Something has come to Equestria. What does it bring with it?
Something has come to Equestria. It has traveled the stars, finally arriving. What it is, is unknown. What it wants, is unknown. All that is known is what it brings: a new beginning.
It was Luna who spotted it first. She was flying through the skies late one night, keeping a close eye on the land, feeling for the ripples in the back of her mind that signified a nightmare. It was rare for her to interfere in her subjects’ dreams.. Even rarer still that she manipulated the skeins of dreams to allow two or more ponies to share a dream. She had recently taken an interest in a young filly named Scootaloo,and had briefly allowed both her and her idol, Rainbow Dash, to share dreams.
Yet such times were rare; she preferred to allow her subjects their autonomy. After all, dreams, even nightmares, were a natural part of a pony’s life. Nightmares allowed one to face one’s fears in the safety of one’s mind.
As she flew, she noticed something different in the night sky. Contrary to popular belief, she lacked the ability to create true stars in the night sky. True, she could add illusions to the sky, but the creation of those heavenly bodies was far beyond her. Each star was an entity unto itself, much like the sun that her sister, Celestia, moved each day. Perhaps if she was close enough to a star she could move it, but such a trip was unnecessary when all she had to do was add the illusion of stars to the sky.
Yet that night was different. She felt a ripple run through her mind, one that she had not felt before. Her teal eyes scanned the sky, searching for something out of the ordinary. It took her a moment, but she finally spotted it; a light in the sky that had not been there before. It was faint, but distinguishable to her heightened vision.
It wasn't unheard of for new stars to appear, and some had even vanished in a brilliant flare of light. It was the nature of the universe, a constant cycle of life, death, and creation. Luna had never felt a sense of dread accompany the birth of a new star. This was something different. It had suddenly appeared in the black depths of space, far from the clusters of stars, or the nurseries of the nebulae.
Luna narrowed her eyes, staring at the tiny dot, trying to discern the mystery behind it. She knew her sky, knew what to expect from it. In all her long years of keeping watch over the night, even when she was trapped on the moon. Something like this had never happened before.
After several minutes of trying to figure out what it was, she shook her head. “Perhaps Tia saying I work too hard was not simply a jest,” she mused quietly. “Most likely this thing is but an anomaly. If it is still there tomorrow, I shall ask her advice.”
She flew off into the night, her magical senses once again alert for signs of a nightmare.
* * *
The next night, she was once again on patrol. She had pushed the new addition to her sky to the back of her mind. The stress of half-running an entire country instead took the forefront of her thoughts. Since her return from exile, so hadn’t had a day off. In fact, she had covered for Tia more than once. Smiling, she remembered one time that she had locked Tia inside her room, changing her form to resemble her and presiding over the Day Court. Her sister had been angry at first, but Luna had forced her to admit that she had enjoyed her day off.
By instinct, she cast her magic out across the sky, checking that everything was as it should be. She once again found the disturbing anomaly that had appeared the night before. She tightened her magic upon it, finding its exact location and homing in. Her eyes followed the strand of magic, seeing once more that which she thought was an illusion.
Unlike the previous night, though, this time it was brighter in the sky. Where once it had been dim, barely able to be seen next to the brighter stars around it, now it stood out on its own.
Her eyes narrowed while her brain tried to make sense of this. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Stars did not just move closer to Equus. A star only grew brighter when it was nearing the end of it’s lifecycle. Even then, the process took thousands of years. It was impossible for it to happen overnight.
“Perhaps I should let Tia know about this...” She watched the light for an hour, staring at it through slitted eyelids. Yet she could not tell whether it was getting brighter or not. “If it’s brighter tomorrow, I shall inform her.”
A tingle broke her attention from the anomaly. “Hmm, it would seem that the one called Lyra is having another nightmare. I should investigate but...” She sighed. “That one has very odd... dreams.” Luna hesitated, unwilling to enter the mare’s dreams. “If this involves ‘hands’ again, then she is on her own.”
She filed away the information about the new star and set off towards Ponyville, steeling herself for whatever new horrors Lyra could drag up this time. Her last dream about those creatures called “humans” had given the moon princess daymares for a week.
* * *
Just as she had every night before, Luna was once more scanning the skies. And this time, she was frightened. The light which appeared two nights ago was now growing so bright it was actually overpowering the stars around it; half of the constellation of Manticoro was blotted out.
“This... is worrisome,” she muttered. “Tia needs to know about this.”
With powerful beats of her wings, she sped towards Canterlot Castle, leaving a starry trail in her wake. She alighted atop the highest balcony of the second tallest tower. Her hoofsteps unsure, she strode over to the closed door. Luna peered in past the open curtains to the room within.
She knocked on the glass, a light tapping ringing out across the balcony. With her enhanced night vision, she could see a figure stirring amongst the blankets on the bed. When nopony arose, she knocked once more, louder this time.
The blankets moved again, this time a white head framed by a quad-colored mane appeared, the purple eyes blinking at the source of the disturbance. Luna waved at the pony inside, beckoning her to come over.
The pony’s horn lit up and the blankets folded themselves into a neat pile at the foot of the bed. She stood up, her mane impeccable as always. Luna was secretly jealous of her sister. No matter what, Tia always looked her best, even when she had just rolled out of bed.
Tia plodded across the room and opened the door to the balcony with another burst of magic. “Lulu, what is it?” she asked.
“Tia, I’m afraid there is something I must bring to your attention.”
“What? Can’t this wait until morning?” Celestia asked with a yawn. Despite what she portrayed in front of her subjects, Celestia had moods and emotions just like anypony else. And right now, she looked annoyed and tired.
“I’m afraid not.”
Celestia seemed to pick up on Luna’s worry, because her visible eye narrowed. “What is it?”
Luna backed up a few steps, beckoning her sister outside. Celestia followed, her shoe-less hooves making far less noise than her smaller sister.
Pointing with a silver-clad hoof, Luna asked, “Do you see that light?”
Celestia nodded. “Yes.”
“Three nights ago, it wasn’t there. Two nights ago, it was faint. Last night, it was brighter, but still not quite there. Now, as you can see, it is blocking half of the nearby constellations.”
Luna turned her gaze from the sky to her sister. Celestia was staring at her. “Lulu, I’m too tired for this..”
Luna shook her head. “This isn’t my doing. I don’t know what this is, only that it appeared and is now getting brighter.” She felt as her sister’s magic scanned across the sky. The two of them had grown up together and knew each other’s magical signatures intimately. She knew that Tia was simply seeing whether the light had her signature on it, signifying it as an illusion.
“Hmm,” Tia hummed thoughtfully.
“See? It is no creation of mine. Tell me Tia, did anything like this happen while I was... indisposed?”
Celestia shook her head, her mane rippling. “No. I admit to not having the fine control that you do over the night sky, but nothing of this sort happened.”
The sisters stood staring at the light for several moments. Finally Celestia spoke up. “Keep an eye on this sister. Should it keep growing, alert me.”
“What should I do for now? Surely if I have noticed it, and it is that bright, then there are astronomers who have seen it as well.”
“They will likely come to me during Court to ask about it. Shall I tell them that you are simply in a mood and playing a trick?” Celestia asked.
“I...” Luna hesitated and glanced away. “I don’t know Tia.”
Celestia sighed. “I will think of something. For now, I’m going back to bed. Let me know if it gets worse.” With that, she turned around and went back inside, closing the door behind her.
Luna stood on the balcony for a while longer, staring once more at the light in the sky. “I wish she would take me seriously sometimes.” She flapped her wings and took off, soaring towards the highest balcony on the tallest tower.
Alighting upon the stones, her horn lit up and opened the door. She stepped inside the room, her room, closing the door and drawing the curtains behind her. The room became nearly pitch black, just the way she liked it. Only a faint glowing from the walls and ceiling, hundreds of individual pinpricks of light, a perfect replica of the sky outside, lit the room.
She made her way over to her desk, stacked high with papers and books. A quick burst of telekinesis moved them all aside. She pulled out a single, thick journal, opening to a blank page. Grabbing a quill and ink in her magic, she wrote down just what she saw in the sky and its location.
No sooner was her task done did she move over to her favorite reclining pillow, settling herself into its soft depths. There she simply cast out her magic, doing her nightly duty of monitoring the dreamscape. True, it was easier to do so outside and flying amongst the land, but she could handle it from here too.
Handling things from her room allowed her to direct part of her thoughts towards the new addition to her sky. Perhaps it was simply a star which was too faint to see before now going supernova. If that were true, then it would burn bright for several days, a week at most, before vanishing. Tonight was the third night. If it was still there after a week, then she could truly worry.
Still, she could not shake the feeling that there was something different about this light. Every time she thought about it, a shudder ran down her spine. “Please let this be nothing,” she said.
* * *
Luna was now truly worried. Once more she was standing on her sister’s balcony. The regal figure of her sister stood next to her. They were both looking up at the sky, frowns matching the mood perfectly.
“It has been two days and still it grows brighter,” Luna said. “Manticoro is gone.”
Celestia nodded. “Yes. And it’s getting bigger as well.”
Indeed, the light was bigger and brighter. The whole of Manticoro was dwarfed by the light. Luna could sense that the stars in the constellation still existed, they just couldn’t be seen. Already the light was bigger than any other star in the sky.
Both sisters had tried scanning the light with magic, but neither could tell what it was, only that it existed. It was as if something was blocking their attempts. But they couldn’t figure out what.
“Tia, you know that ponies will be in Court tomorrow, asking about this.” Luna knew they had been lucky so far and nopony had noticed. But now, even a casual observer could see.
She nodded. “I know.”
“What are you going to tell them?”
Celestia sighed. Luna could tell that she was at a loss for what to say, a rare thing for the regal Alicorn. “I don’t know. The last thing I want to do is incite a panic, but I don’t know what to say about this.”
Celestia always had something to say, some calm reassurance about the situation. To find her at a loss for words was something that nopony currently living, except her sister, had ever experienced.
“You will think of something, sister,” Luna reassured her.
Celestia tore her gaze from the light and looked at Luna. “Will I? When neither of us can explain this to ourselves, how will I explain it to my ponies?”
Luna draped a wing over her sister. “You will, I’m sure of it. You always have before.”
Celestia leaned into her. “Thank you Lulu, but this time may be different. Something feels... off about this.”
“You feel it too, Tia?”
“Yes. There is something about this that feels like nothing I have ever experienced before.”
They both shivered. Silence reigned over them both, neither knowing what to say. It was Luna who broke it.
“You should go back to sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day, for both of us.”
“You’re right Lulu. Though I don’t know how I will be able to sleep tonight.” Celestia frowned, the expression seeming out of place on her face. Always Tia had a smile, even during the most boring of meetings. She only ever let her real emotions show around Luna.
“Try.” Luna forced a smile on her face.
Instead of responding, Celestia went back inside her room, the door closing behind her with a resounding click.
Luna returned her gaze to the sky, unable to shake the ever-growing feeling of dread. She had lived for a long time, experienced a lot of things. But she had never encountered anything like this.
Eventually, she left her sister’s balcony in favor of her own. Her nightly duty of watching over her subjects’ dreams was forgotten in favor of trying to figure out the mystery behind the light. But no matter how hard she thought about it, no matter how deep into her memories she went, nothing surfaced. No solutions, no insights, nothing.
She felt powerless, something she was not used to. She knew that Celestia was feeling the same thing. They could do nothing but wait and see what transpired. And hope that they were both wrong about what they felt.
* * *
A week passed. The light did not get any brighter, but it did grow larger, as if it was moving closer. Luna had been right, Court was full of ponies asking about the new light in the sky. First among them was Twilight Sparkle, her sister’s student.
Celestia had tried to calm them down, to offer them her assurances that nothing was wrong. She had offered the explanation that this was but an anomaly, telling the ponies about previous times when a light had appeared in the night sky only to die out within a week.
That had calmed them, for a while. Now though, with the light still there, looming over them all, they were panicking once more. Just that morning, Equestria Daily had run a front page article about the phenomenon.
For now the panic was more curiosity based, rather than fear. But Luna felt as if that wouldn’t last. Celestia could only keep them under control for so long. Soon they would find out that she knew just as much as they did, which was to say nothing. Then they would truly panic.
Only three other ponies, besides Luna and Celestia, knew the truth: Twilight, her brother Shining Armor who was Captain of the Royal Guard, and Midnight Blade, Captain of Luna’s own Lunar Guard.
Luna’s own experiences with Twilight were minimal, but based upon what she knew of the mare, she would have told her friends, the other Elements of Harmony. While she owed the Elements her life, Luna was not sure what good they would be in the current situation.
But Celestia, despite the front she portrayed for the ponies, was a master strategist. Even against a foe as unpredictable as Discord she had ensured victory. Every foe who had tried to take over Equestria had been defeated by some plan set in motion by her.
The light was larger than any star in the sky, but still smaller than the moon. Once more, Luna tried to scan it with magic, hoping for something to have changed, for the outcome to be different this time. But still she could discern nothing about it. To her frustration. it resisted all efforts to read it.
Even though it was late at night, she could feel the tension that pervaded Canterlot, indeed all of Equestria. It was as if the land waited with bated breath, watching to see what would happen next. One small spark could ignite a conflagration. As a Princess, it was her duty to keep the population calm, even if she herself wanted to join them in panic.
Fear was an emotion that, while unfamiliar, was not unknown to her. But as she stood on her balcony, she felt its cold embrace grip her heart. The closer the light got, the more the feeling of dread grew. That sense of something being wrong, of imminent change coming, she couldn’t shake it.
Try as she might, there was nothing she could do about the light, or whatever it was. All she could do was hope to contain the fallout as much as possible. She ruffled her wings, a chill gripping her despite it being a warm summer night.
* * *
Luna once more found herself in the company of her sister late at night. Only this time, they weren’t outside, nor were they alone. A meeting between the Royal Sisters and their respective Captains had been called. Sitting around a small table were Luna, Tia, the Captain of Tia’s guard, Shining Armor, and Midnight Blade, Luna’s Captain.
“Princess, why have you called us here?” Shining asked.
“I assume it has to do with that light,” Midnight said, her bat-like wings folded at her side.
Celestia nodded. “It does. You already know as much as my sister and I do on the matter.”
“Which isn’t much,” Midnight muttered.
Luna glared at her Captain. Midnight may be a good guardspony, but she lacked discipline at times.
Celestia ignored the comment. “I’m sure that this is nothing, but I think the general population could use some reassurance.” She gave both Captains a long look. “Therefore, I want both of you to organize more patrols. Run some parade drills in town. Show everypony that you are there.”
“Midnight,” Luna said. “I want you to organize nightly patrols of Canterlot. The Night Guard is still small, and you aren’t quite accepted by the general population, but now is your chance to show them that you are just as good as the Royal Guard.”
“But we aren’t just as good as the Royal Guard,” Midnight said.
Luna stared at her Captain. “What do you mean?”
“We’re better,” she said, nudging Shining so hard he nearly fell over. Shining just groaned. Midnight liked to maintain that she had a friendly rivalry with him.
“Whatever,” he said, trying not to roll his eyes.
She rubbed up against him almost flirtingly. “Just admit it,” she whispered into his ear.
He stepped away. “I’ll admit it when the Night Guard manages to beat the Royal Guard in a monthly inspection.”
She pouted. “Oh but Shiney, how can we win when against such a big, strong stallion like you?”
“Enough Midnight,” Luna commanded.
The dark coated guardspony shot one last grin at Shining Armor before turning her attention back to matters at hand.
Celestia cleared her throat. “Shining.”
“Yes ma’am?”
“Send word to the outposts in all the cities, tell them to increase their presence in whatever way they can. Drill, train, patrol, make sure the ponies see the Royal Guard out and about.”
Shining saluted. “Yes ma’am, will do.”
Celestia dismissed the two Captains. They filed out of the room, Midnight still trying to rile up Shining.
When they were gone and the door was closed, Luna regarded her sister. “Tia, what was that all about?”
“Nothing other than what it seems. You’ve heard about the ponies coming into Day Court to ask about the light. This is just to reassure them that everything is fine.”
“And there’s nothing behind this?”
Celestia finally turned to look at Luna. “I hope not,” she said cryptically.
Celestia tried to get up and leave. Luna ignited her horn, sealing the door shut and preventing her sister from leaving.
“Tia, I’m your sister. You can trust me.” She gave Celestia a pleading look. “I know you’re still trying to shelter me, but it’s time to stop. So I ask again, what are you really planning?”
Celestia sighed. “Luna, I just want to reassure the ponies that everything is under control.”
Luna stared at Celestia, not buying her explanation for a second. With a sigh of her own, she relinquished her hold on the door, allowing her sister to leave. She would have more luck trying to convince Twilight Sparkle to burn a book than she would getting a secret out of her sister.
She knew that Tia was planning something, and knowing her, it was a “worst-case scenario” plan. Whatever she was planning, Luna hoped that it would never come to fruition.
Twilight Sparkle stood on a hill between Ponyville and Canterlot. Next to her were her friends, each wearing their respective Element necklace. She blinked as the wind blew her mane into her face. She knew without looking that behind her were the two princesses, Luna and Celestia.
None of that was of any particular consequence, or really even worth mentioning. What made this gathering special was the fact that in front of her stood the combined ranks of the Equestrian Royal Guard and the Lunar Guard. Hundreds of ponies, resplendent in their armor, formed ranks in a show of military force that had not been seen in the peaceful country in over a thousand years.
It was night, but the entire scene was lit by an eerie glow, like that from a fire. But there was no fire to be seen. The countryside was fine, neither of the cities had flames leaping up from them, even the Everfree forest was calm for once. It was as if the world held a collective breath.
The cause behind the military presence, the glow across the land and her presence, hung in the sky. One month ago, Princess Luna had spotted a light in the sky. Over the course of that time, the light had grown closer to Equus with each passing day Now that light was hovering just overhead. and the sole reason for Equestria’s near panic.
At first glance, it looked like a large ball of fire, almost like the sun. But unlike the sun, this could be directly stared at, something that Twilight had done a lot of. At first with a telescope, then with her naked eye as it grew closer. Details could be made out, things like how it wasn’t quite solid. It was a series of interlocking pieces, similar to a puzzle. The glow was coming from gaps between those pieces. What was hidden inside this giant ball, nopony knew. But it was the size of Canterlot itself. Occasionally a tongue of flame would pierce the gaps.
The surface was studded with towers. They reminded her of the swords that some of the guard carried. They stuck out from the ball with no discernable pattern. Yet unlike the rest of the ball, they glowed with an inner blue light.
The “thing,” Twilight could honestly not come up with a better word, in any language, to describe it, had been hovering in the same spot for a day now. And for a day, the Guard had camped out beneath it, ready for anything. For a day, she and her friends had stood, prepared to unleash the Elements themselves, should the need arise.
All of Equestria was watching. Indeed, eyes from all over Equus itself were watching, waiting to see what would happen. As the thing had hung there, small pieces, not large enough to be the puzzle pieces, but a piece of a piece, would fall off. Leaving a flaming trail behind it, it would fall to the ground. So far the damage had been minimal, with Guard unicorns deployed all around to erect shields when a piece should fall.
“Is it going to do anything?” came the exasperated voice of Rainbow Dash. It was the forty-sixth time she had asked that, each one coming in quicker succession than the last. The pegasus had never been one to sit still for long, so spending an entire day standing on a hill was getting to her.
“Indeed. All this dust is clinging to my coat. And I haven’t washed my mane or tail in...” Rarity thought for a moment before gasping. “Why it’s been over a day. Twilight, darling, you simply must let me remedy that.”
“Maybe the thing only wants cupcakes? Or cake? Ooh, I should throw it a ‘Welcome to Equestria’ party! I wonder what it eats? Does it even eat? What if it opens up and yummy things fall out.” Pinkie drew in a breath. “Is it a pinata? Or a giant oven with all the fire inside?” She was hopping up and down in place as she spoke.
“Pinkie, calm down. You can’t just offer it something to eat before we’ve even met it,” Applejack, ever the voice of reason, said. Her thick country accent doing well to hide any fear. But Twilight could tell that even she was afraid. They all were.
“Oh dear, I do hope that the animals are okay. I worry that Angel won’t be able to handle them all by himself. Maybe... maybe I should go and check on them?” Fluttershy pawed the ground with a hoof, her face hiding behind her mane.
They all started talking at once, each of them trying to come up with some reason as to why they should leave. Twilight ground her teeth together in frustration. She didn’t want to be here any more than they did, but the Princesses had called them together.
She turned her head, looking behind her at the two tall, regal figures standing just shy of the lone tree at the top of the hill. Both of them wore matching frowns, staring up at the intruder into their sky. To see her mentor and friend without her usual serene smile was more unnerving to Twilight than anything else. No matter what, Celestia had always had a smile.
“Girls,” she said, loud enough that her friends stopped arguing and turning a few heads of the closest soldiers.. “The Princesses called us out here for a reason. I know that you don’t want to be here, but we have to trust in them.” Her gaze returned to the object in the sky. “I’m sure that something will happen soon which will answer our questions.”
They quieted down at that, each of them removing themselves to their own thoughts. But it wouldn’t last long. Twilight knew that soon, each of them would be asking to leave again.
Just as the mental timer in her head reached zero, meaning that Rainbow would ask her question for the forty-seventh time, something happened. The pieces of the ball, which had been falling randomly, or at least at a rate which she could not predict, broke off. Suddenly, it went from one piece, to dozens. The scattered clouds in the sky were lit orange as they flew away from the thing. Twilight watched them as they screamed through the air, leaving trails of smoke in their wake.
The rest of the assembled ponies watched as well, heads turning to follow the pieces as they scattered. Twilight could hear the officers trying to get their charges to focus, but she was absorbed in watching the spectacle.
As the pieces neared the ground, she saw brief flashes of light as they impacted shields. Most of the pieces were caught by unicorns, though some of them fell on places that did not have protection. Several explosions, mushroom clouds of flame and smoke leaping into the air, came from the Everfree Forest. A few more from the open spaces between cities. Once this was over, Cloudsdale would be busy putting out fires.
A gasp from somepony drew Twilight’s eye back to the ball. One of the spikes, the one on the bottommost point of the ball, was glowing an even fiercer blue, drowning out the orange of the flames around it. It looked almost like a unicorn’s horn as it gathered magic for a spell.
The glow got brighter and brighter until the spike shot out from the ball, far faster than any of the pieces that had fallen so far. It descended, slicing through the clouds and air without any effort. A coruscating blue trail was left in its wake.
Twilight tracked it, her mind quickly calculating. She gasped when she realized that not even the combined might of all the unicorns arrayed in front of her would be able to stop the thing. And it was going to impact in the field just beyond the Guard.
The object hit the ground, a plume of dirt spreading around it. The ground shook and the blast of displaced air knocked everyone off of their hooves, flinging soldiers, elements, and princesses about like leaves in a storm. The sound was louder than any thunderbolt, rolling across the hills and valleys, leaving ponies ears’ ringing as far away as Appaloosa and Las Pegasus. To Twilight, it sounded like some giant had clapped its hands over her ears, leaving her temporarily deaf.
She let out a groan that she was unable to hear, her eyes closed from when she had been picked up and thrown. She slitted her eyes, seeing the she was lying in the grass, no longer at the top of the hill but just behind it, part way down. A splash of color next to her let her know that Dash was there.
She looked around, seeing her friends scattered around her, the Princesses had somehow managed to stay at the top of the hill. She got to her hooves, her legs shaking.
“Is everypony all right?” she asked, but she could barely hear herself over the ringing in her ears, so there was no chance that her friends heard her. Instead, she got their attention, each of them slowly getting up. She nodded her head, holding a hoof facing up, the universal sign for agreement.
Getting hooves up in return from everypony, they made their way back up the hill, cresting the rise to see what lay beyond. What met their eyes was a shock.
Sticking up out of the ground was indeed what looked like a large sword, glowing blue. It had dug itself into the earth, sticking straight up. Little bolts of energy or magic ghosted across it, like miniature lightning bolts.
The Guard had suffered worse than the elements as they had been closer to the impact site. Twilight could see the ones who were on their hooves milling about in confusion. She could see some of them shouting, but it was unlikely that anyone could hear them. She spotted her brother, Shining Armor, picking himself out of a bush that he had been tossed into. The branches had cut him and he was bleeding from a dozen minor wounds, the red contrasting with his pristine white coat.
She stopped next to Princess Celestia, watching the scene in front of her. The ringing was fading, bringing with it the absent sounds of the world. The cries of ponies who had been wounded in the blast, the barking orders of leaders.
Feeling something gently caress her side, she looked over to see an alabaster wing draped over her. Following the curve of the appendage, she beheld her mentor glancing down at her. “Ready yourself, Twilight,” Princess Celestia said in a calm voice.
Twilight nodded. “For what?”
“For what will happen next,” she replied cryptically, not taking her eyes off the glowing object.
Twilight swallowed, her mentor’s words echoing in her mind, before she tore her eyes away from the Alicorn and back to the sky. Where the sword-spike had once been, now there was a hole in the ball, a hole that was leaking fire. The flames dripped through, more like molten steel than fire.
A great cracking sound, audible even over everything else, rang out. Rents formed between the pieces of the ball, separating and moving them. They shifted and ground together, moving about as two distinct lines began to form.
From inside the ball, all that could be seen was fire, burning bright and hot. Roiling and rolling around, a living inferno. The pieces on the outside had been muting the light, but now it was spilling out, illuminating the tableau in front of her.
The grating, cracking noise continued as the ball changed. From the two lines, shapes emerged. At first it was hard to tell what they were, but as they forced their way from beneath the flames, they became more distinct. Twilight felt her mouth drop open as she beheld the single largest pair of wings she had ever seen.
The wings came out of the ball, expanding fully open for but a brief moment. They looked nothing like the wings of a pegasus or griffon for there were no feathers. Instead it was closer to those of a dragon’s, with leathery skin stretched over a frame of bones. But they were impossible; they were much too large. A quick calculation and she realized that the wings themselves, from tip to tip, were larger than the entire city of Canterlot. There had never been a dragon that big.
The wings extended up and over the ball. The flames visible inside burned brighter, as if whatever was attached to those wings was gathering energy. Twilight stared intently at the object, holding her breath. The whole world was silent, even the cries of the wounded had ceased.
As the ball grew brighter and brighter, a thought struck Twilight. This thing, it’s like an... egg. Or a cage...
No sooner had the implications of such a thing taken root did the ball explode. Huge pieces of it hurtled outward in all directions. They trailed smoke and fire, screaming towards the ground.
The first one to impact struck the mountain above Canterlot. The ground trembled and in a flash of light the entire mountain grew shorter. Boulders and pieces of the mountain rained down on the city as several more bits of the ball hit both the mountain and the city. Explosions lit up the once pristine city as whole buildings vanished in the flames. One piece struck a tower of the castle, plowing through it and continuing on to strike the gardens. The tower wobbled for a moment before gravity took hold and it careened down to crash into the main building, punching a hole in the roof of the throne room.
More pieces of the ball struck the ground all around them. Some drove deep into the earth, dust and smoke and fire pluming out, choking the air. Others hit and then skipped, leaving a flaming trail for upwards of a mile. Buildings, trees, nothing could stand in the way of the destruction. The pieces broke through them all and kept going until finally stopping somewhere.
The world around them was burning from a multitude of fires. Great craters and trenches marred the ground. Canterlot and Ponyville were on fire. Twilight was too far away to see clearly, but she was sure that already ponies would be trying to put out the flames, help the wounded, and, a distant part of her mind told her, clear the dead. She hoped that Spike was all right.
The dead. That thought stopped her. Given the destruction that had just happened, it was inevitable that ponies had just died. She even knew some of them since she knew most everypony in Ponyville. No matter what happened from here on out, already her life had been changed. The revelation struck her like a buck to the face.
Her home was in flames, ponies she knew were injured or dead. Her mind worked to comprehend what had just happened. She had seen death before, it was a natural part of the pony lifecycle, but it had always been peaceful, never so abhorrently violent like this. She just couldn’t comprehend what had happened, or why.
She tore her eyes from her burning home back to the sky. Where the ball had once been, now there was twinkling, fluttering remnants of the once contained flames. It reminded her of a firework, how the little pieces struggled to stay lit as their fuel was consumed. If it wasn’t so hellish looking, it would be pretty.
Inside the twinkles was the thing attached to the wings. Her initial guess of a dragon was indeed correct. A huge dragon hovered there. It even looked similar to some of the dragon breeds on Equus: a long neck with a sharp angular head, short arms ending in clawed digits, a large body, two longer, thicker back legs, and a lengthy tail ending in spikes. But the difference between this dragon and the ones she had seen pictures of in her books was the size. This dragon alone was the size of Canterlot.
The dragon looked down at them, its eyes glowing orange, seeming like they contained fire instead of actual eyes. It opened its mouth and roared at the assembled ponies. It was a wordless roar, a primal scream of fury. The noise it made was near deafening and caused more than one soldier to drop to the ground, hooves pressed tightly to their ears. Twilight folded her ears to her head, but she could not tear her eyes from the spectacle in the sky.
No sooner had the roar ended did the dragon move. With a single, swift wing beat that propelled it forward, it flew over their heads, Twilight straining her neck to follow it. It circled the field once.
When it made it back to its original position, it did a quick barrel roll. Hundreds of little balls of fire burst into existence around it, following it as it headed straight for Canterlot. It moved far too fast for anypony to do anything but watch. It flew across the city, crossing the entirety of Canterlot in a few seconds. What happened next, Twilight knew she would see it every time she closed her eyes.
When the balls of fire crossed over the city, they peeled off, weaving through the air to impact the city itself. Where each one struck, another explosion sprung forth. The whole city vanished behind a wall of flames and smoke.
Twilight could only watch as the city she was born in, the place where she grew up, where her parents still lived, was consumed by fire. The entire city burned, whole districts had been leveled in the span of a few seconds. Her mind tried to calculate how many ponies were affected, how many she had just watched die, but she squelched that quickly.
Canterlot, the seat of power for Equestria, and arguably, for all of Equus, was a feat of combined engineering and magic. Great foundation stones, carved by pony masons in a past age and placed by Celestia herself, held up the various platforms the city rested on, allowing for it to be constructed on the side of a mountain. Those stones had lasted for over a thousand years. Now, one of them cracked and gave out, sending what looked like the market district tumbling down the mountain, chunks of buildings breaking off from each other.
Twilight’s mane was blown across her face as the great dragon once more flew overhead. She forced herself to look at it, tearing her eyes from the spectacle that was Canterlot falling. It now made great circles of the field.
“Twilight!” Celestia’s voice rang out over the sound of enormous wings slicing through the night air. “Use the Elements Twilight!”
A blue blur streaked past her. “I shall keep the creature busy,” Luna said. Twilight saw that she was carrying twin blades made of what seemed like pure moonlight.
Hearing Princess Celestia’s voice snapped Twilight out of her reverie. She shook her head. They could deal with what had just happened once the threat was gone. Now was the time to unleash everything they could to stop this dragon before it could harm anypony else.
“Girls,” she shouted. “Form up!” She looked around, seeing that they were all in shock. Fluttershy was crying while everypony else had their mouths hanging open, staring at the flaming wreckage that used to be Canterlot.
“Girls, we have to stop this thing before it can hurt anypony else.” She used her magic to give each of her friends a short shove. She would apologize later, but for now she needed them focused. “Come on, we need to use the elements against it.”
They each snapped back, transferring their gaze to her. They all nodded, taking up their positions around her. This was a time for action, mourning could come later.
The great dragon summoned more fireballs, this time unleashing them upon the soldiers below. Twilight watched in horror as each fireball weaved around, seeming to track its target.
Ponies scattered, running in all directions. The fireballs curved through the air, following them. Where each one hit, a pony vanished into an explosion. Some unicorns stood their ground, putting up shields. But even a single fireball was too powerful, breaking through the shields and exploding on the shocked unicorns huddling inside. Detonations rocked the field as the Royal Guard was decimated.
Twilight saw her brother turn and put up a shield. Shield spells were his special talent, nopony other than perhaps the Princesses could match him. He alone had held off the entire Changeling army for over an hour before they broke through.
But it seemed that even he was no match to the power of this dragon. First one fireball exploded on his shield, then another. He held out for a moment, but the third one proved too much and his purple shield shattered. His horn lit up as a fourth fireball flew straight at him, but before he could unleash whatever it was he was planning, Twilight’s view of him was hidden as the fireball detonated.
Twilight gasped at seeing that. She hoped, prayed that he had teleported away somewhere. He had to be okay, he was her BBBFF. Her mind refused to accept even the possibility of his death. She felt her eyes burn as tears flowed forth. Shining Armor could not be dead, he just couldn’t. As the explosions faded, not a single body could be seen, as if the ponies had been vaporized.
The dragon roared once more just as Princess Luna reached it. Twilight snapped her gaze back to it, an unfamiliar feeling welling up inside her: rage. She had been annoyed before, she had even been angry, but never before had she felt the all-consuming passion of rage. How dare this creature, this thing, arrive on her world and attack them without warning. She wanted nothing more than to charge the thing and tear it apart with her bare hooves.
As she gathered magic in her horn, preparing to teleport to the creature’s back, she felt a nudge on her side. She looked over to see Fluttershy, her eyes swimming in tears, tear streaks smudging her coat. Her shy, demure friend simply shook her head.
That snapped Twilight back to reality. Engaging the dragon like that would only end in her death. And without her, the Elements wouldn’t work. Right now, she had one thing that she needed to do. She had to believe in Shining Armor, that he wouldn’t simply let himself die like that, that he had gotten away somewhere. For now, she needed to concentrate on the Elements. In the back of her mind, she made a mental note to find the biggest hammer she could and take it to the dragon when all was said and done.
Several fireballs streaked towards them, but a blue shield sprung up, blocking them. Twilight turned around to see Princess Celestia, her horn alight with power. “Hurry Twilight,” she said through gritted teeth. Already a dozen fireballs had expended their power against the shield. Cracks started forming in the shield and a section of it gave way. Princess Celestia’s horn glowed brighter and the shield sealed itself once more, protecting everypony inside.
Twilight closed her eyes, concentrating on the power of Magic that resided in her. She could feel it flowing through her, granting her strength. She could do this. She had to do this. She grasped that power and tried to draw it forth. At first it resisted, but one by one she could feel the strength of her friends helping her. She could tell who each power belonged to based on how it felt. Loyalty felt cool, like jumping in Ponyville Lake on a warm summer day. Laughter came next, a feeling of boundless energy coursing through her, leaving a slight taste of sugar in her mouth. Generosity and Kindness came almost at the same time, Generosity was refined in nature while Kindness counteracted Loyalty, warming her up. Last to arrive was Honesty, which was always the hardest as it felt like she got bucked in the side.
