually. She turned away abruptly, watching for a long second as Aglowing Shell slept peacefully, just to give herself a good reason not to give in to her murderous impulses, to stifle the urge to slam Pepper once more against the trunk of the nearest tree. She managed to calm herself, with a great effort, and after taking a deep breath, she suddenly turned to Pepper, glaring at her. "How long have you known?"

Pepper, who had channeled her magic in preparation to counterattack upon feeling the growing murderous intent, relaxed and broke her concentration as she saw that Nightmare wished for the conversation to resume. "Since the first day. When she came to free me in Ponyville, the mirror I went through to enter this world had the same energy signature as Celestia's magic. And you are of an even rarer class, for you are also a dreamwalker, but that kind of ability is of no use to me, which is why, despite the demonstration of power, I chose Celestia."

Nightmare Moon remembered Gamine's explanation. Going forward, whenever she woke up, Chrysalis would remember any thought she, her temporary guest, had as her own. This huge stone thrown into the pond only brought back memories of a forgotten time. At this point, it was better to know what Pepper knew, so she could give directions to her successor based on the revelations. "What else do you know?"

Pepper sat back, reviewing her ideas for a moment before coldly replying. "Based on this, and what Luna told me in our first meeting, I have some guesses. Having only one parent in common, it is logical to deduce that they are the planeswalker. You have Cutie Marks, which implies that the other was from this world. Celestia, given her size, was probably an earth pony’s child, and you, logically, a bat pony’s."

"You're wrong on all counts. Celestia and I only have one parent, the same father. His name is Grogar."

Chitin was shocked by this revelation. "Grogar, the Father of Monsters, is your father?!"

Nightmare Moon barely had time to create a bubble to protect Aglowing's sleep, and a second bubble around them, so that this conversation would not get out any further. "Yes."

The changeling was confused. "I don't understand. If you are Grogar’s creations, why did Celestia lead Equestria as a pacifist?"

Nightmare Moon remembered the desolation wrought by their father. A vision so painful that even now it horrified her. "For on the historic day Gusty the Brave came to confront him, and ended up stealing the artefact that was Grogar's source of power, Celestia and I stood before a crossroad in our destiny. Help our father and let what was not even yet Equestria, and probably the rest of this planet, become a ruin, or help Gusty, and put an end to this madness. By choice, changeling! It was by choice that Celestia and I ended up becoming Princesses of Equestria."

Chitin remained silent, contemplating what was being said.

Nightmare Moon turned her attention to Pepper. "We do not have a mother. We are the creations of an evil entity. The future of Equestria was so bleak that a guardian stepped in. She assisted Gusty, at first without revealing her true nature nor the reason for her presence, and assisted as the rear guard while Gusty confronted Grogar. After Gusty's victory, the guardian banished Grogar from this dimension. In seclusion, Gusty and the guardian spent the next ten years raising us. They taught us their respective knowledge. As a parting gift, the guardian awakened Celestia and me as planeswalkers, strengthening by doing so our magic, to be Equestria’s guardians, to watch over this battered kingdom after her departure. Gutsy then introduced us to Starswirl the Bearded, who would become our next mentor, teaching us how to control this powerful magic.” She briefly looked at Chitin.” The rest is history.”

"What I cannot figure out, though, is why you are hiding your ability to travel between worlds from every creature," Pepper said.

Nightmare Moon sighed. “This has to do with an event that happened, twenty years after the disappearance of Starswirl the Bearded, who by then, with Celestia's help, created this dimensional mirror. My dear sister, confident as she was in her abilities, took her very first pupil under her wing. Majesty, a unicorn who was as gifted in magic as she was in flattering my sister's ego. Celestia had the foolish idea of giving her a part of her magic, as she had done before with Starswirl, after she saw that Majesty’s powers had permanently withered from assisting in raising the sun and the moon, back when eleven unicorns performed this task. Back before our coronation. Imagine how horrified Celestia was when we caught Majesty using this magic on the enemies of Equestria, dispersing them into a flurry of bubbles that scattered across the universe without the spilling of a single drop of blood. My poor sister never really got over it, and was later forced to drain knowledge and magic out of her very first student, who didn't understand what she had done wrong. Turned amnesiac, Majesty was watched from afar, until her dying breath. We then swore to each other that we would be the sole repositories of this magic, and that we would never again seek to share it. We had literally forgotten about it, until you came into this world. And Celestia had the wonderful idea of welcoming you without ever breathing a word that we knew."

Pepper considered this information before dismissing it with a shrug. Just as she was about to resume the walk to the camp, Chitin intervened.

"This is the second time I've heard that term. What is a planeswalker?" the changeling asked, both intrigued and confused by this exchange that expanded their perspective of reality as they knew it.

Pepper glanced at Nightmare Moon, and seeing no objection coming from her, proceeded to explain. "They are entities that possess the magical power capable of tearing the fabric of reality to walk beyond their native dimension."

Chitin remained circumspect, taking the information that came in bits and pieces with a grain of salt. Since Celestia and Luna were also planeswalkers, the changeling understood that not every one of them was like Pepper, and somehow that was reassuring. "So, Twilight and Cadance are also ones?"

"No," replied Nightmare Moon. "The HeartSpell does not have that function. Certainly, it has some similarity to the spark of the planeswalkers though. But in this case, it is only when a pony has proved worthy of becoming a symbol for the kingdom that this magic, latent in each of them, activates itself, transforming the worthy ones in our image. To return to the basic question, they are almost our equals, except that they do not gain a planeswalker’s magic in the process." Seeing then that everyone's curiosity was satisfied, she nodded towards the camp. "Let us continue. There is still much to do."

Pepper was surprised by this explanation, but as she had said herself, worrying about what might have been was a waste of time.

Once at the camp, Luna was the first priority. So, Nightmare Moon sent Dauntless Halberd to replace Swift. Swift’s abilities and intellect made him the ideal soldier to be placed in charge of the repatriation escort.

Meanwhile, Pepper created two linked portals isolated from her personal warp points. And, after a successful test of the portals, approached Swift, Chitin and Nightmare Moon as the latter summed up what the official version would be.

Swift, his left foreleg clenched around one of the portals, pressed his free hoof against his chest plate, activating the enchantment within the blue, oval shaped gem cut to resemble a dragon's eye. He then took off, flying through a magical tunnel that had suddenly formed out of a mass of magically summoned storm clouds. Swift disappeared in a blinding light, travelling at great speed from Equestria to the Moon.

Pepper immediately recognised what she was seeing.

Nightmare Moon, seeing her raised eyebrow, took the initiative, erecting a dome to have a quick, private conversation with the human. "Yes, that was dimensional magic. It's just used to shorten the travel time between Equestria and the Moon. These gems are from long before Majesty, made by me to facilitate such travel. And since the incident, I have made each of my soldiers personally promise that on their lives, and those of their lineage, they would never let a unicorn or a vampony put their hoofs on one of them, making these artefacts an honour, while keeping them ignorant of their true nature. So be mindful of making any comment that might reveal this secret." Without waiting for a reaction, she ended the conversation by breaking the spell that was isolating them. When she felt enough time had passed for Swift to have completed his assignment, she magically empowered the portal, activating it. This caused the tent frame to float into the air and form a portal frame large enough for two alicorns like Nightmare Moon to easily pass through while walking side by side.

The bat ponies who witnessed the scene were quite surprised to see magic capable of such a feat.

The bat ponies pulling the royal cart marched through the portal, joining Swift on the other side, who then climbed onto the cart to ensure that the still unconscious Princess Luna, who was already on it, did not fall off on the way to Canterlot.

Nightmare Moon was pleased with the result. "You've done what you came for, you can go back to your campfire, Pepper."

The latter thought about the situation for a moment, and considering that her presence was no longer necessary, turned to the Queen. "For this service rendered, I request another ration."

Nightmare Moon frowned before turning to one of her soldiers. "Give her what she’s asking for and lead her out of the camp." She then watched the human disappear behind the tents before looking around for the Major. She turned to the Shadowbolt Nebula guarding the command tent. "Where is the major Antarès?"

The bat pony shook her head.

"The last time I saw her, she was where you had your training with your friend," Chitin pointed out, using the excuse in case, despite the distance, Pepper had let an ear linger in their direction.

This evening was never ending, and Nightmare Moon had the feeling that no time for rest was going to be given, but that was the daily lot of those who rule after all. "Go rest in the tent that has been prepared for this purpose, I will come and make sure of Aglowing's good dreams when I return."

On the Major's orders, due to the fact that the camp was built at a comfortable distance away from the command tent, to ensure Nightmare Moon would not be disturbed by military activity, the guest tent requested by Nightmare Moon, for Aglowing and Chitin to rest, was installed next to it.

After hearing and seeing Pepper implore her for food, Nightmare Moon's borrowed body growled with hunger, she requested a ration to satiate herself on her westward walk.

A bat pony brought it to her with haste.

Pulling a slice of mango confit from the tin can as she exited the camp, Nightmare Moon was taken by surprise when she took a bite of her treat and felt an explosion of flavour so intense, it made her sigh with pleasure. She then ravenously consumed the ration like an uneducated foal, before regaining an attitude worthy of the princess she was. “I understand now why Chrysalis had taken such pleasure in consuming most of the sweets and other pastries I had brought for Aglowing. Her sense of taste is as enhanced as her sense of smell.” She flared her wings and took a brief flight over to the Major’s position, leaving the can behind temporarily, as well as her feeling of shame from her inelegant consumption of her treat.

The Major had stood there all this time, prostrating herself, like an empty shell abandoned by her certainties.

Seeing her like this, and noticing the envelope sticking out from her armour, Nightmare Moon had some idea of why she was in such a state, but nothing good would come of rushing her, so she took her place at her side. Cute Bite’s lineage had watched over Nightmare Moon for a thousand years, she thought it fitting to return the favour, spreading a benevolent wing to shield her aide-de-camp from the night wind. "Why are you crying like this, away from everything?"

"My sister, she betrayed you. She knew what would happen after your banishment ended. Yet she did nothing to ensure your victory. All this time I held a traitor in high regard."

The queen distanced herself from such accusations, thinking that the bat pony's heart had been bruised by the revelations to such an extent that she could not see the bigger picture. "How much do you know now?"

"My hooves are covered in moon blood, my Queen."

"I see," she said, considering what would be the best approach to help her subordinate see beyond the tip of her nose. "Let's say your sister had the wisdom to warn me, what would have been the alternative outcome?"

"You would have defeated Twilight Sparkle, and my sister would still be alive," the Major said.

"Then?" encouraged Nightmare Moon.

The Major's imagination was beginning to trot away from the point where it had been festering. "You would have ruled Equestria unchallenged."

"Go on."

"And the ponies would have come to revere you as you always deserved."

"A pleasing prospect. But, what then?"

A simple question, but it left Cute Bite puzzled, her mind had wandered far from where it had started, too far perhaps. Since the event happened so far back, she didn't understand, lost as she was in this perfect world, and yet it was right there in front of her eyes. "It would have been a perfect victory...?" she suggested, unsure.

"Yes, until Pepper came along, who without Celestia's presence, would have made Luna and I her prey. The human admitted that to me not ten minutes ago. Because of her sacrifice, your sister died a hero, for she saved my life, nay, my soul!"

These few words helped the major realise that her sister’s choice, which had seemed so selfish at first, had changed so much in how things were playing out today. All this time, she had anchored herself to a past spun from lies. Even though the letters her sister had left for her had torn the veil over her eyes to pieces, it was only now that she could see the full extent of her mistake, finally opening her eyes to the present. It was as though the bad dream she had been living through was finally dissipating. She bowed her head under the weight of shame, feeling miserable for having rushed to judgement on her sister's choices, not taking into account the current situation, and worse, for having called her a traitor.

"To the extent that you know what this code entails, I imagine you know enough to hear what I confided to your father and your sister when they were my confidants. I think telling you that will be rather significant in your case."

Cute Bite barely dared to glance at Nightmare Moon.

“A thousand years ago, before my banishment, I was the incarnation of jealousy, jealous because of my older sister. Celestia was taller than me? I used magic to make myself as big as her. Celestia ruled Equestria? I took over Broncoliande and made it my kingdom. Celestia had the Wonderbolts? I created the shadowbolts from the elites of my bat pony warriors. I could go on day and night for a whole week listing all the things I did out of jealousy because of Celestia, but I'll just cut to the conclusion. Whatever the reason, living a life that is not your own for, or because of, a sister, it’s not worth it. Because when it's time to reach the stars, only then do you realise that, absorbed as you were, you didn't live the life you dreamed of as a filly. Live a life that will leave you with no regrets on the eve of your last breath. A life that will leave you with a smile on your face when life leaves your body, that is all I wish for you, Major.”

She laughed nervously. "My sister almost wrote the same thing word to word." First her sister and now the queen herself, it was hard to turn a deaf ear to the two mares she’d made her muses for as long as she could remember. She lifted her head, flashing a smile at Nightmare Moon. "In that case, I'll have to go back to my real adult’s name."

And the confidante smiled back at her. "That sounds like an excellent first step. If the matter is closed, I will inform you of the progress."

The bat pony raised an eyebrow, not suspecting for a moment what she was about to learn.







In Ponyville, the early shifting of the sun and the moon worried Ponyville’s citizens. Twilight and her friend spent what was supposed to be the rest of the afternoon rationalising that princess Luna had her reasons for doing so, and that the sun would be raised again tomorrow morning. An hour later, as dinner came to an end, Sunset, seeing that morale was low, despite the laughing jolts from Pinkie's interventions, offered to talk about her life in Japony in the hope of distracting them.

The mares and the young dragon came to form a half circle in front of Sunset, only then did the unicorn begin her tale. "Japony is a kingdom that lies on the other side of the continent that the griffins call home. The country is almost as large as ours. The north and west are lined with mountain ranges that almost entirely delineate the border and protect it from neighbouring nations, while to the south and east lies a sea with a string of islands not too far off the coast that served as the starting point for what would become the nation of today. Now, with the geography covered, I shall begin with its founding, by seven tribes of unicorns."

"Wait a minute, only unicorns? How do they do the weather without pegasi?" Rainbow Dash pointed out, suddenly invested in the story.

"Or harvest any food," added Applejack.

"If you would have given me the time..." said Sunset, "I would have said that in this kingdom, the elements have their own will."

"Like the Everfree Forest?" asked Twilight.

"Exactly," replied Sunset. "And in those ancient times, you had to deal with the whims and impulses of the elemental spirits. It was a rudimentary time, until the arrival of the venerable earth pony." Seeing that she had captivated her audience, with them hanging on her every word, she continued. "The name of this earth pony has been lost to time, but when he asked to speak to the leaders of the seven tribes, no one dared to be absent from that meeting. He offered his knowledge and wisdom to the islanders, and after a long conversation, the chiefs agreed to found a kingdom on the mainland, but to do so, they had to elect a leader, and this was done through a tournament. The winner founded the Chrysanthemum clan, only the samurai from this clan were, are, and will be the princes and princesses ruling the kingdom."

"Why only those from this clan?"

"Because, for the prosperity of the kingdom, that is the clan’s role. True, I did not explain it earlier, but to summarise, a clan is a collection of families associated by real or fictitious kinship, based on the idea that they descended from a common ancestor."

"So, my Apple family, Pinkie's family, and Aunt and Uncle Orange, we are a clan?" asked Applejack.

The question gave Sunset a slight headache. "Yes and no, it's not the samurai's job to work the land, that's the heimins' job."

"What's that?"

"To make a long story short, in Japony, there are different castes, the most important is of course, the Chrysanthemum clan, then the six clans, then the ronins, who are samurais without clans, the heimins, who are basically the merchants, or those who work the land or are house stewards as the case may be, and the etas, who deal with the more menial tasks of life in society." She paused for a moment before resuming. "And when I got there, I was a gaijin, a foreigner. Can I start again now?"

Mares and dragon nodded.

"The Pine Clan was the first clan I dealt with, they are the ones who guard the only somewhat passable point by land one can enter or leave the kingdom and handle relations with the outside world. But at the very beginning, they were a clan of warriors that pushed back anything that might have been an external threat to this nascent kingdom, and even today, they are samurais that should not be taken lightly, quick to react to the slightest attempt at invasion. It took me seven months to learn to speak and write the local dialect."

"Was it difficult?" asked Twilight.

"It was not without difficulty, where in Equestria we have an alphabet that could be described as spherical," she took a sheet of paper and wrote the Equestrian alphabet. "In Japony, they use an alphabet, the most complex of which is made up of a dozen small strokes, really an illegible scrawl, sometimes," she said as she wrote down all the ideograms

"Oh! Oh! Can I try?" asked Pinkie Pie.

Sunset was cautious, somehow, she had an idea of how this would end up, though she was willing to end up a laughing stock if it would take every creature’s mind off their worries for a while. "Of course," she said, handing the paper and pencil to the earth pony.

It only took Pinkie about ten seconds to write a single line before showing it to the unicorn. "What do you think?" she asked with a chuckle.

Sunset read the sentence. "Kore..." she cut short the reading aloud and her jaw dropped the instant she understood the meaning of the translation. Smiling, both amused and annoyed, she squinted, glaring at Pinkie Pie who was hiding her laughter behind the paper.

"What did she write?" asked Twilight.

"She very distinctly wrote <Kore wo yomeru yatsu ha baka da>. It means <She who reads this is an idiot>."
 
The explanation triggered a general laughter and a good-natured atmosphere, Pinkie exchanging a wink with Sunset as an aside.

Sunset then resumed her story. "I used to work in ryokans, which are combination hotels, restaurants and bars. By observing how the heimin behaved towards the samurai, I learned how I should behave towards all of them, since, as a foreigner, my position in society was more or less the same. The following spring, as I was finally fluent in the local language, I left the pine clan and went to the Cherry clan. Excellence perfectly sums up the way of life in this clan. Each of the samurai seek to excel in an art, but they are mainly known for having the best duellists. In fact, it was a master blacksmith from this clan who, many years later, trained me to forge my katana. But for my first spring in Japony, I was deepening my knowledge, after all, the Cherry Clan was responsible for establishing the unique culture and the codes of etiquette that still govern the kingdom today."

"That sounds like a perfect place for a pony like me," Rarity quipped.

"Perfection is considered a bad thing there, because there's no progression possible when you get a perfect result. It's like if you have achieved the perfect dress, you won't find the inspiration to do anything else, because perfection has been achieved. In my humble opinion, the venerable earth pony must have come from Equestria, because he taught them to live in harmony with the elemental spirits, and because of his guidance, excellence is what those who live in Japony aspire to."

"Oh well, in that case, it's an excellent place for a pony like me," Rarity said in a most sophisticated way.

A general laughter followed.

"The following spring, I left for the Lotus Clan, which was tasked with learning and mastering the magic of the venerable earth pony. I stayed there for five long years to decently manage to do the same."

"Wait, you mean, the fire wings spell you used when we met, it was their magic?!" asked Twilight, her eyes full of stars and her face unable to contain her excitement.

Sunset had no trouble guessing what was going on in the princess' head. "Indeed, however, it would seem that not all unicorns are able to converse with elemental spirits. Therefore, even if I tried to teach you to do the same, Twilight, you might be one of those who never succeed."

Such information almost instantly turned the smile into a pout, her eyes moist and her lip low as if trying to cross the library floor. Still, Twilight wasn't one to give up so easily. "Will you at least show me?"

"Of course." Following this promise, she resumed her tale. "The next clan I visited was the Plum clan, but I don't have much to say about it, since I spent a whole year waiting in a village on the edge of the border for permission to enter. However, I did have many opportunities to converse with samurai of this clan. When they aren’t busy competing with samurai of the Cherry clan for the title of best duelists, they spend their time meditating or having philosophical conversations that end very late at night."

"What is meditation?" Rainbow asked, intrigued.

"Meditation is clearing your mind. With enough practice, it allows you to regain some inner balance. And it's the first step to communing with an elemental spirit." She looked around for an Equestrian equivalent. "It's almost like an afternoon at the spa, you don't think about anything, you let the twins do their treatments."

"Sounds cool... I guess," the pegasus said.

Immediately after Rainbow made this statement, Applejack raised an eyebrow and turned towards Rainbow.

"Oh, so Rarity must be a meditation expert," teased Pinkie.

"A wonderful expert indeed," surmised Rarity in the same sophisticated tone as before, flicking her silky purple mane with the back of her hoof.

 Again, a collective laugh filled the room.

"The next year, it was the Bamboo clan I was visiting. They are the prince's army. I learned during my time in Japony that the clan founder's katana is kept by the current prince of Japony, and if an incident requires the army to be involved, the prince summons the lord of the clan and returns the katana, pointing out the enemy whom the blade should be wielded against. These unicorns are bred to be fierce warriors." Sunset turned her gaze to Rainbow. "I'm willing to bet that the Wonderbolts' training is not as bad as that which the bamboo clan samurai endure on a daily basis."

The mere idea that there could be anything more demanding than Wonderbolts training made the mare's wings straighten. It was impossible to tell if it was the challenge or the dread that put her in such a state.