With the combined power of her friends, she was able to grasp Magic, pulling it to the surface. Magic felt like pure energy, it made her coat stand on end, her mane blow about in a breeze that only she could feel.
She opened her eyes, the world suddenly being thrown into clarity. She could see Princess Luna as she darted about the creature, hurling bolts of magic at it and striking with her swords, always flitting away before it could retaliate. With the clarity provided by Magic, Twilight could sense that Luna was only annoying the creature, that there was no way she alone could hope to kill it, much less damage it.
Twilight felt her hooves leave the ground as the elements continued to course through her. The sensations and experiences provided by each one conflicted and contrasted. She always felt odd for a while afterwards every time she used them.
With the power provided her by Magic, she gathered up the other elements, corralling them and focusing their power into one single, solid force. She directed the energy, getting it ready. Her eyes glowed white with barely contained power.
As soon as she felt that they were ready, she made to unleash the power of the elements. Her crown glowed, briefly outshining even the fires burning around them. Her eyes focused in on the dragon. The fireball storm had abated just as the shield surrounding them faded, Princess Celestia having used almost all of her power.
Just as she released all the power of the Elements, a cry rang out over the field. Princess Luna had been caught in a forepaw of the dragon and she was struggling to free herself. But each of its claws was the size of a building, there must’ve been an enormous amount of strength behind each one. The dragon raised its other paw, a single digit extended. The digit glowed and a long line of solid flame formed at the end. Before the Princess could react, the dragon speared her with the flame.
Unfortunately, due to the power of Magic, Twilight could see everything. The flame pierced Princess Luna’s chest, extruding out her back. She looked surprised, like she hadn’t been expecting that. The flame spike was just marginally thinner than the Alicorn. With a puff the flame was extinguished.
A brief moment passed where nothing happened. Then, with a gush, blood poured out of the wound. Bits of silver tinged the fluid. The dragon dropped her. Princess Luna fell from the sky, not moving, her lifeblood flowing with her.
Twilight was horrified, but it was too late to do anything. Already the familiar rainbow of power streaked towards the dragon. It turned its head, regarding the bolt of magic and energy.
The Elements struck true, impacting the chest of the dragon. It roared in fury as the power surrounded it. It tried to brush it off, but there was nothing it could do.
Twilight expected the dragon to be transformed into stone, the same as Discord had been. Instead, something different happened. As the dragon roared once more, rainbow colored pieces began to form, to appear. Soon a ball was forming, just like the one that had held the thing but minutes before.
The dragon folded its wings around itself as the ball closed in on itself, each piece a different color of the rainbow. No sooner had the ball closed did rainbow glyphs appear in the air; six glyphs, each one a color of one of the elements. What the glyphs meant or stood for, Twilight didn’t know. She had never seen them before and in all her research into the Elements, nothing like this had even been mentioned.
The glyphs started being parallel to the ground, then together rose up. Yet as they were nearly standing straight up, an orange light started leaking out of the ball. Just before the glyphs were ready, the ball exploded. The dragon hovered in the air, wings standing straight up, forepaws raised, mouth open.
Twilight was dropped back to the ground. The Elements had failed. The dragon was too powerful, it had broken free of the strongest attack they had, the strongest attack in all of Equus. Even now it was gathering more energy, a flaming ball gathering above it, like a miniature sun.
The dragon gathered more and more energy, the sphere quickly growing in size. In a matter of moments it would reach them, and there was nothing they could do. They had failed, and now they were going to die. Just like Canterlot, just like the Royal Guard, just like Princess Luna. And just like her brother.
As the hellfire expanded, Twilight felt the familiar tingle of magic surround her. She looked around, seeing each of her friends trapped inside a white column of magic. The looks on their faces were ones of shock. First Fluttershy, then Pinkie, then the rest vanished.
Twilight recognized the spell as a teleport spell, and that color of magic could only belong to one pony. She turned around, seeing Princess Celestia’s horn alight once more, the same white glow surrounding it. She also noticed that the ceremonial neckpiece that she always wore was lying smashed on the ground. Held in one outstretched hoof was the large purple gem that was inset into the jewelry.
Princess Celestia tossed the jewel towards Twilight, whose horn lit up as she caught it, bringing it close to her. Before she could open her mouth to ask what was going on, the tingle increased and Twilight vanished as well. The last thing she saw was her mentor, staring at the approaching flames, a small smile playing across her lips.
Teleporting was always a curious sensation to experience. Even to a pony like Twilight, who was used to making small little jumps, it still felt odd to her. The best she could describe it to her non-unicorn friends was to imagine being able to feel every sensation at once, yet to not feel anything at all. Imagine being blinded by both light and darkness, to feel like you’re being stretched impossibly thin, and compacted into a single point. The journey would seem to take forever, yet be over in an instant.
She could remember the first time she successfully teleported; she came out the other end feeling sick to her stomach and had to lie down until the world stopped spinning. The longer the distance traveled, the more intense the feelings were. But, the more a unicorn utilized teleportation, the more inured they became to it. She could make short jumps without feeling any ill side effects at all.
Wherever Princess Celestia had decided to teleport her, she knew that it had to be far. Never before has she felt such an intensity in the sensations. To be stretched and compressed, the light and the darkness, the intermingled feelings all across her body, each was significantly worse than ever before.
When finally the world replaced itself, the first thing she did was collapse. Her legs refused to support her and she fell over. Rather than meet solid ground, however, something cold and wet cushioned her. Her stomach rebelled, nearly emptying her dinner across... wherever she was.
She tried to open her eyes to see her surroundings, but they were sealed shut. She panicked, her hoof frantically swiping at her face, trying to figure out what the problem was. She could feel the same cold substance being smeared across her face.
As she panicked, slowly, her senses returned to her. She felt cold, mind-numbing, bone-chilling cold. Something soft and wet was being forced against her body at high velocity, carried on the piercing wind, the howl of forcing her ears to pin themselves against her head. She could feel her mane and tail being whipped about violently.
Snow, she thought. Wherever I am, it’s snowing. Once more she tried to open her eyes, once more she couldn’t. As her mind calmed down, she brought up a hoof once more, this time touching cautiously at her eye. She could feel ice crystals freezing her eyelids together. Her tears must have frozen as soon as she landed.
Tears... As rational thought continued to take back control, her mind brought forth everything that had just happened. The dragon, the Royal Guard being wiped out, Canterlot’s destruction, her brother, the Princesses. Everything had happened so fast.
The images in her head brought the tears back, the liquid leaked out her eyelids and crystallized in the cold air. She could feel them turn into ice crystals and either be blown off and away, or stick to her coat. She laid in the snow, not sure where she was, crying.
All her life, she had prided herself on being smart; and while it was true that some of her intelligence was innate, she had also studied and researched. She liked to learn new things, that sense of discovery when some new fact or figure took up residence in her brain. Learning had come easy to her all her life; knowledge took up residence in her mind quickly.
But despite everything she knew, everything she had learned, she had no idea what had just happened. Everything she had seen was both a blur, and ingrained in her mind with alarming clarity. Images spewed forth and ceased with no logical order to them. It seemed that her brain simply could not, or would not make sense of what had just transpired.
How long she lay there, shivering and blind, she didn’t know. It was only a sound, heard even over the wind, that brought her back to reality. Somewhere nearby, somepony was coughing and retching.
She needed to see, but trying to force her eyes open felt like she was going to tear her eyelids off. The pony coughed again, too faint to tell who it was. Wiping at her eyes was ineffective at clearing the crystals.
She had almost made the decision to stumble around blindly when she remembered something. She was a unicorn, she had magic at her disposal. Her horn lit up as she summoned a small heating spell, feeling the air around her warming up.
The ice freezing her eyes shut melted, several more tears rolling their way down her muzzle. Her shivering, which had started moments after she appeared, calmed down in the increased warmth. Finally she was able to open her eyes. The first thing she was was a white blur, nothing had shape or definition to it. Blinking her eyes, the world came into focus.
Everything was still a white blur. Snow was everywhere around her, falling from the clouded sky overhead, blowing across the ground, piled up into drifts. All she could see was snow, lit only by what few traces of moonlight made it through the clouds overhead.
The sounds of retching invaded her ears once more. They swiveled around, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. A particularly loud hack blasted out, and she turned her head towards it. In the absence of her spell, she started shivering again.
She was about to move when her hoof collided with something hard amidst the soft snow. She looked down to see a large purple gem, half-buried in the white powder. It was the same gem that Princess Celestia had tossed at her right before...
Twilight shook her head in an attempt to banish the images conjured up. She peered closer at the jewel. It had to be important. The princess had smashed her neckpiece to get it out.
The more she stared, the more it seemed like an ordinary gem, the kind of thing she’d give to Spike as a treat. Try as she might, she simply couldn’t fathom why Princess Celestia would give her that thing. But she knew that she had to take it with her. Enveloping the gem in magic, she lifted it out of the snow, carrying it alongside her as she moved.
She couldn’t see anything through the snowfall. Her head held down, her eyes slitted against the wind and snow, she trudged forward. Her one, singular focus was finding that pony she had heard, to the extent that she refused to acknowledge anything else.
Her element tiara was still resting atop her head. The metal had long grown cold to the touch, and it was freezing her head and ears even more. But she didn’t take it off. It was simply easier to wear it, rather than worry about carrying it through the snowy wastes.
She crested a snowbank and on the other side, she could just make out the shape of a pony. The rise offering slight protection from the snow, she could open her eyes a bit more. She still couldn’t see precisely who it was, but she could make out wings, which narrowed the choices down to two.
“Hello!” she called out. The wind picked up her voice and carried it away. The figure didn’t even turn its head.
Twilight carried on, eyes focused on the pony. As she got closer, she could pick out more details, including the cutie mark: a rainbow lightning bolt.
“Rainbow!” she called out once more. This time Rainbow’s head turned, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. “Over here.”
Twilight trotted over to her friend. Pegasi had a natural resistance to colder temperatures, but even Rainbow Dash was shivering uncontrollably at the cold. Trotting around her, Twilight could see a hole in the snow, a frozen pile of sick inset into it.
“Twilight,” Rainbow said, having to nearly yell to be heard over the wind, before devolving into a coughing fit. Twilight put a hoof on her friends back, moving close to share as much body heat as she could. When she stopped coughing, Rainbow continued. “Where are we?” She was still wearing her element necklace, though the gem had lost much of its luster.
“I’m not sure. Maybe to the North?” She honestly had no way to tell, everything around was simply snow. Maybe when the storm cleared and she could see further than ten feet in front of her, she could figure out where they had ended up.
“Have you seen the others?”
She shook her head. “No. But they have to be close. They have to be...” her voice trailed off. Once more what she had just seen, and been through, tried to force its way into her mind. With a violent mental shove, she forced it all back. Dealing with that could come when she wasn’t in danger of freezing to death. Already she could feel her hooves going numb from the cold. Ice matted down her coat, mane, and tail.
One look at her friend’s eyes and she could see that she was going through the same thing. It was as if Rainbow’s eyes were a mirror and she could see what was in her own head. Neither of them spoke for a moment.
A strong gust of wind snapped them both out of their memories. “We need to find the others and get to shelter,” Twilight yelled over the storm.
Rainbow nodded. “How? We can’t see anything.”
Twilight thought about that. The only reason she had found Rainbow was because she was being sick when the wind was going in just the right direction. Perhaps if they shouted then anypony who was downwind would hear it, but anypony upwind wouldn’t hear a thing. They also couldn’t just wander around. The odds of them finding one of their friends were low. They needed some way to draw ponies towards them.
An idea occurred to her, though she wasn’t entirely sure if it would work. “Rainbow, hold this,” she said, passing the gem over to her friend.
The pegasus took the gem in her wing, cradling it close to her body. “What is this?” she asked.
“I’ll explain later.” Her horn lit up again as she channeled magic into it. After a few seconds, a trail of multi-colored sparks flew out and into the air. Twilight watched it arc up before exploding with a loud bang in a shower of sparks, casting light across the area. Something like that should be visible even over the storm, at least for a short ways.
“Is that...?”
Twilight nodded, the action sending the next firework on a lower trajectory. “Trixie taught it to me the last time she was in Ponyville. Hopefully the others will see this and come find us.”
Twilight continued to send magic into her horn, shooting off a string of fireworks. She kept it up for several minutes, her hope fading as still nopony showed up. But still she continued, shivering and huddled up with Rainbow Dash.
“Twilight look!”
She turned her head, making sure to keep her horn pointing upwards. Coming out of the snow was another pony figure. It was hobbling on three hooves, the fourth being used to keep a rather large hat on its head.
“Applejack!” Twilight called out.
Applejack came up to them. “Neat trick there, Twi. I thought I was in trouble until you started making all them flashes.”
Nopony said anything else. There was nothing to say right then. Applejack joined in the huddle, adding her body heat into the equation as Twilight continued to fire off fireworks, her hope rekindled.
The wait for another pony to show wasn’t nearly as long this time. Less than a minute after AJ, a new figure made itself known, this one instantly recognizable. An outline came nearly hopping towards them, though she was having difficulty with the snow.
Pinkie Pie struggled over, her normally poofy hair being weighed down by the sheer amount of ice and snow trapped in it. The wind nearly pushed her down the last snow drift. She tried to smile at all her friends, but the smile never quite seemed to reach her eyes. Even the unflappable Pinkie was feeling the weight of what had just happened, though she at least pretended to carry on.
As soon as she was near enough to be heard, she launched into a speech, complete with exaggerated gestures. “Hi girls. Wow, Twilight! That sure is awesome! I was able to see you like super-duper amazingly easy. I thought I’d be wandering around for a long time trying to find you but instead it was all like ‘pshooow’ and ‘kabam’ and I was totally like ‘that has to be Twilight’ and so I went to investigate.”
“That’s nice, Pinkie,” Rainbow said.
“I know, isn’t it?” She wrapped a forelimb around Twilight’s neck, pulling her into an embrace and nearly causing the next firework to singe Applejack. “It’s ‘cause Twilight is so smart and superiffic!”
With some assistance from AJ, Twilight wormed her way out of Pinkie’s grasp, re-aiming her horn at the sky. Pinkie kept talking, but Twilight tried to tune her out, instead concentrating on finding their last two friends.
Nearly ten minutes passed. The four of them were huddled as close together as they could. Even Pinkie had stopped bouncing around in favor of keeping warm and conserving her energy. Twilight could feel herself getting a headache from the magic use. She knew that she would have to stop soon. They needed to find shelter before they froze to death outside in this blizzard. Though what shelter there could be around here, she had no idea. She had read in a book once about how to survive in situations like this, though she had never had to put that knowledge into practice.
Just as she was about to call it quits, a voice, carried on the wind, reached them. “Over here!”
Rarity emerged from the snow, her normally pristine mane falling around her head. If there was snow and ice on her coat, it was lost amongst the white. She looked like she would rather be anywhere than where she was, a grimace on her face.
“Rarity!” Pinkie called out, leaving the huddle to give her an embrace.
Rarity chuckled half-heartedly, returning the embrace without any conviction. “Girls, follow me,” she said without any preamble.
“We still need to find Fluttershy,” Twilight said, her horn firing off another firework despite the layer of pain it added to her headache.
“No need, I know where she is. I’m taking you to her.”
For the first time in over twenty minutes, Twilight powered down her horn. “You do? Is she hurt? Is she okay?”
Rarity held out a hoof. “Calm yourself. She’s fine. We ended up...” she paused a moment. “Landing close to each other. When she spotted the fireworks I offered to go investigate. The poor dear was too frightened.”
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. The addition of Rarity and Fluttershy meant that all of her friends were safe. Well, as safe as they could be when they’d be frozen within an hour.
“Wait, so you left Fluttershy alone to freeze out here,” Rainbow asked.
Rarity shook her head. “No. We found a cave. It’s not much, but it’s better than out here.”
Twilight’s ears perked up at that. A cave was a blessing. It meant shelter from the elements, potentially warmer inside. If they had a cave, they might just survive the storm. “Lead on Rarity,” she said.
With a nod, she turned around and headed back the way she came. The rest followed, with Twilight bringing up the rear right behind AJ. They trudged through the snow, trying to keep an eye on the pony in front of them.
Twilight had no idea how Rarity knew where she was going, as by the time Twilight walked over the same spot that she did, her hoofprints in the snow were already gone. The howling wind just erased them from existence. It was becoming very difficult to walk, her extremities had lost almost all feeling. She knew that if she didn’t find shelter and warmth very soon, she would fall and not be able to get up.
Twilight looked up, seeing the shapes of her friends in front of her. It may’ve not been the best idea for her to be in the rear, but none of them were thinking straight by this point. If she was as cold as she was, then her friends couldn’t be doing much better. She just had to keep up, and make sure that everypony stays up. If even one pony were to fall, she wasn’t sure the rest of them would have the strength to carry them.
Hours seemed to pass. It was as though amongst the blinding white surrounding them, time had no meaning. The only thought in her mind was putting one hoof in front of the other and continuing on, making sure to keep AJ’s blond tail in sight at all times and trusting that the farm pony wouldn’t lead her astray.
So absorbed was she in concentrating that she actually bumped into AJ when the mare came to a halt. So bad was her numbness that she only recognized the hit because she could see it. She brought her eyes up, looking around AJ.
Rarity had stopped and was looking down, pointing with a hoof. She was saying something but her voice was lost to the wind. Pinkie was right behind her. Twilight gasped when Pinkie took a step forward and vanished from view. Rainbow moved forward and disappeared as well.
Twilight panicked, thinking that something had gone wrong, or that the cold had gotten to her mind and she was imagining things. She had a sudden vision of her, lying in the snow and unable to continue, but because she had been in the rear nopony noticed her absence. This all had to be some sort of hallucination.
Applejack moved forward and also vanished. Twilight blinked. Only she and Rarity were left now. Rarity was beckoning her forward with a hoof. If this was a vision, then Rarity could be either friend or foe. But her only other option was to turn tail and run. If she ran, then her death was practically assured. It was only theorized by following this vision of Rarity.
Realizing that she had no choice, she moved forward. Rarity was pointing down in between two snow drifts. Twilight squinted, trying to figure out where the others had gone.
“Watch the first step,” Rarity yelled into her ear.
Twilight looked at her, receiving a nod. With a sigh, she took a step forward, her hoof meeting only air where she thought there would be snow. The sudden shift of balance sent her tumbling forward and down a small slope.
She landed on her back with an exhalation of air. As soon as the world stopped spinning, she saw that she was looking up at a hole in the ground. Because of the falling snow and the wind, the hole was mostly covered. It would be nearly impossible to see.
Strong limbs helped her up as Rarity descended the slope with more grace than Twilight had. No sooner was she on her feet, and thanking AJ for the help, did Rarity beckon them on once more.
“Fluttershy is just around here,” she said. There was an outcropping of rock that she lead them around. Barely any light managed to penetrate the hole, just enough to illuminate the way.
Twilight was barely ten feet inside the cave and already it was ten degrees warmer. That, combined with the pain she had felt upon landing told her that this, at the very least, wasn’t a vision. She followed her friend, AJ taking the rear this time.
Moving around the rock, she saw that the space opened up. A shaft of moonlight pierced the middle of a small cave, no bigger than the first floor of her library back in Ponyville. A few particles of snow drifted down, but that was it. The wind was blowing the snow right across the hole through which the light was filtering.
The light showed that it was a typical cave: a sloped stone floor, rock walls and ceiling. A small depression at one side held a pool of water, somehow unfrozen. She breathed out, and while she could still see her breath, it was far warmer in here than it was outside. And quieter. The wind had been reduced to a small whistling noise.
Her eyes were drawn to something yellow which stuck out. Fluttershy was looking over at them, her mouth hanging open.
Before Twilight could say anything, she was being drawn into an embrace by her usually shy friend. “Oh thank goodness you’re okay. I was so worried.”
By the time Twilight was able to react, Fluttershy had already moved on to Rainbow. She embraced each pony in turn, receiving an overly-enthusiastic hug in return from Pinkie.
Twilight stumbled over to the wall, collapsing against it. The increased warmth was already having an effect, but she was still shivering uncontrollably and couldn’t feel her limbs or face. Her thoughts were muddled and it was hard to focus on any one thing unless she threw her entire mind behind it. Now that she was out of the storm and with her friends, all of her energy seemed to dissipate.
She lay on the cold floor, too exhausted to move. Her eyes closed and stayed that way for the first time since she had opened them after being dropped in this snowy place. She could hear her friends still, but the sound was muted, like being underwater. At this point she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep.
Something nudged her. When she didn’t react, it nudged her again. She mumbled something that sounded incoherent even to her. The thing left her alone then. She slipped blissfully further into the darkness.
Her descent was abruptly halted when she felt herself being rolled over onto her back. The change in position was disconcerting at first. Somepony lifted her head up before placing it on something soft and warm, almost like a heated pillow of some sort. Her tiara was removed and set aside somewhere.
She settled into the warmth, letting it lull her back down. The darkness drew her in with promises of warmth and comfort, of escaping from being cold. Distantly she could hear something screaming at her to stop, but she ignored it. She was so tired, all she wanted to do was sleep.
Her eyes flew open when a hoof connected with her jaw none too gently. She managed to feel that even through the slowly receding numbness. Sluggishly she raised a hoof to her face, rubbing where the blow had struck.
As the world once more came into focus, the yellow blur above her transformed into Fluttershy. “Wha...?” she managed, her voice sounding slurred. It was like she had one too many drinks at one of Pinkie’s adults-only parties
“I’m so sorry for hitting you Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “But you musn’t sleep.”
“Why not? I’m so tired...” She could feel her eyelids starting to droop closed again.
Fluttershy shook her, the jarring jolting her back once more.
“I’m sorry Twilight, but I can’t let you sleep. It’s too dangerous. Your body is shutting down from the cold. Until I can warm you back up, you have to stay awake.”
“Oh,” was her response. She summoned the energy to look around. She was laying with her head on Fluttershy’s belly. Her friend was sitting up awkwardly against the cave wall. There was no way it could be comfortable. Around her were the rest of her friends, all huddled together. While they all looked cold, shivering as the ice and snow from outside melted off their coats, none of them were as bad as she was.
“Why just me?” she said.
“Pegasi are more resilient to cold weather and Earth ponies are just naturally more resilient. You suffered worse than they did. If Rarity hadn’t found this cave, she would be just like you are right now.”
“Oh,” was all she was able to muster. They all sat or lay in silence for an indeterminate amount of time. Twilight’s thoughts were still muddled and sluggish. Without outside influence, she couldn’t focus on any one thing.
“Twilight?” came Fluttershy’s voice once more.
“Mmm?” she said.
“Talk to me Twilight. Stay with me.”
The noise gave her something to focus on. “About what?”
“Whatever you want.” She could hear the concern behind her friend’s voice.
“Tell me how you found this cave?” She tried to wave a hoof around to emphasize her point, but all she managed to do was flail for a moment, nearly hitting Fluttershy.
“I found it actually,” Rarity spoke up. Twilight turned her head to focus on her. “You remember me saying that Fluttershy and I... landed next to each other?”
Twilight nodded. Glad to have something to focus in on besides the beckoning darkness.
“Well, we were huddled together when I thought I heard something. I went to look and quite literally stumbled across this cave.” She presented her left foreleg which had a bruise beginning to form underneath the white coat.
“Hmm. So it was blind luck?”
Rarity nodded. “Or the will of...” she trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence. A pain entered her eyes and she bowed her head.
It took Twilight a moment to connect the dots, but when she did, a great pit opened in her chest where her heart was. “The will of Celestia,” she whispered.
“Twilight...” Rarity said.
All of a sudden it was like her thoughts unjumbled themselves and everything that had been pushed back by her impending frozen death came screaming to the forefront. All the images rushed forwards, eager to replay themselves one by one. She saw it all: from the dragon’s reveal to her last sight of Princess Celestia.
“Celestia,” she said. “Shining Armor. Luna. Mom. Dad.” She was almost afraid to say the names for fear that their ghosts would be summoned. Instead all that came forth was fresh tears.
She cried in front of her friends. Somehow she summoned the strength to cover her eyes with her forehooves. With heaving sobs she wept at what had come to pass. She wept for the ponies that had died, all of them, not just the ones that she knew. She wept for her friends, being stuck in this cave with her. She wept for the ponies whose fate was unknown, including her assistant, friend, and honorary little brother, Spike.
Time passed, how much she didn’t know. All she knew was that ponies she loved, ponies she looked up to, were gone. Each time it seemed like she could summon control over herself, her mind brought up another image, fresh, raw pain coming with it.
Distantly she was aware of her friends around her, but she paid them no mind. She could feel something warm and wet landing on her head, almost like rain on a summer’s day. Her pillow shook occasionally, but she didn’t care. She was alone at that very moment, just her and the pain.
Her mind replayed the final moments before she had been forcibly teleported. Her mentor, her friend, even a mother figure, somepony she had looked up to for many years, standing at the top of that hill, her horn glowing with power. Everything about her had been shown in brilliant glory, lit by the encroaching wall of flames. Twilight had always assumed that Celestia would be there for her, throughout her entire life. It was one of the benefits to being a goddess.
The reality now was that Celestia was gone. Twilight had outlived the one thing that was guaranteed to outlive her. And with the destruction of Canterlot Castle, so too had vanished all of the material things that she could use to remember her with. It was like all traces of the Princess had vanished.
Twilight dropped her hooves and opened her eyes, tears still forming. She was sure that a large puddle should have formed underneath her by now. But her back was only wet with melting snow and ice.
Above her she could see the source of the warm rain, Fluttershy was crying as well, her tears dripping off her muzzle and onto Twilight. The pegasus was using her wingtips to brush away the tears while her forehooves cradled Twilight’s head. Even when she was sad, Fluttershy still thought about others.
The rest of her friends all had their heads bowed, looking at nopony in particular. They were each lost in their own worlds.
Twilight tried to speak, but all that came out was a croak. Her throat was raw from crying so much. She swallowed and tried again, this time managing to produce a raspy sound that somehow became a word. “Rainbow...”
Rainbow looked up. She stared at Twilight for a moment. “Yeah,” she said, her voice lacking in its usual brashness.
“The jewel,” Twilight motioned with her hoof.
The pegasus lifted her wing, showing the jewel tucked underneath, safe and sound.
Her horn lighting up briefly, Twilight summoned the gem to her. Once it was within reach, she grasped it with her hoof, drawing it to her chest and clutching it close. It was the one thing of Celestia’s that still existed and wasn’t buried somewhere underneath Canterlot. She held onto it tightly for fear it would somehow vanish if she didn’t.
She had expected the gem to bring her some measure of comfort, but what comfort it did bring was hollow, useless. It served only to remind her that everything had changed. But still she clung to it, desperate for something, anything.
“Twilight. What is that?” Rarity’s voice broke through her mental struggles.
“It’s a gem. The Princess tossed it to me right before she... Before she...” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. Saying Celestia’s name out loud was one thing, but to actually admit to the air that she was gone was something entirely different.
“May I look at it?”
Twilight paused, unsure of what to do. She knew that Rarity was far more knowledgeable about gems than she was, and if anyone could decipher the hidden meaning behind it, it would be the seamstress. But she feared letting go of it. The two sides warred within her, until Rarity spoke once more.
“I promise to treat it with the utmost care.”
With more than a little trepidation, Twilight held out the gem. Her desire to understand just why the Princess had given her this won out. The jewel was enveloped in the blue glow of Rarity’s magic.
Rarity lifted it up, bringing it to eye level and spinning it slowly, inspecting it from all sides. “This is from her neckpiece, yes?”
Twilight nodded.
The unicorn inspected it a bit more before handing it back to Twilight. So eager was she to get it back that she practically snatched it out of the air. Once the gem was safely back in her grasp, she spoke. “What did you find?”
“It’s a flawless gem, no imperfections at all. At first I thought it was a simple amethyst, not the first choice for royal gear, but I suppose the Princess perhaps had a fondness for them. But take a look at it, closely.”
Twilight brought it up to her eyes, squinting to see through the few remaining tears. With a shake of her head, the tears were flung away. She examined the gem up close, something she had failed to do before now. She could see small scratches on it, not unusual since a jeweler’s tools would leave little marks like that.
“Do you see it?” Rarity asked.
“See what?”
“Look closely at the marks.”
She did just that, looking at the marks. They seemed innocuous enough. She let her eyes trace over one mark, following it as it curved up and around the jewel, overlapping with other marks.
As she traced, her mind plotted out the route of it and all the other lines. She gasped as she realized the truth. What at first glance was a series of random tool marks and scratches accrued over however long the gem had been in service inside the neckpiece, was in fact much more. The scratches formed an intricate pattern. It had to have been deliberate. The weave was too perfect to have been created at random. The entire gem was covered in the pattern. Lines looping around and curving across the facets of the jewel. Each line was tiny, but there were so many of them.
“What does it mean?” Twilight asked.
Rarity shook her head. “I was hoping you could tell me. I’ve never seen that before on any gem.”
Twilight turned the gem around and around, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. That it was a pattern was obvious. What she didn’t know was what the pattern meant, or even why it existed in the first place. She had already thought that the gem was important somehow, but now the mystery only deepened.
With a sigh she lowered the jewel, knowing that she was unlikely to get anything out of it for now. Returning the jewel to her chest, she looked around. Her friends were still all huddled together, . But as the cave grew warmer they all slowly separated slightly, each drawing into themselves and re-living the immediate past which was already becoming surreal.
The silence covered the cave like a thick, suffocating blanket. It threatened to smother them all, yet none of them knew what to do about it. Never before had anything like this happened to any of them. Never before had they witnessed such destruction, not to mention the deaths of their seemingly immortal goddesses, all within the span of a few minutes.
Even the normally jubilant Pinkie was feeling the weight of the present. Her poofy hair was still hanging down around her head, despite the missing weight of the ice and snow. Twilight couldn’t be sure, but she thought that even the mare’s coat had lost some of its color.
It was Applejack who broke the silence. “I just don’t get it,” she said, her southern drawl drawing out each word. “What happened? And why?”
Rainbow answered her. “What happened? Some... thing just wiped out Canterlot, the Royal Guard, and the Princesses. That’s what happened.” The pegasus had a fire in her eyes.
“Rainbow,” Fluttershy said.
“You were there AJ, you saw the same thing we did. Whatever that thing is, it just destroyed Equestria. In minutes. Not the Royal Guard, not the elements, not even the Princesses were able to beat it. It just snuffed them all out like it was nothing.”
Every word was like a knife, plunging over and over into Twilight’s heart. The truth behind Rainbow’s words was undeniable: they had all been there and seen it, just like she said. And despite their best efforts, they had failed. The Elements hadn’t been enough to stop the dragon. They had failed and everypony else had paid the price. The tears which had stopped now returned once more.
Rainbow, please,” Fluttershy tried again.
Rainbow continued, her wings flaring out. “And now, to top it all off, we’re out here in this forsaken wasteland. Why? We don’t know. Only that instead of burning to death, we get to freeze. Or starve.”
“Rainbow, stop!” Fluttershy shouted, loud enough for her voice to echo off the cave walls.
Rainbow ceased her ranting, looking over at her oldest friend. Twilight couldn’t see what Fluttershy was doing, her vision blurred once more. But Rainbow fell silent, her head bowed once more as her wings settled back into their normal position against her side.
“I... I’m sorry Twilight.” The pegasus’ words did nothing to cushion the blow. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that Rainbow had every right to be mad. But still her words tore Twilight apart.
Her friends were quiet, letting her get herself under control again. The tears stopped fairly quickly. She had cried so much in the last couple of hours that she wasn’t sure she could cry anymore.
Umm, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.
Twilight looked up, realizing that her head was still lying in her friend’s lap and that she must be quite uncomfortable. She sat up, sitting on her haunches. She wiped away the last vestiges of tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry Fluttershy, you must’ve been uncomfortable.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh no, Twilight, I’m fine.” Despite her words, the pegasus’ smile turned into a grimace when she stretched her hind legs out. “But I wanted to-” her voice trailed off and became inaudible.
“What?” Twilight asked.
“I wanted to-” Again she trailed off.
“Fluttershy...”
“She wants to ask you something,” Pinkie spoke up.
“Oh. Um, what do you want to know?” Twilight asked.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did the Princess save us? Why did she send us here?” Fluttershy turned her head away. “I’m... I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
Twilight set a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay Fluttershy.” And in truth, it was something she had wondered herself. Though the first step would most likely be figuring out where “here” was.
She took in a deep breath, buying time to steady herself. Despite her harsh words, Rainbow was correct. They may have gotten lucky in finding this shelter, but they weren’t out of danger by a long shot. Surrounding them was nothing but ice and snow. They needed to figure out where they were and leave, or else they would die here.
“To answer your question,” Twilight said, her voice trembling and still a bit croaky. “I don’t know where we are.” She shot a glance up at the ceiling. “Maybe when this storm dies down, we can figure out where we are.”
She drew in another breath. “As for why she saved us and not herself, I don’t know that either. I think that if she just wanted to save us, she wouldn’t need to teleport us all the way to... wherever we are.”
She looked around. Each of her friends were looking at her, hope in their eyes. She knew they were hoping that she had the answers, that she would be able to explain things. But that wasn’t the case. Sure, she had grown up with Celestia and knew her the best out of everypony here, but the Celestial diarch had lived much, much longer than her. Twilight may be the smartest unicorn of her generation, but that was nothing compared to the knowledge Celestia must be privy to.
“I can only think that perhaps we are supposed to do something here. That Celestia has some plan for us. But what it is, I don’t know. Or how we’re supposed to do anything when we don’t know what to do.”
Pinkie spoke up for the first time since they had reached the cave. “That gem, could it be some sort of super-special thingy?”
Twilight looked over at the mare. Her hair was starting to poof back up and her coat was returning to its usual luster. “I don’t know.” She was getting tired of saying that phrase. It was something she almost never had to say, and whenever she did say it, she promptly fixed that, learning whatever it was she didn’t know. But now, she has no way of knowing. No library, no tomes, texts, or scrolls to look at. She felt insignificant.
But her entire world had been turned upside down in the space of a single night. They had discovered proof that they weren’t alone in the universe, only for it to attack them. They had gathered an army, only for it to be destroyed. Their leaders were dead and they themselves had been flung to who-knows-where. At this point, she was willing to concede that there wasn’t much she did know.
She glanced down at the gem, still being cradled in a forehoof. Celestia must’ve had a purpose behind giving her this, but she simply had no idea what it could be. Except for the pattern inscribed on it, it was a simple, unremarkable jewel, one of several that made up the Princess’ ceremonial regalia.
The more she thought about it, the more her thoughts ran in circles. This was one puzzle that was impossible to solve, as she didn’t have all the pieces.
A noise to her left brought her back to reality. She looked over to see Applejack trying to stifle a yawn.
“I’m sorry,” the farmer apologized.