"I didn't stay until the next spring, when they're not busy putting an end to a conflict, they have a nasty tendency to pick on passing ronins."

"Are you saying it's still war there?" asked Twilight.

"Japony has no enemies but itself, the six clans spend their time warring with each other. And the bamboo clan steps in when they're not involved themselves."

"They spend their time warring with each other, and no one complains?"

"Weird, isn't it? There is a local saying that the most beautiful flower is born in adversity. That's their way of life, though I will admit, I too thought it was crazy during my first years there. But with time, these flash wars make you appreciate the little things in life, like enjoying a rice cake." Seeing the doubt on everycreature’s faces, she continued. "That's the way they live, no amount of talking would have gotten me to understand that, just as you couldn't make them understand how Equestria has lived a thousand years without a single war."

"Super simple," snapped Spike, starting to count on his fingers. "Twilight beat Nightmare Moon, Discord and Chrysalis, and I'm the hero of the Crystal Kingdom because I helped beat Sombra."

"Spike!!!" shouted Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow.

Fluttershy, who had been quiet until then, cowered.

"What? I'm not a girl, I can say his name all I want."

"And what do you think would happen if you said his name in front of the mare who shouldn't say it?" chided Twilight. "Suppose Sunset is said mare, what would happen if I hadn't already explained it to her?" she asked.

Spike fell silent and crossed his arms to better sulk.

"Oh, is that his name? Come on, Twilight, from what you've told me, he literally exploded, how could he just come back in the event I'm the mare of the prediction?" questioned Sunset.

"Maybe like when Discord snapped his fingers to make chocolate milk rain!" quipped Pinkie, suddenly thinking back to the rich flavour of the beverage, her tongue hanging low. "Ummm! Chocolate milk~♥"

Pinkie’s intervention was enough of a distraction to salvage what was left of the mood she was trying to set with Sunset, and the latter immediately took advantage of the silence to resume her tale as if nothing had happened. "Laws and justice are the charges of the Ivy clan." She paused. "I’d been living in Japony for eight years by then. Due to my long stay, I had a reputation, and as such, I was sometimes considered a ronin, which allowed me to earn a decent living. So, when I arrived at the border, I was greeted by the magistrate who had employed me many times as a yoriki."

"Like you told Spitfire the other day?" asked Rainbow.

"Right. So, as I was saying, the magistrate, basically a representative of justice, who had employed me many times as an assistant for his missions offered me lodging during my stay, in exchange for taking on several missions on his behalf. This allowed me to master the gears of the legal system. The desire to have my own katana came a few months later. Even though I was somepony who could talk to the spirits, no unicorn can ask for their help indefinitely. It's spiritually exhausting. So often it ended in a sword fight when the culprits had lost their sense of honour. The following year, I returned to the Cherry clan.”

Sunset then told the gathering of her adventures there and spoke of the allies she’d had during a mission. First was the escort of the poet ronin around the Cherry clan, who’d had his coat painted by a Master artist and was travelling the road to be presented in every stronghold as a living canvas of art. Then the investigation with the magistrate of the Ivy clan, which led to the exposure of a vast organisation of marauders who were embezzling the royal tax. 

Applejack's ears twitched when she heard Sunset say that the criminals had been subjugated. She realised that the story had been watered down, but did not breathe a word of it, understanding perfectly that Sunset had done this to keep the captivating magic of the tales intact.

Sunset was about to tell a third of her adventures when there was a knock at the door. 

It startled almost every creature.

Twilight went to open the door, and when she did, she saw a pegasus of the royal guard standing there, and behind him was the official carriage of royal travel. 

Upon seeing her, he quickly greeted the princess by raising a hoof to temple level. "Good evening, Princess Twilight, your presence is urgently required at the palace."

"What happened?" the mare asked.

"I'm sorry, the instructions I received made it clear that I was not to speak of this in public, you will be informed by the one summoning you once you arrive at Canterlot castle," explained the royal guard.

Ears lowered and heart racing, Twilight turned her head to her friends and Spike. "I'm going to the castle; something must have happened to Princess Luna."

Sunset finished fastening her harness to keep her katana against her side before coming over to Twilight. "Wait, we're all going. If something happened to Princess Luna, there's no way you're going alone, you could be in danger. So, you're going to wear the elements of harmony, and we're going to use the portal to get there. You go ahead with the girls; I'll take care of teleporting the cart to the castle courtyard."

Twilight was speechless for a moment as she processed Sunset’s plan. Relieved, she came over and hugged Sunset. "Thank you."

"No problem, Twilight," she said before returning the hug.

As Sunset passed the tracking artefact around her neck, checking that no signals were coming from the north, Twilight telekinetically pulled the elements of harmony out of the display case and attached them to the corresponding bearers before placing her crown on her head and Spike on her back.

Without waiting, they left for Fluttershy's cottage, followed by the royal guards, once there, as Sunset had planned, the six element bearers and Spike went through the gate into the palace armoury before exiting and proceeding towards the front entrance. Upon arriving there, the princess immediately spotted and approached Celestia's personal butler. "Hello Reynaud, what happened?"

The servant bent his neck in a short bow. "Hello Princess Twilight, it's about Princess Luna, she is currently in the hospital, her days are not in danger, however, she was seriously injured in a fight." Even though Reynaud had tried to soften the facts by starting with the good news, the announcement threw the group into a tizzy. "A bat pony is waiting for you in the throne room to give you a more detailed report of the events."

Twilight glanced over her shoulder at her friends, and without a word, they galloped off towards the throne room. Halfway down the great hallway that led to it, they came across a unicorn walking leisurely through. "Prince Blueblood?"

The stallion lazily turned his arctic blue eyes to the alicorn. "Oh, Princess Twilight, how kind of you to join this unscheduled meeting."

"Prince Blueblood? What are you doing here?" asked Sunset, who by a succession of short-range teleportations, had caught up.

"Reynaud informed me that a diplomat was urgently needed in the throne room, so here I am," he said, moving to the closed doors before turning around. He nodded towards them, waiting.

Rarity and Sunset squinted. "Fifteen years since I last saw him and as far as I can see, he hasn’t changed," said the latter.

"Oh, trust me, Sunset dear, not one bit," Rarity added.

Greeted by the guards stationed in front of the throne room doors, Sunset opened the passage for the group to enter, and they could see that Swift was not alone.

Besides him was Dusty Nova, who removed the cloak that signified her status as a royal mage soon after the doors opened, the warrior's words echoing in her mind.


<If your loyalty is to Nightmare Moon, then resign from being Canterlot's Royal Mage at once.>


Swift had deliberately chosen not to divulge the reason right away on the advice of Nightmare Moon, as the vampony was overzealous when it came to the Queen, and it was best to control her by keeping her in the dark to begin with. He walked over to Twilight and curtsied with due respect. "Good evening, Princess Twilight, my name is Swift Chess, soldier of the Moon Guard, ready to report on the events of the evening. But before I do, I have been ordered to ask you the following question, the ponies and the dragon here, do you consider them capable of keeping it a secret?"

Twilight hadn't expected such an entrance, a new secret to keep, as if Princess Celestia's death wasn't already weighing on her heart enough. It had to be even worse for Rarity and Applejack, who lived with their families. She didn't need to ask them. "I trust my friends," she answered with conviction.

Swift glanced at Blueblood.

With an indignant flick of his mane, the prince took the trouble of introducing himself. "I am Prince Blueblood, diplomat of Equestria, whatever is said here will not leave this room."

Swift nodded. "Good. Following the battle in the Badlands, we were forced to travel to Dodge City and Appleloosa to reassure the locals. We let them know that Princess Luna fought to protect the changelings from an Extra Equestrian threat at great personal risk and was injured in the battle. This information is currently being relayed to every town in the kingdom by us."

The announcement provoked a strong reaction from Twilight, her friends, and Spike.

Sunset and Blueblood remained as phlegmatic as ever.

Swift continued. "Yes, it's a lie, it's the Moon's parting gift to Equestria, as of tonight, Broncoliande no longer recognises Princess Luna as its rightful ruler.

"In the name of Equestria, I will take note of this," Blueblood said. "But if Broncoliande wishes to remain on good terms with Equestria, you will need to sign a non-aggression pact. Moreover, the treaty of the two sisters hereby lapses."

"We know that. When the new ruler has been chosen, he will first endeavour to-"

"New ruler?!" Dusty Nova suddenly shouted. "What happened to our Queen, Swift?!" Just as Nightmare Moon had predicted, the vampony snapped.

"After she lost her fight against Pepper, Princess Luna, who, no doubt because our Queen preferred to defend the changelings than to finish the genocide, destroyed the tantabus. She then explained, and I quote, that she was getting rid of a part of herself that was no longer needed." He left his explanation hanging to purposely create tension before resuming. "The spirit of our Queen being in the tantabus at that moment..." He did not finish his sentence, merely shaking his head, purposely, to let their imaginations run wild, and mostly on Pepper's advice, to prevent Applejack from detecting an elaborate lie in his tale.

The answer struck everycreature present like a bolt of lightning. Fluttershy and Rarity fell to their rumps, Rainbow and Applejack, having taken the news a little better, went to make sure their friends were okay. Hoof to her mouth, Pinkie Pie was so shocked that her mane deflated. Spike, who had only known Nightmare Moon through Luna and the Nightmare Night celebration, was not sure how to feel about that.

Inevitably, their eyes turned to Twilight, and as they did, she felt the guilt tightening its grip over her heart.

But Sunset was there to support her, with a hoof on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Twilight, you couldn't have known that Princess Luna would come to such an end, besides, you only took my advice, if anyone is to blame, it's me." Despite instances where she seemed to sincerely regret refusing to help Nightmare Moon, the unicorn laughed under her breath. She never expected her plan to be partially successful.

"Our Queen was murdered by Princess Luna?" repeated Dusty. "In that case-"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence as Swift, waiting for that very moment, rushed into her side to tackle her to the ground and silence her. As she tried to catch her breath, the bat pony placed the soleret against her throat to impede her speaking. "In that case nothing at all, Dusty. This is no time to escalate the situation. Without our Queen, only the primogenes have the right to decide how we react. Don't you agree?"

Calmed by the shock treatment, she nodded weakly between ragged breaths.

"I will remove my hoof, you will catch your breath, you will then say that this is of no importance. You will do this without making a sideways glance and in a tone so convincing that even I can believe it, have I made myself clear?" he ordered intransigently.

She complied, bowing, still coughing. "May the events of this evening never mar the good relations between Equestria and Broncoliande."

All according to plan. "Well, we're off," Swift continued.

"Wait a minute, what about Pepper?" asked Sunset.

"Given the state she put Princess Luna in, what were we supposed to do against such a monster?" replied the soldier.