“It’s okay AJ,” Twilight said. “We should try and get some sleep tonight.”
“Twilight, darling, about that...” Rarity spoke up. “Without the Princesses, what will happen to the moon and sun? Will they just stop where they are?”
Twilight thought about that. She tried to remember if she ever read something concerning the sisters’ being absent. “I think so. The sisters control their movements, so without them around, they’ll just cease to move.”
“Then what does that mean for Equus?” Fluttershy asked.
“It means that half the planet will be a desert, the other half a frozen wasteland.” Twilight said grimly. “Only a small band in the middle will be livable. It means that our world is already gone, unless we can find a way to bring at least one Princess back.”
Her words echoed about the cave, seeming to add to their weight. The shoulders of everypony in there dropped as what she said took hold.
“But that won’t happen for a long time, right? We still have time to fix this?” Pinkie asked.
Twilight nodded. “Yes. It’ll take time for that to happen.”
Pinkie jumped up and bounced around. “Woohoo! Okay girls, we need to get out of this cave and figure out where we are. Then Twilight, you need to cast some scary powerful magic and bring back the princesses.” She mimed this by holding a hoof on her forehead in a crude approximation of a unicorn horn and making whooshing noises. “Then we need to go and kick this meanie dragon back off our world!” She jumped up and bucked the air a few times. “Whaddya say girls?”
Pinkie’s antics caused Twilight to smile for what felt like the first time in forever. Somehow the party pony had headed off the lowering of the mood once more before it could take hold. “That sounds like a plan Pinkie.”
In truth, that was a crude but effective summation of what Twilight had been thinking. Surely Celestia had some sort of plan for if something like this were to happen. There was no way that the diarch would let her world die without a plan for how to save it. The only question was what that plan was, and how did she and her friends fit into it?
“I don’t know about y’all, but right now, I need to sleep,” Applejack said, yawning again. The farmer had laid down on the rock, curling herself up into a ball.
Twilight nodded. “Agreed.” She didn’t want to sleep, afraid of what she would see in her dreams. But her body was winning the war against her mind. It would only be a matter of time before she fell asleep regardless of what she wanted.
The six mares huddled together for warmth as they slept. Twilight found herself laying down on the cold rock floor between Fluttershy and Rarity. But each time she closed her eyes she was assaulted by the horrific scene that had happen just hours before. Images of death and destruction flashed across her eyelids. Above all was the Princess, standing there looking away from Twilight with a ghost of a smile that haunted her.
She resorted to laying with her eyes open. The rock walls of the cave may be boring and featureless, but at least they didn’t bring forth anything, no flaming fields nor dying ponies. The wind still whistled outside, though it had long ago been reduced to background noise. Mixing in with the wind was the soft sounds of her friends sleeping.
Fluttershy shivered a little in her sleep, a whimper escaping her lips. Twilight figured that she was dreaming about what had come to pass. She was sure that none of them would have pleasant dreams that night. Twilight summoned her remaining strength, reaching out a hoof over Fluttershy and drawing her close. The pegasus let out a comforted sigh, nuzzling up against Twilight’s body.
Twilight maintained her vigil of the cave walls. However, she was eventually forced to give in as each eyelid acquired bricks of exhaustion. Her eyes closed and quickly she slipped into sleep.
* * *
Twilight found herself standing atop the same hill where everything had changed earlier. Standing next to her were her friends. She looked behind her and saw the Princesses, alive and well.
It was night and they all stared up at the moon. The white orb hung in the sky, casting its pale rays across the shadowy ground. Camped out in the field was row after row of Royal Guard. Their armor reflected the moonlight. It looked like a sea of golden figures.
Twilight searched the sky, looking for the dragon. In the distance, Canterlot could be seen, whole and resplendent in the night. But the dragon was nowhere to be found.
“I don’t get it?” she asked.
“What don’t you get, my faithful student?” Celestia responded.
“Why are we here?”
“We are waiting for something,” Luna spoke up.
“But what?”
“You’ll see soon enough,” the sisters answered in unison.
Twilight tilted her head, not sure what to make of the answer. “I don’t understand,” she said.
But before she could ponder on it further, a cry arose from the Royal Guard. Twilight snapped her head around. Before her very eyes, members of the guard were simply vanishing. Seemingly at random, a guard would shimmer, as if a reflection cast upon a pond. Then the guard would simply vanish.
Other than the initial cry, nopony reacted to anything. “What’s going on?” Twilight cried out.
“We’re waiting for something,” called everypony present, their voices mingling and crossing, forming a cacophony of sound. Even as they spoke, more guards vanished, their voices subtracted from the equation.
More and more guards vanished. Soon only a few remained, including Shining Armor. Twilight galloped towards her brother, determined to stop what was happening. “Shining!” she called out.
He didn’t even turn his head to regard her. His eyes remained fixed upon an empty portion of the night sky.
Just as she reached him, he started to shimmer. “No!” she cried. She tried to throw her hooves around him. Instead she passed right through him, ending up on her face in the dirt.
“Shining,” she called him once more, reaching up a hoof towards him.
But her words passed through him just like she had. He continued to stare, even as he vanished without so much as a pop.
Twilight continued to hold her hoof out to empty air. “What’s going on?”
Her glance moved over to Canterlot. The entire city shimmered. Not a sound was heard beyond her own breathing as the city itself vanished. The mountain beneath it was unblemished, like Canterlot had never been built.
She got back to her hooves. Something was going on here. She felt like she should know what it was, but her mind failed her.
She turned her gaze back towards her friends. They too were staring at the sky. Cautiously, she made her way back over to them. The Royal Guard had completely disappeared. Only her friends and the Princesses were left. She almost felt as if approaching anypony would cause them to shimmer and vanish.
She made it to her friends without anything happening. “Oh thank Celestia. Girls, something weird is going on.”
“We’re waiting for something,” they said.
Twilight blinked. “What are you waiting on?”
“We’re waiting for something.”
Twilight turned her head to regard the Princesses. What she saw made her gasp. Luna had a gruesome looking hole in her chest. Twilight was sure she could see all the way through the alicorn, catching a glimpse of the night sky in the wound.
“Princess?”
Luna’s form started to shimmer. “Princess, what’s going on?” Twilight asked again.
Before the Princess could answer, she vanished, just like the others.
“I don’t understand. What is this ‘something?’”
Celestia’s features grew brighter. It was like somepony was shining a light source on her. All shadows were gone from her. The more Twilight stared, the more that the light source grew brighter.
She turned her head to see the light source, but with a gasp she realized that all her friends were gone as well. She hadn’t even noticed them shimmering, so focused was she on figuring out what was going on.
Behind her was an empty field, lit only by the moonlight. There was no source of illumination. But still, when she regarded Celestia once more, the white alicorn could almost not been seen with how bright something was shining on her.
Twilight could still make out Celestia’s face. She was smiling. Then she started to shimmer.
“Princess, what are you waiting on?”
“Why Twilight, the answer is simple: we’re waiting on you.”
The regal alicorn vanished, but not before saying one final thing. “Twilight...” The name started off low, but with each echo it gained in volume. The world around her started shaking as her name was being shouted to the heavens.
* * *
“Twilight!”
Twilight awoke with a start. “Huh?” she said.
She looked up to see Applejack standing over her. The farmer must’ve been calling her name and shaking her. She had a serious look on her face.
“What is it?” Twilight asked. She grew worried. Something had to have happened.
She looked around, seeing all of her friends were there. So no one had vanished while they slept. So then what had Applejack so worried?
“Twi,” Applejack said. She pointed with a hoof towards the hole in the ceiling.
A shaft of light pierced it, just like before. Only this time, the light was brighter. And the wind couldn’t be heard.
Twilight got up, confused at why Applejack was pointing this out. She stopped below the hole and looked up. No longer was snow blowing across the entrance. Clouds still covered the sky. A light snow was still falling, but it looked like the storm had passed.
“I don’t...” she started, but then something hit her. Even with the heavy snow no longer blocking the light, it was far too bright to be night.
She gasped. This amount of light could only mean one thing. She needed to confirm this, she needed to go outside.
She galloped out of the chamber. “Wait Twi,” called Applejack. She could hear her friend coming after her.
Twilight reached the entrance to the cave. The snow had mostly covered it. With a grunt, she pushed against the frozen powder. It refused to budge.
She threw her hooves forward, scooping out the snow, trying to create a hole. Tossing the snow behind her without a care, she continued to dig.
“Twi, what’s going on?”
“No time AJ, help me.” She didn’t even stop digging or look at her friend.
She felt her friend slide into place beside her. Together they worked to clear away what had been deposited by the storm last night.
As she shoveled snow, Twilight could only hope that what she was imaging was correct. If it was, then this changed everything, again.
Soon they had enough cleared that Twilight could force her head out. She scrabbled at the slick rock underhoof, trying to find enough purchase to push her way outside. She nearly jumped when a strong pair of hooves grabbed her flank.
“Hang on Twilight,” she could hear her friends voice.
With Applejack shoving, Twilight exploded out of the hole, snow billowing up and flying everywhere. She landed with a whoomp, the air in her lungs being forcibly evacuated.
As soon as she could draw in a breath, she rolled over, laying on her back and looking up at the sky. The clouds still covered most of the sky, but there were gaps. And in those gaps, she could see something wonderous.
Hints of a blue sky peeked through. The stars were nowhere to be seen. She scanned the sky, looking for something more.
Finally she saw it. A single glimpse through the clouds, seen and then gone before the clouds moved to cover it. But she saw it, shining bright in the sky, casting its rays across the land.
“AJ! It’s the sun!” she exclaimed.
Applejack nodded. “I wasn’t sure, so I thought you needed to see this. What does it mean Twi?”
Twilight felt a full smile grace her face. She turned her head to look at her friend, who was standing in the snow next to her. “AJ... Celestia must be alive! She got out.”
Twilight lay in the snow under the sun with Applejack standing next to her, the gently falling snowflakes resting in her lavender coat. The sun, she loved how that word sounded in her mind right now. Just seeing the sun brought back hope to her.
Princess Celestia had somehow escaped the dragon. Where the solar Princess was, Twilight had no idea, but the sun being up meant that she had to be around, somewhere.
The sun being up also had another benefit. Twilight knew that there was no way they could stick around that cave for much longer. It may have provided shelter from the storm, but as a long term place it wasn’t viable. They could get all the water they wanted simply by melting the snow, but they had no way of getting food, and no vegetation would grow out here.
Traveling solely at night in a place like this, they wouldn’t get very far before having to stop and take shelter from the cold. There was a chance that, depending on where they were, they might not make it to civilization before succumbing to the effects of starvation. The sun being up meant it would be warmer, they could go further without stopping.
They needed to leave while they still had the strength to do so. Today would be the best option. Their bodies were still okay, not suffering any effects of starvation, though she could already feel her stomach grumbling without its breakfast.
She rolled over and stood up, seeing Applejack still standing there. “Come on, we have to tell the others.” Without waiting for a reply, she took off, back down the ramp and into the cave. She nearly slipped going down the snow covered rocks, but managed to hold her balance.
She could hear the clop of hooves coming after her as she rounded the corner. Everypony else was still sleeping.
“Girls, girls, wake up!” Twilight shouted, her voice bouncing off the rocks and amplifying.
“Twi,” Applejack said, putting a hoof to her face.
Fluttershy was the first to react, sitting bolt upright and looking around, wide-eyed. “Angel,” she said in a soft voice? She blinked a few times before she seemed to remember where she was. “What’s wrong Twilight?” she asked.
Twilight was too busy waiting for the others to wake up to answer. Instead she called again, feeling Applejack shove her as she shouted again. She felt her annoyance rise at the farmer, but quickly shrugged it off in favor of telling the others the good news. After waking them up, of course.
Pinkie was the next to wake up, with Rainbow right behind her. Both of them just sat up and rubbed their eyes, looking at the source of their disturbance.
The only one still asleep, somehow, was Rarity. Twilight was about to shout once more, before a hoof inserted itself in her mouth.
“No, sugarcube,” said Applejack emphatically. “No more shouting.”
Twilight glared at Applejack around the hoof in her mouth. The others had to know what was going on, what she had discovered. And here’s her friend, stopping her. She tried to speak around the hoof, to tell Applejack to knock it off, but all that came out was mumbled gibberish.
Just as she was about to use her magic, risking a headache in the process, to forcibly remove the hoof, Applejack slipped her hoof from Twilight’s mouth. Twilight sucked in a breath to tell her friend off, until the farmer shot her a glare of her own.
“Twilight, no. Stop shouting before I go deaf. If you’re so set on waking her up, let’s do it in a way that’s quieter.” Applejack went over to the sleeping fashionista. She looked around for a moment before turning and giving the wall a swift buck.
A pile of snow fell into the room through the hole in the ceiling. Applejack walked over to the snow and picked some of it up in a forehoof. She then unceremoniously dumped the snow over Rarity.
The reaction was immediate. Rarity scrambled backwards until her flank hit the cave wall, her mane dripping snow. “What’s going on? What happened?” she shrieked, her voice echoing around the cave and making everypony clamp their hooves to their ears.
“Quieter, huh?” Twilight asked, the sarcasm evident in her voice. Applejack just shrugged and returned a sheepish grin.
Rarity’s brain woke up then and she looked around at the faces of her friends staring at her. “Darlings, would somepony mind telling me who just dumped snow all over me?”
Twilight skipped right over Rarity’s question, deeming it extraneous, and launched straight into her explanation. “Girls, I have some good news.”
Seeing Twilight smiling and excited about something got everypony’s attention. “What is it?” asked Rainbow.
Twilight pointed to the hole in the ceiling with a hoof. Everypony except Applejack took a look outside.
“I don’t get it, it’s just the sun coming...” Rarity’s voice trailed off as the weight of what she had said registered with her.
“The sun,” Fluttershy whispered. If it weren’t for the acoustics of the cave amplifying everything, nopony would have heard her.
Twilight nodded. “Yes, the sun. It rose this morning.”
Pinkie looked at Twilight. “So then this means that...”
“Yes. This means that Celestia has to be alive somewhere.”
The news brightened the faces of everypony in the room. For the first time since they had been standing on that hill outside Canterlot, each of them were smiling. The sun rising was a literal beacon of hope.
Twilight was about to continue, when the cave exploded into noise as everypony started chatting about what this new development could mean. One thing it meant was that what Twilight said last night about the world ending because the sun and moon stayed where they were wouldn’t come to pass. That brought relief to everypony. That was one less thing they’d have to worry about.
The conversations died off as they all realized that despite the sun coming up, they were still stuck in the middle of nowhere after watching their capital burn and their friends die. Reality forced its way in and settled down in their minds.
Silence descended, broken only by the occasional rumble of somepony’s stomach. Each of them was beginning to feel hungry, though skipping one meal wouldn’t have much of an effect on them. Twilight figured that they had until tomorrow before hunger really started to take hold. Then the headaches would start, followed by lethargy. Then would come an inability to think at higher levels, a loss of basic reasoning skills. Their bodies would start to eat themselves, starting with their muscles. Somepony like Applejack who had more muscle than the rest of them would last longer than Twilight or Rarity who had very little muscle mass.
They would become delirious, unable to reason or think, unable to move. Eventually they would be forced to lie down and simply wait, wait to die or be rescued.
Twilight shook her head, banishing those thoughts. She had enough to worry about in the immediate future without adding to it with something that may or may not come to pass. Her musings were interrupted by the voice of Rainbow Dash.
“So Twilight, did you see where we were while you were outside?”
Twilight opened her mouth to respond before she realized that she had been so caught up in the sun appearing that she had completely forgotten to even check. With an exasperated sigh, she ignited her horn and tried to teleport outside. Now that she knew the layout and had seen it in the light, she felt confident enough knowing where to go.
Instead, though, all that happened was her horn fizzled out, the magic sparking around her. She must still be worn out from last night. Turning around, she galloped for the exit, her friends following behind her.
She pushed her way out of the cave and into the sunlight once more. The mouth of the cave was inset into the bottom of a hill. Climbing the hill would afford her the best vantage point, so as her friends emerged one by one, she galloped up the hill as best she could with the deep snow slowing her down.
She reached the top of the hill and looked around. All around her, as far as the eye could see, was snow. She glanced at the sun quickly, mentally determining what time it was and where the sun should be in the sky. With the sun still off to the east, the rest of the directions could be gathered.
To the north were some mountains, breaking up the mostly flat tundra. South of her was a wide expanse of snowy flatlands. Somewhere down the line, it looked like the snow was replaced with something else, but it was so far off she couldn’t see what is was exactly. To the east, towards the sun, was more fields of ice, only if she squinted, she could just make out a break in it. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but her best guess was the ocean.
Finally, to the west was, of course, more tundra, but this time something definitely stood out. Far off was what looked like a tower, breaching the surface of the endless plain. It was too far off to make out clearly, but something about it looked familiar. She squinted , trying to bring as much as possible into focus.
Her mind worked feverishly, bringing up any and all maps that she had seen of Equestria. When nothing matched the surroundings, she went outside Equestria. The Dragonlands, The Gryphon Empire, the badlands to the south, all were checked and rejected. Grasping at straws, she brought up one last map in her mind.
Suddenly, everything seemed to click into place. Quickly she did a full turnaround, overlaying each thing she saw, each landmark, with the map in her head. Her face brightened as she realized where they were.
“Girls,” she said, turning to face her friends who had gathered partway up the hill. “I know where we are!”
They looked up at her. “Well, where are we?” Rarity asked.
“We’re in the Crystal Empire, and just that way,” she pointed a hoof off towards the tower off to the west, “is the heart of the Empire.”
The others perked up at that news. They knew where they had been dropped off, and now they knew where to go to get out of this frozen wasteland. Twilight looked back towards the city. From this view it seemed like it was still in one piece, so nothing had happened here, yet. Which made sense, the Crystal Empire was well over a day away by train from Canterlot.
“How far away are we?” Applejack asked.
Twilight shook her head. “I can’t tell exactly from this distance, but it looks like...” she trailed off as she brought up the map in her head again. Once more she used what landmarks she could to approximate where they were. “It looks like we can reach it in three days if we start now. And we don’t get slowed down by anything.”
While they still looked excited at the prospect of getting somewhere civilized, three days was a long time to go without food. With luck they would be able to find something to eat along the way, though Twilight didn’t keep her hopes up for that. Her friends were quiet as the distance set in.
With a resigned sigh, she turned back to her friends. “Come on girls, we might as well head out now.”
“Right,” said Applejack. “No use in delaying the inevitable.” Twilight smiled, the farmer was ever the pragmatist, always ready to get started on something.
“Oooooh,” Pinkie said. “I wonder if when we get there they’ll have a fancy feast all setup for us? Or maybe we can throw them a ‘Yay we’ve arrived’ party? We can have cake and ice cream and candies and some of those yummy crystal berries they grow around here. I wonder if those berries are actually made of crystals, because that would be totally awesome if they were. Oooooh, and then it would totally be something that we could share with-”
Pinkie was cut off as her mouth was held shut with magic. Rarity, her horn alight, walked over next to her friend. “Pinkie, darling, I’m sure that there will be plenty to eat once we get there. But until then, no more talking about food, yes?”
The baker nodded her head, pantomiming something that Twilight didn’t understand. Rarity seemed to get it as her horn ceased glowing and she allowed Pinkie to speak again.
“Okay, so are we ready to head out?” Twilight asked.
“Umm,” came the voice of Fluttershy. “What about the elements?”
Twilight’s hoof met her face with a slap. In her haste to leave this place behind, she had forgotten about the elements. “Right, so we get the elements, then we leave. Any objections?”
Everypony shook their heads. Together they trotted back into the cave, where the elements were all still piled up on the floor. Each mare retrieved their own element, and lacking for anything else to do, put it on. Rainbow complained about the necklace creating drag when she flew, but otherwise it was a quiet affair.
Twilight stuck her crown on her head, before picking up Celestia’s jewel in her hoof. It would be too tiring to carry it with magic all the time, and she lacked a saddlebag. Her only option was to tuck it behind the crown.
She struggled with the gem, trying to get it where it would stay on her head without falling off. “Here, let me get that darling,” Rarity said.
Twilight felt the gem leave her hoof, safe in Rarity’s magic. With expert skill and precision, the gem was woven into her mane. When Rarity was done, Twilight shook her head a few times to test it out. She could feel the jewel still there.
“Thanks, Rarity,” she said.
“Think nothing of it darling,” the unicorn said before she walked away to join the others waiting for them at the mouth of the cave.
Twilight reached up and felt the weave, always fascinated at Rarity’s skill with her magic. She may have more power than her fashion-minded friend, but Rarity displayed a raw control over her magic that Twilight couldn’t hope to achieve without serious amounts of study and dedication. However, she could get done everything she needed to get done without sacrificing valuable time spent studying other things, so she had never bothered to learn precision control.
With the elements secure, the girls bid their temporary shelter farewell and headed out west, across the tundra. Twilight was in the lead, with the others following behind and Rainbow lazily flying above them. Twilight shook her head at her pegasus friend. Flying like that was just going to waste her energy faster. Even the speedster would run out of energy eventually, and flying would only make her hungrier, faster.
Not that walking through the snow was easy. In some places it was only up to their hooves and made no difference in their pace. In others, they were trudging through snow up to their knees, or their stomachs. This slowed them down considerably. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell just by looking what was deep snow and what wasn’t, so they just had to keep carrying on.
Every time they reached the top of another rise, Twilight re-aligned herself with the city off in the distance. Thanks to how the sun and moon worked, always rising in the direct east and setting in the direct west, and always moving across the equator of the planet, it wasn’t very hard to keep going even when she couldn’t see the city.
For the first part of the journey, they chatted with each other, just trying to keep their spirits high. But it seemed like every topic only reminded them of what forced them to be here in the first place. Topics regarding Ponyville or Canterlot, friends from town, or even family brought back painfully fresh memories.
Soon the talking faded out, and the only noise was their own as the moved through the snow. Nopony could find a topic which didn’t bring up something painful. Even Pinkie was having trouble, her normal non-stop talking slowing down to a crawl.
As the day wore on, they stopped occasionally for breaks, simply sitting down in the snow. Yet stopping meant that they would get cold, as the movement was keeping their blood flowing and them warm. So for the most part they simply moved.
The sun was at its highest when Twilight called for another break. Her stomach, which that morning had been at least somewhat quiet about its displeasure at being empty, was now being very vocal. She had skipped three meals now, dinner the night before, breakfast, and now lunch. Based on the sounds around her, her friends weren’t faring any better.
They sat on the top of a hill, soaking up as much warmth from the sun as they could. The breeze was starting to pick up and the clouds overhead were shifting. Twilight knew that the tundra around the Crystal Empire was much like the Everfree forest in that nopony controlled the weather. Not enough ponies lived out here to make it worth their time. That, and the crystal berries needed colder temperatures and snow to survive, so out here they just let it snow whenever it wanted. She had hoped that the storm last night was the end, but it seemed like it was going to start up once more.
The last thing they needed was to be stuck outside at night in a storm, again. So she resolved to go ahead and start looking for shelter as they moved.
She glanced over at the city. It still stood off in the distance, though after an entire morning of walking it still looked no closer. Distance was very hard to judge in a place like this. They could walk for a day and it would grow no closer, then it would appear right next to them, as if they had teleported. She knew they had made progress, even if there was no visual evidence to match.
With flagging spirits, they set out again, the break being short since they had nothing to eat. Rainbow joined them in walking, not even uttering a comment about how it was ‘uncool’ or something.
Twilight kept one eye on their course, making sure they were going to right direction. From this point on they would be heading into the sun. Her other eye was looking around, trying to find shelter.
As the day wore on, the wind picked up more and more, and flakes of snow began to fall, mingling with the ones kicked up by the wind. It would seem that they were in store for another storm like the night before.
“Girls,” Twilight said, looking over her shoulder. “We need to find somewhere to rest for the night.” She received nodded heads in response. With the addition of five pairs of eyes, they were sure to find something soon.
They marched on, heads held low against the wind. The weight of where they were and why they were there seeming to hold them down. Footsteps became shuffles, which turned into trudging. Twilight could feel a building pain in her head, a sign that her hunger was growing. Soon she would be suffering from a massive headache, one that wouldn’t go away until she ate. That headache would make it difficult to think, and would only get worse the longer she went without food. Already she could feel her brain slowing down.
The wind picked up even more, combined with a heavier snow falling. They needed to find some sort of shelter, soon. The temperature was dropping quickly and even when they were moving they were shivering. The cold, the hunger, and the general downtrodden spirits combined to make every step seem like a monumental effort. Still they kept moving, having no other choice.
Twilight looked behind her once more, seeing everypony struggling to keep going. As a result, she wasn’t watching where she was walking and stepped on a rock hidden under the snow. Her ankle twisted and she fell into the snow.
She struggled to right herself, fighting against swiftly growing panic, her limbs flailing about. One of her forelimbs collided with something. She only calmed down when a reassuring pressure was placed on her midsection.
“I got ya Twi,” Applejack said. Twilight felt herself gripped and pulled out of the snow.
Thanks, Applejack,” she managed to stammer out. Now she was absolutely soaked in snow and was even colder than she had been. Looking at her coat, she could swear she saw ice crystals forming as it froze. She sat there, shivering, as she reanalyzed her situation.
Now, more than ever, they needed to find some kind of shelter. Her being so wet meant she was at a much greater risk of freezing and hypothermia. She wasn’t sure how long it took her brain to conjure up that information, which was frightening. Her energy was almost gone, she felt so weak, but they had to continue.
“We should move on,” she said around her clattering teeth. She could see her friends looking at her with worried eyes. Summoning reserves of strength she wasn’t aware she had, she set off again.
As the wind and snow picked up, the light grew darker and darker, despite the sun still being up. Not even the sun was able to pierce through the storm and light their way anymore. Twilight was fairly confident she could keep them on course, at least until they found some sort of shelter. No matter how much she looked, she couldn’t see anything.
The odds of them finding another cave were infinitesimally small. It had only been through sheer luck that they had found the first one. It would seem like their only hope would be to dig a shelter of some kind.
Fortune was against them, though, as no sooner had she decided to simply dig something out on the side of a hill, than the deep snow ran out. Every hill was only covered in a light coating of snow, not even up to their ankles. The drifts in between the hills were being blown about by the wind, not piling up. Even as she thought about constructing something, she dismissed it. It would take too long to build something big enough to fit all of them, and whatever they built would be taken down by the blowing wind. They could use magic to help, but Twilight wasn’t sure if she would be able to concentrate through her headache.
Her mane was being whipped back and forth and she feared for the crown and jewel on her head. Their weight on her head was a small comfort. It let her know that her two precious objects were still there. Looking back at her friends, she bemoaned that her element was a tiara and not a necklace. At least a necklace wouldn’t blow off her head.
Finally, as the sun itself set and the world was cast into darkness, Twilight stumbled and fell. Her friends rushed to help her, only for them to find out why she fell. It would seem they had found a natural depression in the ground, one filled with snow. Twilight had stumbled when her hoof found nothing to support itself.
She was stuck facedown in a deep pile of snow, her flank sticking up in the air. She struggled to free herself, having no luck until somepony grabbed her tail and pulled. Flying up and out of the hole, which was shaped like her, she landed on the snow.
As she shook her head, she realized that this was just what they needed. They needed somewhere they could dig a hole in the snow. It was hard to communicate over the wind, but she waved her hooves in the air, calling her friends over.
“Girls, we have to dig a hole.”
“What? Why?” yelled Rarity over the wind.
“Because I don’t want to freeze to death!,” Twilight yelled back. “Just do it.”
Together they set out, gathering hooffuls of snow and tossing it up, letting the wind carry it away. The going was slow as the wind deposited almost as much snow as they removed. Yet they made progress, until they had a decent sized hole which would fit the six of them rather uncomfortably. They were all shivering and exhausted.
Twilight gestured to her friends, telling them to get into the hole. With questioning looks, they obeyed, leaping down. Twilight stood outside for a moment more, looking down at them. She knew what she needed to do, the hard part would be actually doing it.
Her horn lit up as she concentrated through her headache, through the cold, and through her exhaustion. She poured every ounce of willpower she had into this one task. Using her magic she picked up a pile of snow and squeezed it, compacting it until it was more solid, like a snowball only this piece was flat.
Sweat running down her face despite the cold, she could feel the throbbing in her head increase tenfold. She maneuvered the piece of snow until it was almost covering the hole. Finally she leapt down into the hole with her friends, before moving the piece to cover the entrance, leaving a gap.
As soon as the piece was in place, she released it and ceased channeling her magic. She lay in the snow, panting.
“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, checking on her friend.
The shy pegasus’ words barely managed to pierce the raging headache the unicorn was feeling. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just... just give me a minute.”
Inside the hole, they were all pressed up close against each other. They hadn’t had the time to make anything fancy, or even comfortable. It was simply a mass of limbs and coats.
Twilight could feel the headache recede a bit now that she was no longer using magic. It still throbbed quite painfully, but she could at least sit up and look at her friends.
“So you mind telling us why you had us dig a hole,” Rainbow said.
“It’s a snow cave. Just like the cave we stayed in last night kept us warm and out of the wind, so too will this one.” Twilight was surprised when Fluttershy spoke up. She knew the mare had survival knowledge, but not to that degree.
Looks of confusion and comprehension were scattered amongst her friends. “I don’t get it,” Pinkie said. “Snow is all cold and wet and mushy, how can it keep us warm?”
“The snow acts as an insulator. Our body heat will warm up the area and the snow will keep it in far better than if we were outside.” Twilight was able to speak up that time.
“Well then why leave a gap,” Applejack pointed out.
“Because we need air. If I seal it off, we’ll suffocate.”
All the confusion was gone, now replaced solely with comprehension. Everypony got it now.
“Wow, you really are a egghead,” Rainbow joked.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well this egghead is keeping us all alive through the night.” A particularly strong gust of wind blew outside, punctuating her sentence.
“Well then, allow me to say thank you, Twilight,” Rarity said. The others murmured their thanks as well.
“You’re welcome girls, now come on, let’s get some sleep.”
They each settled in, the shared body heat and the cave doing their parts to keep them warm. Space was lacking, so heads were laying on backs while limbs were tangled around each other. It was far from being comfortable, but they were so tired they wouldn’t care.
Twilight continued to sit up for a moment longer, watching over her friends. They were resting quietly, still shivering as the cave had yet to get warmer. The important part was that they were out of the wind and snow. So long as they stayed in shelter, they could survive the night. Though how many more days like today they could survive, she didn’t know. The cold, the hunger, the exhaustion, they needed to fix at least one of those soon.
Despite her exhaustion, Twilight found sleep difficult to find, her throbbing headache, the hunger in her stomach, the cold around her and the soft sounds of her friends as they, too, tried to sleep all contributed to her restlessness. Thoughts flitted back and forth through her mind, mostly over what they might find when they reached the city in the next few days. She hoped it would be sooner, as all around her the sounds of stomachs’ growling could be heard. A clinical part of her mind knew that a pony could go for several weeks without food, but she didn’t want to personally test that.
Slowly she could hear her friends descend into sleep, their breathing becoming slow and steady. Still she lay there awake. Rainbow’s head was on her back and she could feel her breaths stirring the coat there. The feeling was pleasant, knowing that her friend was right there.
The wind howled outside, as occasionally some snow would fall into their shelter. Since she was the closest to the entrance, the snow fell onto her. Not that she minded, much, as it was only one more annoyance that kept her from falling asleep.
Finally she could take it no more. Carefully she sat up, moving Rainbow’s head until it sat on the floor, making sure to not wake the pegasus up. There was just enough room in the cave for her to sit up. She took a glance outside, seeing the snow blowing about.
She was just about to lay back down, tired of watching the snow come down, when something caught her eye. Unsure of what it was, she watched for a bit longer. When the wind calmed down momentarily, she could see it. Something out there was glowing.
Twilight knew she should just ignore it and lay back down, but something inside her found the glow mesmerizing. The wind picked up and the light as lost amongst the swirling snow, but she knew that she’d seen it. And where there was light, there had to be somepony.
Her desire, her hope of food and warmth bade her to continue staring. The desire was so strong she couldn’t ignore it any longer. She had to know what the glow was.
She ignited her horn, sliding the cover back enough for her to clamber out. Her headache seemed to fade into the background, not increasing with the usage of her magic. As soon as she was outside, she replaced the cover and looked down the depression, the ditch, they were in.
After a moment, she was able to pick out the glow once more. It didn’t look too far off, but she was shivering rapidly. Leaving the snow cave had been foolish and stupid, she knew that. Wandering around in a storm like this would only get her lost and killed. Yet she needed to know what was out there. Even as she debated, she tried to run the numbers in her head on whether she could make it. It took her two tries before she got an answer. She needed to hurry.
She set off towards the light, making sure to walk in a straight line so she could find her way back. The closer she got, the more insistent the pull was, almost as if she was being led. After only a minute she could see the glow consistently, even when the wind was up. Another minute and the source of the glow became apparent.
A small house stood out there, the glow was coming through the window. Cautiously Twilight approached, peeking in the window. Inside she could see a fireplace, a fire going full blast. The place looked deserted, until somepony shifted on the couch in front of the fireplace.
Twilight had stumbled across a home, and somepony lived there. That meant there was shelter, warmth, and food. She wanted nothing more than to charge the door and bang on it until the pony inside opened it, but she wouldn’t abandon her friends.
She needed to get back to their hole and get them. Hopefully the pony inside would take them in for the night. Tearing herself away from the window, Twilight forced her legs to take her back the way she came. Soon, she was galloping, the promise of warmth and a fire lending her strength.
She ran back through the ditch, trying to remember where the cave was. Everything around her was dark and she couldn’t find the entrance. Panic set in almost instantly. She hadn’t marked the entrance before leaving, a stupid mistake. Her hoofprints in the snow were gone as soon as she took a step, so following her own trail was useless. Her only hope was to stumble upon the hole, somehow.
Wandering around in the dark, the cold was working to quickly sap her strength. She needed to find the cave, fast. Her hoof came down once more, only this time the ground beneath her gave way and she tumbled briefly before landing on something squishy, but not cold like the snow.
“What the hay!?” came a voice she recognized as Applejack.
“What’s going on? Did the cave collapse?” asked Rarity.
Twilight’s entrance had woken up everypony. They all tried to figure out what had happened as snow fell into the cave. The slab over the hole had given way at Twilight’s weight.
Twilight extricated herself from the pony pile. “Girls, I found a better shelter and you have to come with me.”
“You what?” Rainbow asked.
“Did you go out there by yourself?” Fluttershy seemed angry that Twilight would do something so foolish.
“You can berate me later, Fluttershy. Right now, just follow me.” Without waiting on them, she jumped back out of the hole.