Sunset had nothing to say to that. She would have preferred Nightmare Moon take Pepper to the grave. Then Princess Luna would finally have her revenge, and she would no longer be a danger to Equestria. "And she didn't try to do the same to her as she did to Princess Celestia?" she asked suspiciously.

Swift knew from this question that there was nothing ordinary about this unicorn, and that made her a greater threat than Princess Twilight. "I'm sorry for this aside, but I don't seem to have the honour of knowing you."

Sunset ticked; he had a point. She bowed courteously. "My name is Sunset Shimmer. It is an honour to meet you." She did however take note that he only cared about her identity once she began to question him about Pepper's actions.

"So do I, Miss Shimmer. Back to your question, she said it is not her modus operandi."

“She’s said that a lot,” confirmed Rainbow.

Applejack didn’t notice any lies.

The interrogation ended with this question. Once Swift and Dusty had left the room, Blueblood turned to Twilight. "What are your orders, Princess?"

"My... orders?" the alicorn repeated.

"Pending Princess Luna's full recovery, and inasmuch as Princess Cadance is the head of the Crystal Kingdom, you are, per default, at the head of Equestria," the diplomat said, pointing with his hoof to the throne of Celestia.

When she woke up this morning, Twilight could have never guessed that a chain of circumstances would lead her to take her mentor's place, even if it was only for a short time.







After a quick trip to the moon, the group led by Swift returned to the camp. Dusty was on the wagon, grumbling.

The major came to meet them but was royally snubbed by the vampony who preferred to go off on a tangent. "What's the matter with him?" she asked herself as Swift approached.

"Don't mind her, Cutie Bite. She just needs to digest the lie I told to the diplomat from Equestria."

"Our Queen informed me of your mission, did everything go well?"

"The announcement of our Queen's death went down like a charm; I didn't feel that anypony doubted my words. However, a unicorn I hadn’t read any files about before seemed more cunning than …” He realised he was about to say Twilight. “... the rest. She introduced herself as Sunset Shimmer."

"Don’t remember any files with that name," the Major confirmed. "Specify your reasoning."

"All she was interested in was where Pepper was, and why she spared Princess Luna. Maybe I'm imagining things, but from the anger in her eyes, I have a feeling it's not best to lock them both in the same room. The walls wouldn't hold for long." He turned his attention to his friend. "You seem more serene than usual, Cute Bite," he noted with a small teasing smile.

Serene she was, as she smiled back, what's more, it didn't really bother her to hear him use her birth name, now that she knew the reason. And since she had the advantage, she wanted to reverse the roles, just this once. "I'll go write the report. Oh, and Swift, from now on, call me Regal Blade," she ordered with a smile, as she left for the command tent, without a backward glance.

Wide-eyed, Swift took this turn of events in stride, so much so that his jaw and his wings fell to the ground. It was only when he had recovered from the shock that he realised that he was not the only one to have been visited by a mischievous mail pony.







Several hours passed, it was time for the sun and the moon to exchange places in the sky, but the last alicorn whose royal duty it was to do so was in a coma in the hospital of Canterlot.

Ten minutes later, Regal Blade entered the tent where Nightmare Moon slept alongside the child, the better to watch over her dreams, even though she had lost the ability to do so along with the tantabus.

Chitin reopened her crinkled eyes with instinctive distrust, her eyes slicing through the darkness of the tent, but when she saw the bat pony standing there, she let her guard down.

Regal Blade moved closer to the sleeping alicorn and unsheathed the soleret before shaking her, making sure not to shake her too hard.

Nightmare Moon, the helmet still on her head, woke up with a jolt, sleeping physically after four years of being a disembodied spirit was something she had missed terribly. She watched her subordinate for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "What's going on?" she whispered.

"My Queen," breathed the mare just as low. "The day shift took its turn ten minutes ago, but the sun hasn't been raised yet.

Nightmare Moon felt the urge to spit her venom on Pepper's back, but she held back so as not to wake up Aglowing. She tiptoed out of the tent and made her way to Pepper's camp. Once there, walking slowly, she approached the campfire, but the human was absent. A few steps further, she immediately noticed the open gate hidden by the stone block. Without waiting, she stepped through it, and found herself in front of the ruined castle, but this was not the time to dwell on the past. Concentrating on the present, she spotted her soon enough.

Pepper was sitting by the river below. She was meticulously brushing her teeth with the toothbrush she had left in her secret place.

"Pepper!" hailed Nightmare Moon. "I told you to raise the sun." she growled.

The unicorn stopped her brushing, turning her gaze to the queen for a moment. "Not my problem," she replied before returning to her dental cleaning.

Nightmare Moon couldn't believe her ears. "You're the only one fit in Equestria, though in terms of raw power, Twilight could pull it off, but the backlash..." she shook her head, trying to push the vision of StarSwirl lying on the ground, having exhausted his last bit of magical strength to lower the moon one too many times. "...the sun's presence in the sky is more important than brushing your teeth!" She couldn't believe she was saying these words.

Pepper took the brush out of her mouth again. "I am just finishing making sure I have gotten all the monsters out of my mouth. Equestria can wait that long," she said before continuing.

"The? Are you talking about the cavities?" she asked, coming to sit beside her.

Pepper glanced towards Nightmare Moon. "Pinkie called them that, yes. According to her, every time I eat a piece of candy, these cavities come and try to destroy my teeth, and when I asked what they looked like, she said they were little monsters that you cannot see with the naked eye, however cleaning the teeth like this ensured that they stayed away for the day."

Nightmare Moon couldn't believe that Pepper could take these childish explanations so seriously. Exasperated, she breathed out her exasperation. "Raise the sun, you can finish your brushing afterwards."

She brushed for a few seconds, but finally replied, not hiding her chagrin any further. "You of all people should understand me. The moment I lower the moon, I myself will end my day of freedom, and I do not know when Gamine will let me have control of my body again."

It wasn’t difficult for Nightmare Moon to understand Pepper’s position. She didn't like it too much, yet she sat there without saying a word, respecting Pepper's desire to savour her last moments of freedom. The sun might be up late today, but it's not as if anycreature would dare go to Canterlot Castle to complain.

Pepper continued to brush her teeth for a while, but the truth was that her teeth had been clean for some time.

Gamine said nothing. She had promised a full day, and she was going to keep her word.

Pepper eventually relented, placing the toothbrush and tube of toothpaste on the stone table in her hideout through a small portal. After cleaning her mouth out with some water, she spat it out into the river and turned her attention to Nightmare Moon. "On second thought, Gamine is going to be in charge of the day and night cycle for a while. The ability to manipulate the sun is mine, but it would be best if you guided her in lowering the moon, as she will be employing raw power without any clue on how to properly do that."

Nightmare Moon was already considering worst-case scenarios. "So be it. Let's do this."

Pepper relinquished her body to Gamine.

Gamine then followed Nightmare Moon's instructions. They crossed horns, and with her guidance, the Moon was lowered smoothly, before the sun was lifted high in the sky.

To the average pony, it was just another day.

But for Gamine, Regal Blade and Twilight, it was the beginning of a new chapter.

For Nightmare Moon, the final pages of her story.
> Chapter 16
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight's first reaction to Prince Blueblood's question was to go to Canterlot Hospital. There, she was taken to a waiting room, where she remained with Sunset, the girls and Spike until the doctors finished the medical procedure. 

It took some time, but eventually the head doctor entered the room.

This was the first time in Equestria's history that a princess had been hospitalised, so it was more than a little understandable why all the doctors on duty that night were behaving like first year medical students. It took them referencing the medical knowledge of all three races to finally come to the conclusion that Luna’s prognosis was not life-threatening. That being said, the multiple fractures she had would take at least a week of rest to fully heal.

Once Luna was settled in a room, Sunset set about ensuring every creature's safety and refining the signal from her tracking artefact to locate Pepper, drinking steaming tea all the while to keep herself awake. 

As time passed, the long-time friends fell asleep on the room’s sofa one after the other.

Every creature except for Twilight. She spent the rest of the night at the princess' bedside, Spike asleep on a second chair beside her, tormenting herself with a thousand and one actions she could and should have taken. 

A little over two hours after Gamine raised the sun, Prince Blueblood entered the room as quietly as possible.

Sunset jolted awake despite how little noise the stallion had made, but upon seeing who it was standing there, and assured that it was not an illusion from both the weak reaction from the artefact and the fact it was pointing south, she immediately calmed down.

After looking towards the sleep deprived mare besides their princess, Blueblood decided to instead walk over to the newly awoken Sunset and quietly speak with her. "Good morning to you, Miss Shimmer, please let Princess Twilight know that she is expected at Canterlot Castle at ten o'clock, as the bat ponies have alerted all branches of Equestria Daily. There is a good chance reporters may have some questions for her regarding last night's events."

Sunset replied in an equally low voice. "Can't you handle it? You are a Prince after all"

"What a crazy idea," he said with a raised eyebrow. "Have you forgotten that my title is only due to my adoption?"

“Right, I forgot about that. But, she can't go, the princesses' lives are in danger," Sunset continued.

"That is a flimsy excuse. Bitter Truth has informed me via a letter that firstly; Pepper won't be entering Canterlot any time soon, and secondly; he assures that she will try absolutely nothing, provided that you, and he underlined your name three times, do nothing to alter this prediction."

Sunset was silent for a moment, thoughtful. "You're telling me that the oracle gave you this information of his own accord? <One question per pony> is quite the convenient rule when he wants it to be,” Sunset said, a hint of resentment tainting her last sentence.

Blueblood gave a weak shrug. "The rule is only there for those who want to exploit his special talent. We are on very good terms, he and I."

"Makes you wonder what he sees in you," Sunset murmured disparagingly.

"The lack of ambition. Well, now that your fears have been allayed, I'll be heading back to the palace, wagons are waiting for you outside the hospital to escort the Princess' friends wherever they please," he murmured as he headed for the door, which he telekinetically opened before turning a sidelong glance towards Sunset. "Back to the topic, regarding Princess Twilight, some semblance of punctuality would be in order." 

The mare remained silent as she watched the prince leave, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible. Far from being fooled by the order disguised as wise counsel, one look was enough for her to know that Twilight, as it stood, was not presentable for an official press conference.

It wasn’t difficult to rouse the rest of the group and get them to move into the corridor outside of the room. There, once informed of the prediction of the oracle, they all left to go back to Ponyville. Spike, with the mission to put the elements back in the library, left in the same cart as Rarity, with Twilight’s crown in his hands. Rainbow for her part thanked the royal guards but left by her own means for the Wonderbolts academy to receive her orders from Spitfire in light of the current situation. 

Once Sunset and Twilight arrived at the castle, Reynaud was standing there, a herd of maids hidden by his height and his broad shoulders. When his electric blue gaze fell on the two mares, he took out the pocket watch from his butler's jacket to consider how long it would take to achieve a proper result. He inhaled deeply to clear his throat. "You have twenty minutes."

Before either of Celestia's two students had time to react, they were telekinetically dragged away through the service corridors to the royal bathroom. 

Once there, Sunset managed to extract herself by vehemently stating that she could take care of that herself.

Twilight did not have the luxury of doing the same, as only the combined efforts of the maids with curling-combs and brushes managed to restore her coat to its original shine, while others were busy smoothing out her feathers one by one. For the young princess, it could have been like a session at Lotus and Aloe, if the haste of the servants hadn’t turned the treatment abrasive. However, it did have the merit of giving her a little more time to enjoy a breakfast accompanied by Sunset.

As the two ate, the latter's attention turned to the butler as he stood at the side of the dining room doors with a cart holding a large stainless steel bell covered tray atop it to his left. For as long as she could remember, there had been rumours circulating that the stallion was a retired high ranking Equestrian Armed Forces officer, and was simply holding the position of butler to keep himself busy. Some guards pointing to his imposing stature, being almost as tall as Princess Celestia, and the manner in which he carried himself as evidence for this. His posture and intransigence, according to them, was worthy of the best drill sergeants, making him a true father figure who managed the castle's stewardship like a conductor. Woe be to anypony who had the audacity to strike a wrong note.

As she was staring at him, the butler discreetly checked the time and directed his attention towards them. "Princess Twilight, the press conference will begin in ten minutes."

"Thank you, Reynaud," Twilight said before wiping her mouth with a napkin, she didn't have much of an appetite, knotted up with the stress like she was. Yes, she wanted the responsibilities due to her rank, but she still saw herself as an assistant to Princess Celestia, only ruling her own domain. She at no point had even prepared herself for the possibility of being thrust onto the throne to take her place overnight. 

But as she headed for the door, the old earth pony blocked her way. Holding the tray with his left hoof, he removed the stainless steel bell to reveal what he had purposefully kept hidden till now. 

Twilight was initially surprised at what she saw, but that feeling was quickly overtaken by a sense of puzzlement. Sitting atop a white velvet cushion was her princess crown. "I know it's your duty to be prepared, so I won't ask how, but why did you hide my crown until the last moment?" she asked, placing the crown upon her head.

"Because, Princess Twilight, it is not difficult for the pony who was the Sun Princess' personal butler for so many years to deduce how much you would be fretting over the responsibilities that await you, at least those you will need to deal with until Princess Luna recovers. I wanted to spare you from the weight of your responsibilities as much as possible." He inspected her face for any stain, before continuing. "But you will not be alone. Prince Blueblood will be there to assist you if he feels it necessary."

"That's what Sunset Shimmer is here for," the young princess replied.

"This is not about fulfilling your wishes, but doing what is necessary," retorted Reynaud before turning to Sunset. "With all due respect, Miss Shimmer, fifteen years away from Equestria creates a lack of knowledge that could put Princess Twilight at odds with the citizenry."

The mare remained calm. "Presented that way, it's hard for me to disagree with you."

"Any help is welcome, even from Prince Blueblood, but I don't understand why he doesn't do it himself? He's a Prince after all, adopted by Princess Celestia as her nephew," Twilight said.

Reynaud lowered his electric blue gaze for a moment. "The concern lies elsewhere. By the time I explain, you'll be late for the press conference, and anyway, I have a feeling you'll understand soon enough. You're Princess Celestia's student, after all the hardships you've overcome, how much harder could it be to endure than a vitamin shot?"

The reminder shot had the desired effect, despite a shiver of apprehension at the thought of the needle poking her rump, it chased away her doubts, Twilight gave a small laugh. "Thank you Reynaud."

He smiled thinly. "Always a pleasure, Princess," he said before presenting the tray to Sunset. "Miss Shimmer, your weapon, please. Civilians are not allowed to carry weapons on castle grounds, let alone into the throne room."

She remained silent for a moment, weighing her options, and decided to abide by the castle's internal regulations, so she removed the harness and placed it, with the katana still in its saya, on the cushion. "Glad to see you haven't changed, Reynaud."

"Glad to see you've matured somewhat, Miss Sunset."

Sunset turned to Twilight, coming to whisper in her ear. "Let's run away before he gets the idea to update our vaccination records."

Reynaud lent himself to the charade, seemingly keeping his seriousness. "Funny you should bring that up, Miss Sunset, see you-"

Sunset and Twilight widened their eyes, they didn't give him time to finish the sentence, teleporting down the hallway and running off at full gallop towards the throne room, laughing like two mischievous fillies.

When they reached the edge of the great hallway they slowed down, and Twilight began to use the Canterlot step, an artificial gait meant to convey a sense of nobility, which consisted of a cadenced and majestic step in which she had to raise and extend her forelimbs up and forwards in succession while moving frankly and maintaining a collected attitude. 

Out of respect for etiquette, Sunset walked beside but slightly behind her. 

As they reached the doorway across the hall, two ponies curtsied as Twilight came up to them. As two royal guards opened the doors for them to enter the throne room, Twilight nodded to the non-guards.

The first was a meek pegasus who looked younger than Twilight, with sparkling apricot eyes and a scruffy mane that matched Celestia's colouring.

The second was a unicorn who looked to be in his fifties with a greying beard and a look in his deep blue eyes which held within them the severity of a school teacher. He wore a black trench coat and a matching hat atop his head.

Once the doors were closed behind them by the guards standing on the other side of the doors, Twilight whispered to Sunset. "I thought there would have been a lot more reporters."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Were you thinking this would be like when Celestia held court?"

Twilight tried to think back, but she had very few memories related to that part of the castle, as she had spent most of her free time reading books. "Maybe?"

Prince Blueblood was already there, standing at the bottom of the ramp, passing the guards standing in front of the throne to position himself perpendicular to the carpet, only to bow his head in reverence, mimicked by the guards when Twilight came up to him. "Hello, Princess Twilight," said the stallion. "Take a seat, at your ease," he said, indicating toward the throne.

The alicorn looked up. With hesitant steps, she climbed the ramp, but once up there, she didn't dare step onto the throne, it wasn't hers, she preferred to stand at the edge of the ramp, three steps in front of it.

Blueblood went to sit on the middle landing, to Twilight's left, before turning to her. "Princess Twilight, may I suggest that you offer the position of Royal Councillor to Miss Shimmer? I can take a day off from my duties, but as a diplomat, I cannot avoid it for the duration of your regency."

The moment Blueblood made his suggestion, Sunset made a quick overview of the situation, then smiled.

Twilight was surprised by the offer, but she preferred the idea of having Sunset by her side a hundred times over. She was about to do so when she saw the small smile of defiance hanging on Sunset's lips. Her annoying habit came back to mind, so she took a moment to think two moves ahead. "Sunset Shimmer, by the powers vested in me by my temporary status as Ruler of Equestria, I, Twilight Sparkle, offer you the position of Royal Councillor."

Sunset lost her smile, in appearance. "I refuse, a pony such as myself has no qualifications to hold such a position."

"You have lived for years outside Equestria, and I am the first to testify that you have the qualifications and knowledge that I lack. It would be very useful to me to have a pony like you to advise me."

"Over a decade ago, I left my country without a backward glance, because my ego was bruised by a truth I couldn’t accept. I did nothing worth such praise. I don't deserve such an honour."

"If you are consumed by remorse for your deed, then take advantage of the opportunity offered. By accepting this duty, you will be helping me to ensure the prosperity of Equestria..." She hesitated for a second. "... that, I'm sure, will make Princess Celestia proud of you when she returns."

Sunset was shocked by this low blow, but she only appreciated it all the more. She thought, as the guards were hearing this, they would spread those words, the deception that the disappearance of the Princess of the Sun was only temporary. "I humbly accept the position of Royal Councillor." 

"Now that had been taken care of, I would be grateful if you could leave the Japony etiquette aside for the rest of the day, Royal Councillor," requested Blueblood.

Sunset’s smile broadened into a grin. "Why stop at Royal Councillor? In the longer term it would be interesting to make me lord high steward."

"Oh?" The diplomat grinned mockingly. "I don't know how many positions you covet, but would you consider taking my place as well to handle relations with neighbouring kingdoms?"

"Why would I consider it? You seem to be doing an excellent job so far," she replied, deflecting the jab. "No, I was thinking more about the position of royal mage that has been vacant since yesterday, and that of captain of the royal guard."

"I’m surprised you aren’t aiming for royal treasurer and commander-in-chief of the E.U.P. as well, but one question remains. Do you even have the ability?"

"The Princess herself recommended Sunset to me in a letter. She was Princess Celestia’s protege before me after all. I'm sure my brother Shining Armor can rest easy knowing that the safety of Canterlot will be resting on your capable shoulders. Sunset Shimmer, I entrust you with these responsibilities, I know I can rely on you."

These last words constricted around Sunset's throat like a thorny ivy. She was the one solely responsible for the situation Twilight was in, all in the name of ridding Equestria of those she considered a threat.

Prince Blueblood rolled his eyes. "Miss Shimmer, please sit there," he said, pointing with his hoof to the middle landing, directly opposite to where he was sitting. "I'll have you know that under the circumstances, I've taken the liberty of sending some fifth circle guards to speak freely with Latest once Detective has left the premises," he announced as she took her seat.

Twilight and Sunset exchanged a look of confusion.

Blueblood's gaze hardened, "You were given access to the Seventh Circle, the highest level of trust by Princess Celestia herself, and you didn't even bother to consider the implications?” He used telekinesis to massage his temple with his silk handkerchief, suppressing a sigh. "This afternoon, I'll give you a lesson to make up for that silliness. Lord high steward, I will take the opportunity to inform you of the laws enacted in your absence. I had been hoping to occupy myself with something more important."    

Sunset turned her head away to sigh silently with her eyes closed, then breathed in to command the guards at the doors. "Send in the reporters." She didn't bother to ask Twilight if she was ready, she knew she wasn't. Like a filly who didn't dare get into the bath, the more sudden she made it the better.

The reporters entered. "Detective, you go first," said the unicorn as they approached.

"Oh, I already have an idea," said the young pegasus. "With Princess Luna taking a day off after searching for Princess Celestia in the far reaches of Equestria, Princess Twilight finally gets the throne she so coveted," he said with a smile.

Hearing this, Twilight was so shocked that she stepped back and involuntarily spread her wings.

Sunset saw red, the embers of her past were being rekindled by this headline, she who once saw herself as the successor to Princess Celestia by attempting to force her to cast the Heart Spell on her. Indignant, she turned her gaze to BlueBlood.