Slowly her friends emerged. With the slab gone, their cave was quickly filling with snow and wasn’t a viable place to remain in the cold and snow. They had no choice but to follow her.
Twilight led them through the depression, following the glow. As soon as it became clear, she pointed it out. “See,” she shouted. “I found a home.”
She continued to lead them, the thought of being so close to a warm home overriding anything else in her mind. The icy wind bit at her, the falling snow nearly blinded her, but she hardly felt it anymore. Everything had been pushed aside. Finally they gazed upon the house.
Without preamble, Twilight marched right up to the door and started banging on it. She waited a few moments before banging again.
“Are you sure anypony’s home?” Pinkie shouted.
Twilight nodded, banging again. “I saw them through the window.” She banged on the door one more time before it opened.
Framed in the door was a pegasus mare, wiping at her eyes like she had just been woken up. When she saw the six of them outside on her doorstep, her eyes widened. “Oh my,” she said.
Her eyes traveled over each of them, seeing them shivering out in the storm. Without another word, she stepped aside and beckoned them inside.
Twilight entered the home, seeing a couch and a chair in front of the fireplace, with the fire still blazing away. Off to the left was a small kitchen, a table with three chairs set up by another window. Three doors led off of this room down a short hallway.
As soon as Fluttershy, who had been in the rear, came inside, the mare closed the door, sealing off the storm. Without the snow falling and the wind howling, it was suddenly very quiet. The mare regarded them all. They just sat on the floor, staring at her, waiting.
Now that Twilight could see her clearly, she could see that she had a cream colored coat with a soft blue mane. Her cutie mark was of a flower in bloom, a lily.
After a moment she gestured towards the fireplace. “Go on, get warm. Celestia knows what you were doing out there in that storm, but that can wait until after you’ve warmed up.”
“Thank you so much,” Twilight said before she went and sat in front of the fireplace. She got as close as she dared to the flames, feeling their heat across her body. The warmth gave her comfort beyond what the sun could that day. For the first time in a day, she truly felt like she was warm.
Her friends gathered around her, each of them sitting on the floor. She could hear the mare in the kitchen, but Twilight paid her little attention, instead focused on the fire in front of her. Melting snow dripped off her coat, puddling on the floor.
The flames danced as the burned, casting their flickering light over herself and her friends. Shadows moved across the room in time with the fire, keeping the beat of the dance. Her eyes were entranced with the burning logs, as if she had never seen a fire before.
The mare came back, carrying a tray on her back with six steaming mugs on it. Wordlessly, Twilight lifted one of the mugs, finding it full of a dark brown liquid. A hesitant taste proved it to be hot chocolate, one of her favorites. This one had a hint of mint to it, which she found favorable.
Sipping at the drink, she watched the mare deliver one to each of her friends before she took a seat in the chair, gazing at them. “So, I have to ask. Who are you and why were you out there during that storm?”
Twilight set down her cup, turning to fully face the mare. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends.” She introduced her friends, pointing them each out as she said their names.
“As for why we were out there, well...” She trailed off, unsure of where to start. It had only been a day since what had happened to Canterlot, and the odds were that the news hadn’t made it this far out yet.
She drew in a breath. “Have you heard about what happened at Canterlot yesterday?”
The mare shook her head. “No, I’m afraid I haven’t.”
“Ma’am,” Twilight started, but was interrupted when the mare held up a hoof.
“You’ve told me your names, only fair I tell you mine. I’m Swift Bloom, and this is my farm.”
“Farm?” Applejack asked. “What do you grow?”
“Crystal berries,” she answered. Her gaze returned to Twilight after flickering over to Applejack for a moment. “Now, I believe you were going to tell me something about Canterlot.”
“This is going to be hard to believe, but Canterlot was attacked last night.”
Swift Bloom’s raised an eyebrow. “You’re right, that is hard to believe. Who would be foolish enough to attack the Princesses?”
“I’ll tell you,” Twilight said. “But it will be a lot easier if you let me speak without interruption. I promise, you can ask all the questions you want when I’m done.”
Swift Bloom nodded. “Very well.”
Twilight launched into her tale. She started from when she first noticed the light in the sky, to her meeting with the Princesses about the light. She told the mare about how nopony knew what it was, how all they could do was wait and see what would happen.
She took a moment to steel herself before getting to the previous night. She spared the mare many of the gory details, but she told her how they had gathered, and how the dragon had wiped them out. She spoke of Celestia sending them out here, and of how they’d spent the last day trekking through the wasteland, until they came across her home.
It wasn’t the best telling, and she had left out a lot of details, but she wanted to spare the mare as much horror as she could. Already she could see Swift Bloom struggling with something. And for Twilight, it was the first time she had actually admitted some of these things out loud. She had been avoiding it up until now, as if talking about it would make it real. Now, though, she had to speak, to acknowledge what had happened so that someone else could perhaps understand.
As soon as she finished, the room lapsed into silence except for the crackling of the fire. Fluttershy had kept herself busy stoking it during the retelling, occasionally adding another log from a stack in the corner.
Swift Bloom remained quiet for a moment, seeming to mull things over in her mind. Finally she spoke. “I know who you six are, everypony knows of the Elements of Harmony. I just never knew what you looked like before now.” She paused, her gaze traveling over the mares in front of her. “But coming from six freezing, well known mares who’re all the way out here, I don’t see this as being anything but true.” Her stare shifted to the floor. “So this means that...”
Twilight nodded. “Canterlot is destroyed, Princess Luna is gone,” Twilight felt her voice giving way. She was forced to stop and take a deep breath to steady herself. “And we were sent here by Princess Celestia for some reason. Oh and Equestria has been invaded by an interstellar dragon.” She forced a smile at the mare.
Swift Bloom sat back in her chair, her limbs going slack. “Wow,” was all she could say.
Twilight stayed quiet, letting the mare come to grips with everything. It was a lot to take in all at once, and she had just dumped pretty much everything on her at once. She wasn’t surprised that Swift Bloom needed some time.
Swift Bloom looked about to say something, when they were interrupted by one of the doors opening. A little filly with a darker cream coat and a navy mane came out and stopped, looking at her home full of strangers. Her eyes went wide, until she spotted Swift Bloom sitting in the chair.
“Mommy, who are these ponies?” she asked, her voice quiet and fearful.
Swift Bloom smiled. “They’re travelers who got lost, sweetie. Now why are you out of bed?”
“I hafta go to the bathroom,” she said. Then without preamble the little filly opened another door and went inside, closing it behind her rather quickly, as if she wanted a door between her and the strange ponies.
Swift Bloom turned back to Twilight. “My daughter, Berry Fields,” she said. “I’m sorry, she’s not the most sociable.”
“It’s okay,” Twilight said.
“Miss Twilight, please, don’t let my daughter know about...”
Twilight held up a hoof. “I won’t.”
Swift Bloom thanked her with her eyes as the sound of flushing came from the bathroom, quickly followed by running water. The door opened and a little head peeked out. “Mommy,” came that soft voice.
“Coming, sweetie,” she replied. She got out of her chair and went over to the filly. “It’s okay dear, they just got lost in the storm and needed someplace to stay tonight. They’re nice, I promise.” She guided the filly back to her room, the both of them disappearing through the door.
Twilight waited for Swift Bloom to reappear. She could hear her friends shuffling about as they tried to stay awake. Rainbow wasn’t even trying, having laid down during Twilight’s story and was now sleeping on the floor. Rarity, once she was properly dry, had moved to sit on the couch alongside Pinkie, whose mane, despite being dryer, was still hanging nearly straight. Fluttershy still tended to the fire while Applejack simply sat with Twilight.
After a few minutes, the door opened again and Swift Bloom came out. She gently closed the door behind her before getting back into the chair. “Sorry about that,” she said.
“It’s no bother,” Twilight responded. “We’re the ones intruding.”
Swift Bloom waved a hoof in the air. “After hearing your tale, putting you up for a night is the least I can do. I’m afraid I can’t offer you more than this room though.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I promise, we won’t disturb you or your family.”
“Oh it’s just me and Berry.” She looked down for a moment, regarding the floor. “My husband passed on last year.”
Fluttershy looked over. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said.
“Thank you,” Swift Bloom replied with a grateful smile. Suddenly she let out a yawn. “My apologies, but it’s quite late.” She gestured around with her hoof. “Feel free to make yourselves comfortable anywhere you like. I’ll see about finding a few extra blankets or pillows.”
She got off the chair and headed into the one door which hadn’t been opened yet. Twilight watched as her friends got settled. Rarity and Pinkie simply laid down on the couch, while Applejack curled up on the floor by the fireplace. Fluttershy stretched out on the rug between the couch and the fireplace.
Swift Bloom came back out, carrying a large pile of blankets and pillows on her back. “I’m afraid I could only find a few of each, but the fire should keep you warm, and you can use the pillows from the couch as well.” She set the pile down on the floor before regarding Twilight.
“Miss Twilight, we were going to go into town in the next few days for supplies, but I think we can bump that up to tomorrow. You’re more than welcome to join us.”
“Oh no, we can’t disrupt you like that.”
“It’s not a disruption. I know how to get there safely and quickly. If you simply wander around out there, you’re likely to get hurt. I can’t have that.” She smiled down at her for a moment, her smile then fading. “And if what you say is true, then this might be a good time to go visit my parents in the city.”
Twilight thought about that. Would going to the city be such a good idea? If this dragon really was here to conquer or destroy everything, a gleaming city would be at the top of its list. She almost thought that way out here in the middle of nowhere would be the safest place to be. Sure the city had the shield, powered by the Crystal Heart, but given what she had seen, not even that could stand up to the power of the dragon for long.
She considered bringing this up with Swift Bloom, but something the mare had said stopped her. Swift Bloom had mentioned going into the city for supplies. If that was true, and she had no reason to believe she was being lied to, then asking them to stay out here was unfair. The best solution would be to accompany them into the city and see what was going on. Surely by the time they got there, then news would have arrived and they could figure out the current situation. If things seemed dangerous, Twilight resolved to track down the mare herself and tell her to leave the city. She didn’t want to risk the lives of a family on conjecture alone, she needed to make an informed decision.
Twilight nodded. “Of course.” She cleared her throat. “We’d be honored to accompany you, Swift Bloom.”
Swift Bloom smiled once more. “Very good. We’ll leave tomorrow morning. Good night,” she said before heading back to her room.
Twilight looked over to the pile of blankets and pillows, seeing one of each left. Pinkie and Rarity were sharing a blanket and using pillows from the couch, as was Fluttershy with her own blanket. Applejack had refused both, and Rainbow was already asleep, leaving what was left for Twilight.
Grateful, she took a pillow and set it under her head, covering herself with a blanket. The warmth and sound of the flames quickly lulled her into sleep, a sleep riddled with dreams of unseen forces chasing after her.
Twilight awoke to the feeling of something poking her muzzle. She blew out a breath and tried to go back to sleep. After a few moments, the poking returned. Reaching up a hoof to brush down her muzzle, she once more attempted to sleep.
It took longer, but the poking returned. She cracked open an eye to see just what was going on. Her eye met the wide, rose colored eyes of a filly, one who was actively poking her. The filly was giggling to herself, her hoof reaching out and poking Twilight again.
As Twilight’s brain woke up, she remembered the filly was named Berry Fields. “Good morning,” Twilight greeted, putting a smile on her face despite how tired she felt.
Berry gasped, a slight “Eep.” Then she giggled again and dashed away, diving under the chair that Swift Bloom had been sitting in last night. The fire had long ago died, leaving the filly mostly hidden by shadows, though her eyes were still visible and her laughter could still be heard.
“Now is that how you say good morning around here?” she asked the filly.
“Maybe...” came the response.
Twilight inched her way closer to the chair. “Well then, if that’s the case.” She reached out with her hoof, booping the filly on the nose. “Good morning,” she said again.
Berry’s head emerged from under the chair, Twilight scooting backwards so as to give her some space. “You’re silly.”
“Says the filly who started it.”
Berry laughed. The sound caused Pinkie to let out a snort and roll over. The filly looked past Twilight towards the party mare. “So, umm, did I wake you up?” she asked.
Twilight nodded. “You did, but it’s probably time for me to get up anyway.”
“Oh, sorry,” she apologized.
“It’s okay.” Twilight stretched her limbs out, careful not to hit the filly.
Berry’s eyes darted around quickly. “Please don’t tell mommy I was bothering you.”
Twilight sat up. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she said, making the motions and ending it by sticking her hoof in her left eye. “Ow,” she said, rubbing her eyelid.
The filly cocked her head to one side. “What’s that?” she asked.
Crouching down so her head was level with the filly’s, Twilight responded. “It’s a special promise that my friend Pinkie Pie made up.” She pointed to the still sleeping mare. “It can never be broken.”
“Never?” Berry took a step out from under the chair.
“Never ever,” she said.
Berry emerged fully from the chair and stood up. Upon getting a good look at her, Twilight realized that she was still young, younger than the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her flank was still blank, but given her estimated age, that was no surprise. She was smiling up at her..
Twilight held out her hoof. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle, what’s yours?” she asked. Even though she knew the filly’s name, she thought a proper introduction was in order.
The filly regarded her hoof for a moment more before reaching up and grasping it with her own. “Berry Fields,” she said.
“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Berry.”
Looking past Twilight, Berry gestured with her hoof. “Are they your friends?” she asked.
Twilight nodded. “Yes, they are.” She named off her friends, pointing them out as she did so. All of her friends were still asleep, the long night having worn them all out.
“And they’re all nice like you are?” Berry asked.
“Yes, the nicest.”
The filly seemed satisfied at that. Her gaze returned to Twilight. “So what’s that thing on your head?” she asked, pointing.
Twilight was confused for a moment, wondering if Berry had simply never seen a unicorn before and was asking about her horn, before she remembered that she was still wearing the Element of Magic. She must have slept with it on, which explained the massive crick in her neck.
Reaching up, she removed the tiara and placed in on the floor in front of the filly. The filly peered at it in wonder, poking it with a hoof. “It’s so pretty,” she said. “Are you a princess?”
Twilight giggled. “No, I’m not. This isn’t a crown, it’s called a tiara.”
“A tiara?” Berry tried out the new word. “Why do you have it?”
She thought for a moment. This filly was probably too young to fully understand the Elements of Harmony. “It was a gift,” she said.
“From a colt?” Berry said with a look of disgust on her face. “Colts are icky.”
Twilight laughed again. “No, not from a colt. It was a gift from Princess Celestia.”
Berry’s eyes went wide. “You know the Princess? Are you royalty?”
“No, I’m not royalty, and yes, I know the Princess.”
The filly leaped up, hopping around. “Is she really tall? Does she really raise the sun everyday? Is Canterlot huge?” She continued to fire off questions without giving Twilight a chance to answer any of them.
Finally she had to stop and take a breath. “Oh my, so many questions,” Twilight said. This filly was beginning to remind her of herself when she was that age, always curious and wanting to know about things.
Twilight spent some time playing question and answer with the filly, whose earlier hesitation seemed forgotten in the face of somepony who knew about Canterlot and the Princesses. Even though each successive question brought forth images of the city in flames, or of the Princesses in the field that night, she kept a smile on her face and answered each question.
To her surprise, Berry found her way over to Twilight, curling up at her side. The physical contact, as well as the feeling of a warm body at her side, caused Twilight to almost lose her train of thought. She was able to recover and continue speaking with only a slight pause that went unnoticed by her audience. With a mental shake of her head, she decided to just go with it. The filly was adorable the way she constantly asked more questions, and letting her sit up against her like that wouldn’t harm anything.
Applejack awoke upon a particularly loud exclamation from the filly. She looked around the room for a moment before her brain kicked in and she remembered where she was. Her green eyes landed on the scene of Twilight and Berry laying side by side. Twilight could see a warm look enter those eyes as she looked on, a small smile gracing her muzzle, content to just continue laying there and observe.
Even though the questions covered a surprisingly broad range of topics, Berry’s gaze kept returning to the tiara sitting on the floor. Twilight levitated it over with her magic. “Would you like to try it on?”
Berry leapt up and down, delivering an elbow to Twilight’s stomach. “Oh, can I?”
Twilight nodded. “It’ll be a bit big on you, but I don’t see why not.”
She lowered the tiara on Berry’s head. As soon as she let go with her magic, the headpiece nearly fell off. Instead, she used her levitation to keep it upright and on.
The tiara was more than a bit big on the filly. Her head was barely big enough to fill it out. Either the tiara suddenly looked really big, or the filly looked really small, Twilight couldn’t decide which. The effect was comical, but she managed to restrain her laughter.
“How does it look?” Berry asked.
Twilight dipped into a small bow. “You look like a princess,” she said.
The news of that brought an even bigger smile to Berry’s face. “Really?”
“Yup. I can see you now, walking along the streets of Canterlot. Ponies will be bowing to you and calling you Princess.”
Berry got up and walked around, doing her best to walk with grace. Twilight kept her magic going on the tiara, trying her best to match the filly’s movements. After a few moments, the filly lay back down against Twilight.
“It’s kinda big,” she said.
Twilight set the tiara back on the floor. “You still looked amazing in it.”
The antics of the filly served to wake up Fluttershy and Pinkie. Both of them saw what was going on and rather than ruin the moment by saying anything, they joined Applejack in simply watching. Rarity and Rainbow continued to sleep on, unaffected by the conversation going on.
“So then what were you doing all the way out here?” the filly asked.
“The other night, we were with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They gave us a mission and Princess Celestia transported us out here.”
Berry laughed, the sound ringing out through the room. “Princess Celestia gave you a mission? That is cool!”
Twilight smiled. “You’re right. It is cool. But anyway, we got lost in the storm last night and your mother was kind enough to let us stay here.”
Twilight’s smile was tinged with sadness. Not wanting the filly to notice, she looked over at Applejack. The farmer did notice, as her own face adopted a similar look. Princess Celestia hadn't given them a mission at all. Her actions had to have been born more out of desperation than anything. But how could you explain that to a filly without ruining her innocence about what was going on in the world?
Twilight was saved from having to make a decision when the door to Swift Bloom’s room opened and the mare stepped out. Berry ran over to her. “Mommy! Mommy! These ponies know Princess Celestia!” she cried.
Swift Bloom looked down. “Berry, have you been bothering those nice ponies?”
The filly persisted. “No mommy! We’ve been talking about the Princess. And look at this terrar- tia... crown she let me wear,” she said, pointing towards the tiara.
Swift Bloom looked over at Twilight. While she didn’t say anything, the look on her face clearly said that she would tell Berry to stop harassing her if she wanted. Twilight just gave a subtle shake of her head.
“It’s quite alright Miss Bloom, she’s been no trouble at all.”
Her gaze softened. “Well alright. Now go wash up for breakfast, we’re going to the city today,” she said.
Berry brightened. “Really?” At her mother’s nod, she jumped up and down. “Oh my gosh!” The filly bolted for the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind her and waking up Rarity in the process.
“What? Sweetie Belle?” Rarity’s eyes wandered the room before her brain woke up and she remembered where she was. “Ahem,” she said. “Good morning everypony.” Instantly she was the epitome of grace and eloquence. Though Twilight could see something hidden in her eyes at the mention of her sister.
They were all missing somepony. Their entire world had been turned upside-down and shaken, they’d been thrust into the middle of nowhere and forced to survive, not knowing if their loved ones were okay or not. Twilight distinctly remembered seeing Ponyville in flames that night.
For now, they were all handling it internally. Surviving in the frozen wasteland meant everything else took a backseat. As soon as they reached the Crystal City, when they were, hopefully, safe, they could take stock and deal with what had been pushed to the side.
The bathroom door opened and Berry stuck her head out. “Mommy, what about her,” Berry said, pointing a hoof at Twilight.
“Why she’s coming with us, and her friends.”
Applejack took care of waking Rainbow while Fluttershy offered to help Swift Bloom in the kitchen. Soon, there was breakfast enough for eight ponies sitting on the small table.
“I’m afraid we don’t have anymore room at the table,” Swift Bloom said. “But you’re more than welcome to eat by the fireplace.”
Applejack removed her hat and inclined her head towards the mare. “Thank you kindly, ma’am.” A loud roar from her stomach ended her sentence. She blushed and replaced her hat, pulling it down so it partially covered her face.
Swift Bloom regarded them all. “How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”
“Almost two days,” Rarity answered.
“Oh my. Well then, please, help yourselves.”
The bathroom door opened and Berry popped back out. She sniffed the air. “It smells good, Mommy.” She raced up to the table, hopping into one of the chairs and looking at all the food. “Miss Twilight, sit here.” She gestured to the seat next to her bouncing up and down.
Twilight glanced over at Swift Bloom who nodded her head, her muzzle having a slightly awkward grin. With a sheepish grin towards her friends, who were all taking plates over towards the couch, she climbed up into the chair, joining the mother-daughter duo at the table.
Berry spent the entire meal regaling her mother with everything Twilight had told her that morning. Well, that and asking even more questions, which Twilight answered as best she could. By the time the meal was over and they had washed up, she wasn’t sure who knew more about Canterlot: her or the filly.
Swift Bloom sent her daughter to her room, to pack the things she’d need to stay in the city for a few days. The filly eagerly scampered off. She turned back to look at Twilight, who was using her magic to place the last plate back in the cupboard. After a decent amount of sleep and a meal, she could finally use her magic without feeling like her head was going to explode.
“I’m surprised. Berry doesn’t usually take to new people like this. She’s always been so shy. I’m sorry if she was bothering you,” she apologized.
“It’s fine Miss Bloom,” Twilight said. “I don’t mind answering questions.”
“Miss Sparkle...”
Twilight held up a hoof. “Please, just...” Twilight sighed. “Call me Twilight.”
Swift Bloom chuckled. “Only if you call me Swift. No one’s called me Miss Bloom in a long time.”
Swift caught Twilight's gaze. "But it is. There is something about you that has pulled Berry out of her reclusive bubble. That something is a blessing in so many ways. Living out here is hard enough, and..." Swift's voice caught in her throat and she turned away, rubbing her eyes. "A-And when her father died... Well, I'm afraid it was a little much for the both of us." She turned back to Twilight. "And now here you are, conversing with her more than I have in the past month. I don't know what will happen in the next few days but I just wanted you to know I'm thankful, she hasn't smiled like this in ages."
That explained why the filly was so interested in asking her questions about those two subjects. Not that Twilight minded as she had a lot of knowledge on those things. But hearing that from Swift Bloom struck a chord in her. She’d never considered herself to be a social pony, even after her move to Ponyville and finding her friends. For a filly like Berry, one that Twilight found to be adorable, to latch on to her so quickly was a surprise.
Swift Bloom took in a breath. “I’ve been meaning for six months to take her to Canterlot, maybe even see the Princess herself. But with what you told me, I can tell that’s never going to happen. So please, Twilight, keep the truth from her as long as possible.” The mare’s eyes were pleading. “She lost a lot when my husband died. It may be selfish of me, but I don’t want her to lose anymore.”
Swift Bloom had placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, her eyes staring right into hers. Twilight couldn’t escape her gaze. “Of course,” she said. “And I’ll let my friends know as well.” In truth, she would never have told the filly anyway, it wasn’t her place to do so. And this was a mother who desperately wanted to protect her child.
Swift Bloom leaned forward, wrapping Twilight into a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered into her ear.
The door to Berry’s room flew open and the filly trotted out, a small saddlebag resting on her hips and a suitcase in tow. “I’m ready to go Mommy,” she announced.
The mare quickly let Twilight go, her face instantly composing itself. “That’s my girl. Mommy still needs to pack, so why don’t you and your new friends go play outside?”
“Okay!” Berry dropped her luggage on the floor by the door. She opened a wardrobe standing next to the door, pulling out a foal-sized snow jacket and boots. The ensemble was completed when with a deft flick of her neck, she wrapped a scarf around herself.
Swift Bloom had vanished into her room, presumably to pack. Leaving Twilight to be grabbed by Berry and dragged towards the door. “Come on, let’s go,” she said.
Twilight looked over to her friends for help, but they were only smirking at her, except for Fluttershy who was simply smiling. “Uh, girls?” she said.
“Go on Twilight,” Pinkie said. “Go have fun in the snow. I’ll bet you’ll make snow-ponys, or have a snowball fight, or eat some snow.” Pinkie’s eyes widened and she gasped. “Hey, this sounds like fun. Wait for me!” The pink pony darted past them and out the door, throwing herself headfirst into the snow.
The snow had once more stopped falling and the clouds were even clearing away. Berry giggled at Pinkie’s antics and proceeded to copy her, leaping out the door and colliding with her out in the snow. Quickly the two of them were rolling around, giggling.
Twilight came outside, followed by the rest of her friends. The sun was still rising off to the east, but it was warm enough that they could stay outside for a bit. She sat down just outside the door, watching the two ponies play.
Pinkie was always good with foals, and this proved no exception. Twilight took this moment to let her friends know about not cluing Berry into what had happened to Canterlot and the Princesses. They each nodded their heads. When she turned back to watch Pinkie, the party pony was also regarding her. Pinkie pantomimed zipping her lips shut, so somehow she got the message as well.
Just as Twilight was getting comfortable, something cold and wet collided with the side of her head. She looked over to see Berry grinning, another snowball ready to go in her hoof. “Berry...” Twilight said, only to receive the second snowball right in her face.
Shaking her head, she could still see the filly grinning at her. Twilight used her magic to scoop up some snow, quickly forming into a ball. Berry’s face fell as she realized just what she had done. “Uh oh,” she said before taking off.
Twilight chased after her, launching snowballs at her with magic. But the filly would dodge each one, pausing only long enough to scoop up some snow and return fire.
Just as Twilight had cornered the giggling filly, a snowball hit the back of her head. She whirled around to see Applejack standing there. “Now you versus a little filly, that just ain’t fair,” the farmer said.
Twilight was about to retort that Berry had started it, when another snowball hit her back, followed by the filly in question rushing past her, taking refuge amongst Applejack’s legs. Together the two of them held up more snowballs.
“Eep,” was all Twilight could say before she found herself running away.
Soon enough, all her friends had joined in, forming teams and running around launching snowballs at each other. Twilight had thought she wouldn’t have wanted to be doing something like this so soon after what had happened, but it seems like the little filly’s laughter and happiness was infectious.
They decided to make it a bit more organized. Two teams of three, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow on one side with Rarity, Applejack, and Berry on the other, faced off against each other. Pinkie was refereeing.
Each team spent a few minutes gathering ammo and making stockpiles. Twilight spent that time using her magic to assemble each team identical snow forts. Each fort was large enough to house all three ponies on each team. She made sure to make front and side walls, giving the front walls holes through which to launch snowballs and so those inside could see out.
As soon as she was done, she looked around, seeing everypony else still getting ready. Shrugging, she added details to her forts. Small towers went up on each corner. Buttresses held up the side walls. Crenellations added to the front walls gave them a true fortress look. Twilight admired her handiwork.
When both teams were ready, their forts stockpiled with plenty of snowballs, Pinkie pulled a whistle out of her mane and blew it. At the signal, snowballs flew back and forth between the two teams.
Everypony was laughing and having a good time. For just a moment, they could forget about what had happened and just be themselves.
Fluttershy was the first one out, taking a snowball from Rarity as she attempted to replenish her own team’s stockpile. As soon as she was out, she mumbled something about going inside, heading through the door into the house. Even in the midst of battle, Twilight could see that familiar look in her eyes, the one that said she had ulterior motives going inside. She just hoped that Swift Bloom would be receptive to the pegasus’ intentions.
Rarity wasn’t far behind Fluttershy in getting out, as in her glory over pelting Fluttershy she forgot to duck when Rainbow threw a fast one.
“Ha, take that Rarity!” the pegasus called out. Her gloating was interrupted when a snowball slammed right into her face.
“My, my, Rainbow. Y’all really need to learn how to dodge,” Applejack called as she tossed another snowball up and down in her hoof.
Twilight attempted to catch the farmer off guard, but she took her own wisdom to heart and stepped aside. So now it was down to Twilight versus Applejack and the filly.
Applejack gave her an evil grin. “Ya ready for this Twi?”
Twilight levitated two snowballs up. “It. Is. On,” she said.
The tense standoff ended when Berry threw a snowball at Twilight, giggling madly as she did so, forcing her to dodge to the side. Applejack threw both of hers, one right at her and the other to her left, forcing the mare to move to the right, precisely where Berry was aiming her shot.
Twilight ducked, dropping to the ground and launching a wild snowball towards the two of them, which didn’t even come close to hitting either of them. She rolled, coming to her hooves with a replacement.
This time Twilight took the offensive, quickly using her magic to form snowballs and send them all at Applejack, hoping to get rid of her biggest competition. But the farmer was agile, weaving through the barrage before returning fire, once more forcing Twilight to dodge.
The librarian and the farmer engaged in an epic duel, snowballs flying every which way as their friends watched on, eager to see who would prevail. To make things fair, Twilight was limiting her magic while Applejack wasn’t using all her strength. Twilight's snowballs were awful, lobbed things, woefully inaccurate most of the time.
Twilight used her magic to scoop up even more snowballs, launching them as fast as she could at Applejack. But the orange mare was crafty and always seemed to stay one step ahead of where she was aiming.
She knew this had to end soon. Using her magic, she picked up three snowballs, but keeping one hidden behind her, out of Applejack’s line of sight. With a grunt of effort, she tossed the two visible ones towards the farmer, one aimed at her and the other to her right.
Just as she expected, Applejack saw what was coming and took a step to the left, right into the path of the third snowball Twilight tossed. Applejack didn’t see it coming in time and the snowball hit her right in the chest.
“Well shucks, looks like you got me,” she said with a smile.
Twilight couldn’t believe that actually worked. “I did it,” she said. “I won!” She pranced in place, excited at her victory, at least until something cold and wet hit the back of her head.
Turning around, she saw Berry. The filly had somehow snuck behind her during the exchange with Applejack. She was grinning from ear to ear.
“Oh,” was all Twilight could say.
“You forgot about somepony,” came the voice of Applejack, who was barely containing her laughter.
Berry stuck her tongue out at Twilight before laughing herself. Applejack had just been a distraction all along, buying time for the filly to sneak around. Twilight had been outmaneuvered.
With a theatrical groan she fell into the snow. “I have been defeated!” she proclaimed. “I bow to you Berry Fields, you won.”
Berry strutted over towards Twilight before placing a forehoof on her side and raising the other over her head. “I claim this win for Celestia,” she said.
The filly pranced around her “victim.” As soon as her back was turned, Twilight sat up and launched herself at the filly. With a shocked squeal, they both went tumbling through the snow, giggling. No sooner had they stopped, than Twilight was using her hooves to tickle Berry into submission.
Berry struggled against the onslaught. “No!” she managed to get out in between laughing fits. Twilight was immune to her cries though, and kept tickling, allowing the filly to rest and escape, only to chase her down and trap her once more.
“Berry,” came the voice of Swift Bloom. “Come on, it’s time to go.”
The filly managed to squirm out from under Twilight’s hooves and rushed away. Twilight saw Swift Bloom standing next to a cart, though this one had skis attached to the wheels. Fluttershy was beside her.
Twilight and her friends made their way over to the cart as well. Swift Bloom passed them each a jacket. “These are all the jackets I have, though some of them may not fit you very well. Sorry that I don’t have more boots.”
“It’s fine. You’ve done so much for us already,” Twilight said. “We can’t possibly ask anything else of you.”
“It’s nothing,” she replied. “Now come along, if we leave now we can make it there by dinner.” She looked straight at Twilight. “I put your tiara in the cart. The rest of you can throw your necklaces in there too.” Her friends looked at each other before shrugging and taking off their element necklaces and placing them in the cart.
She started to harness herself into the cart, but was stopped by Applejack. “Let me, ma’am,” she said.
Swift Bloom sputtered. “No, I can’t possibly ask you to...”
“You ain’t asking, I’m insisting.” Without waiting for an argument, Applejack slipped into the harness with practiced ease. “Now come on everypony, we’re off to the Crystal City.”
Applejack set off, leaving Swift Bloom behind. “Wait,” she called out. “You don’t know the way!”
“Then you better come show me,” the farmer replied.
Swift Bloom rushed to catch up with the cart, walking alongside Applejack. Berry had already taken up a seat inside the cart, her head sticking up over the side.
Twilight chuckled and set off with the rest of her friends after the cart. This could prove to be a very interesting trip. Trotting, she was able to catch up with the cart easily, despite the skis attached to the wheels making travel across the snow possible. The wheels didn’t actually spin, the whole cart was just being dragged on the skis.
The good mood from the snowball fight continued with them, and they all chatted happily, with Berry asking various questions from her spot in the cart. Now that she had gotten a chance to play with them all, the filly seemed very accepting of everypony.
So it was that the morning passed quickly. Swift Bloom quickly realized that no matter how much she protested, Applejack wasn’t going to let her drive the cart. Instead she simply guided the farm pony along the correct route while getting to know everypony.
Pinkie spent the morning alternating between riding in the cart, entertaining Berry with silly stories, and hopping alongside the cart. The filly seemed quite taken with Pinkie, no surprise considering the mare specializes in making ponies happy.
They stopped for lunch when the sun was at its highest. Unlike yesterday, Twilight could tell that the city was actually getting closer. Already the green zone, where the magic of the Crystal Heart kept the cold weather at bay, creating a temperate zone, was visible. According to Swift Bloom, they’d reach the edge of the zone in several hours, with her commenting on how Applejack was making excellent time. From there it was simply a matter of removing the skis and taking the road into the city.
Swift Bloom had packed a light lunch, nothing more than oats and some hay bars, but Twilight ate her portion down and it was the best thing she’d ever had, outside of breakfast that morning. She was still hungry, but knew that she had to take it easy on her stomach. Eating too much would have the same effect as not eating enough.
Berry hopped out of the cart, with some assistance from Pinkie, and joined them in the snow. She hopped around at first, spending all that pent up energy from sitting all morning. Before long, her muzzle was coated with a fine layer of oats and she was attempting to goad anypony she could into helping her build a snowpony.
“Berry, sweetie, it’s time to get moving again,” Swift Bloom said. The filly pouted, but before she could say anything, her mom butted in. “Uh-uh. No arguing young lady. Now come on, into the cart.”
“Fine,” she said, drawing it out to make sure her displeasure was fully known. Just as she was about to jump up, Pinkie stuck her head underneath the filly’s belly and lifted her up. With a flip of her head, Pinkie launched Berry up and into the air. One complete somersault later and she was standing on Pinkie’s back, looking around and wondering what had just happened.
“Silly filly,” Pinkie said. “Why would you want to ride in a boring old cart when you can ride on the Pinkie Express instead?” With that she started trotting around the area, making strange sputtering noises with her mouth.
Berry didn’t seem to know what to make of her new ride at first, if the look of confusion on her face was anything to go by. But after a moment she got into it, putting her forehooves on Pinkie’s head and giggling.
Swift Bloom just watched with a single eyebrow raised. “Is she always like that?” she asked.
Twilight chuckled. “Yes. I’d say you get used to it, but you really never do.”
Applejack hooked herself back into the cart and once more they set off towards the city. Swift Bloom guiding them. She would have them make turns or curves at seeming random. When Twilight questioned her about it, she said that there were crevasses and other pitfalls lurking around. Ponies had to be careful travelling out here, if they fell into one of those, well, ponies died out here every year. But she knew the safe route between the farm and the green zone.
Applejack questioned Swift Bloom about the crystal berries, how to grow them and why they grew so far out here. The two of them had a very animated conversation, discussing the various differences between farming apples and farming crystal berries.
Berry was enjoying her ride on Pinkie’s back, but eventually even the party mare’s energy ran out. The filly and mare both clambered into the cart, much to Applejack’s consternation at having to haul Pinkie around. From somewhere Pinkie pulled out a deck of cards and proceeded to teach Berry several different games which to Twilight seemed to serve no purpose, especially when the rules kept changing.
The good cheer that had been following them all day seemed to fade the closer they got to the city. It wasn’t gone, just that the conversations quieted amongst them. Only Pinkie and Berry were still talking and laughing.
Swift Bloom seemed to feel what was going on, as she too remained mostly quiet, only occasionally speaking up. Twilight felt bad for the mare, being dragged into something like this. If there was a way to spare her and her daughter anymore trouble, she would do it. Nopony deserved to be caught up in what was happening.
Before long, they reached the edge of the temperate zone. The change in temperature was dramatic and immediate. It went from barely tolerable cold, to quite warm and pleasant in the space of a single step. Applejack dragged the cart across the grass until it was completely off of the snow.
Everypony took off their warm clothing while Swift Bloom rummaged around in the cart, coming back holding a toolbox. “It’ll take me a minute to remove these skis,” she said.
“Allow me, darling,” Rarity said. She analyzed the way the skis were attached to the wheels before popping open the toolbox with her magic. Out floated half a dozen tools, each of which set to work removing bolts and placing them aside. The seamstress once more displaying her incredible dexterity with magic.
Within a minute, the skis were free of the wheels, and all the parts were organized neatly inside the toolbox. Twilight simply lifted the entire cart in her magic, allowing the others to pick up the skis and place them inside the cart. All this while Swift Bloom looked on in amazement.
When they were done, she just shook her head. “Well, that normally takes me quite a bit longer.”
“You’ve done so much for us, it’s only fair we help out,” Rarity explained. She then noticed the way Rainbow Dash was looking at her. “What?”
“Since when did you know how to use tools?”
“Honestly, Rainbow,“ Rarity scoffed. “Just because I don’t enjoy getting my hooves dirty doesn’t mean I can’t. Sweetie Belle, and her friends, can be quite destructive sometimes.”
Rainbow was still staring at her with a confused look, so Rarity continued while trying not to roll her eyes. “It is much simpler for me to fix things myself instead of most likely have things ruined more with a Cuite Mark Repair Job.”
Rainbow finally nodded, her mouth forming a little ‘o’ of comprehension. “Yeah, they can be a tad enthusiastic.” Everypony nodded, except Swift Bloom and Berry, who had no idea what they were talking about.
Talking about the Cutie Mark Crusaders brought forth unpleasant feelings in everypony. Sure they couldn't help but smile at the antics of those three, but now they couldn't help but think about them, and everypony else from Ponyville whose fate was unknown.
A dark and somber mood fell upon the group. So strong was it that even little Berry took notice, her ever-present smile fading just a bit. They all sat in an awkward silence as the sun moved towards the horizon, the shadow cast by the Crystal City itself nearly reaching them.
“Come on,” Swift Bloom said. “We’d best get moving. It will be getting dark soon and I’d much rather be in town when that happens.”
Twilight nodded. “Agreed. How long from here to the city?”
“About half an hour.”
“Well then, let’s get moving,” Applejack said, putting action to words, setting off down the path now visible since there was no longer any snow to cover it up. Twilight and the rest following her.
Despite the clear sky thanks to the magic of the Crystal Heart, it felt like they were perpetually walking under a cloud. Being so close to the city and supposed safety meant that all the thoughts that had been pushed aside in favor of survival were coming to the surface. It was a silent group that made their way towards the city.
The shield around the city wasn’t activated, the familiar pink dome was missing. Twilight thought back to when they were here after the city first re-appeared. The shield was up then to protect against King Sombra. While he was powerful, Sombra was still just a unicorn.
The dragon was something else entirely. The power it wielded was enormous. It had been more than enough to deal with everything Equestria had sent against it. How long would the shield around the city actually last? Her mind filled with calculations, determining coefficients, finding the integral. She ran the equation a dozen times, making sure it was correct. What she came up with was simply: not very long. An hour at the most before the Crystal Heart overloaded. What would happen when it did, not even she could figure that one out. It may just fizzle out, or it could explode, destroying that which it was trying to protect in a burst of wild magic.
Twilight found her thoughts drifting towards her friends, the ones who weren’t with her right now. How were they doing? Did they get out of Ponyville, or were they still there? If they did leave, where did they go? She hoped that Spike was okay, that he had managed to get out. She had sent him to stay at Applejack’s farm, where the CMC were staying as well, being watched over by the team of Big Mac and Discord.
Discord being there gave her some hope. The draconequus was silly and easily bored, but even he knew when to take things seriously. He had taken a liking to the three little fillies, relishing the sheer destruction and chaos they could cause at times. If anything he would make sure they stayed safe, and by extension, Spike. Though there was always the chance that something had happened. Her mind conjured up scenario after scenario, all of them ending badly for everypony involved.
The path underhoof turned from dirt, to cobblestone, signalling that they were close to the city. Still they carried on, Twilight and her friends lost in their own little worlds, with Swift Bloom and Berry perhaps understanding, the filly content to play with Pinkie’s cards in the cart. It looked like they would reach the city before the sun set. At least until they found their path blocked by several city guards.
Three pegasi, wearing the silver armor of the Crystal City Guards came soaring out of the sky, startling Twilight who had been lost in her thoughts. They landed with a thump, their armor clanging on their frames.
“Halt!” the lead one said, her spear held under her wing at her side, but ready to be used at a moment’s notice. “State your name and business in the city.”
“My name is Swift Bloom and this is my daughter. We’ve come into town from our farm to get supplies and visit family,” the pegasus mare spoke up. Berry gave a fearful wave to the guards, her head barely sticking out over the side of the cart.
The lead guard indicated Twilight with her wing. “And who are they?”
Twilight answered. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends. We’ve come here to meet with Princess Cadance, my sister-in-law.” As much as she didn’t like to use her position and status as a tool, there were times when she was willing to wield it. Like now when being stopped on the road by guards.
The guard relaxed her stance. “I apologize for stopping you. We’ve had so many refugees coming in from Equestria lately, we need to figure out who’s who and get them set up somewhere.”
Twilight perked up and approached the guard. She lowered her voice so as to not let Berry overhear. “Refugees?”
The guard nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Ever since early this morning, refugees have been coming in. Most by train, some by foot.”
“So the trains are still running?”
“Yes, ma’am. Celestia bless those train workers, some of them came in packed beyond capacity. And as soon as their trains were unloaded, they refilled on fuel and set back out to Equestria. Though if some of what we’ve heard is true...” her voice trailed off.
“What? What have you been hearing?”
At this point, the others, except Applejack who was still hooked into the cart had come up to listen in. “Well,” said the guard. “There’s been talk amongst the refugees that Canterlot and the Royal Guard have been destroyed. The Princesses are nowhere to be found, and the entire area around Canterlot is simply... gone.”
Whatever the guard expected for a reaction, she didn’t get it. Instead Twilight and her friends simply nodded. “We were there, so what they are saying is mostly true.”
The guard sat down, her flank hitting the ground with a whump. “How? We’d just dismissed the tales as overreactions from shocked ponies. We knew something bad had gone down, but that’s just...”
“Where are the refugees coming from?” Rarity asked. Twilight mentally facehooved. She should’ve asked that from the start.
“All over. We’ve had some from Manehatten, Vanhoover, Las Pegasus, Ponyville-”
“Ponyville!?” Fluttershy said.
The guard nodded. “Yes, ma’am. One train arrived from Ponyville, unloaded, and went back.”
“Where are the Ponyville refugees?” Twilight asked.
The guard shrugged. “All over the city. We’re trying to round everypony up so we can get a count and a census, but by the time we realized we had a problem, ponies were everywhere. It’ll take time to gather them all up and make sure they all have lodgings and food.”
Twilight felt relief wash over her. At least some ponies from Ponyville had escaped. That was good news indeed. Though hearing that they could be anywhere in the city was slightly disheartening. She would be sure to search the city herself if it came down to that.
She looked around, seeing similar looks of relief on the faces of her friends. Hope lit up their eyes, hope that their loved ones had made it out okay.
“Thank you for this information,” Twilight said. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to go look for our families.”
She made to move off, but an extended wing stopped her. “Actually ma’am, but we have standing orders from Princess Cadance to bring the Elements of Harmony directly to her if they show up.” She looked over at Swift Bloom. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us as well.”
“What?” the mare asked. “Why?”
“You’ve been with the Elements. The Princess may want to speak to you, too.” She gestured to Applejack. “If you could unhook yourself and get the filly out of the cart, the Private here,” she indicated the guard to her left, “will take the cart into town.”
“But what about my stuff?” Swift Bloom asked.
“We will take the utmost care of it. You can pick up your cart at the guard barracks just outside the palace.” Her tone brokered no argument, even though Twilight supposed she could pull rank. In all honesty, if her friends from Ponyville had made it here, then they would most likely go to the palace. So going there was their best hope of finding them anyway.
In short order, Applejack was unhooked and the pegasus guard was flying away with the cart. Berry was hiding amongst her mother’s legs, intimidated by the guards, casting them somewhat fearful looks still.
“If you’ll follow us,” the lead guard said, setting off down the road.
They followed the guard into the city. The buildings still shined in the waning sunlight as ponies walked around. To Twilight’s eye, there were far more ponies on the streets than any other time she had been here. Which made sense considering the influx of refugees. Though the guard had mentioned that ponies were coming from all over. There didn’t seem to be enough ponies considering the cities the guard had mentioned.
Curious, she asked the guard a question. “If ponies are coming here from all over, why aren’t there more ponies?”
“From what we can piece together talking to the refugees we can, some ponies are coming here while others are going to the Gryphon Empire, or Zebrica. Others still aren’t leaving at all, staying with their homes.” She looked away in thought. “I’d say that maybe one in three ponies is leaving, with less than that number showing up here. Though that alone will put a strain on our resources as we have to house and feed them all.”
She paused once more. “To be honest, everypony we talk to has a different story. It’s almost impossible to figure out what’s going on in Equestria. I imagine that with the Royal Guard gone and the Princesses missing, it’s chaos there.”
Twilight mulled over this new information. It wasn’t surprising that some ponies were leaving while others stayed. Though ponies staying meant that the dragon had, for whatever reason, not attacked another city. What it was doing, she didn’t know. With how easily it had taken out Canterlot, the dragon could conquer all of Equestria in days. If that were the case, nopony would want to stay behind.
They reached the palace, the tall tower gleaming. Just underneath the tripod legs of the building was the plinth upon which rested the Crystal Heart. The gem was glowing, powering the entire city and the spells keeping it warm and secure. Right now the glow was dim, barely more than that of a foal’s night light.
Ascending the steps, the guards posted there let them pass, some saluting to the lead guard. Two guards stood on either side of the massive crystal doors leading into the palace. At a nod from their escort, the doors were flung open.
The interior of the palace always continued to amaze Twilight. The foyer was a grand place, large and open. It was meant to impress visitors, decorated in opulence. The walls had reliefs carved into them, intricate patterns winding their way from floor to ceiling around the entire room. The finest rugs lay across the floor in spots, and two curving staircases led up and into the rest of the palace.
Between the staircases lay their destination, another massive door. This one was made of wood instead of crystal, but it looked no less elegant. Other than a few guards, the foyer was empty. It was too late for petitioners to be congregating here, awaiting their turn to speak to the Princess.
Their escort lead them up to the wooden doors, pushing them open with a tap of her hoof. Inside was the throne room, a long, thin room with a red carpet traveling the length of it. Crystal columns, these carved with even more intricate detailing, lined the room and torches hung in sconces from them. A large window sat above the throne, providing what little sunlight there was access.
The throne itself sat upon a dais, raised up from the rest of the floor. Sitting upon the throne, surrounded by six guards, was a bubblegum pink mare with a tri-toned mane. A desk was sitting in front of her, laden with scrolls, three of which were hovering in front of her. Said mare perked up when the doors opened.
Her jaw dropped when she saw who was entering the room. “Twilight!” Cadance shouted, the scrolls dropping onto the desk. Disregarding protocol, the princess snapped open her wings and in a flash that would make Rainbow Dash proud, she darted across the room, nearly tackling Twilight off her hooves in a hug.
“Oh thank Celestia you’re okay,” she said.
Twilight returned the hug, happy to see her sister. “Yes, we’re fine,” she said.
The two siblings hugged each other, grateful to see someone they knew safe. For Twilight, in the back of her mind she had known the Cadance was safe, she had been in the Crystal City when the attack happened. And from what she had seen of the city from the wastelands, it was all in one piece, so it hadn’t suffered anything.
But here, now, holding Cadance in her hooves, feeling her coat pressed up against hers, made it all real. She knew, without a doubt, that her sister was okay. The little cloud that had been following her all afternoon wisped away partially.
Finally the hug broke. Cadance cleared her throat, only now seeming to realize what she’d done. “I’m glad that you all are safe, I’d like to-” She looked down, feeling something poking her leg.
Berry had somehow escaped her mother’s gaze and was sitting next to Cadance, poking her with her hoof to get her attention. As soon as she got it, she smiled up at the princess. “You’re a princess?” she asked.
Cadance nodded. “I am. And who might you be?”
Swift Bloom noticed what was going on and attempted to intervene. “I’m so sorry Your Highness,” she apologized, trying to pull Berry away.
“It’s no problem at all,” she said. Her attention went back to the little filly. “My name is Cadance, what’s your name?”
“Berry Fields. And this is my mommy,” she said, pointing to a still embarrassed Swift Bloom.
“Swift Bloom, Your Highness,” she said, dipping into a bow.
“Rise,” Cadance said. “Why are you here with Twilight and her friends?”
Berry spoke up. “This mean looking guard told us to follow her.”
The guard who had led them had by now taken up position by a column. “Mean looking?” she asked aloud.
The filly nodded. “Yeah, mean and scary.”
The guard sputtered, unable to think of anything to say to that.
Cadance giggled. “Yes, I suppose she is a bit mean looking.” The guard adopted a miffed look on her face as Cadance continued. “Though that doesn’t exactly explain why you’re here.”
“They were with us on the road. Swift Bloom was kind enough to take us in last night during the storm and lead us into the city,” Twilight spoke up.
Cadance thought for a moment. “I think you have a story to tell me. Something tells me you know what went on in Equestria.”
Twilight nodded. “I do, but...” she looked over at Berry, who was trotting around Cadance, inspecting her from all angles.
Cadance got the hint. “Say Berry, do you like ice cream?” she asked.
The filly nodded, bouncing up and down. “I sure do!”
“Well then, how would you like a nice, big bowl of it?”
Berry’s smile was the widest Twilight had ever seen on the filly. “I’d love one!” She turned to her mother. “Mommy, please, can I?”
Swift Bloom seemed to get where this was heading, as she nodded. “I suppose. Just be sure and leave some room for dinner.”
Berry let out a whoop of glee, turning back to Cadance. “Yay, ice cream!”
Cadance gestured to the guard who had led them here. “Guard Storm, you may remove your helmet and armor, consider yourself on civilian duty. Your task is to take this filly down to the kitchens for ice cream.”
The guard, Storm, looked incredulous. “What?” she asked.
Berry’s face fell. “I don’t like her, she’s mean.”
“Berry!” Swift Bloom exclaimed. “We don’t say that about others. Apologize.”
The filly lowered her head. “Sorry,” she muttered.
Storm was still protesting her new orders. “Are you serious, Princess?”
Cadance nodded. “I am.” She gestured with a hoof. “Now go on, off with your armor.”
Grumbling, the guard complied. The armor ended up in a pile by the column, revealing a mare with a dark green coat and a white mane. The scowl on her face remained.
“Okay, you have your orders,” Cadance said. “Consider anything the filly says to be an order from me, within reason.” Her gaze moved back to Berry, who was still looking at the guard with suspicion. “Berry, I promise, Storm here is really nice and she won’t be mean at all. If she gives you any trouble, you tell me and I’ll let you decide what her punishment will be.”
Berry brightened up. “Yes, ma’am,” she said, giving an adorable little salute.
Cadance turned back to Storm. “Go on,” she said, shooing the filly away with a wing.
Hesitantly, Berry followed Storm, who was grumbling something under her breath. They exited the throne room, vanishing from sight.
As soon as they were gone, Cadance turned back to Twilight. “Follow me,” she said. Leading them through the room, she opened a small door towards the back, behind the throne. Inside was a comfortable sitting room, far less opulent than the rest of the palace.
Once everypony, including Swift Bloom, was inside, Candace closed the door after instructing her guards that they were not to be disturbed. She then took a seat on a pillow on the floor, gesturing for the others to do the same.
Twilight took a seat next to Cadance. As soon as they were settled, she turned to her sister. “Before I start, what all have you heard?”
“Reports from the refugees are varied, everypony says something different.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to believe.” She gave Twilight a piercing glance and almost whispered, “or even what I want to believe.”
Twilight nodded. “I understand. But my friends and I were there, right in the middle of it.”
“That’s what I thought. So you can tell me exactly what happened.”
“I can, though you may not want to hear it.”
Cadance smiled, a grim smile, one that looked off on her face. “Twilight, part of being a ruler is knowing that you have to hear things, to know things, that you’d much rather not know. Ignorance is no longer an option.”
Twilight sighed. “Okay,” she said.
So for the second time in a day, Twilight launched into her story of what had happened. Unlike with Swift Bloom, she spared no details. While Swift Bloom herself had heard this before, she had had a day to get used to things. So Twilight didn’t feel as bad sharing exactly what had transpired that night.
Cadance listened with rapt attention, absorbing every detail. Her face was a mask, betraying nothing of what she was feeling underneath. It was as if she had slipped into Princess mode fully, listening to everything so as to know how to best run her country.
When Twilight got to the part about Shining Armor, she could see her sister’s mask fall. Her eyes swam with barely contained tears. “Is he...?”
Twilight, her own vision going blurry, replied. “I’m pretty sure he’s gone.” She drew in a breath. “He was just there one moment and gone the next. Everything happened so fast.” As soon as she finished speaking, a tear rolled down her cheek, followed swiftly by another.
Cadance’s mask broke then and she cried, little sobs leaving her muzzle. Twilight leaned over and embraced her sister, quite possibly her only living family left as her parents had been in Canterlot. The alicorn wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s neck, the two sisters seeking solace in the embrace.
They cried together over lost family, one a brother, the other a husband. The world around them just disappeared and it was only the two of them, united by grief. The tears flowed freely between the two of them, sometimes mixing where their cheeks touched in the embrace.
Twilight wasn’t sure how long had passed, only that eventually the tears slowed down. Cadance was still crying, though for her this was something new. Twilight had already cried several times for those who had been lost. As bad as it sounded to her to even think it, she felt like she was nearly cried out by this point.
She continued to hold her sister, rubbing her back with a hoof, comforting her. She wanted to say something, something to calm or comfort her, but she couldn’t think of anything. Desperate, she looked around the room.
Swift Bloom had been crying as well, her red-rimmed eyes a testament to that. The rest of her friends all looked on in varying states of sadness. Fluttershy was the worst off, her natural empathy working against her. Applejack was the most stoic, though even she was feeling the oppressive weight of the sadness in the room.
The farmer noticed Twilight looking around and got up, coming over to Cadance. “Cadance,” she said. “Shining was a wonderful pony, and an excellent husband, I’m sure. He loved you. I reckon he would want you to know that.”
Cadance sniffled. “He was, and he did.” She sat up, wiping at her eyes with a hoof. “Thank you Twilight, and you as well Applejack.”
Applejack nodded, going back to her seat. Twilight knew that her friend was smarter than most ponies gave her credit for. She had experienced the loss of loved ones before when her parents died. If anypony knew what to say, it would be her. Though hearing such soft, soothing words delivered in her southern accent was unusual.
When she was ready, Cadance nodded for Twilight to continue. Twilight moved on, telling of how the Elements of Harmony had failed, and how they had been teleported to the wastelands by Celestia. She told of surviving that first night, and meeting Swift Bloom the second night. She told of how Swift Bloom had housed them, fed them, and led them to the city.
When she was done, Cadance, who had fully pulled herself together, regarded Swift Bloom. “You have my thanks for helping out my sister and her friends.”
The mare blushed. “It was nothing. I couldn’t rightly leave them to freeze outside.”
“Still, you helped them. You and your daughter are welcome in this palace anytime, and furthermore, I shall have a guest room setup for you.”
“You’re too kind, Your Highness.”
“Please, call me Cadance.”
Swift Bloom nodded. “Very well, Cadance. But I’m afraid I must refuse the room. I came into town to buy supplies and visit my parents. I’d... I’d like to stay with them.”
“Of course,” Cadance agreed. “Though I expect you and your family to attend dinner here at the palace in a few days time.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
“Thank you very much Your- Cadance,” Swift Bloom said. She thought for a moment more before speaking up. “If it’s not bothersome, may I request something?”
“Of course, ask and if at all possible, I will make it happen,” Cadance replied.
“My daughter, Berry. She’s recently become fascinated with princesses. If possible, would you be willing to spend a little time with her? I know you’re busy, even more so in these trying times. But please, it would mean a lot to her,”
Cadance put a hoof to her chin. “I think I can manage something,” she said.
“Oh thank you! Thank you so much!” Swift Bloom exclaimed. “She’ll be delighted to hear that.”
Cadance smiled before looking at a clock on the wall. “Thank you, Twilight, for sharing this with me. Now that I know what happened, I can properly plan for what will happen. I've already sent out scouts to Canterlot, to see what’s going on.” She stood up. “It’s getting late. I suggest we head down to the kitchens for a bite to eat, then turn in. We have a lot to talk about still, and it will be easier after a night’s sleep.”
Everypony nodded. The idea of food sounded good to Twilight, whose stomach was beginning to show signs of hunger.
Together they left the room, Cadance leading them across the throne room and out the door, down a hallway and through another door.
Inside was a large kitchen, several ponies working at the stoves, various pots and pans going. An intriguing mixture of smells filled the air. It wasn’t unpleasant to Twilight, just curious.
A table was set off to one side, a table currently occupied by a large, green mare and a small cream filly engaged in a staring contest. Neither participant broke their gaze when the group entered.
“What’s going on?” Swift Bloom asked.
Storm nor Berry answered her, both of them continuing to stare at the other, unblinking. Twilight rolled her eyes and grabbed a wooden spoon with her magic. She floated the utensil over to Storm, poking her in the side with it.
The guard was good, her eyes only flickered briefly to the spoon, but the filly caught it. “Ha!” she exclaimed. “You looked away, so you lose.”
“Not fair,” Storm protested. She turned her glare to Twilight, who quickly hid the spoon behind her. “Somepony cheated. I demand a rematch.”
Berry just stuck her tongue out. “You still lose. Now pay up.”
“Berry,” Swift Bloom said. “Are you betting?”
“Nope,” the filly replied.
Storm sighed. “Fine, but I demand a rematch, one without outside interference.” The mare went over to a door in the wall, opening it and going inside. She came back a moment later with something held in her wing.
“I’m going to regret this,” she said, before displaying the object. Twilight recognized it as a tartarus chili, a very hot and spicy chili pepper. With only a moment’s hesitation, Storm flipped the chili in the air, biting off the chili, letting the inedible top of it fall to the floor.
She chewed. “Hmm, this isn’t so bad...” As soon as she stopped speaking, she ceased chewing and her eyes widened. “Hot...” she whispered, her eyes watering. Despite the fire that had to be rolling through her mouth, she continued to chew, not even increasing her pace. After several moments, a loud gulp filled the air as she swallowed.
Berry collapsed laughing at the look on the normally stoic guard’s face. Even Twilight had to admit that the sight was amusing. At least, after she got done wincing at the guard’s pain.
Swift Bloom, however, was far from amused. “Berry Fields!” she nearly shouted. This caused the filly to stop laughing, her ears drooping. “That was very mean of you. Apologize to Storm.”
“But mommy...”
“Not buts young lady.”
Storm, who by now was chugging down a glass of water, spoke up between coughs. “Ma’am, it was my idea.” She drank some more. “Well, the staring contest was Berry’s. I was the one who said that the loser had to do something unpleasant.”
Swift Bloom’s ire found a new target. “And what would’ve happened if you had won? Would you make my daughter eat something like that?”
Storm held her ground under the fiery gaze of an angry, protective mother. “No, ma’am. I left it open for the loser to decide what was unpleasant. For me, it was that chili. For Berry? Death by strawberries.”
Swift Bloom’s gaze softened a fraction, though the mention of murder around her foal didn’t please her at all. “Very well. But we’re still having a talk about you and betting,” she said, turning back to her daughter. “Now come on, we need to get home to grandma and grandpa’s. It’s nearly your bedtime.”
“But I don’t wanna go,” Berry whined.
“I know sweetie, but we need to. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back here soon. I even think Princess Cadance may have something special for you coming up.”
Berry turned towards Cadance. “Really?”
The princess nodded. “I do,” she said.
The filly bounced up and down with excitement. “Oh, what is it?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Swift Bloom replied.
“Aww...”
“Now come on, it’s time to go. Say goodbye to Twilight and the others.”
Berry went around, saying her goodbyes and hugging everypony. Surprisingly, she hugged Storm. Even more surprisingly, Storm hugged her back, briefly and with a look at the others that promised vengeance upon anypony who dared reveal this.
Swift Bloom and Berry left the kitchen, Storm following, directing them to the exit and where to find their cart. Twilight had already realized they left the Elements in the cart, and Cadance had sent a guard to gather them and put them in the guest rooms that were being prepared for them.
Cadance sat at the table, Twilight and her friends following. The ponies working there served them a quick meal consisting of soup. It wasn’t much, but it was something. There wasn’t much speaking during dinner, everypony content to eat quietly. There would be plenty to talk about tomorrow and in the coming days.
After dinner, Cadance led Twilight up to the guest suites. At the end of the hallway were six doors, three on each side. “These are your rooms. Pick whichever one you want,” she explained. “Don’t worry about being at breakfast tomorrow. Just come down whenever you’re ready. If you need anything, pull the cord by the bed and a servant will come in.”
“Thanks, Cadance,” Twilight said. She gave her sister another hug.
“You’re welcome.” Cadance returned the hug. “After they leave, come down the hall,” she whispered in Twilight’s ear so the other’s wouldn’t be able to hear. Twilight’s head blocked her’s so nopony could see her lips moving, either. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said aloud, pulling back from the hug. With one final look at Twilight, she walked off down the hallway, turning a corner.
Twilight looked around at her friends. “Shall we?” She gestured to the doors.
They nodded. Each pony took a different door, leaving Twilight standing in the hallway alone. As soon as the final door closed, she turned not to her own door, but back down the hallway.
Rounding the corner, she spotted Cadance sitting near the wall. Her shoulders and head were both lowered and Twilight could see that her body was shaking slightly. “Cadance,” Twilight said.
Her sister looked up at hearing her voice. The mare’s eyes stared right at her, into her. They spoke of pain barely being held back. “Twilight, thank you for coming.”
“You knew I would,” Twilight said.
Cadance smiled, one that never quite reached her eyes. “I did. You must be tired, but I...” she trailed off. “Can we just sit together, maybe play some cards? I’m afraid if I go to bed now, alone, I’m just going to fall apart.”
Twilight had assumed as much. She was no expert on social interaction, she was the first to admit it. But, even for her, it wasn't hard to see that Cadance was putting on a brave face.
“I’d be happy to sit with you,” she said.
This time the smile actually did reach her eyes. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Standing up, she led Twilight through a nearby door, one which led into another sitting room. A low table was set with several comfy looking pillows arranged around it.
Cadance walked over to a desk that was situated near a window overlooking the city. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a deck of cards. “We keep games and things in here so visiting guests can relax,” she explained when she saw Twilight’s questioning look.
They sat at the table, taking seats right around the corner from each other. “So, what do you want to play?” Twilight asked.
“How about hoofside?”
Twilight nodded. “Sure, sounds good.”
With quick movements of her magic, Cadance shuffled the cards and dealt them, placing the remaining deck in between them.
They sat at the table for quite awhile, playing several hands of the game. There wasn’t much talking going on, but there didn’t need to be. Twilight wouldn't have even known where to start, Cadance seemed content enough to sit quietly and distract herself with her hooves. The card game was the perfect solution, requiring just enough action to keep the mind busy.
When they did speak, it was always of pleasant topics and generalities. Nothing truly specific was brought up, and Twilight was careful to not mention anything that could make Cadance think about Shining. Truthfully, if they had been doing this for any other reason, it would’ve been quite enjoyable. As it was, the undertone of what they weren’t saying hung low around them, weighing down on them.
After the fifth game, and incidentally, the fifth straight win for Twilight, Cadance could scarcely go a minute without letting out a yawn. The alicorn scooped up the cards, depositing them back into their drawer without glancing back. “Thank you for sitting with me, Twilight.”
“Cadance, you know I would do anything for you.”
“I know.” She smiled a genuine smile. “But I’m afraid it’s time for me to go to bed. There’s so much to do and I need to be awake for it all.”
“Of course.” Twilight stood up, giving her sister a hug. “I’m here for you if you need me.”
Cadance returned the hug, holding on to Twilight for a moment. “Thank you,” she whispered. Breaking the hug, she bid Twilight a good night, leaving the room.
Twilight, alone in the room, could think of no reason to not go to her own bedroom. She exited the sitting room, heading back down the hallway until she was standing in front of the only door one of her friends hadn’t gone through. With a sigh, she entered the door. It opened to reveal a nice bedroom, complete with a wardrobe, chest of drawers, a desk, and seating for three in front of a fireplace.
On the bedside table was a necklace. Twilight looked at the gem, seeing it to be Rarity’s. The guard must have just placed a random element piece in each room, not knowing where they were going to stay. It didn’t matter though, most likely the Elements would be stored somewhere in the palace, it was too unwieldy to wear them all the time.
Twilight clambered up into the bed, a burst of magic pulling back the sheets. Gingerly she reached up, feeling Celestia’s gem still woven into her mane. Rarity’s weave had held strong all this time.
She undid the weave, pulling the jewel out and setting it on the bedside table next to the necklace. Rolling over onto her back, she pulled up the covers, resting her head on the pillow. The bed was massive, easily able to fit four ponies, and really soft. Her head practically sank into the pillow.
She stared up at the ceiling. Sleep tried to claim her, but she fought it off. She was scared. She didn’t want to face what lay in wait for her behind closed eyes. Retelling the story had brought everything back again, all the emotions. Last night she had been so tired, and so thankful to be warm, that she had slept a dreamless sleep.
Now, she knew that dreams waited for her, beckoning her to close her eyes and embrace them. But she didn’t want to, so she fought for as long as she could. As is the case with sleep, it always wins in the end. So despite her best efforts, her eyes closed for good and she drifted off to sleep.
Twilight sat bolt upright in bed, a thin sheen of sweat matting her coat. The covers were tangled and twisted around her, a testament to a night spent restless. Her breathing came in short gasps and though she couldn’t see them, she was sure her eyes were bloodshot.
Swallowing, she looked around, seeing that she was still in the guest room of the Crystal Palace. Dim sunlight streamed in through a crack in the curtains, signalling that it was early in the morning. For once, she was glad to be awake so early, as it meant an escape from that nightmarish dreamscape.
Already the exact details of her dream were fading, giving way to the waking mind, but she clearly remembered parts of it. Parts that made her shudder. If she hadn’t already cried enough in the last few days, she would be doing so now.
As he breathing slowed, she untangled herself from the covers, slowly getting out of bed. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep. Despite the early hour, her choice was either to get up, or simply lie in bed until she got up anyway.
A quick investigation of the room showed that it had a small bathroom attached to it. Standing, gleaming in that bathroom, was a shower. It had been several days since she’d last had the chance to bathe, and now that she noticed it, she could smell herself. It didn’t smell all that pleasant. Several days of collected dirt and sweat made her coat feel clammy. It was time to rectify that situation.
Turning on the water, she waited until the room was filling up with steam before stepping in. Sitting on her haunches, she let the warm water flow over her, washing away everything it could.
Her mane flattened and covered her eyes, but she had them closed anyway. The feeling of the water was a bliss she’d been missing, a bliss she needed. As she sat there, enjoying the water, she imagined she could feel more than just the dirt and collected sweat leaving her body.
She opened her eyes, searching around for shampoo or something to truly scrub herself clean. Her eyes landed on several bottles resting on the side of the shower. Floating then over to her, she read off the labels before choosing one of them.
Using her magic, she scraped herself clean, taking away the dirt and grime. But not only that, she could feel the shower revitalizing her mentally. It was as if her collected cares and worries that had been piling up were circling around her hooves and vanishing down the drain, carried off by the water.
When she finally turned off the shower, she felt better. Better than she had since this whole thing started. With a final burst of magic, she dried herself off.
Leaving the bathroom, she felt it was time to track down some food. Glancing over to the bedside table, she debated on whether to take Rarity’s element necklace with her. If it was with her, she could make sure it was safe, but it would also be annoying, most likely.
Deciding to leave it there until she could speak with Cadance about a safe place to store the elements, she took Celestia’s jewel instead. Rarity probably wasn’t awake yet to redo the weave she’d done to carry the gem, but for now she could just carry it in her magic until she could locate a saddlebag or something.
Exiting her room, she made her way back through the palace towards the kitchens, as that was the most likely place to find food. Along the way, she stopped a guard. “Excuse me,” she said.
The guard looked at her. “Yes, ma’am? What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if you could direct me to the dining room?”
The guard pointed a hoof down the hallway. “It’s just down there, take a left at the end, and it’ll be the third door on your right.”
“Thanks,” she said. She headed down the hallway, arriving at the dining room. Opening the door, she expected to see an empty hall. Instead, a familiar farmer was sitting at the large table, a bowl of oats in front of her.
Hearing the door open, Applejack looked up. “Morning, Twi.”
“Morning, AJ.” Twilight sat in the chair across from her friend, setting the gem down on the table. She looked around, trying to figure out how to get something to eat.