Putting a silk square in front of his mouth, he pretended to calm a coughing fit, but that was only an excuse to hide a laugh.

Her cyan gaze scanned the guards in turn, they were hardly holding back their laughter. This was too much, she would not let such impudence go unpunished. "How dare you!" she thundered, shattering the mood, before stepping forward to descend the ramp.

Against all odds, BlueBlood stepped in, blocking her way. "That's actually a pretty good statement, how dare you speak to Princess Celestia's favourite columnist like that?"

Sunset's impulse had just collided against the wall of her own ignorance. And the shock left her looking disoriented, this clash in her heart between the past and the present, she didn't know which leg to stand on. She looked at Detective for a moment, she gave him sixteen years at the most, before turning back to Twilight, then Blueblood, hesitance now plastered across her muzzle.

"Well, it would seem that introductions are necessary." Blueblood walked down the ramp to stand at the young pony's side. "Sunset Shimmer, this is Detective Report, he is currently one of the youngest columnists at the Equestria Daily, he has been in charge of a page at the back of the paper, the Untold Chronicles, for three years now. Detective, would you be so kind as to explain why that is?" he asked, a smug smile on his face as he glared at Sunset, knowing that she was about to go down.

"It was thanks to Princess Celestia. After she read my first column parodying Princess Luna's banishment as a forgotten game of hide and seek, just hearing her laugh about it, honestly, that's when I knew what I wanted to do, that's when I finally got my Cutie Mark. But honestly, after laughing so much during the Chucke-Lot, I wanted to make her laugh just as much. But never, ever, did I expect her to go and pitch the idea of including my columns to the editor of Equestria Daily."

"What kind of pony would I be to refuse a request from the Princess herself?" commented Latest Scoop.

"And as you might expect from that comment, Latest Scoop has been the editor of the paper for over thirty years now."

"Detective Report, Latest Scoop, allow me to introduce Sunset Shimmer, Princess Twilight has temporarily given her the position of lord high steward, please be so kind as to forgive her for her outburst, she has lived in Japony for the last fifteen years and needs to re-acclimate to Equestrian politics."

With no ulterior motive, the journalists bowed respectfully.

Sunset, looking as low as her head was, realised that in her eagerness to protect Twilight, she had forgotten that she was here in Equestria, a simple, liveable kingdom that was nothing like Japony, with its hyper-codified systems of honour and etiquette. She mentally chastised herself for her thoughtlessness, forcing herself to take a step back so she wouldn't react like that again, she couldn't afford to put Twilight on the spot. 

"What's the Chucke-Lot?" asked Twilight naively.

Almost immediately, the stunned looks of everypony present, even the guards, turned to the young princess in disbelief. All except Blueblood, who returned to his place on the middle landing, an amused smile on his lips.

"What do you mean, what's the Chucke-Lot?" said Sunset. "You're Princess Celestia's student, how can you not know about the Chuckle-Lot?!" her voice echoed around the room.

Twilight leaned back, the feeling that her ignorance was a crime in itself.

Once again, BlueBlood intervened, "It's easy to guess the reason for Princess Twilight’s ignorance, though, you'd have to have been around her when she lived in Canterlot," he said before shrugging, wearing an amused smile all the while. "After all, if Princess Celestia hadn't sent her to Ponyville three years ago, she'd still have her nose buried in a book in the library.”

Twilight was somewhat offended by these words, but she couldn't argue with him. 

With this clue in mind, Sunset understood what kind of student Twilight was. "Was it that bad? Considering she lives in the Ponyville library, why am I so surprised, really? Fatigue, no doubt." She turned her attention to the alicorn.  "Every spring, Princess Celestia holds a banquet, during which she indulges in clowning around on stage, Pinkie Pie style antics, to prove that even though in everyday life she's a Princess in the eyes of everypony else, she ..."


<...you lived the life I dreamed of living...>


The words Celestia had put down on paper suddenly came back to her mind, the same time the sob knotted her throat, which Sunset suppressed with a coughing fit. "...she's still a mare like you or me." 

Detective laughed to himself. "Epidemic of acute deafness in Canterlot Castle, following the return of Sunset Shimmer, user of the Traditional Voice of Canterlot."

Latest Scoop gave a short laugh. "If you're done, you'd better leave right now."

"Not just yet." He turned to Twilight. "Princess, I have a question for you, as the pony, not as a reporter. Is there any news regarding the current whereabouts of Princess Celestia?"

Twilight looked down for a moment, unable to meet his hopeful gaze knowing she had no good news to deliver. Directing a side glance towards Sunset, then Blueblood, Twilight found them to be silently looking away. It was up to her to respond, to keep hope burning as best she could. She shook her head. "No, still not." She forced herself to smile. "But I can promise you that the day I find out, you'll be the first pony I share the good news with."

He curtsied, forehead to the ground. "Thank you, Princess." 

"Detective?" asked Sunset.

"Yes, Great Steward?" he replied.

"Why would Princess Twilight covet the throne?"

He chuckled. "Because there can't be a more comfortable seat for reading a book.”

The logic behind that answer drew a smile from Sunset. "I see."

Detective saluted Twilight. “Princess.” Then Blueblood. "Prince." Then Sunset. "Lord high Steward." He then left the room with a short trot.

Latest Scoop returned Blueblood's knowing look, which didn't escape Sunset's notice, he inhaled, exhaled. "Well, if you don't mind, let's start with the most important question, what is the condition of Princess Luna?"

"The Chief Medical Officer has assured us that Princess Luna is stable and her life is not in danger, she has, however, suffered serious injuries and needs at least a week's rest," the alicorn said.

"I see. So from what I understand, Princess Luna was fighting an external threat, do you know anything more about it?"

Twilight allowed herself a moment of thought to formulate a proper response. "The identity of the creature that threatened the safety of Equestria remains unknown, but the guards who accompanied Princess Luna assured me that the creature has returned to whence it came."

Latest remained sceptical at the statement, it brought a small scoff to his lips. "Well, according to the information left by the bat pony who went to Dodge City’s branch office, Princess Luna also protected the changelings from this threat. After their attempted invasion during Princess Cadance and your brother Shining Armor's wedding, that's... surprising of her." 

Twilight didn't know what to say to that, she turned her gaze to Sunset, but quickly realised that the mare had nothing to offer of her own.

"Surprising? I don't think so," Blueblood said. "Inasmuch as Princess Luna is in charge of Equestria during her sister's absence, she thus serves as a proxy for her sister's legendary kindness and generosity, she had a duty to help. Despite their crime against Equestria, Luna acted purely out of sheer altruism, an act she would do again without hesitation, I have no doubt." 

Latest restrained himself from commenting. "Last question, quite interesting I must admit. Princess Twilight, how did it feel to perform the royal duty of Princess Celestia, your former mentor, when raising the sun this morning?"

Twilight and Sunset widened their eyes, before glancing at each other at this, the seized cogs of their minds trying to come to a conclusion, the most likely being that Pepper had done it, but if so, why? And if not her, then who?

Blueblood was amused to see the two mares flapping about like two parakeets whose cage had just been shaken. He turned his attention to Latest. "None of the lessons prepared her for this, but Princess Twilight always knew how to make Princess Celestia proud."

"That concludes the questions for the special edition," Latest gestured as he noted this line. "Permission to speak freely, Prince?" he asked as he tucked the small notebook into his jacket pocket.

"You may, I've seen to that."

"This is without doubt, the biggest tissue of lies I have ever heard, worse, sewn with white thread by you, and with which I will have to stifle the worries of the ponies of Equestria."

"It is not a pure tissue of lies, more a well constructed patchwork to assuage any fears Equestria’s ponies may have to help them have sweet dreams as soon as night falls."

"A matter of perspective."

"That's why I'm sitting here. It affords me a better view than you." He took a more serious tone. "Detective seems to be doing better, or am I wrong?" 

Latest shrugged. "First time I've seen him laugh heartily in at least a month. Sometimes I wonder if we're doing the right thing by lying to them all."

"Considering the case of Princess Luna's banishment, the long-term consequences are more beneficial."

"In the long run perhaps, but in the meantime, all suffer from her absence." 

Blueblood understood his point of view, and not wanting to decide matters in his favour by his authority alone, turned to the guards present. "Affiliates of the Fifth Circle, I summon your honest opinion on the present subject. Are we in the wrong for wishing to preserve the happiness of the ponies of Equestria by concealing the truth from them?"

None of the guards had the conviction to side with Latest. The mere idea of shattering the hopes of those around them, of imagining their reactions if this were to be made official, the inconsolable sadness that would follow, this possible future was unbearable.

Latest, seeing the grimaces, had to face the fact that he was the only one who thought like that. "It would seem that I lack foresight after all."

"No pony here could blame you for that. Like anyone else, you only want what’s good for all, like everypony else."

Hearing these words, three figures came to Latest's mind. "Maybe not everypony," he said in a darker tone. "It would be surprising if they didn't turn up given the opportunity that’s being offered on a silver platter."

Blueblood smiled thinly. "It would be more surprising if they weren't already behind the door."

"Seeing as I'm done with the questions, I'll take my leave. Personally, the less I see of them, the better I feel. Princess, Lord High Steward, Blueblood." Without further ado, Latest left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Sunset turned to Blueblood. "Who was he talking about?"

"There's no need to worry, you'll soon get the answer."

And it didn't take more than a minute for it to come true. The door opened again, one of the guards entered the room and announced loudly. "Lady Storm, Sire Adamantium, and Lady Shawarma request an audience."

This sentence echoed in Sunset's head. A hundred memories of that door opening to let them into this place preceded by that sentence resounded within her skull. Countless times the herald voiced that sentence all those years ago spewed their way back into the forefront of her mind. That sentence answered any question she may have still had and left her with nothing but apprehension.

"When we learned of the unfortunate incident with Princess Luna, we hurried as fast as we could in order to assist you with the regency of Equestria," said Adamantium.

"After all, who better to help you keep control of the kingdom than us? We are the best in the business," pointed out Storm.

"From Las Pegasus to Manehattan, there is not a place in this land to which we cannot offer some sound advice about," concurred Shawarma.

Sunset did not hear it that way. Learning from experience in Japony to play the game of politics, she could see that beyond the good-natured appearance of the three nobles, they were just three hyenas who had come to take advantage of the opportunity to twist Twilight into a puppet. She, however, stood in their way to the throne. "Good morning to you, ladies and sire, imagine my euphoria at seeing you again, with the same panache as fifteen years ago," she said as she came down the ramp to block them.