“Oh, somepony will be out here soon. Just tell her what you want to eat,” Applejack said. She spooned another bite of oats into her mouth. “You’re up early.”
“I couldn’t sleep,” Twilight admitted.
Applejack regarded her over the rim of her bowl. “You too, huh? Was it bad dreams?”
Twilight nodded. “Yeah. Hopefully the others are able to get some sleep. Though I don’t know if anypony can.”
A pony wearing a servant’s outfit came into the room, spotted Twilight, and hurried over. “Can I get you something to eat?” she asked.
“Umm, can I just have a bowl of oats?” She wasn’t really sure what she wanted, so she just decided to follow Applejack’s example.
The servant nodded, escaping through a side door. Twilight turned her attention back to her friend. “So,” she said, letting the word hang in the air. “What are we going to do today?” Today was the first time since the attack that they didn’t have anything to do. There was no cold to escape, nowhere to travel, they were free to decide what to do. And Twilight had no idea what to do.
Right now, they were in a waiting game. Until they knew what was going on back in Equestria, which meant waiting on Cadance’s scouts to return, they lacked the information needed to plan ahead. Knowledge was critical, they needed it. Twilight resolved to meet with Cadance when she got up.
“Well, I was thinking I might wander around the city. If there are Ponyville citizens here, then it’d be good to find them. Maybe they can tell me about Ap-” Her voice hitched and she swallowed, unable to continue.
Wishing the table was just a little less wide, Twilight tried to comfort Applejack. “I’m sure they got out. You and I both know that Discord would keep them safe.”
Applejack smiled, though it seemed bitter to Twilight. “I know. I just want to see them, to hold them in my arms, and know that they’re okay. I can’t stand not knowing.”
“Careful AJ, you’re starting to sound like me.” Twilight cracked a smile.
The smile on the farmer’s face went from bitter to genuine. “I guess I am.” She looked around for a moment. “Oh no! There are no books in here, whatever shall I do?” She then put a hoof to her head and fainted in dramatic fashion, falling over the table.
“Do I really sound like that?”
Applejack chuckled. “Sometimes.”
The servant returned, carrying a bowl of oats. Placing the bowl in front of Twilight, she once more retreated from the room.
Breakfast was spent, for the most part, in silence. Neither of them had too much to say. Twilight simply ate her bowl of oats, thinking about what she wanted to do that day. In all honesty, she didn’t want to stay around the palace. Wandering around the city seemed like the best thing to do.
After breakfast, she and Applejack made plans to meet up in the market for lunch. Twilight asked the breakfast servant to inform her friends, if they showed up, on when and where to meet them. She also asked for a saddlebag, which the servant delivered to her. She tucked Celestia’s jewel into the bag, making sure it was secure and safe.
They left the palace together, but split up right after. Neither of them particularly wanted company right now. Applejack headed off towards the train station, seeing that as the best place to start looking for her siblings. Twilight decided the starting with the city’s hotels was a good idea and asked a guard where they were located..
Even so early in the morning, the Crystal City was bustling. Ponies were walking the streets, going to work, doing early morning shopping, or just enjoying the clear morning air. Twilight looked around her, glancing at each pony that she passed.
Some ponies bore determined looks, their path clearly set. Others, while they took a slower approach, seemed to know where they were going. These were usually the crystal ponies, those who lived here in the city.
Then there were the ponies who were simply doing what she was doing: wandering. Their eyes would linger on one thing longer than another, or they’d be sitting up against a wall somewhere, out of the way, just looking around them. She recognized them as being in shock. These were the refugee ponies, the ones who, like her, had their lives turned upside down.
Some of them seemed in a daze, not quite knowing where they were. While they were looking at something, they weren’t seeing it. Their mind was elsewhere.
She tried talking to some of the ponies, to figure out where they were from. The answers ranged from Manehatten, Vanhoover, Las Pegasus, and even Fillydelphia. She didn’t recognize any of them, so they weren’t from Ponyville. But maybe she could at least see if there were any places the refugees were gathering. Most of what she got in reply was confusion. A few ponies were helpful, though. She did find out that the area around the train station was being converted into a refugee camp. They were setting up tents and handing out food and water.
Perhaps Applejack had been right and the train station was the place to go. Twilight thanked each pony she spoke to, continuing to make her way towards her destination.
The city had a pervading air of confusion. A sense that nopony knew what was going on, but was just sticking to their basic routine as something to cling to. Everypony seemed nervous about something, even the crystal ponies. As she walked, she heard mutters and whispers, hushed conversations taking place on street corners.
It was at times like this that a strong leadership was needed. Twilight’s own experiences with Winter Wrap Up, while small in comparison, meant she knew a little about leading. She knew that Cadance was a good leader, liked and respected by ponies, but it was hard to lead, to reassure her people that everything was okay, when she herself didn’t know the answers to their questions and worries. She would have her hooves full just keeping everypony calm, until she could deliver more definitive answers.
By now, news of the incoming refugees had reached everypony in the city. Tall tales, half-truths, mis-truths, and rumors would be spreading. Everypony would know a slightly different version of what was going on. Keeping them calm was key, stemming the growing tide of panic before it could engulf and overwhelm the city.
With all of her stopping and talking and thinking, it took her a couple hours to arrive at the hotels. Rising up before her was a collection of buildings of similar height and shape. This was the hub of hotels in the city. Prior to the Empire’s disappearance, tourism wasn’t a big thing. After it came back, the times had changed and ponies wanted to visit. So, under the guidance of Princess Cadance, a series of hotels had sprung up, all in the same area. It made things easier on the city and on traveling ponies, as well.
There were a total of five hotels, so Twilight decided to start with the one closest to her. Pushing open the doors with her magic, she entered the lobby.
An air of frantic, yet controlled activity pervaded the lobby. There were ponies sitting in the chairs scattered about the room, while several,,wearing the uniform of the hotel, wandered about on tasks.
Dodging several meandering individuals, Twilight approached the front desk, where a stallion was standing. “Excuse me,” she said.
The stallion looked up at her. “Yes, ma’am. How can I help you? I’m afraid if you’re looking for a room, we have very few left.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not looking for a room.” He seemed relieved at that. “I could use some information, though.”
“Well if you’d like information on the city, such as the best places to eat, I’d suggest you try our concierge desk just over there.” He pointed with a hoof to another desk set off to the side of the lobby.
“Ah, you misunderstand. I’d like some information about any ponies you may have staying here.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry, I can’t release the names of anypony staying here. That’s confidential.”
Twilight smiled at him. “I’m just trying to find somepony. All I need to know is if you have any ponies from Ponyville staying here.”
“I’m sorry,” he said again. “We don’t collect that information upon check in. I can say that we’ve had a large number of ponies check in recently. Anymore than that, and I can’t be of much help.”
This line of questioning was getting her nowhere. She supposed it was foolish of her to think that the hotel would know where everypony they had staying there was from. It was time to change up her line of questioning.
“Okay... Then maybe you can answer this for me. Have you seen anypony that looks like the following: A large red pony, blond mane and tail, green apple cutie mark. A small purple and green dragon.” She went on, describing each of her friends in just that way. The stallion listened to her as she rattled off descriptions. Watching him, she tried to see if any sort of recognition passed across his face as she spoke.
When she finished, she looked at the stallion expectantly. He thought for a moment more. “I’m sorry, but nopony I’ve seen here matches any of those descriptions, and some of them would certainly stand out.”
Her ears drooping a bit, she thanked the stallion for his time and left the hotel. One down, four prospects left. One of the hotels had a large clock on the side of it. She glanced up, checking the time. There was plenty of time left to hit those four hotels before she had to go meet Applejack... And whoever else would show up at the market.
Heaving a sigh, and wondering about the futility of her quest, she headed towards the next hotel. The lobby was much the same as the first one, with ponies milling about or heading somewhere. Again, she approached the front desk, this time with a mare working it.
Trying her luck, she opened with the same line of questioning as at the first hotel. And just like at the first hotel, she struck out. They didn’t keep records of where their guests were from, nor did the mare show familiarity with any of the descriptions she rattled off. It would be hard to miss something as unique as Discord, so Twilight knew she was telling the truth.
Leaving the stressed mare and the hotel behind, she headed towards the third hotel. Another quick glance at the clock showed her that she had an hour to comb three more hotels.
An hour later, Twilight trudged out of the fifth and final hotel. Marking through that hotel in her mental checklist, she sighed, sitting briefly on a bench just outside the building. Five different hotels, all the same answer. If her friends from Ponyville were in the city, they weren’t here. Nor were they at the palace, as she has just come from there.
She put her head in her hooves, feeling the weight of her missing friends settling itself firmly on her shoulders. It was hard to believe that only a few days ago, she was leading her normal life, studying in the library, going on adventures with her friends. With all her being, she longed to be able to return to that time. But if her experience with time travel had taught her anything, it was that no matter how hard you tried, you can’t change the past.
Imagining herself at the library, laying on the couch, a book in front of her and a steaming mug of tea on the table, she felt the world around her fade out. The hustle and bustle of the city vanished, replaced by the sounds of birds chirping in the branches outside her window, and the occasional rustle of a turning page. That crisp sound as the paper moved in her magic, she loved that sound. The weighty feeling of a tome as she held it, it gave her such joy. Her books were her first friends, and she knew that no matter what, she could always retreat to them, to find solace nestled within the pages.
She was currently reading one of her all time favorite books, The Mare with the Dragon Cutie Mark. She’d never admit it to anypony, but she actually enjoyed the occasional piece of fiction writing. Not even she could read only history books, treatise, philosophical musings, or textbooks all the time. Sometimes a good story was needed, something to lose herself in.
As the pages turned and she got lost in the politics and intrigue of the noble family, something struck her as off. Invading even her closed mind, a feeling of dread came over her. She felt like she was missing something, something important.
Tearing her eyes from the page, she looked around. Everything was as it should be, all the books were shelved properly, a gentle breeze came in through the open window, rustling the mostly closed curtains. But still, something was different, something was wrong.
Focusing her ears, she tried to pick it out. After several moments, it came to her. Where were the other ponies? Even a town like Ponyville had a background noise to it. And right now, that noise was missing.
Curious, and feeling unnerved, she got up to see what was going on. Hopefully nothing was going wrong. Knowing her luck, everypony was off doing something else and nopony had bothered to tell her about it.
Setting the book aside, she got to her hooves, heading towards the window that overlooked the town square. Throwing back the curtain, she gasped at what she saw.
Outside, there was devastation. The ground was black, coated in a layer of what looked like snow, blowing along in the gentle breeze. The buildings, at least the ones that remained, were broken down husks of their former selves. Fallen frames and burnt timbers were all that was left of some. Others were gone entirely, nothing but ash remaining. She could see the town hall was still, somehow, standing. Leaning to one side and covered in scorch marks and burned spots, it stood.
The green grass was gone, covered in the ashes of whatever had happened. Trees were missing their leaves, being naught but bare branches, creaking as they moved. Others were simply stumps, or trunks. All the beautiful gardens and flowers were missing. Nothing grew here.
The sky above was filled with dark clouds, swirling about. With nopony to guide them their movement was erratic and intimidating. Low rumbles could be heard emanating from them while the occasional flash illuminated everything she could see in stark contrast. The wind stirred up her mane, blowing it around her face.
Littering the ground were hundreds of these odd white things, scattered haphazardly all over. Some were laying flat, others sticking up at odd angles. Her brain racked itself, trying to identify what they were. The answer came to her with a jolt of realization, her stomach immediately wanted to empty itself of her breakfast.
Bones. Hundreds of individual bones were tossed around Ponyville. They were bleached white, stripped of all flesh. No one bone was still connected to another, whatever had happened had blasted these ponies apart. Her analytic mind, now that she knew what they were, could identify each specific bone. It made her nauseous to see them scattered about. Something terrible had happened here.
She stumbled backwards, retreating into the safe confines of her library. She was safe here. She’d always been safe here. She could just close the curtains and everything would be fine. Her heart slammed into her ribcage as her breathing increased, coming out in short gasps.
Her magic reached out, trying to grasp onto the hanging cloth to shut out the world outside. Yet when she gave them a tug, only scraps came together. Her once pristine curtains were now a dark grey in color, full of holes and barely hanging on.
The wall of the library was no longer the deep brown she expected, but a slightly lighter shade of grey than her curtains. The glass in her window, the shutters that covered it, both were gone. Looking around, her stomach dropped.
What had once been a homely, inviting library, was now a hellish viewscape. Shelves were missing or tilted, dropping their precious loads. Piles of books were stacked around the room. The books were burned or scorched, what few remained. Maybe one or two could be salvaged, but the vast majority were ruined beyond repair.
Her entire home was covered in ash. A large section of wall and her entire kitchen was gone, exposing everything to the elements outside. Her door hung limply on a single hinge, groaning as it swung in the wind. The top of the tree was gone. She could look straight up and into the sky.
What furniture remained was broken, scattered, destroyed. She could see the remains of her table, split down the middle, each half laying opposite the other up against one of the few walls still standing. Her couch was reduced to just the wooden frame, which was laying in splinters.
“What’s going on here?” Twilight said aloud. Her only answer was the rising wind and a loud peal of thunder.
“What happened? Where is everypony?” The wind grew in force, catching her words and throwing them away. The thunder rumbled constantly, drowning out what she said. The lightning flashed, blinding her.
A bolt of lightning struck the ground just outside the library. The force of the expanding pressure wave made her stumble backwards. Her flank hit the wall where her window was.
Struggling against the wind, she moved back into the center of her home. A tingling feeling came over her, and all the hairs on her coat stood up. Before she could process what that meant, another bolt of lightning came down from the clouds, striking her directly.
The heat was intense, burning her very soul. She could feel her coat burning off, her skin crisping and peeling away. Looking down, her hooves were gone. In their place were shiny, white bones.
As soon as she noticed it, she fell over, her body catching up with her mind. Laying on the floor, she was struck with another bolt, then another, and another. Each time, the heat grew until even her bones were nothing but ash.
Somehow, her mind was still active, still able to comprehend what was going on. Despite her body being nothing more than particles floating away in the wind, she could see, she could hear, and she could feel. She could feel the pain as it moved through a body that wasn’t there. A final bolt of lightning hit her, and she screamed with a mouth that no longer existed.
Still screaming, she fell off the bench and onto the hard street. Awareness returned to her and she looked around. Ponies had stopped what they were doing and were staring at her. She was laying in the street outside the hotel, having fallen off the bench.
She must’ve fallen asleep. Rubbing her head while giving a sheepish laugh, she glanced past the still staring ponies at the clock.
“Oh no,” she said. “I’m late!” She was supposed to be at the market ten minutes ago. She’d been asleep for too long.
Quickly, she fired up her horn to teleport, trying to focus around the leftover mental residue from the dream. She couldn’t teleport to the market itself, as she wasn’t familiar enough with the area to do so. Blind teleporting was dangerous, she could end up appearing inside a market stall, or worse, another pony. Instead, she knew of one place she could go.
With a flash and the familiar, oppressive squeeze of teleportation, she vanished from the hotel area, leaving behind a multitude of confused ponies. Her return to reality was signalled with another flash and a pop.
Looking around, she found herself at the palace. She’d teleported to a small alcove just outside the doors. A guard had heard her arrival and was peeking in. He leapt back with a startled yelp as she burst out of the alcove.
“Sorry,” she yelled over her shoulder, galloping towards the market. It was a short distance to the market from the palace, why she’d chosen to teleport there.
She arrived several minutes later, gasping and out of breath. The market was a bustling place, more so than anywhere else in the city. Ponies were shopping and haggling, merchants were hawking their goods. It was a cacophony of controlled chaos.
Eyes scanning the crowd, she searched for any sign of her friends. Surely they were still waiting on her and hadn’t gone somewhere already.
A flash of rainbow colors caught her eye. Focusing her gaze, she could see Rainbow Dash hovering slightly over the crowd.
Making her way towards the pegasus, knowing her other friends would be there, she brushed past numerous other ponies. Keeping the rainbow mane in her sights, she broke through the crowd, arriving on the other side of the market.
Her friends were gathered around another bench. At least, most of her friends. She could see Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, and a rapidly bouncing Pinkie. As if summoned, Pinkie turned her head and spotted Twilight.
“Hey girls! There’s Twilight!” she paused in her bouncing, somehow staying in midair as she pointed.
“Hi girls,” Twilight said, approaching the group. “Sorry I’m late.”
“Eh, it’s no biggie,” Rainbow said. “We’re still waiting on AJ anyway.”
“Twilight, darling, you look like a mess. Whatever have you been doing?” Rarity asked.
Twilight told them of what she’d been doing all morning. How she had gone to the hotels and questioned the staff about their friends. How she’d met with five dead ends, and nopony at the hotels knew anything. Wherever their friends were, they weren’t at the hotels at least. She left out the part about falling asleep. And the nightmare.
“I just... I want to find them, so badly,” she said.
She had sat down on the sidewalk, her head hanging low, regarding her own hooves. A hoof was thrown over her shoulders. Looking up, she saw it was attached to Pinkie.
“Don’t worry, silly. I’m sure they’re out there and waiting for us.”
“But how can you know? Right here is the best place for them to be If they got out at all.” Her voice dropped, becoming quiet.
Pinkie tried to say something, but for some reason she didn’t. Her hoof remained though, providing support and comfort. Twilight leaned into her friend, taking solace in her presence. Even with everything they’d been through, she knew she could always count on them.
Suddenly, Pinkie started vibrating. Twilight looked up at her, finding her tail twitching, her ears flopping, her nose swinging, and she was bouncing up and down.
“Twitchy tail, floppy ears, swinging nose...” She trailed off for a moment. Then her face brightened considerably. “Ooooh! This means it’s doozy. But a good doozy. Like a super-riffic doozy of a doozy!” She went on, somehow finding more and more ways to describe a doozy. Twilight wasn’t sure of half the vocabulary Pinkie was using existed, but for some reason, it seemed to fit.
“Okay Pinkie, calm down,” Rainbow said. “What are you talking about?”
Before she could answer, a voice broke above the din of the crowd. “Twilight!”
Twilight perked up, recognizing that voice. “No...” she turned around, looking in the same direction as Pinkie.
There, running as fast as his little legs would take him, was Spike. The dragon was dodging around ponies, attempting to get to Twilight.
“Spike!” she shouted, getting to her hooves and rushing towards him.
They met in a flurry of hooves and arms, each trying their best to hug the other as tight as possible. Twilight picked up her assistant and friend in her hooves, holding him close to her.
“Oh thank Celestia! You’re okay,” she said.
“I’m so happy you’re alive!” he replied.
Before they could go any further, more voices came forth, calling out the names of her friends. Looking over Spike’s shoulder she saw the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen.
Running through the crowd, parting them like waves, were more ponies, ponies she recognized. She could see Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom. Behind them were Big Mac and Granny Smith, and the Cakes.
“How...?” she asked.
While she watched, the rest of her friends surged forward, grabbing their own loved ones in embraces. Even Rainbow dropped her usual tough girl attitude and scooped up Scootaloo, doing a somersault in the air before sitting on the ground, hugging the filly.
The air filled with the chatter of excited ponies. Even the busy crowd had stopped to see what was going on. Onlooking ponies shared glances at the reunion. Some were looking confused, while others were smiling happily.
“To answer your question, Twilight Sparkle,” came a familiar voice, “The ‘how’ would be me.”
Following the sound of the voice, Twilight saw Discord standing slightly apart from the group. The mismatched draconequus stood out from the crowd, standing taller than them all. Next to him was Applejack, smiling as she watched her friends reunite with their loved ones.
Before Discord could speak again, he was bowled over by a flash of yellow and pink. “Oh! I’m so glad you made it out safely,” Fluttershy said, wrapping him in a tight hug.
Discord struggled for a moment before giving in to the inevitability and returning the hug. “Yes, yes, Fluttershy. I’m safe.” He looked around for a moment. “And, I’m not the only one who wishes to see you?”
The pegasus looked confused. “What do you mean?”
Smirking, he held out his lion’s paw, showing that it was empty. Closing it, he snapped his fingers, and with a flash of light, a tiny white figure appeared in his once again open paw.
“Angel Bunny!” Fluttershy swooped down, picking up the disoriented rabbit and crushing him against her chest. Angel didn’t even try to fight against the show of affection, instead he submitted to the hug, patting Fluttershy’s hooves with his paws.
Twilight didn’t want to let Spike go, afraid she’d find out this was all a dream. She could see Rarity and Sweetie Belle, Rainbow and Scootaloo, Pinkie and the Cakes, all having their own reunions. Hugs were being shared, tears were being shed.
“Spike...” she said. Her vision was shimmering through a veil of moisture. “I’m so happy that you’re okay.”
“What about you? You were right there when it happened,” he said. The little dragon was the one to break the hug, looking her over. “Are you okay?”
She smiled at him. “I am now,” she replied. And she was. Despite everything that had changed, some normalcy had been restored for her. Her assistant and friend was safe, and she knew it without a sliver of a doubt. She could reach out and feel him, knowing this wasn’t a dream because it felt all too real for that.
They sat on the sidewalk, simply holding each other. No words were shared because none were needed. Whatever explanations, whatever stories were to be told, those could wait. For now, they were content to have each other again after neither knew if the other was even alive.
All around them, similar acts were taking place. Applejack had moved to be with her family, holding them while exchanging a few words with Granny Smith. The ponies who had stopped to watch had moved on. Now Twilight and her friends were an archipelago amongst the sea of ponies going about their lives.
Eventually, the decision was silently made that they should find somewhere a bit more private. It was time for both sides to hear the other’s story. The sun was high in the sky and stomachs were growling, so lunch seemed to be a logical choice.
Finding a little cafe that was empty, they invaded it. Within moments, all the tables had been moved together and every seat was filled with a smiling, happy pony. Discord chose to float above the table, with not even Fluttershy being able to convince him to come down and sit normally.
At first, they skirted the main topics, instead focusing on happier things. Nopony wanted to kill the good mood they had after finding each other, and everypony knew that each side telling their story about what had happened would be a somber thing.
Yet the happiness was destined to not last. It became quickly apparent that the range of topics was very low without hitting on something that they didn’t want to talk about. Somepony had to broach the topic, and that somepony was Twilight.
With a salad in front of her, she set her fork down. “Okay. I have to know. How did you all get out of Ponyville? And what happened there?”
Everypony looked around, looking for the pony who’d answer. A voice spoke up from above. “I’ll tell you,” Discord said.
He floated down, settling himself into a chair that appeared out of nowhere. Even his penchant for theatrics was dulled by what he had to say.
With a clearing of his throat, he started. “As you know, we, except for the Cakes, were at Sweet Apple Acres. From there, we had a pretty good view of everything as it went down. We could see the thing as it hovered there. And we could see as it started to crack and break apart.”
Twilight nodded, her own memory replaying the scene in her head. “So what then?”
“When it... Well, exploded. Several of those pieces came flying towards the farm, and one of them right for us.”
It was here that Apple Bloom broke in. “Discord saved us. He caught that thing.”
Discord nodded. “I’m a manner of speaking. I managed to halt it, setting it down on the ground.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide. She’d seen the speed and force behind each of those pieces. It would’ve taken a lot of power to stop even one of those.
“But I could only stop the one. The others hit around us.” He turned to Applejack. “Your farm is...” he trailed off.
“It’s okay, sugarcube. I sorta figured, you just confirmed it is all,” Applejack replied to his unspoken statement.
“Anyway, we needed to get out of there. Fires were all over and they were spreading. We could also see the creature, attacking you.” Discord described their journey as they ran towards town. How the entire landscape was on fire, and how the very air was becoming hard to breathe. He had to use his magic to make sure they got there safely.
They had managed to make it to town, only to find that it had suffered as well. Several pieces had fallen on the town, wiping out sections of it, with even more of it being on fire. Ponies were either running around, or stumbling about in shock. Some were trying to put out the fires, while others were helping the injured.
It was chaos, and not the type of chaos he liked or caused. Something had to be done before they were all consumed by flames, or fell to the choking air.
“I had an idea,” Discord said. “It was a dumb idea, even for me. I teleported to Ponyville Lake, grabbed the water, and teleported above the town. There I simply let go.”
“Wait a moment,” Twilight broke in. “You dumped the lake on the town?”
He nodded. “It seemed like the best way to put out all the fires.”
She thought for a moment. “Hmm, and introducing that much moisture would certainly work towards clearing the air as well. But how did you prevent anypony from getting washed away with the water?”
Looking sheepish, he ducked down. It was Mrs. Cake, who had Pumpkin in her lap, who answered. “He didn’t. It shocked us all to see a flood of water hurtling down the street at us.”
“Discord!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “That wasn’t very nice of you. What if somepony got hurt?”
“Actually,” Scootaloo said. “It was kinda fun. Riding that wave reminded me of my scooter.”
Rainbow rubbed the filly’s head. “That sounds like something I would say,” she remarked. Scootaloo beamed at the thought of being like her idol.
Mr. Cake continued the story. “Regardless of his choice of method, what Discord did worked. Most of the fires were put out and the air became easier to breathe. It should also be noted that nopony was hurt anymore than they already were.”
Fluttershy still glared at Discord, who made a point to scoot his chair slightly further away from her. “Anyway. Once the fires were out, we could take stock of what had happened. The Mayor gathered everypony at the town hall.
“But no sooner had we arrived, than something else happened. The sky glowed as the creature was encased in some sort of cage, with strange glyphs around it.”
“That’s when we used the Elements against it,” Twilight said. “They... Didn’t work.”
The group was silent for a moment as that sank in. Before, the elements had always succeeded. Never had they failed, to anypony’s knowledge.
“Yes,” Discord said. “When it broke free and spawned that fireball, the one that got bigger, it was coming right at us.”
Scootaloo took over here. “Discord was awesome! He stood in front of it, arms held out.” She stood up in her chair on her hind legs, imitating his pose.
“In truth, I’d already used much of my power in stopping that piece and putting out the fires. I had no idea if I’d be able to even slow down that wall of fire.”
“But still you stepped in,” Fluttershy said. She grabbed Discord in another hug. “Thank you.”
He returned the hug with one arm. If anything could be said about Discord, it’s that Fluttershy was starting to rub off on him. He’d certainly become more friendly, and slightly less inclined to pull a prank on a pony. Slightly.
“But just as the wall hit Ponyville, it stopped on its own. Then it shrank back towards the creature.” Discord continued his tale.
Mr Cake picked up from there. “We didn’t know what happened, but we weren’t gonna let this opportunity pass us by. The Mayor ordered an evacuation. Everypony who was...” he trailed off. “Able to boarded the train.” He glanced over the the three fillies sitting at the table.
Twilight knew what had just gone unspoken. It was silly and foolish to believe that everypony had made it out of Ponyville alive. And Mr. Cake had just confirmed that at least some had died. The question, then, was who? Part of her wanted to know, so that she could mourn them. Part of her didn’t want to know, to remain in blissful ignorance, refusing to put a name to the dead.
But not knowing who, to not even want to hear their names, wouldn’t be honoring their memory. While she may not have personally known those ponies, they were still her neighbors, townspeople. They deserved to be remembered. She would have to find the time to question Discord or the Cakes about it without the fillies or Spike around.
Discord and Mr. Cake took turns telling the rest of the story. How once everypony was on the train, the wounded included, they had simply left. Nopony had anything more than what they were carrying with them. They had traveled away from Canterlot and the creature.
Twilight questioned them about the creature, what it was doing while they were leaving. Discord said that it was simply on the ground in the field outside Canterlot, not moving or really doing anything as far as they could tell. It was still like that when they lost sight of it over the hills and distance.
They’d traveled north, away from everything. At a stop in Manehatten for fuel and supplies, some ponies had gotten off, choosing to stay. All the way there, they’d been wondering just where they should go. The destruction of Canterlot was known by now. Some ponies argued that they should stay in Equestria, wait for the Princesses to tell them what to do. Others that they should leave Equestria, make for somewhere friendly.
The decision was made that those who wanted to stay should get off in Manehatten, or their final in-Equestria stop in Fillydelphia. The rest of them would keep heading north, to the Crystal Empire. They were sure they could find help there.
Those who were too wounded to travel safely were unloaded in Manehatten. Anypony who was wounded but didn’t need immediate medical care could make their own choice.
Rarity asked the question that was on Twilight’s mind. “So why did you choose to come here?”
“Because this seemed like the best choice,” Mrs. Cake said. “I wanted to put as much distance between us and the creature as possible, which meant going as far north as we could.” She bounced Pumpkin as she spoke, earning little squeals of happiness from the foal.
Discord shrugged. “It seemed as good an idea as any. And we wanted to stick together.”
“Eeyup.” Big Mac threw in his two bits as well.
“So when did you get here?” Twilight asked.
“Yesterday,” Discord said. ”We weren’t the first ones here either. A camp had already been set up by the train station. Some guards directed us there.”
“I don’t like the camp,” Sweetie Belle said. “It’s crowded.”
“Don’t worry, Sweetie,” Rarity said. “I’m sure we can talk Cadance into letting you all stay at the palace.”
The little filly’s eyes brightened at the news. “Really?” Rarity nodded, and Sweetie grinned in happiness.
“So you’ve been at the camp all this time?” Fluttershy asked Discord.
The draconequus nodded. “We have. It seemed like the best place to stay, since none of us really had enough bits for hotel rooms. We got food and a place to sleep there, at least.” He leaned over to Twilight, who had just opened her mouth to speak. “And no, I could not just ‘create bits out of nowhere, or a house.’” She closed her mouth, her unasked question just answered. “Believe it or not, even my power has limits. I used much of my power just to keep everypony safe and get out of Ponyville.”
Holding out his hand, he snapped his fingers, making a bouquet of flowers appear. The flowers looked off though, wilting and odd colors on them. Twilight assumed they were supposed to be like that. “I just tried to create a normal bunch of flowers,” Discord said. He tossed the bouquet over his shoulder, where they hit the wall and stuck there. “I’m slowly regaining my powers, but it’s a slow process.”
Sweetie Belle broke into the conversation. “Discord was really helpful, even if he slept all day yesterday after we got here.”
The draconequus shrugged. “I was tired. Using so much power took a lot out of me.”
“I found them sitting near some tents,” Applejack said. She hooked a foreleg around each of her siblings. “I only had to ask three ponies if they knew where they were. Seems Discord here sticks out a bit.”
“Have you been behaving yourself?” Fluttershy asked him.
He chuckled. “I have. It’s not my fault someponies don’t like their food being spiced up.”
Mrs. Cake fixed him with a stare. “Not everypony enjoys eating cotton candy all the time. Or drinking nothing but chocolate milk.”
He rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything to the matronly mare in response. Fluttershy seemed willing to overlook this in favor of actually having him around again.
It took some haggling with the waiter, but they were able to combine their bits and pay for the meal. Twilight added asking Cadance to send that cafe some extra bits for putting up with them to her list of things to talk with her sister about. Their story had taken up much of the afternoon, the sun creeping towards the horizon.
They headed towards the palace, having nothing to do in the city itself. As one large group, they walked mostly in silence, once more happy to have each other again.
Arriving back at the palace, the guards at the door eyed the group, but upon seeing Twilight and her friends, let them in. Twilight asked him if he knew where Cadance was. He said that she was currently in the little sitting room off the throne room. She’d been in there all day.
Worried, Twilight led her friends into the throne room, having them stay back near the throne itself while she went and knocked on the door. “Cadance, it’s Twilight.”
There was a brief moment of silence before the door opened. Cadance looked like her normal self, with her mane done in its usual curls. “Oh, Twilight. What brings you here?”
“Several things, actually. But first, I have some good news.”
Cadance looked confused. “What news?”
Twilight just stepped back and gestured with her hoof towards the large group of ponies. She saw a surprised look pass over Cadance’s face, but it was quickly gone.
The alicorn mare stepped out of the room. “This is good news indeed. I’m glad that you found your friends and loved ones.” Her voice seemed flat, like she was having trouble summoning happiness.
A smile graced her muzzle, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m glad to see you all well,” she said.
“Thank you, your highness,” Mr. Cake said, giving a little bow along with his wife.
“Cadance,” Twilight said. “Is there a chance they can stay here, at the palace?”
She thought a moment. “There are plenty of guest rooms open, so I don’t see why not. I’ll have the servants prepare a few more rooms.”
Sweetie Belle hopped up and down. “Oh thank you!”
“You’re quite welcome,” Cadance replied.
“Also, I need to ask you a few things,” Twilight said.
With a nod, the two of them stepped into the sitting room. Twilight promised that she’d be back soon.
Inside the room, they sat down on the pillows once more. Twilight could feel an air of oppressiveness hanging about. “Cadance, are you okay?” she asked, worried over her sister.
Cadance nodded. “I’m fine.”
“The guard I talked to said that you’ve been in here all day.” She scooted closer to her sister. “Cadance, you can talk to me, you know that.”
The alicorn looked like she was trying to contain something, but it broke free. Her eyes brimmed with tears and her head hung low. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I thought I could be stronger than this.”
Twilight grabbed her sister in a hug, letting the mare’s head fall onto her shoulder. She didn’t say anything, just held on.
Cadance cried into Twilight’s shoulder for a few minutes, before she sat up, wiping her eyes with a hoof. “I’m sorry,” she said again.
Twilight smiled at her. “It’s okay.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not. I’m not supposed to be like this. I should be strong. I should be out there, leading my people. Instead I’m in here, crying.”
Twilight faltered. She wasn’t sure what to say. She’d read books on what to do in situations like this, but still she was unsure of what to say.
“Cadance, you are strong. Look at you, you got out of bed today, you made sure that you would look the same as always.”
“I didn’t want to frighten the guards and servants. They’re already on edge from what’s going on. Seeing me break down would only make things worse.”
“See?” Twilight pointed out. “Even now you’re thinking about your ponies first.”
“But I need to do more. I need to be out there.” She gestured with a hoof towards the door leading into the throne room. Distantly, the sound of giggling fillies could be heard creeping under the door.
“You just lost your husband. I think that your staff knows that you’d need some time after that. They’d probably be more surprised if you had been yourself today.”
Cadance faltered this time, searching for some retort or answer. “I... I guess you’re right.”
Twilight adopted a haughty look, putting a hoof to her chest. “Why Cadance, you know that I’m always right.”
Raising a single eyebrow, Cadance regarded her former charge. “Always?”
“Of course.”
“Then what about all those times you spouted out wrong things when you were a filly and I had to correct you?”
“Umm, well those were... Flukes. They were flukes.”
Twilight grinned at Cadance, seeing a smile, one the did reach her eyes, coming to her face. “Cadance, you are strong.”
Silence descended as they regarded each other. It was Cadance who broke it. “You had some things to ask me?”
Twilight nodded. “Only a few. The first being when are you expecting the scouts to come back?”
“Possibly tomorrow. They rode back to Equestria on one of the returning trains, the driver being paid to take them as close as he could to Canterlot. From there they’d scout the area then fly to Manehatten, hopefully being able to take a train back here.”
This was good news. If the scouts really were coming back tomorrow, then they wouldn’t have to wait around long. They could get the information from the scouts, analyze it, and use it to plan their next move.
“Okay. Second. We kinda maybe had lunch at a little cafe by the market today, after we all found each other, but we realized that we didn’t have enough bits to cover the tab.” Twilight turned her head away, embarrassed to be admitting this. Being the student of the Princess, she’d always had enough bits to do something simple like pay for lunch.
“I’ll make sure they are compensated,” Cadance said.
“Thank you. Now the final thing. The Elements of Harmony. Right now they’re just sitting in our rooms. Is there somewhere safer we can put them?”
“Well,” Cadance put a hoof to her chin. “There is the vault. It’s not as secure as the one in Canterlot is... Was. But it’s still a vault.”
“That’ll work perfectly. And it’ll be much better than simply leaving them lying around somewhere.”
Cadance nodded. “Agreed.”
Twilight stood up. “Come on, you’ve been hiding in here long enough.” She grabbed Cadance’s hoof in hers, leading her out of the room.
In the throne room, the CMC had taken over foalsitting duties for the Cakes, playing with Pound and Pumpkin off to one side. Spike was keeping an eye on them. The rest were gathered at the base of the dais, chatting.
“I apologize for my earlier rudeness,” Cadance said.
“Aw, don’t worry about it sugarcube,” Applejack replied.
“I really am glad that you all are safe. You’ll have to tell me of what happened in Ponyville.” She glanced over towards one of the windows. “But that can wait until later. Dinner is in an hour. Until then, you all are free to use the palace. I’m sure you’d like to perhaps take a shower or simply sit down somewhere.” She turned to Twilight. “Would you mind showing them to the guest rooms. Until theirs are ready, just let them use yours.”
Twilight nodded. “Of course.”
Cadance climbed the dais, sitting herself on her throne. “Guard Steel,” she said.
One of the guards along the wall came forward, stopping in front of the throne and saluting. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Find Tidy Scroll. Tell him that there are things I need to discuss with him.”
The stoic guard slipped, a small smile coming to his face. “Yes, ma’am,” he said again. With another salute, he was heading out the door.
Twilight herself smiled up at Cadance, glad to see her sister taking control. “Come on everypony, it’s this way.”
Leading her friends through the palace, Twilight stopped when they got to the hallway with the six doors. “Each door has a bedroom and bathroom in it. Like Cadance said, feel free to do whatever you want. Just down the hall behind us, the first door on the left, is a sitting room. It has games and stuff in it.”
Rarity was the first to act. She grabbed onto Sweetie Belle. “Come along now Sweetie. You need a bath.”
“But Rarity,” the filly whined. “I wanna go play the games.”
“And you can, after you bathe. I am certain the camp doesn’t have proper washing facilities and you mane is just-” Whatever else Rarity was going to say was cut off as the door to her bedroom closed behind them.
“Well,” Mrs. Cake said. “She’s right about one thing. I haven’t had a shower in a few days, and our poor darlings could use one as well.” She turned to her husband. “Shall we?”
He nodded. “Of course, honey bun.” Together they opened the door into Twilight’s room, closing it behind them.
Fluttershy decided to give Angel a bath, much to the rabbit’s consternation, and with a shrug, Discord followed them. Applejack took Apple Bloom into one room, which Big Mac led Granny Smith into another. The last open room was for Rainbow and Scootaloo, even if it was only on Rainbow’s suggestion that the filly even agreed to take a shower.
That left Pinkie, Spike, and Twilight still standing in the hallway. “So, got any ideas?” Twilight asked.
“Well, there’s always time for a party. We could throw a party in the game room. Or we could surprise everypony in the shower with a party. Or we could use my party cannon to install parties in each room. Oh no! I don’t have my party cannon and I haven’t had a chance to hide any party cannons in the Crystal Empire yet for party cannon emergencies like this. Okay, think Pinkie. There must be a way to salvage this.” She gasped, the first breath Twilight had seen her take since she started talking. “I know what we can do. But I need to make some preparations first. Oh, and I need an assistant.” Without another word, the mare grabbed Spike and scrambled off down the hallway, around the corner before Twilight could even comprehend what had just happened. A floating cry for help from Spike was all that remained of their presence.
“Okay then,” she said to herself. Being alone, she headed into the game room, not wanting to disturb anypony.
Despite being in here last night, she stopped and looked around. Besides the desk, there were several shelves. One shelf held various boxes containing board games, the rest were filled with books. Idly searching the titles of the books, she selected one at random, settling herself down on the couch to read.
The book she had picked was a stirring tale about a forbidden romance between a pony and a gryphon. It lead the reader through the struggles the couple had in keeping their relationship a secret, lest their feuding families find out. Despite some grammatical flaws in it, she found the book enjoyable. Just having an actual book in her magic, feeling its weight, hearing the sound of the paper as the pages turned, that was relaxing for her. With the knowledge that her friends were safe just down the hall, she was finally able to lose herself in the words.
The door to the room opened and in strode Rarity, along with the CMC. The three fillies spotted the shelf of games first and made a beeline for it. Soon a fight had erupted over which game they should play.
While Rarity dealt with the fillies, Twilight continued to read her book. Soon, the others began to trickle into the room, each of the new arrivals looking clean and refreshed. Suppressing a smile, Twilight could only remember her own experience with the shower this morning, so she knew how they felt.
The three fillies decided on a game, and soon the arguments changed to accusations of cheating, until Applejack threatened to take the game away. After that there was quiet in the room as they played. A few conversations popped up here and there, but Twilight didn’t pay them much attention, lost in her book.
It was only when she felt somepony tap her shoulder that she looked up. “Come on, sugarcube. They’re saying it’s dinner time.” She looked over to see a servant standing in the doorway.
“Right. Thanks AJ.” Making a note of her page, she set the book down on the table, getting up and stretching her legs. Seeing everypony else heading out the door, she followed them.
The servant led them through the palace until they got to the dining room. Surprisingly, the doors were closed and Cadance was sitting outside. “Princess? What’s going on?” Fluttershy asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Pinkie Pie came into the dining room and kicked out everypony. That was half an hour ago and she hasn’t allowed anypony in since.” To prove her point, she twisted the doorknob with her magic.
The door opened less than an inch, not enough to see into the room. Pinkie’s voice came floating out. “No one allowed inside.” The door slammed closed.
“See?”
Everypony nodded. By now, all the residents of Ponyville were used to Pinkie’s antics, so this was nothing new to them. For Cadance, who had really only heard stories, this was a new and unique experience for her. A chance to gain firsthoof knowledge of just what Pinkie does. The alicorn sent Twilight a pleading look, to which her only response was to shrug.
They spent several minutes wondering just what was going on. One of the servants from the kitchen, who came around the corner from a back door, said that the pink mare had kicked them out as well. Finally the doors to the dining room finally opened.
With caution, everypony stepped inside. What greeted them was not quite what any of them were expecting. The dining room was covered in streamers and balloons. They were hanging off of every surface imaginable. A few surfaces Twilight had no idea how Pinkie hung anything from them.
A large banner was strung over the center of the table. It read “Happy We-Found-Each-Other-Again Party!” Laying across the table was a selection of pastries. And topping it all off was a huge, three layer cake, sitting in the middle of the table. There were just enough place settings for everypony around the table.
They all stood and stared. Standing by the table, was a hopping Pinkie Pie. Slumped over the table in one of the chairs, was an exhausted Spike.
“Pinkie,” Cadance said.
The mare zipped over, hopping up and down in front of the princess. “Do you like it? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Do you? Huh?” She was cut off when Applejack inserted her hoof into the hyperactive mare’s mouth.
“It’s wonderful,” Cadance said. Her eyes were looking around, taking in everything.
Within moments, everypony was sitting down and awaiting just what would happen next. Pinkie rushed off through a door. While waiting for her to come back, little conversations popped up around the table. Twilight was sitting next to Cadance, and the two of them spoke quietly about what would happen after dinner. At least, after Cadance got done remarking on how everything got done so quickly in here.
The door opened again, and Pinkie returned, leading several servants who had trays on their backs, carrying plates of food. “Dinner is served,” she proclaimed.
The servants set the trays down, one in front of each pony. Twilight found, to her delight, that sitting in front of her was a daisy and daffodil sandwich, and a small bowl of cucumber soup, her favorite meal. Looking around, each plate had something different on it.
“Pinkie, how did you know everyone’s favorite foods?” Twilight asked. Even Cadance was staring at her plate, which held a salad of some kind.
“Oh, I keep a list of everypony’s favorite foods. You know, for party emergencies.” Without any further ado, she dug into her own plate, which was piled high with cupcakes.
With a shrug, Twilight followed Pinkie’s lead, though with a bit more manners. Picking up her sandwich, she took a bite, finding that is was prepared in the exact way that she enjoyed it most.
Dinner was a pleasant affair, with most ponies exclaiming over the wonderful food. Light conversation was had by all, mostly the new arrivals talking about what life was like in the refugee camp. Cadance was interested in that, wanting to know if there was any way she could improve the quality of life for the ponies staying there.
Twilight did bring up something to her sister that she had thought of during the meal. She suggested that Cadance take some time tomorrow to head out into the city, be amongst her ponies. Her reasoning for suggesting that, which she didn’t share with the alicorn, was that being out there, seeing her ponies and interacting with them, should help her. Feeling their love and their admiration for her should help with her own sadness.
Dessert was spent munching down the pastries, and eating slices of the delicious cake. Each layer was a different flavor, from chocolate on the bottom, to vanilla on the middle, and strawberry on the top.
With a bloated belly, Twilight sat back in her chair, enjoying the meal. “Oh, that was delicious, Pinkie,” she said. Everypony around the table echoed her sentiments.
The party pony beamed. “Glad you liked it.”
The three fillies each let out adorable little yawns, though each of them tried to hide it. Sensing an opportunity, Twilight took it. “Spike, would you mind taking those three up to the rooms?” She gestured towards the fillies.
“Huh? But I’m not tired,” he said. Though the rather large yawn he gave contradicted that.
“I’ll go too,” Mrs. Cake said. “Gotta put these little darlings to rest as well.” She indicated the twins, who were already curled up in her lap, sleeping. “Come along,” she said, getting up and placing her foals on her back.
“But I’m not sleepy,” Scootaloo said, even as she rubbed her rapidly blinking eyes.
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Cake replied.
With a small amount of shooing, and some complaints from the filles, Mrs. Cake had quickly ushered the foals and dragon out of the room. Now that they were gone, the rest of them could discuss the things that they’d been meaning to all day.
Rather than her telling the story, Twilight let her friends fill in the rest of them on their side of the last few days. Mostly it was Rainbow who spoke. The pegasus was certainly able to weave an interesting tale, far better at storytelling than Twilight was. The rest of them spoke up at certain places, if only to fill in the gaps.
The others listened, asking few questions, mainly for clarification. But mostly they were quiet and simply let the story unfold. There were tears shed at some parts, more towards the beginning, when ponies were dying. Hugs were had by loved ones, Applejack clinging onto her brother.
When Rainbow finished, Discord took over, retelling what had happened in Ponyville. Cadance was the only one who hadn’t heard this, though there was some new information in this version. Discord had left out certain parts for the benefit of the younger listeners.
He told of finding not only wounded ponies, but a disturbing number of dead as well. In the confusion, it was impossible to figure out who the deceased were, and it may be that they’ll never know, with the population of Ponyville now scattered. Twilight had already known that ponies had died in Ponyville, but hearing Discord describe the only recognizable features of a pony being a torn cutie mark brought it all home.
They had tried their hardest to shield the young ones from the full effect of the devastation, going so far as to blind the fillies at points. And though those three wouldn’t say anything, they most likely knew the truth.
As Discord finished, Cadance looked thoughtful. “I’ve heard a lot of different stories from a lot of different sources about what happened that night. So far, this is the most complete version. While it doesn’t tell all of it, it certainly fills in some gaps.”
She turned to Twilight. “Though, there is one thing that has been nagging at me since you said it last night. You mentioned that Celestia gave you a jewel.”
Twilight nodded. “She did. I still don’t know why, though.”
“May I see it?”
As she had never taken off her saddlebags, Twilight promptly reached into them with her magic and pulled out the gem. Floating it over to Cadance, the alicorn plucked it out of the air with her own magic, holding it close and inspecting it.
Long moments passed as she did so. Occasionally she’d make a noise or something, but she never said anything. Just as Twilight was about to question her, she set the jewel down on the table.
Twilight stared at Cadance. “You know what this is?” she asked again, indicating the jewel.
“Yes, Twilight, I do.”
The others around the table were intrigued. None of them had any idea what the gem was, only that Celestia had given it to Twilight right before teleporting her away from the wall of fire.
“Well,” the ever impatient Rainbow asked. “What is it?”
Cadance lifted the jewel up in her magic, floating it just over the center of the table. “It is a soul gem.”
Twilight racked her mind, trying to come up with any information about soul gems. Yet she couldn’t even remember ever hearing them mentioned before. She liked to consider herself well read, so to not know anything about a subject was unusual.
She was sure that the looks of confusion on the faces of those around her mirrored her own. “What’s a soul gem?” she asked.
The soul gem started spinning slowly. The facets catching the light and reflecting patterns onto the table. When the light hit it just right, the inscriptions could be made out on the reflections.
“A soul gem uses ancient magic, from even before the founding of Equestria,” Cadance explained. “Each gem is unique; the inscriptions never the same. The purpose of it is to capture the soul of a pony, their essence. Usually after death.”
Silence reigned around the table. Twilight felt her gaze glued to the gem as it still revolved. A gem that was designed to hold a pony’s soul. Such magic would need to be powerful. The inscriptions could be used to amplify a unicorn’s power, or they could be keyed into a specific soul. Either way, only the most powerful of unicorns would be able to perform the spell.
“Why?” Rarity asked. “Why would anypony want their soul in a gem?”
“To know that, you need to know about the history behind these gems.” Cadance took in a deep breath. “It’s not a very pleasant history.”
“I think that by this point, we can handle it,” Twilight said.
The alicorn nodded. “Very well. It all started before the founding of Equestria. The Unicorn tribe was trying to find more and better ways to increase their hold on the other tribes. They experimented with magic, trying to unlock its secrets.” She paused a moment. “The records from this time, those that weren’t lost, have all been destroyed. But what is known is that one mage somehow figured out how to capture the souls of ponies.”
She pointed a hoof at the floating gem. “Those inscriptions, they are carved by a unicorn while focusing on the life of another pony. The actual carving takes place during a ritual, which must include certain aspects of the pony whose soul you wish to encase.”
“What aspects are we talking about?”
“I don’t know the specifics, but you would need something important to the pony, as well as something containing their magical signature. A lock of hair, for instance.”
“That’s it?” Twilight asked. “That’s all you need to carve a gem and send a pony’s soul into it?” She looked around the table. “So for example, I could cast the spell with AJ’s hat and some of her hair?”
Cadance nodded. “I’m sure there are other things needed that are lost to time, but yes.”
“But why?” Fluttershy spoke up. “Why would anypony want this?” The pegasus gave a shudder at the thought of a pony’s soul being trapped inside a gem.
“I daresay some saw it as a chance at immortality, their soul living forever inside a gem. For others, perhaps a way to gloat over conquered enemies. Though we’ll never know since no more records exist of the research. Celestia and Luna had them all gathered and destroyed.”
“What for?” Twilight asked. “The breakthroughs that could be achieved in something like this...” She trailed off as her mind calculated the possibilities. Even being able to encase a pony’s soul was magnificent! If you could do that, then how long before you could use those gems to hold other things like latent magic? There were huge possibilities for something like this. To just order all traces of it destroyed...
Another thought occurred to her. “And if all traces of it were destroyed, then how do you know anything about this? I don’t ever remember reading about soul gems, and I’ve even read things in the Restricted Archives in Canterlot.”
Cadance sighed. “I only know because Auntie told me about it. She said that I needed to know and understand, as soul gems tie into the Crystal Empire’s history.” Twilight was about to ask another question, but Cadance cut her off. “Just let me speak, then you can ask any questions. I’ll answer the ones I can.”
Twilight nodded. “Okay.”
Continuing from where she left off, Cadance spoke. “Soul gems were supposed to allow ponies to live on. Inside the gem is the entire consciousness of the pony, almost as if they never died. There is even a ritual to allow that soul to appear and speak. This way, family members and loved ones never have to leave.
“But like most things, there exists the capability to misuse it. And so it went that one unicorn, whose name remains unknown spent years amassing soul gems. The only problem is that he didn’t have the permission of those ponies he collected.”
She paused, taking a sip from her glass. “This unicorn went mad, collecting as many souls as possible. Townsponies would complain about missing items, then turn up dead a few days later. When they finally figured out who was behind everything and raided the unicorns home, they found the basement full of soul gems. Hundreds of them. All filled with ponies who had been murdered.”
Twilight gasped, which was echoed by all those around the table. Except Discord, who only leaned back in his chair, eyes glancing about the table. He’d been alive for a very long time, so it was possible that he knew something about the subject at hoof. Perhaps it would be a good idea to ask him about soul gems.
“But why would he do that to so many innocent ponies?” Fluttershy asked, her voice going even quieter than usual, to where Cadance had to strain to hear her.
Cadance shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe the unicorn wanted to feel powerful. Maybe he felt the need to dominate those around him. Or maybe he was simply lonely and wanted as many ponies around him as possible. Each scenario is likely. What does matter is the fallout from his choice.
“See, soul gems, since they are made to hold a pony’s soul, are made with powerful enchantments, making them almost impossible to destroy. That way the soul inside is safe. Another reason the process was supposed to be voluntary.”
“So that means...” Applejack said, a hoof to her chin as she thought.
“It means that the hundreds of ponies in those soul gems were trapped, unable to move on. Families had lost loved ones, ponies lost friends. And now those same lost ponies, who had been mourned once, were mourned again, for a different reason.”
Twilight could now understand just why soul gems were considered dangerous. Any unicorn with the power could trap a ponies’ soul, forever. Though that still didn’t explain why the Princesses ordered all records destroyed. Information like this could simply be restricted so that responsible ponies could work with it and learn from it.
What had happened to those poor ponies was despicable. Poor Fluttershy was curled into a ball and rocking back and forth in her chair. The empathic pegasus must be close to a breakdown as she felt for the trapped ponies.
“So what happened to the unicorn, and the gems?”
“The unicorn was probably executed. As for the gems, some were perhaps destroyed, those families that could afford it that is, but most would have been given to their families. But that was thousands of years ago. I would imagine that those not lost to time are sitting in somepony’s basement or attic right now, with nopony knowing what it is other than it’s some keepsake or hand-me-down.”
Cadance took another sip from her glass, the gem still hovering and revolving in the air. Knowing now what it was, Twilight felt apprehensive about it. There was a good chance that somepony’s very soul was in that gem she’d been carrying around for days now. The big questions were who was in there, and why the Princess had kept it so close to her.
“Cadance,” Twilight said. “You mentioned that there was a way to summon the soul of whoever was inside. Do you know how to do that?”
She smiled and nodded. “I do. And I admit to being as curious as you about this gem.” Her smile faded. “Only, one problem. The ritual needs certain reagents, most of which are fairly common. Though one of the needed reagents is water, infused with some of the base magic of Equus.”
“I’ve... never even heard of that,” Twilight admitted.
“There used to be several sources, pools of water through which the magic of Equus flowed. The water was said to be able to cure any disease or ailment. It’s also a powerful magical reagent.
“But the reason you’ve never heard of it, Twilight, is because all sources have been destroyed. Some by the windigoes before the founding of Equestria, others by greedy ponies who wanted the magic. There used to be one source left, the Moonwell. It was guarded and regulated by Princess Luna.”
“What happened to it?”
“When Luna fell to Nightmare Moon, she used dark magics to corrupt the Moonwell, poisoning the waters. She wanted to use the very magic of Equus against Celestia. In the process, she destroyed the Moonwell. The magic ran rampant across the land. Trees grew uncontrollably, the animals mutated. Even the sky was affected. Today, we call the area affected by the well’s destruction, the Everfree Forest.”
That explained a lot to Twilight. The magic of the Everfree always seemed different to her, not like the magic found in the rest of Equestria. It was hard to put a hoof on it, other than when she used magic inside the forest, it had a different ‘feel’ to it. That must have been due to the corrupted magic that had been unleashed.
Corrupted magic also explained why the area refused to conform to the rest of Equestria. Why it was so wild and untamed. Why, no matter how hard anypony tried, it could never be regulated. She wondered why the history of the Everfree wasn’t in any book she’d ever read about it. All those pages contained were theories and conjecture.
“So it’s not possible to perform the ritual?”
“I didn’t say that,” Cadance replied. “Remember, the Crystal Empire vanished thanks to Sombra’s spell before the fall of Luna. Before the Moonwell was corrupted.”
“So then you have some water from the Moonwell,” Twilight said, putting the pieces together.
Cadance nodded. “Yes. Though I can’t remember how much we have. No more than a single vial would be my guess.”
“Oh! This is superrific! Now we can finally solve the mystery of who Twilight has been carrying around all this time. And before her who the Princess was carrying around. We need to throw a party for whoever it is. I bet they’ve been cooped up in that stuffy gem for a long time and are just dying to come out. And when they do, we’ll have all the lights off and we’ll be hiding so that when they show up we turn on the lights and jump out and yell ‘surprise!’”
Someday, Twilight would figure out how Pinkie managed to say so much without breathing. “Ugh, Pinkie. We don’t even know what the ritual entails. Let’s figure that out first.” She turned back to Cadance. “Okay, you said the other reagents are fairly common, so I assume you have those on hoof as well.” Receiving a nod of confirmation, she continued. “Okay, so we need to gather the items we need and perform the ritual.”
“Uh, sugarcube,” Applejack broke in. “As excited as we all are to figure this thing out, it is late. Don’t you think this would be better left until the morning?”
“Oh no. No, no, no, no. This could be very important. We need to know who’s in here. Princess Celestia wouldn’t have carried it around with her otherwise.” Her eyes lit up. “I wonder... Could it be Starswirl the Bearded?” The mere thought of meeting her idol banished all thoughts of sleep from her mind.
“Twilight, we don’t even know if there is anypony in there. It could be empty,” Rarity pointed out.
She did have a point, Twilight had to admit. But that only made her more determined to figure out once and for all. “All the more reason to perform the ritual. Don’t you get it girls? This is our chance to answer some questions.”
“Twi, you know that I’m up for an adventure,” Rainbow said. “But this can wait until morning.” She lazily waved a hoof around. “None of this is going anywhere, it’ll still be here.”
How could they not understand? This was important. She needed to know just why the Princess had given her this gem. Especially something important like a soul gem. There was no way she was going to sleep tonight. And if she wasn’t going to sleep, she might as well be doing something productive.
“Cadance, what are the steps to the ritual and what items do I need?”
“Twilight,” Cadance’s voice went stern. “You really should sleep tonight.”
“I can’t. Not when I’m so close to figuring things out. I need to know. I need to know why Princess Celestia gave me this.” She stared at Cadance, hoping that she would understand.
The alicorn matched her gaze. The staring contest went on for several long moments. Finally, Cadance sighed. “Very well. It would seem there’s no convincing you. I’ll write down the ritual and you can prepare it.” She summoned a servant, who went to fetch a scroll and quill.
“But,” she continued. “I want to be there when you actually perform the ritual.”
Twilight nodded. “Of course.”
“So do I. Something about this sounds awesome,” Rainbow said.
One by one, the rest of her friends all chimed in that they’d want to be there as well. Big Mac and Mr. Cake both declined, and Granny Smith was asleep in her chair.
After making a promise to wake them all up, Twilight eagerly watched as Cadance used her newly delivered scroll to write down everything she’d need for the ritual. The only sound in the room was the scratching of the quill, and the snores of Granny Smith.
Cadance continued to write, taking quite a while. Twilight feared that the ritual was very complicated. Little conversations broke out around her, but still she watched her sister.
When she was done, after ten minutes, Cadance passed the scroll to Twilight. Scanning across the page, she read off the ingredients and steps necessary to summon the soul inside the gem. It honestly wasn’t that long of a list, the hardest part would be transcribing the glyphs and symbols onto the floor. The figure that Cadance had drawn was quite complicated.
Most of the ingredients were common: powdered taro root, fenwick seeds, ash bark, and several others. These could all be found in any apothecary or reagent store, and any unicorn studying magic kept a supply on hand. The only two difficult ingredients were a dragon scale, and the water from the Moonwell. The dragon scale she could simply get from Spike, and the water was, according to Cadance, in the palace’s vault.
“Thank you, Cadance.”
“You’re welcome. I know how much this means to you.” She scrawled a quick note on another scroll, passing that one to Twilight as well. “When you’re ready for the water, show this to the guard by the vault, they’ll let you in.”
The alicorn yawned. “I’m feeling quite tired. If you all would excuse me, I’m going to head on up to my chambers. You can ask a servant to show you to your rooms.” With that, she stood up and left the dining room.
“I think bed sounds like a good idea. It has been several days since I’ve gotten to sleep in a real bed,” Mr. Cake said.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac chimed in.
The two stallions left as well, exchanging good nights with the others. That just left Discord, her friends, and Twilight in the room. The draconequus had been silent throughout the whole conversation, unusual for him. Typically, he felt the need to interject into every conversation around him. Or at the very least spice things up using his Chaos magic.
“Twi,” Applejack said. “Are you sure you want to do this? You’d probably think clearer with some sleep.”
“I’’m fine, AJ. I need to do this.”
“Well, alright. I’m gonna go hit the hay, but wake me if you need me.” The farmer’s sentiment was echoed by each of her friends, and together they left the room.
Twilight glanced at the only other occupant. “What about you?”
Discord shrugged. “I just slept for over a day. I’m not exactly in the mood to be sleeping, anymore, so I guess I’ll accompany you.”
“Umm, okay. But no messing up what I’m trying to do. Especially with the water. I may never get another chance at this.”
“Oh come on, Twilight. Do you really believe I’d do something like that?” Her glare was all the response she needed to give him. “Well, I admit that I do enjoy messing with you. Your reactions are just so... amusing, but I quite like not being a statue, so I won’t mess you up.”
“Good,” she said. Gathering the scrolls, she rolled them up and placed them inside her saddlebags along with the gem. “Well, come on. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
She left the dining room, Discord floating along above her. Their first stop would be where Cadance had indicated the common reagents would be located in the palace: a storeroom on the first floor.
She had to ask a servant exactly where it was, but soon the two of them found it. Twilight opened the door, seeing shelves stocked full of ingredients and reagents.
“Wow. That’s a lot of stuff. I wonder how old it all is? The Crystal Empire was essentially frozen in time, so none of it would have aged or decayed.” She gasped. “Why, some of these items could be over a thousand years old! Oh, I wonder how that would affect spells cast with these?”
A soft paw hit her on the back of her head. She stopped speaking, instead glaring at Discord. “What was that for?”
“Focus, Twilight Sparkle. There will be plenty of time for this later.”
The irony of Discord telling her to focus wasn’t lost on her. This was unusual behavior for him. Generally he was the one they had to rein in, not the other way around. Ever since the soul gem had appeared, he’d been quiet.
While she checked the labels on the shelves, stocking her saddlebags with what she needed, she questioned the draconequus.
“Discord, you’re certainly being different.”
He floated above her, sticking his upside-down head right in her face. “Now what makes you say that?”
She walked around him. “You’ve been quiet. Ever since the soul gem was identified, you’ve barely said a word. And now you want to accompany me on what will, to you, be a boring setup for a ritual.”
She sat on her haunches as she placed the powder of Aspho in her saddlebags and looked directly into Discord’s mismatched eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, Twilight Sparkle.” He crossed his arms over his chest, matching her stare with one of his own.
“Discord, you don’t really expect me to believe that, do you?”
He held out his lion’s paw. “I don’t know. Do you?” His paw approached her head.
She stood her ground, letting him poke her. “You and I both know you wouldn’t do anything. Empty threats, Discord.”
He poked her a few more times before retreating. “Bah, you’re just no fun anymore. There was a time when me doing that would cause ponies to shake in their hooves.”
“Those days are gone, just like so many others.”
“Yes, they are.”
Standing up, Twilight continued to gather the items she needed. “Though you’re still avoiding the question.”
“I’m insulted you’d even suggest such a thing. I never avoid questions, I simply don’t answer them.”
Discord was certainly avoiding the question. He knew something, she could just feel it. But getting him to open up would be nearly impossible. Especially trying to be blunt and engaging him directly. She’d have to try a different tactic.
“Well, alright then.” With a shrug of her shoulders, she finished gathering up the reagents. “Come on, we still need to visit Spike and get a dragon scale, then the vault to get the water.”
There was a slight ripping sound from behind her. She turned around, expecting to see Discord doing something he shouldn’t. Instead, he was holding out a red scale to her.
“Did you forget I’m part dragon? Let your assistant sleep.”
She took the scale, setting it in her bags. “Thanks, Discord.”
“Don’t mention it. Ever.” He floated off down the hallway.
Sighing, she trotted after him. She’d still get what he knew out of him, why he was being so different around the soul gem.
She followed the draconequus through the palace until they reached the vault. Located towards the top of the tower, the vault sported a fairly large door, guarded by a quartet of ponies.
Upon her arrival, the guards straightened up. One of them approached her while Discord hung back. “Can I help you?”
“Yes. I need to get into the vault.” She pulled out the scroll Cadance had given her. “Princess Cadance has given me permission to remove one item from here.”
The guard took the scroll, glancing at it. When he looked up, his gaze faltered, lowering a bit before snapping back up. His cheeks gained a noticeable red tinge to them.
“I, uh,” he stammered. “This is... You can...” He stopped, swallowed, and continued, his eyes looking somewhere over her shoulder. “You may go in.” Glancing over his shoulder, he spoke to the other guards. “Open the vault for her.”
One glance at the other guards, and they were having equal trouble looking at Twilight. Or in one case, he was having trouble looking away. Something was going on here, and she guessed it had something to do with her.
Glancing down, she discovered what the problem was. She was now wearing socks, long socks that went up her legs almost to her midsection. They were pink and purple striped, rather pleasing to the eye.
This would explain why the guards either couldn’t look at her, or couldn’t look away. “Discord!” she shouted.
Behind her, she could hear him laughing. “Oh, but you look so good in those! Wouldn’t you agree?” he asked the guards.
The lead guard refused to say anything, but the rising blush on his and all the others’ cheeks was answer enough.
“Discord,” Twilight growled. “Remove them.”
In hindsight, that may have been a poor choice of words, as the one guard who couldn’t stop staring at her choked a bit, going even redder. “Are you sure?” Discord asked.
“Yes.”
He snapped his paw. “Oh, very well. Though you pull off that look ever so well. It’s a wonder you’re still single.” There was a flash of light and he appeared next to the staring guard. “You hear that? She’s available.” He nudged the guard.
“Enough!” she said. “Discord, stop tormenting these poor ponies. Let’s just get what we came for.”
She marched past the lead guard, looking expectantly at the vault door. One of the guards got the hint, quickly opening the door for her.
She entered the vault, seeing a large room filled with various objects. Glancing at Cadance’s note, she couldn’t see any indication of where the water was in here. She’d have to simply look for it.
Despite there being a large amount of items in here, it was all organized. Everything had a place, be it sitting on the floor, inside a chest, or on a podium. Searching would only take a while because there was so much stuff.
“Discord, come help me find this. And don’t touch anything.”
He saluted, floating off down the rows and stacks.
Twilight regarded the guards. “I apologize for him. He just doesn’t know how to control himself, sometimes.”
The lead guard smiled. “It’s okay. We, uh, we didn’t mind.”
Choosing to let that one go, she started searching for the Moonwell water. Discord had vanished off towards the far end, so she decided to begin at the entrance and work her way back. With luck she’d meet him halfway and one of them would’ve found it.
Searching was a matter of logic. The item they were looking for was small, fragile, and precious, so the odds were that it would be on its own, most likely sitting on a podium. She didn’t even bother to check the large stacks of items, as only an idiot would store it there. Instead, she wandered up the rows of podiums, glancing at each one.
There were helmets that belonged to ancient commanders, a few weapons, shields, objects of power, scrolls, even items that had once belonged to ancient, powerful ponies. About a third of the way through the room, she even came across the startlingly well-preserved, severed head of a gryphon. It’s eyes were open, staring blankly at her.
She backed away from the head, until her flank hit another podium. Quickly she turned around, afraid that she had just knocked over something precious. The large hammer laying on a pillow on there was in no danger of falling over, so she left it behind, continuing her search.
What worried her was the she hadn’t heard Discord since he went off. Hopefully he was taking this seriously and just being quiet, not off somewhere planning another prank; not that he ever really seemed to plan anything. Winding her way around a particularly large stack of armor sets, she had to know where he was.
“Discord?” she called out. Several moment passed without an answer. “Discord!” she tried again, louder.
“What is it, Twilight Sparkle?”
She jumped, the voice coming from right behind her. “You know I hate it when you do that,” she said, not bothering to turn around.
He chuckled. “Aw, but you always have such good reactions. Besides, I found something you may be interested in.”
Turning around to face him at that, she saw him standing on the floor for once. Clutched in his eagle claw was a tiny vial that glowed a faint blue.
“Is that...?”
“It is.” He held the vial up to the light, letting her see the liquid inside. “Probably the last pure source of magic left on Equus.”
Twilight reached out with her magic to grasp the vial, but she felt herself being blocked. “What? Discord, let go of that.”
In a flash of light, the vial vanished. “What are you doing? Bring that back right now! I need that for the ritu—”
Her voice cut off as her entire muzzle vanished. She panicked, her hooves grasping at where her muzzle just was. That was her nose and mouth, how was she supposed to breathe?
Holding her breath, she glared at Discord. She gestured furiously at her face, hoping to get him to restore her back to normal before she passed out from a lack of air. He only stared at her as her lungs burned.
Finally she was able to hold it no more, and she gasped. Smooth air flowed into her lungs, being released almost immediately. Drawing in several more breaths, her mind caught up to the fact that, despite no longer having anything to breathe with, she could breathe normally. A feat which should be impossible.
The panic fading, she glared at Discord. Despite being able to breathe, she still couldn’t utter even a sound.
The draconequus wasn’t even fazed by her stare. Instead, he sat, balanced atop one of the stacks, looking down at her. His face contained the most serious look she’d ever seen on him.
“Has anyone ever told you that you panic a lot?” he asked. Without waiting for an answer that wouldn’t come anyway, he continued. “Now that I have your attention, allow me to ask you something.” He slithered down the pile, coming to rest on the floor.