The trio stopped their advance and bowed to the mare. "Miss Shimmer, I think I can speak for my companions when I say that this pleasure is shared."

Sunset noted the lack of surprise. "A short-lived pleasure I’m sure when I inform you that Princess Twilight appointed me lord high steward before your arrival." 

The announcement shocked the trio, and soon, an unconcealed spiteful look turned to Blueblood. "This is your doing, I suppose," Adamantium said.

Blueblood was secretly amused by the accusation. "I would never advise anypony to give such responsibility to..." He glanced at Sunset with a half-assed attempt at disapproval. "...a mare who was conspicuously absent for the better part of two decades. The one responsible for that decision is Princess Twilight. That being said, despite my misgivings, I stand by her decision.” A thin smile then began to form across his muzzle, spreading from ear to ear. “If any of you take issue with this, I’m sure the Princess would be more than happy to hear your input”

They immediately bowed to Twilight. "We shall revere the decisions of Princess Twilight, who no doubt derives her great wisdom from the lessons of her mentor, Princess Celestia. To the extent that we are assured that our presence is not required, we will take our leave. Princess, lord high steward, Prince." 

"It would seem that the day you obtain the object of your desire will be the day the sun is raised from the south," said Sunset in a low voice.

Adamantium gave her a murderous look, but after some thought, he smirked. "If that was the only requirement, that day may come sooner than you think," he said before leaving the room with his peers.

Once the door closed, Twilight dared to speak. "What just happened?" she asked uncertainly.

Sunset returned to her seat. "You're not asking the right questions. Why do they seem to know me but are unsurprised by my presence? More importantly, if only a biteful of individuals, all sworn to secrecy, are aware of last night's events, how can they be aware this early?"

Twilight, after a moment's thought, responded. "Someone would have to have been spilling the beans?"

Blueblood smiled thinly. "There's nothing to sell when everything has already been bought."

Twilight and Sunset turned their attention to the prince. "What do you mean?" they asked in unison.

"You see, for almost eight hundred years now, the founding families have set out to buy Equestria back. While Princess Celestia has ruled the kingdom for centuries, generation after generation, the three families have built a financial empire within that kingdom."

"And the princess has done nothing to stop this?" asked Twilight bewildered.

"They're only owners, there's nothing wrong with that," commented the stallion.

Sunset understood Adamantium's point, he could undoubtedly pay all the unicorns in the kingdom just enough for them to agree to sacrifice a small amount of their magic in exchange for such a service. "That explains why you refused the regency, to avoid a civil war," Sunset said, her eyes crinkling.

Blueblood merely nodded in her direction, still smiling.

"I don't understand," Twilight said.

"If Blueblood were to become regent, Adamantium could raise the masses in insurrection due to him having more legitimacy to rule Equestria."

Twilight couldn't keep up, and it was glaringly obvious from how much she was missing from the words.

"What you don't know, Princess Twilight, is that Adamantium is the more direct descendant of Princess Platinum. I am only the child of the late second son of our grandfather."

With the last piece added to the puzzle, Twilight’s reaction was immediate. "You're cousins?!"







Detective arrived back at the Equestria Daily headquarters. However, unlike the other times he had entered, he was greeted by a deafening silence, not even the receptionist was at her post. He didn't pay much attention to it, but when he entered the office, he found that no one was there either. The only proof that the building was still in use were the magical missives from all over Equestria, stored in the racks named after the cities they came from. "Where did they all go?" he wondered.

"They went to brunch, at the Princess' expense," Bitter Truth said from Detective's office.

When the pegasus came face to face with the unicorn, he began racking his brain as to what he should do. "Who are you?"

"I am Bitter Truth, an unofficial agent of Princess Celestia. I have come to entrust you with a mission," he said as he took the royal seal out of the inner pocket of his coat to back up his words.

Detective was doubtful. "And sending everypony that works here to brunch was necessary? You couldn't have given me a date?"

Bitter pocketed back the royal seal. "I prefer that those with whom I need to speak are unprepared for my arrival. Now that I have answered your questions, your mission will be to focus your next columns on Damoiselle Sunset Shimmer."

"The lord high steward? For what reasons?"

"The ponies need to know that the one who was under the tutelage of Princess Celestia before Princess Twilight has returned and will now watch over Equestria."

"Wait, what?"

"You were barely born at the time. I've taken the trouble to ease the job for you, writing up the outline of her past. Starting tomorrow, you'll publish a page of her biography every day, using my writings as source material for an interview."

"Why me? I'm just a columnist making a mockery of events to make everyone laugh."

"And in these troubled times with the disappearance of Princess Celestia, the ponies need to laugh more than ever before. So make them laugh, if you don't want to do it at my request, do it for her," he said as he gave him a frame that adorned the desk.

The picture was a simple autographed portrait of Celestia smiling as usual, offered to him by Celestia herself, during his first day of work.

<To my favourite columnist.
Keep making us all laugh.
Your first reader,
Princess Celestia.>

Detective did not breathe a word, repressing sobs and tears as he nodded, clutching the precious gift to his chest for comfort.







In the late afternoon, on the other side of Equestria, the two humans sat around the fire like statues.

Pepper's gaze was lost in the contemplation of the flames, her thoughts turning to the events of the day. First the case of Trixie, employed to follow her for three days. Then the case of Nightmare Moon, coming to ask her a question out of the blue as if someone had whispered the crazy idea of restoring Celestia to her. A pony with precognition? No, the assumption was too preposterous for so many reasons. With such ability, this pony could have, among other things, warned Celestia. But the princess's power, ridiculous as it was, was now her own, proof that this idea was most unsound. It was better to conclude that both events were a quirk of fate, and to think no more about it.

Gamine was equally disturbed by a detail she couldn't accept, so she hesitantly raised her attention to the only person who could give her some semblance of answers. "Pepper, about the call I felt the day I undertook the journey to the Badlands. Do you really think it was only from Aglowing Shell?"

"Yes," the Regicide replied confidently, abandoning her thoughts and contemplation of the flame to give it her full attention.

The young guardian stood up to protest. "But-"

"I am stopping you right there," Pepper said in an uncompromising tone. "You ask for my opinion, I will gladly give it to you, but I will not waste my time arguing that it seems illogical to you."

Gamine resumed her seat on the rock where she had been sitting. "So you're saying I should put this aside, continue my quest without worrying that the despair of a single child reached me, all the way across the kingdom?"

Pepper nodded. "Yes." It was then that she froze, alert. Over Gamine's shoulder, she had spotted a figure.

Puzzled, the teenager remained silent for a moment, sure that she was being stared at by her interlocutor who seemed so nervous, worrying her to no end. "What?!"

"Someone is approaching," she replied simply.

Terrified by the mere sight of Pepper more tense than a bowstring about to break, Gamine jumped when she felt a large presence behind her, which immediately placed a hand on her right shoulder. Trembling, she turned her head to see who was standing there, but was dazzled by a bright light. Blinded, she heard Kyndal’s voice speaking to her in a soft voice, as if not to rush her.


<Gamine, wake up.>


The young guardian woke up from this repeated nightmare. The campfire had long since died, Trixie was also nowhere to be seen, and the sun was still high in the sky. Gamine tried to stand up, but the earth gave way under her hooves and she collapsed, gasping for breath. "What is happening?" she thought, distressed.

"The benefits of the flame have worn off, it will take a few days for my body to replace the lost blood." She paused briefly to think. "Let me have the body for a moment, I can infuse a small amount of the primordial life energy into the ring to keep my body healthy until then."

"About that, I was wondering, why didn't you go into the flame right away instead of telling me how to get there?" the latter asked as she let Pepper control the body.

Pepper cringed at the turn of phrase. "I felt myself fainting, so I thought I would give you the means to get there," she explained before opening a portal to her dimensional refuge. She walked through the portal painfully, becoming a mere human again, the ring falling to the ground as she revived, exposed to the flame.

"And you leave a stone there just in case you need it?"

"Without magic, I cannot move or destroy the stones that hide the entrance. The day I dug this hideout, I left myself a way to escape. Now if you are done with the questions, I would like to focus without being disturbed," she said in annoyance. Assured of the required silence, she gazed at the artefact for a moment, Gamine's word on her mind, dark memories came to her mind which she promptly dismissed with a sigh. Using her magic, she collected a tiny bit of flame, a glow in the palm of her hand no bigger than a pinhead, before infusing it into the gem of the ring.

"Will that be enough?" asked Gamine.

"More than enough," said Pepper as she turned back. Hoverver, halfway to the exit she stopped, glancing towards the doorway as she thought, she walked into the prison, to the third cell across the aisle, which was filled with magical accessories of all kinds.

"What are you looking for?"

Pepper turned her attention to Gamine, shooting her a look that didn't hide how much her patience was wearing thin.

"What?! I can't read your mind. I'd rather make sure you're not up to no good!" she said in her defence, returning an accusing look.

Pepper rolled her eyes, "I made a promise to Trixie, since I am here, I am preparing in case she can not open a portal." 

Gamine noted a doorway that led even deeper into the darkness. "Is there anything else further down?"

Pepper collected an amulet adorned with a perfectly chiselled sapphire, which almost resembled the ornament used by the illusionist to attach her cloak. She weighed the pros and cons before answering. "Items that are a little too large to fit in these cells." She opened a small portal to the hiding place beneath the two sisters' castle and telekinetically deposited the amulet next to the toothpaste tube. "I am done with the preparations."

Gamine regained control of her body. "Aren't you planning anything in case Equestria wants to avenge Luna?" she asked as she headed for the exit.

"The only threat would be Twilight, do not give her time to use her artefacts on us and we will be fine. If there really is a way in Equestria to restore anyone, you can not afford for that to happen."

Gamine picked up the ring as she left the dimensional refuge, closing the portal behind her as she slipped the ring onto the base of her horn.

Trixie arrived at full speed, carrying various foodstuffs in a wicker basket, all provided by the bat ponies' camp. But when she saw Gamine standing there, she stopped her run, her hooves slipping on the still wet grass of the forest before stopping a few steps away from her, one eyebrow raised. "Pepper, are you up? I was sure you had anaemia."

"I'm not Pepper, but the other human Nightmare Moon revealed last night, my name is Gamine. This is the first time we've been able to talk so it's a pleasure to meet you, Trixie Lulamoon."

Trixie put the basket down, a little dazed by the statement. "Oh, I realise that now that you're talking, your tone of voice is softer. It's a shared pleasure."

"Now that the secret is out, I have no reason to pretend to be Pepper. At least with you, the changelings and the bat ponies. Tell me, what is anaemia?"

Pepper rolled her eyes at the question.

"Anaemia is defined as an abnormally low level of red haemoglobin. When ...you? were sleeping, I'm sure you had symptoms, so I went to the Moon Guard camp to get some food to help fix it. Cheese and hard-boiled eggs."

"How can I help her know?" Gamine wondered.

Pepper's attention was drawn to several concealed presences, from which there was no hostility emanating. "Focus your attention on Trixie, we are being watched, best to feign ignorance for now. I am left-handed and you are right-handed. That should be enough," she pointed out.

Gamine thought Pepper had a point. In the heat of the moment, it would be hard to notice this detail. "From now on it's mainly me who'll be there," she said before using her magic to manifest a hand on the end of her right forehoof to take a piece of gouda. "If Pepper or I ever need to inform you of a change, we'll gesture with our hooves, I'm right-handed. Pepper is left-handed," she said before beginning to consume the cheese.

"Her medical knowledge will probably be more useful than her prestidigitation skill, considering the mission ahead."

Gamine ignored the pragmatic comment. "How did you come to learn medicine, is it in case you get hurt on one of your trips between cities for your performances?"

"Did you hear what I said to Pepper yesterday?"

"Just like Pepper is hearing everything you're telling me right now. She says your knowledge of medicine is a great asset."

That was all it took to boost the illusionist's ego. "The Great and Powerful Trixie will do everything she can to help you." But it was short-lived. "To answer your question, when I was just a filly, I had an idol. Sunset Shimmer, the mare who stood next to Twilight yesterday. At the time she was a pupil of Princess Celestia. She studied a little bit of everything, medicine, law, history, heraldry, the list goes on and on, as if she was trying to learn everything possible. And having had the opportunity to read her notes, I became interested in a few subjects, particularly medicine and law."

"Yesterday was the first time I saw her. Ask where she has been all this time," said Pepper. 

"Pepper said she'd never seen Sunset before, did she live somewhere else?" asked Gamine before peeling a hard-boiled egg to eat it in small bites.

"A few years later, in the middle of the school year, she was suddenly conspicuous by her absence. After several days without news, I went to see Princess Celestia. When I asked her about it, she told me that Sunset was no longer her student, nor a student of the school. I didn't ask about it because she could hardly keep a smile on her face. Even her family did not know where she had gone. For my part, I wanted to try to take medical classes, having a head start because of the notes I had read, it helped me stand out." She gave an embarrassed laugh. "That's how the other students started calling me the great and wonderful Trixie, it made me so happy personally. But after several years of study, I realised that medicine was too much responsibility. The idea that a mistake on my part could have serious consequences for others was too much for me, what I love is entertaining ponies, it is my special talent after all."

"Another student of Celestia? Seems like Sunset Shimmer is an extra danger you shall have to watch out for," noted Pepper.

"Thank you for that clarification Trixie. Getting back to the subject of anaemia, Pepper has enchanted this ring,” Gamine stated, gesturing up to the ring around her horn. “The magic in the gem should keep the body healthy. However, thank you again for your intention.”

"Trixie will have to try to open the portal I created, if she can not, that is where the amulet I put in the hiding place will be useful. It should give her the minimum amount of magical power needed to do so."

"The portal to the moon that Pepper created last night is the same type of portal that you asked her to create, because of this, she would like you to try to open the one in the camp."

"I'm not risking anything by trying, am I?" asked Trixie worriedly.

Gamine finished peeling another egg. "Of course not, it's only to make sure you can do it, if not she's already prepared an amulet that will allow you to do it."

Trixie's eyes widened. "Oh no no no no no," she shook her head. "I'll never use an amulet again, not after what I did with the alicorn amulet."

Gamine swallowed the half egg she had started to chew. "What happened?"

"I could no longer control myself, the power made me evil, so much so that following a duel of magic, I banished Twilight from Ponyville which I locked in a force field, and enslaved its inhabitants."

"For how long?" asked a startled Gamine.

"A whole afternoon," replied Trixie in shame.

"Wait for what? Half a day?" asked a puzzled Gamine.

"Yes," admitted Trixie.

Gamine was wary, she was about to bite into the second half of the egg but she wanted to back up an idea. "Was anypony badly hurt?"

"What? No, of course not. Why would you ask such a question?"

"I just want to fully understand the seriousness of your crime," pouted Gamine before finally gulping down the half egg and chewing it to give herself time to think.

"I do not know about you, but to me it is insignificant, but to the ponies of this realm, I suppose her crime is almost on a par with Chrysalis', in that the changelings who feed without consideration for their prey," commented Pepper.

A word from Kyndal came to Gamine's mind. "And you are sorry?"

"I am, yes."

 "If my mother were here, she'd tell you, don't look back at the past and be sorry, face your future and become better," the young guardian smiled weakly.

"You don't understand. What I have done is serious. I should be in jail! A year I've been waiting for the law to come and put the irons on my hooves before throwing me in a cell to rot! But for some reason I can't understand, I'm still free.”

"Oh, that I can explain," Nightmare Moon said with wings unfolded to make a point as she moved closer, pretending not to come out of hiding from where she had spied the conversation with Aglowing and Chitin following close behind. "After the delegation from Selludite Arabia had retired for the rest of the evening, Twilight told us her side of the story in its entirety. Whereupon, Celestia, as usual, under the pretext that this had allowed Twilight to learn a little more about the magic of friendship, decreed that this crime would not be prosecuted. Luna was not happy about this, but since it had taken place during the day, the princess of the night had no say in the matter. As a result, Celestia made sure to save some of the budget for her personal expenses, to compensate the ponies of Ponyville." 

Trixie's guilt refused to leave her so simply. "I don't think I deserve-." Before she had time to finish her sentence, the unicorn was thrown onto her back by Nightmare Moon's telekinesis. The shock was as brutal for the body as the guilt of her crime was to her mind.

"Hear our word, my little pony, for we speak as the Herald of Celestia! For she is the Princess of Equestria, her goodness and generosity have dictated a sentence and her word is law!" Said the mare, striking the earth with her hoof. "We hereby declare that you are to live happily as any other pony in Equestria!" Again she struck the ground, acting on her word like a judge banging his gavel. "Under the gaze of the sun and moon, you shall devote the rest of your life to living by the talents that are yours." She struck her hoof again, the force making the illusionist flinch as she felt lightning strike not far from her. "Thou shalt not deny thyself the friendship and love of those whom thou shalt consider thy friends and the love of thy life, when in thy heart thou shalt recognize them as such!" She knocked. "And if by the greatest misfortune thou shalt have offspring, then devote the rest of thine life to making other ponies' foals happy!" she struck. "Thou are strictly forbidden to consider thine life worthless!" She knocked. "To live in the past!!" She struck. "Nor in regret!!!" She knocked, breathless, an unquenchable anger overwhelming her as she spoke. It took a few seconds for the alicorn to suppress it, regaining her composure while catching her breath, but eventually she continued, her tone much calmer now. "Have we made ourselves clear?"

"Y-yes." said Trixie tearfully.

"Very well. Now leave our sight until the sun is lowered," Nightmare Moon ordered, pointing with her hoof in the direction of the forest. "Our time is too valuable to waste on dispensing Celestia's words to a pony who is deaf to her generosity," she breathed.

Trixie trotted off without a second thought, holding back tears as she went.

Once she was gone, Nightmare Moon turned visibly concerned to Chitin. "I can not command you, changeling, but I would be grateful if you would agree to go watch over this pony from afar."

"Watch over my caesar in the meantime, we'll be even, monster," the warrior changeling said before leaving to follow Trixie.

"Was it really necessary to go through with this?" snapped Gamine, who had resisted the urge to intervene as best she could, trembling from the adrenaline rush.

"Oh yes, It was," Nightmare Moon replied as she pinned Aglowing against her chest with one hoof to share a hug. "And again, my first thought was to slap her face." 

"What's a slap Moony?" the hybrid asked ,curious about the word she was hearing for the first time.

"That's exactly what I just did to her..." began Nightmare Moon while taking a piece of melting brie. "...but instead of hitting the ground, hitting her," she finished as she nestled the piece of cheese in the beak of the talkative magpie. "Quiet now," she growled with squinted eyes before turning her attention to Gamine. "Sometimes kindness is not enough. I knew a pony in the same case," she said, thinking back to Luna creating the Tantabus from scratch. "Based on the latter, I can assume what Trixie went through. After leaving Ponyville, everything was fine, but gradually the guilt ate away at her. According to her, she has been waiting a year for the punishment to come. She forbade herself to live happily. The other pony, not seeing the punishment coming, began to punish herself for the crimes she had committed. It is only a speculation, but Trixie might -or might not- have sought to punish herself afterwards. Yes, it was necessary to come to that."

"And if it was not enough?" asked Gamine.

"As long as she's going to guide you to Starlight Glimmer, you'll be by her side during the trip, you can watch over her, help her if the need arises. Now, if you're done, I want to talk to Pepper, give her back control."

"How do you know it wasn't Pepper, Moony?" the child asked.

"Just look in her eyes, it's not hard to tell the difference." She smirked. "It's like night and day," she said, repeating Pepper’s words during her first conversation with Luna.

"Did you tell her?" noted Pepper, who followed the child's gaze as she leaned on her chest to get out of the hug and come to check if Pepper's gaze was so different.

"It was simple to explain in that I was able to use Chrysalis and myself as an example of your situation. Aglowing let me know that you refused to be her friend, would you be so kind as to express the reason for that?"

Aglowing didn't see much difference, but she had only been around Gamine for a few moments, and during that brief pause, she had her attention riveted on her friend.

"Because I did not want to have to deal with your legendary jealousy," said Pepper flatly.

"There is merit in your reasoning, but you forgot my legendary anger in the rush. Also, for making her cry, you will make amends by agreeing to be her friend and promising to watch over her as long as you remain in Equestria."

"Why me? There is a guardian not far away who would be happy to look after her."

"I don't want the protection of a guardian! I want the protection of a monster willing to destroy what little harmony is left in Equestria to protect my friend, Pepper! You will assure me that from now on you will watch over Aglowing in this way!" the thousand-year-old mare raged.

Aglowing tried to be intimidating. "You'd better agree or I'll give you the Fluttershy eye!" she said with a frown that only made her look cuter.

"She wants to leave this world with peace of mind. And apart from the changelings, she sees you as the only viable alternative," deciphered Gamine.

"Obviously I do not have much of a choice," sighed Pepper, feigning duress. "I vow to protect our mutual friend. I will think of a way to make sure she remains safe as I go to see this Starlight Trixie told us about."

Nightmare Moon hid her relief in a sigh of satisfaction. "Well, you do that, in the meantime I'll go rest. I will meet you back at the camp and we'll go to the Moon once Gamine has lifted it into the sky," she said before leaving, Aglowing trotting after her.