“Are you sure you want to do this? Water from the pure Moonwell, and as I said, is perhaps the last pure source of magic. Do you really want to use it on something so selfish? Wouldn’t it be better to use this water for something else? I bet you could figure out a way to make a new Moonwell with it.”
Twilight started to gesture again, only for her hoof to bump into her newly returned muzzle. Opening and closing her mouth a few times, she spoke. “Discord, what are you getting at? You know something, I know you do. Instead of trying to distract me, why don’t you just tell me what you know.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re frustrating?” She turned his own words against him.
“Many, many times. It’s one of my strong points.” He placed his eagle’s claw over his chest.
“Listen, either tell me what you know, or give me the vial. I’m going through with this, and I will get Fluttershy if I have to.”
Discord looked almost sad for a brief moment. “You’ve had the vial this whole time,” he said.
She dug into her saddlebags, finding the little vial tucked away. Breathing a sigh of relief, she made for the exit to the vault. A soft paw on her shoulder stopped her.
“Twilight, just remember that you can’t undo things once they’re done.” He lifted his paw off of her, floating up and over the stacks towards the door.
She watched him go. Whatever it was he knew, he was being serious about it. She wasn’t entirely sure what to think about that. The only times she’d ever seen him be serious before was when somepony was in mortal danger.
Surely there wasn’t anything dangerous about this ritual, or the Moonwell water. Sure the ritual could backfire, but she could place wards around it to contain any magical backlash. So what had him so worried that his normal carefree attitude was nearly absent? Other than the socks, he hadn’t even played a prank on her yet.
Well, he’d made it clear that he wasn’t going to tell her what it was, so she could only continue with her plan. Winding her way around the stacks, she made for the exit.
The large door stood open still, the four guards back in their places. Discord was chatting with the one guard who’d stared at her, all traces of his seriousness gone. Upon her exit, one of the guards closed the vault door.
“Thank you for allowing me inside,” Twilight told them. “I hope you all have a good evening.”
She turned around, taking her leave of them. The sound of hooves approaching caused her to stop.
The young guard, the one who had been so enamored with her in the socks, entered her view. “Um, w-would you d-do me the honor of, um...” he stammered and trailed off. Drawing in a breath, he steadied himself and spoke again. “Would you join me for dinner tomorrow night?”
Twilight faltered. This was somewhat unexpected. Her first reaction was to tell him no and walk off, but that would be rather rude. Especially since he seemed rather nervous.
She’d been asked out before, but nothing had ever lasted long. Either they found out that she was just some bookish mare, or she found out that they were only using her to get close to the Princess.
If she was honest, she didn’t want to join him for dinner. It was nothing against him, he was most likely a nice stallion, it was just with everything she’d been through in the last week, and everything that was coming up, she didn’t feel in the mood for a date.
Flashing him a smile, she let him down gently. “I’m sorry, but tomorrow just won’t work. I’ve got a lot planned in the next few days, and very little free time.” A small lie, but nothing harmful.
“Oh, well, that’s okay.” His face fell and he turned to go back to the other guards.
Twilight felt bad for him, but the only other option was to reverse her stance and agree to a date. No, this was for the best. She didn’t even know his name, and it was too late to ask after she already rejected him.
He rejoined the other guards, one of whom placed a hoof on his shoulder. Twilight left them behind, turning a corner. It was time to find a room to perform the ritual in. The throne room was a good option, as it was a very open room, which would give her room to draw the symbol and set up wards.
“That was cold, Twilight,” came the voice of Discord. “That poor little colt bared his heart to you, and you crushed it.”
“Oh please. He just met me. If anything, you were the one that convinced him to do anything. What were you telling him while I was still in the vault?”
Discord floated in front of her, a smile on his face. “Who, me?” He pointed at himself. “How dare you accuse me of, say, egging him on. I’d never do such a thing.”
“Uh-huh.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Discord, no meddling in my love life.”
“Or lack thereof,” he chimed in.
“Thank you for that,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
He bounded off down the hallway, chuckling to himself. He paused only long enough to turn a passing guard’s armor a bright pink. The guard didn’t notice, patrolling the hallway.
Stifling a giggle, Twilight bit her tongue, not informing the guard about his new armor. It would seem that Discord was back to his usual self. He’d said what he had to say, and that was that for the draconequus.
She caught up with him outside the throne room, passing by another guard who was grumbling to herself, trying to scrape the flowers out of her mane, and a window that opened at her passing, singing a rather raunchy song. The poor castle servants would have a fit trying to fix that one.
Together, they entered the empty room. Moonlight streamed in through the windows, while a few candles provided their scant light. Discord summoned a lounge chair, sitting in it while Twilight dropped her saddlebags near a column.
One quick burst of magic later, the carpet leading from the door to the dais was rolled up and against the wall. Now she had plenty of empty floor to work with.
Drawing a piece of chalk and the instruction scroll from her bags, she started drawing the symbol on the floor. A light sketch went first, just to make sure she got everything. Her eyes constantly moved between the hovering scroll, and the growing symbol on the floor. There were lots of intersecting lines and loops. A ring of glyphs circled the outside. Everything had to be exact, or the spell would fail.
She finished the sketch, checking it over and over versus the scroll. When she was satisfied that it was exact, she went back over every mark, making it deeper. One of the benefits to being a unicorn meant she didn’t have to worry about walking over the symbol, erasing her marks.
It took her almost an hour just to trace the symbol. The next step, while she still had the chalk, was to place the wards around the area, just in case something went wrong.
Walking around the symbol, she drew more glyphs on the ground at certain intervals, pausing after each one was complete. She ignited her horn, a beam of lavender connecting with each glyph. The chalk would glow a bright purple for a moment, until the magic sank into the glyph, where it would only glow softly, signalling it’s readiness. Each ward was designed to activate automatically in case of catastrophic failure, or she could activate them manually if needed.
When the wards were all set and charged, she put away the chalk, setting the rest of the reagents on the floor. Cadance’s scroll once more in front of her, she set about combining them into a bowl.
With a mortar and pestle, she crushed the fenwick seeds, dumping them into the bowl. The powder of Aspho went in next, the two getting mixed together. One by one, the reagents went into the bowl, except the dragon scale and the Moonwell water. Those were the last things to be added, and only when she was truly ready.
The bowl of reagents was set in the middle of the symbol, where a star was drawn. All the setup had been completed. If she performed the next step, there’d be no going back. It was time to wake the others and get them down here.
She looked over to see Discord lounging in the chair. He had one of those silver screens she’d seen ponies using to catch the sun at the beach, only he was using his to catch the moonlight. “Discord?”
He glanced down at her over his sunglasses. “What is it? Can’t you see I’m trying to work on my tan?”
“Right. Well, I need you to go wake the others and get them down here.”
He sighed. Folding up the screen, he tossed it over his shoulder where it hit the floor and burst into flames, leaving behind a scorch mark. With luck that would be covered by the carpet and nopony would have to scuff it out. “Very well.” With a flash, he snapped his paw and vanished.
Twilight was about to check over the rest of the ritual, one more time, when there was another flash of light. She turned around, seeing a very confused looking Applejack laying on the floor.
“Wha— What?” She blinked, looking around her. “Where am I?”
Before Twilight could answer, there was another flash and Rainbow joined Applejack on the floor. “What the hay?”
“Rainbow, what are you doing? Get off of me.”
Another flash, and a shrieking Rarity was added to the growing pile. She was still wearing a facemask and blinders over her eyes. “Discord,” she spat out. “It. Is. On.”
Yet before she could extricate herself from the pile and wreak vengeance upon the god of chaos, there was another flash and Pinkie Pie landed on the pile. Somehow, she managed to land standing up.
“That was fun,” she said while giggling. She hopped off the pile of ponies.
Twilight just placed her hoof squarely on her face, waiting for the rest of them to show up. Expecting Discord to do anything normally was foolish. She should’ve just sent a servant to wake everypony up.
Another flash, and Fluttershy appeared. Though rather than land on the pile, she was standing up and off to the side.
“Oh my,” she said upon seeing the tangled web of limbs. Each pony was trying to extricate themselves while fighting the other two, which only made the mess worse.
One final flash, and Cadance was unceremoniously tossed onto the pony pile. Discord himself sauntered into the room through the doors, admiring his handiwork. “I still have my aim,” he proclaimed.
“Discord, any particular reason you decided to set Fluttershy to the side, but not the Princess?” Twilight asked him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He ducked down behind her as Fluttershy gave him one of her stares.
Cadance was being sucked into the pony pile as Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity continued to fight each other. Exasperated, Twilight ignited her horn, surrounding each of her friends in a levitation field. Quickly, she pulled them all off of each other.
“Okay. As you can all probably tell, you’re in the throne room.” She gestured behind her with her head. “The ritual is ready.”
Twilight moved to stand just outside the circle, but inside the wards. “If you could all stand outside the wards, please. Should something go wrong, they’ll protect you.”
“Go wrong?” Rainbow asked. “What could possibly go wrong?”
“Magic from back in those times is much more unpredictable. It relies a lot on reagents and alchemy,” Cadance explained. “When dealing with such processes, the magic can become very unstable and lash out. Spells are much more prone to backfiring on the user, or the surroundings.”
“Which is what the wards are for,” Twilight said. She prepared herself, triple-checking everything. When she was satisfied, she regarded her friends once more. “I’m going to begin.”
Igniting her horn, she channeled magic into the bowl, mixing it with the ingredients inside. The contents glowed red, getting brighter and brighter, until they burst into flames.
Green smoke poured out of the bowl as crimson flames danced into the air. The symbol on the ground started gently glowing red, the latent magic infusing it. Step one was complete, on to the next step.
She picked up the dragon scale, hovering it just over the bowl. When she let it go, and it vanished into the flames, a column of red fire leaped upwards. Several of her wards glowed a bright purple as they safeguarded against the inferno.
Twilight wasn’t beyond the wards, so she could feel the intense heat. Sweat dripped down her face, threatening to obscure her vision. She shook her head. Now was not the time to lose focus.
The gem was next. She levitated it into the column of fire. As soon as she let it go, the flames died down, becoming a small fire inside the bowl. The gem hovered in the air, being bathed in the smoke and magic.
The symbol grew brighter, becoming nearly blinding. Twilight had to squint to see around it. A presence in the back of her mind alerted her to more of her wards coming active. The reagents were multiplying the magic she placed into the spell. Magic like this was very powerful, though it had very limited uses.
There was still one final step, one more ingredient. She picked up the vial of Moonwell water. With a tug, the cap was removed. She could literally smell the magic rolling out of the vial. It smelled earthy, like a field just after a rainstorm. Or like a forest. This was extremely powerful stuff. No wonder the ritual only needed a single drop.
She could barely see the vial as it floated over the bowl. Squinting, concentrating, she titled the vial, letting a single drop fall out. Before the drop landed, she put the cap back on the vial.
When the single drop landed, the flames went from red to blue, and a wave of power slammed into her. She was picked off her hooves and thrown backwards. With a jolt, she impacted the barrier that her wards has erected.
The power held her there, squeezing her, crushing her. She couldn’t breathe, could barely see. Pain lanced through her as her own wards stopped her. It felt like her bones were being ground to powder inside her body.
Something must have gone wrong. She must’ve gotten the mix incorrect, or the symbol wasn’t quite right. This was too much power. Distantly, she could sense one of her wards failing. And errant bit of magic broke containment, lashing out at one of the columns.
A blue shield popped up, stopping it, absorbing the magic. She couldn’t see who had cast it. She couldn’t hear anything beyond the rush of the magic. Her body was pressed even harder against the barrier, sinking into it. Her whole ward system was about to fail. If that happened, the entire throne room would be destroyed.
Another ward failed, and another. Soon they would all fail. She tried to summon the words, tell her friends to run, get out of here. But she couldn’t even open her mouth. Her vision narrowed, going dark around the edges.
Just when she was about to pass out, right before all of the wards failed, the power dissipated, drawing back into itself. With nothing to prop her up, she fell to the floor. Drawing in deep, gasping breaths, she let the air flood into her lungs.
There wasn’t anything that didn’t hurt; she would definitely be sore tomorrow. She could hear the sounds of her friends calling her name. Trying to speak, she could only cough a few times.
Gently, she was able to sit up, her hooves shaking. A comforting pair of hooves steadied her. Glancing over, she could see Fluttershy, a worried look on the pegasus’ face.
“I’m alright,” she said. Fluttershy looked as if she didn’t believe her, remaining at her side.
Twilight looked around. Half of her wards had failed, the glyphs nothing more than a blackened mark on the ground. The other half were sputtering, fizzling. Several scorch marks stained the walls and columns where rogue magic had escaped. The servants would be busy tomorrow in here. Since this was her fault, she’d come down and help them.
The symbol on the floor still glowed a bright blue, so bright that the center of it was obscured. But it was dimming, fading. Already she could see the gem still floating there.
If she squinted, she could just make out something above the gem. It looked like a pony.
As the glow dimmed even more, details could be made out. White coat, very long legs, a lithe body. A quad colored mane: pink, green, blue, and purple, flowing in an ethereal breeze.
Twilight rubbed her eyes, blinking them a few times. The glow faded until it was almost nonexistent, leaving a clear view of what was above the gem.
“Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked.
The figure of the Princess wasn’t quite solid. The far wall could be seen through her. But it was indeed the Princess; no other pony looked quite like she didt.
“Indeed. It is I, my faithful student.” The Princess smiled.
“No. No, this isn’t possible. This isn’t happening. I got knocked out during the ritual and this is all just some horrible dream. I’ll wake up to find that the ritual failed.” Twilight closed her eyes and opened them a few times just to be sure.
When the ghostly figure still hovered there above the gem, she slapped herself. Pain shot up from her muzzle while Fluttershy gasped.
When next she looked, the Princess was still there. “This... This isn’t a dream,” she said, resignation in her voice.
“I’m afraid not, Twilight,” Celestia said.
“I don’t get it,” Rainbow whispered, though Twilight was still able to hear. “What’s the big deal?”
“Rainbow,” Pinkie said. “That’s a soul gem. It holds the soul of a pony who’s died.”
“Oh.”
Twilight shook off Fluttershy’s hooves, approaching the gem. “So you’re really gone?” A shimmer came to her vision.
Celestia nodded. “The fact that I’m speaking to you from this gem should prove that.”
Twilight’s legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor. Tears sprang forth from her eyes. Ever since she’d seen the sun move, she’d hoped, hoped that Celestia was alive somewhere. Hoped that she was only injured, or recuperating. Hoped that one day soon, the Princess would return and lead them, tell them what to do.
But seeing her here, talking to her after summoning her from the gem, brought the truth crashing down. Celestia was dead.
Twilight could hear the whispers of her friends, but she ignored them. Her mentor was gone, never to return. Even if everything returned to normal, it wouldn’t be normal at all.
“Why?” she choked out through her tears. “Why save us? Why not save yourself?”
Celestia kneeled down, bringing her figure closer to Twilight. “There wasn’t much time. You and your friends are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. If there is anypony who would stand a chance of defeating that creature, it’s you.”
“The Elements didn’t work! They failed!” Twilight sat up, her face twisted with anger. “If anypony can do anything, it’s you. You’re the one who’s supposed to lead us.”
The Princess didn’t retreat in the face of anger. “Twilight, any good leader must know that there will always come a time when they aren’t needed. Some will try and cling on however they can, like Sombra. But that’s wrong. When the time comes, one must learn to step aside.”
“Princess, Canterlot is destroyed, the Royal Guard is wiped out, and the entire country is in disarray. How can now possibly be the time to step down?”
“Because now is not the time for a Princess. How many ponies see me as a leader in war? Twilight, I’m not a warrior, I never have been. That was more Luna’s side of things.”
Celestia turned her gaze outwards, towards the others who were standing back a ways. “When the whole world is threatened, I would simply get in the way. Ponies would be looking to me, when they should have be looking to somepony else.”
Her vision returned to Twilight. “I had to make a choice. I could either save myself, or save you and your friends. I couldn’t do both.” She paused a moment. “Twilight, you’ve been like a daughter to me. There was no choice.”
“But...” Twilight’s anger was fading, being replaced by sadness once more. “But even if you couldn’t lead, you could still be here. For me.”
“Even though you may not see it, this is what needs to happen.”
Twilight’s head fell, her chin resting on her chest. Her eyes closed, squeezed tight, but still tears fell, down her muzzle, falling through the air, landing on the ground with a soft splash. “Who, then. Who needs to lead? I’m no leader.”
“Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia admonished. “You are far more than you think you are.” She sighed. “But you are also correct. You’re not the one to lead. You have another, more important job.”
Twilight looked up, seeing Celestia gazing past her. “Cadance.”
“Yes, Auntie?” Cadance stepped closer, coming to rest beside Twilight. One of her wings unfurled, wrapping itself around the unicorn.
“Cadance, you need to lead the ponies.”
“Wh— What? But I know even less about leading and war than you!”
“I know that Shining Armor taught you plenty. You also have military advisors, listen to them. But beyond war, you must play a different role.” Celestia swept a hoof around her. “Your city is already a beacon to everypony around. You must make that beacon shine brighter. Make your city a light in the darkness. Give ponies hope.”
Cadance looked flustered. “I don’t know how, or even if I can.”
“You can, Cadance. And you do know how. You’ve already been doing it, ever since you took the throne.”
“I have?”
Celestia nodded. “Indeed. Your ponies love you, your city is thriving. You are a leader, Cadance. But now you must expand that role.”
“I can try. But why, Auntie?”
The purple eyes of Celestia moved from Cadance back to Twilight. “Because you’ll be giving Twilight a chance.”
“A chance to what?” Twilight asked.
The figure sat down, her tail tucked around her. “Twilight, there’s something you must do. It won’t be easy, but it must be done.”
“What is it?”
“Before I tell you, there’s something you need to know. In those final moments, just before I died,” The way she so calmly and casually said ‘died’ chilled Twilight. “I reached out to the dragon, tried to make contact with it.
“It was so focused on attacking, on wiping us out, that I was able to slip past its defenses. In that moment, our minds connected, mine and the beings. I... Learned things.”
She stopped speaking, her eyes, while still on Twilight, seemed to be focusing on something far away. “Princess?” Twilight said.
“The enemy we face is far more terrible than we could have ever imagined. I know not where it came from, nor what it even is, but I was able to learn about what it wants.
“It travels the stars, going from planet to planet. When it arrives, it does there what it did to us. It picks what it thinks is the biggest threat to it, and it wipes it out. From there, it will rebuild it’s shell, stripping the world of it’s natural resources. Any native populations are either killed or forced to gather those resources.
“By the time it’s shell is complete, the world will have been stripped bare, devastated. Any beings that live there will face centuries of hardship to recover, not that they’ll have a chance. As it leaves, it circles the planet once, covering everything in hellfire. When completed, there’s nothing left.
“It then leaves, heading for another planet so the cycle can begin anew.”
When Celestia finished, there was only silence as everypony digested what she’d revealed. Twilight could barely believe it. How could something like that even exist? Where was it from? How did it have so much power? She had so many questions.
“Twilight,” Celestia’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “You and your friends have a task.”
“What is it?”
“If we,” she paused, collecting her thoughts. “No, if our planet is to survive, then only by banding together can we hope to defeat the dragon and ensure the survival of our planet.”
“But, Princess, the Royal Guard is gone. Even if we round up the stragglers, plus the Night Guard and the Crystal Guard, it still won’t be nearly enough. They’d just get wiped out again.”
“You misunderstand me, Twilight. All of Equus must stand together.”
“But, how?” Twilight wasn’t sure what her mentor meant. What did she mean when she said all of Equus?
“Twilight, you and your friends must journey to the other nations; the Gryphons, Minotaurs, Zebras, even the Changelings and Dragons. You must convince them to join Equestria in one attack against the dragon.”
“But, how?” Twilight repeated herself. “I’m certainly no ambassador. And how do we know that the dragon won’t simply wipe us out tomorrow?”
“I have faith in you Twilight, you’ll find a way. Just know that not only Equestria, but all of Equus is relying on this. As for the dragon, from what I was able to glean, it’s always been consistent. After landing and wiping out the biggest threat, it lays dormant for a time, before beginning to rebuild its shell, so there is time.”
Celestia had faith in her, but Twilight couldn’t even begin to fathom how she was going to go about doing this. Or whether it was even possible. Equestria was a peaceful nation, but the others were far from it.
Tensions ran high between nations, with Equestria generally seen as the neutral mediator. Getting them to cooperate would be impossible. In all her studies of history, never before had she heard of an alliance between every nation.
“Princess, is this even possible?”
“It has to be, Twilight. If we stand alone, we will fall. Uniting together is our only chance.”
Celestia spoke the truth, Twilight knew it. She’d been there, seen what the dragon was capable of with her own eyes. The Royal Guard, the strongest fighting force in Equestria, was wiped out in minutes. There was no way they could take on the dragon like that. They’d need help.
The question was, would the other nations even consent to helping them? The zebra’s might, they’d always been on good terms with Equestria. But for the rest of them, it would take a miracle to get even one nation to help, much less all of them.
Twilight turned around, facing her friends. “Girls?” She wanted to know what they thought.
It was Applejack who spoke first. “Princess, are you sure about this?”
Celestia nodded. “I am. This is something that has to be done.”
“But can it even be done?”
“I think that it can. Or at the very least, you must try.”
Everypony was silent. Twilight certainly thought that Celestia made a good argument. It was just the impossibility of the task that was preventing her from agreeing. How was she, a single unicorn, supposed to even begin this task?
Looking at her friends, she could see that they were all lost in thought. Even Pinkie had a contemplating look on her face. Twilight supposed the question they were all asking themselves wasn’t “should they,” but “can they?”
“Girls?” Twilight asked her friends again.
“Do we really have a choice?” Rainbow asked. “The Elements didn’t work.”
“Just think of all the new friends we could make, visiting other places. I wonder if they all like parties, too?” Pinkie wondered.
“Darling,” Rarity said. “I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t want to go. I just found Sweetie again, and I’m not a pony for wandering around foreign places.” She bit her lip. “But... we have to.” She seemed to force those words out, like she didn’t want to believe them.
“I agree with them,” Fluttershy said.
Twilight felt the wing around her draw her closer to Cadance. “Twilight, can you keep a secret?”
She nodded. “I can.”
Cadance looked around, before lowering her head to Twilight’s ear. “I’m terrified. Celestia’s asking me to pretty much become her. There’s no way I can do that, it’s just not possible. That’s way too much to try and live up to. But, I’m going to try. Do you know why?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, why?”
“Because it’s what needs to be done. But beyond that, if Shining were here, it’s what he’d want.”
Cadance’s words echoed in Twilight’s mind. She knew her brother, and Cadance was right. He’d want for her to step up and lead. If he were here, Shining would be the first one telling her to go on Celestia’s mission.
It’s what Shining would want. It’s what her friends were telling her to do. It’s what her mentor wanted her to do. All those ponies were wanting her to undertake this impossible task.
She tried to smile, but to her it seemed grim. Turning her sight back to Celestia, she spoke. “Okay, I’ll try.”
“That’s all I can ask of you,” Celestia responded with a smile of her own. She looked around at everypony else. “I know this is asking a lot of you, but will you accompany her? I fear she will need friends like you on her journey.”
“Princess, do you even have to ask?” Rainbow said.
“Yeah, we’d go even if you didn’t ask us,” Pinkie added. The others all nodded, even Rarity.
“Girls... Thank you,” Twilight said. She reached out her hooves, inviting her friends forward.
They came together, sharing a hug. Twilight was in the middle of it, pressed between Applejack and Fluttershy. It was warm and comforting in there. She loved her friends, and briefly wondered what she’d done to deserve them. No matter the situation, despite any spats they had amongst themselves, they could always be counted on. It was at times like this that she truly felt the power of their friendship.
They held each other for several long moments before separating. Twilight turned back around to see Celestia still gazing down on them.
“The ritual can only summon me for a finite amount of time. Until the magic fails and I fade, I will answer any question I’m sure you have.”
Twilight thought. She had so many question, but time was short. She needed to organize them by importance, make sure to ask the most important ones first.
“I’ve got one,” Applejack spoke up. “If you’re gone, how come the sun and moon are still moving? Luna was injured, but is she still around somewhere?”
“Answering that requires you to know a bit about my sister and I.” The figure sat down once more, going into what Twilight recognized as ‘Lecture Mode.’
“Luna and I are True Alicorns, meaning that we were born as we are.” She pointed a hoof towards Cadance. “Cadance is what’s known as an Ascended Alicorn. She was born a unicorn, but ascended to become an alicorn. The difference between the two is a matter of power, and longevity.
“Cadance is more powerful than a unicorn, stronger than an earth pony, and faster than a pegasus. Luna and I are both better than her in all those aspects. We have the best traits of all three tribes.
“Cadance will far outlive any other pony. Unless something unfortunate happens, she will easily live to be a thousand. Luna and I are immortal.”
“Hold on,” Twilight said. “If you’re immortal, how are you...” She trailed off, unable to bring herself to say the word.
“Dead?” Celestia finished. “Because being a True Alicorn means that while we will never die of old age or disease, we can still be killed. True, it is very difficult to kill us, but it is possible. It’s not our bodies that are immortal, but our souls. Our souls are tied to the jobs we do.”
Celestia pointed her hoof at the roof. “Luna’s soul is tied to the moon, mine to the sun. So long as those two things exist, so shall we. Should our physical bodies die, our souls will flee to the heavens, insuring that no matter what, life can continue on Equus.”
Twilight pondered for a moment. “So your soul is in the sun right now?”
“Yes, and no. Rather than in the sun, more like it is a part of the sun.”
“But if your soul’s in the sun, how are you here, in this gem?”
Looking down, Celestia regarded the gem. “A soul gem could never hope to contain my soul. Instead, this one was made to capture only a small part of me.”
“So what about Luna?” Applejack asked.
Celestia looked around, before her gaze landed on the large, white orb that was currently visible through one of the windows. “I can feel her, she is on the moon.”
“So Luna is gone as well?”
“Yes, Applejack. I’m afraid she is. The dragon was able to deal her a mortal blow.”
That bit of news wasn’t as surprising to Twilight. With the clarity afforded by Magic, she’d been able to clearly see Luna’s wound. The others would’ve been too far away to get a good look at it. The dragon had nearly torn her in half. If that hadn’t killed her, then the wall of fire would have.
“Is that it? Are you gone for good? Stuck as part of the sun while the memory of you slowly fades away?” Twilight asked.
“No, Twilight. There is a way for me to regain a body. But,” She cut off Twilight as the unicorn opened her mouth. “It is a long process, taking a thousand years.”
A thousand years was a long time. That meant that after this, unless she performed the ritual again, she’d never see her mentor again. The finality of that thought was like a slap in the face. The cold truth finally sank in, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t lie to herself.
Her mentor, the mare who was like a second mother to her, was gone. While she could take solace in the fact that someday Celestia would be back, it would be long after Twilight was dead.
Luna as well, trapped on the moon for another thousand years not too long after she got back from just such a fate. Twilight gasped as something clicked into place in her mind.
“Princess, then Luna, back when she was Nightmare Moon, that thousand years she spent on the moon...”
“Twilight, I am a Princess no longer. You’ve never listened to me before when I asked this of you, but maybe this time will be different. Just call me Celestia.”
“Okay, Pr— Celestia.” The name rolled off her tongue, seeming unfamiliar without the royal title before it.
Celestia chuckled. “See, that’s not so bad.” Her face grew serious once more. “But in answer to your question, yes. When I used the elements against Luna all those years ago, she was killed.”
“But how? I thought the Elements couldn’t kill.”
“What the Elements do are up to the wielder. When I used them, I was desperate. The Nightmare had given Luna incredible strength and magic, magic she had used to imbue her armies with great power. What the history books leave out is that Luna was winning the war. If I hadn’t used the Elements, I would’ve lost, and the world have been plunged into eternal darkness.
“The Elements were never meant to be used like I used them. They draw on the power of the one who wields them. When you six use them, each one draws upon the power of the Element that resides within you. Back then, I was but one of the bearers, same as you. Luna was another, and four regular ponies made up the others. One of the first things Luna did was kill the other four, ponies we considered friends. She had hoped to render the Elements useless.”
“But that didn’t work. You used the Elements.”
“I did.” She sighed. “The Nightmare was like a cancer on Luna. The only way to save her was to excise the cancerous part, a delicate thing. When I used the Elements, it was like performing the surgery with a warhammer. You’d get the cancer, but everything else as well. The Elements were never meant to be used alone. If I wasn’t a True Alicorn, the attempt would’ve killed me.”
She paused, thinking over her words. “The Elements were unfocused, imprecise. Rather than simply cut away the Nightmare, they tore Luna’s soul from her body.”
Twilight winced. That sounded extremely unpleasant. Celestia must’ve been truly desperate if she was willing to use the Elements like that against her own sister. She couldn’t imagine being put in that situation, knowing that you had no choice. Eternal night is a death sentence for the world; there was no way her mentor could’ve allowed that to happen. She had to make a truly tough choice.
“Even though using the Elements nearly killed me, it was the thought of what I had done that hurt worse. The Elements were unable to stop the Nightmare, she was still a part of my sister. Instead, all I had done was prolong Luna’s torment. She’d be trapped on the moon for a thousand years, trapped with her hatred and anger and sadness. I truly thought that the experience would break her, forever.
“As the ages passed and the time of her release drew near, I knew that I needed to find new bearers for the Elements. By using them alone, I had severed all ties to them; never again could I use the Elements. I used my school to find a new bearer for Magic, as that is the most important Element, always the last to manifest. Once I found you, Twilight, I knew the others had to be nearby.
“I was unable to find any trace of the other Elements in Canterlot, so the only other option was Ponyville. I sent you there, knowing that your connection to the Elements would lead you to the others. When Nightmare Moon returned, and you were able to defeat her and bring back my sister, Twilight, I was more proud of you than I’d ever been.”
“But how were we able to succeed where you weren’t?”
“Because each of you represents one of the Elements. By using them, the Elements were able to manifest at full power. And you, Twilight were able to direct them with precision. To go back to my previous metaphor, where I performed surgery with a warhammer, you used a scalpel, only cutting away exactly what needed to be removed.”
Celestia kneeled down, bowing before Twilight and her friends. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Thank you for bringing my sister back to me.”
“Aw shucks, it was nothing,” Applejack said. “Besides, you got your sister, while I got the best friends I could ever ask for.”
The others all chimed in with their agreement to the farmer’s words. But something Celestia had said was nagging at Twilight.
“Celestia, you mentioned that you knew my connection to the Elements would lead me to the others. So does that mean that our friendship is only because of the connection we share? If it weren’t for the Elements, would we even be friends?”
“Twilight!” Rarity exclaimed. “How rude of you to ask that.”
Celestia held up a hoof, silencing the fashionista. “It is a fair question, Rarity, and one that deserves an answer.”
Rarity shut her mouth, holding back whatever rebuke she’d been about to deliver. That didn’t stop her from making her displeasure known with a look directed at Twilight.
“I can only speak through my experience with the Elements and being a Bearer. With Luna, it was easy, we were sisters. But with the other four, it was different. Before we found them, there was this subtle tugging I felt, leading me towards them. After I found them, the six of us fell right into being friends. I admit that I found some of them to be slightly... annoying, and still did, even up until their deaths, but that didn’t stop us from being friends.
“It is my opinion that being connected to the Elements did not force us to be friends, it only made the connection easier. Even without the Elements, the six of us would have been friends. I have no doubt that it’s the same for you, Twilight. You would have found these five eventually, and you would still be right where you are today.”
Celestia’s explanation certainly made Twilight feel better. She’d thought that her friendships, her entire life, was simply the result of manipulation by the Elements and her mentor. To know that wasn’t the case was a burden lifted off her heart.
“Thank you, Princess.”
“You’re welcome, Twilight. But, call me Celestia.”
The figure of Celestia began to shimmer and fade, before resetting itself. “My time is nearly up,” Celestia said. “The ritual is almost out of power. We have but a few minutes left. Ask any final questions you may have.”
“Why did you send us to the middle of nowhere? We nearly froze to death,” Rainbow blurted out.
Celestia’s cheeks went red. “That was... A mistake. I may have been a bit hasty with my spell casting and mixed up the coordinates for the landing. Though I am glad to see that you made it here.”
“A mistake?” Twilight asked. Surely that was impossible. Celestia never made mistakes.
“Yes, Twilight, a mistake. I am just as susceptible to them as others. Being immortal does not make one exempt from mistakes.”
“But...” Twilight’s ears drooped. Celestia was perfect, she always knew just how to react to any situation. She always gave perfect advice. She never did anything wrong. If anything, she was always fixing the mistakes of others, including Twilight.
To learn that Celestia was just like any other pony, capable of making mistakes, was a severe blow to Twilight’s view of her mentor. That just wasn’t possible.
“Twilight,” Celestia’s soft voice broke through Twilight’s thoughts. “Don’t feel sad, Twilight. I know that you’ve always had an... inflated view of me, but I consider my ability to make mistakes something good. If I never mess up, how can I learn? You wonder how it is I always seem to know what to do? It’s because over the millennia, I have made many mistakes. But I’ve learned from each one. It’s a process that never stops, for every mistake I learn from, I make another, different one.”
Her words made sense. Making mistakes was an integral part of any pony’s life. It’s how they learned about things that can’t be taught, how they experienced things for themselves, and the consequences that came with it, good or bad.
But Celestia was a Princess, and an alicorn. If anyone should be above little things like mistakes, it would be her.
“Remember Luna, Twilight? She made one mistake, she gave in to her jealousy and anger at me. It gave way to the rise of Nightmare Moon, and a war that killed many. It led to her being trapped on the moon for a thousand years. It led to our land being permanently scarred. All of that, from one mistake.”
It was true. Whether Luna had meant to or not at the time, giving in, becoming the Nightmare, was a mistake. And Luna was Celestia’s sister. So if Luna was capable of making mistakes, then it was logical to assume that so was Celestia.
Twilight was proud of her logical skills. She prided herself on being able to logically deduce answers and conclusions with a high chance of being correct. If logic was telling her that Celestia was capable of making mistakes, then based on her large pool of data, it would be true.
The fact that it was true didn’t make it any easier to accept. She’d always seen Celestia as perfect in every way. Her mentor was a goddess, above such petty things as mistakes. But now, that view was shattered, like so many other things had been in the last week.
"Everypony found out they aren't alone in the universe, but their cosmic neighbor isn't visiting on the best of terms; The Princess couldn't hold back the creature's power and the Elements of Harmony all but failed to contain it and, to top it all off, Celestia made a mistake and everypony nearly died because of it. How Discord wasn't cackling at such displays of chaos, she didn't know.".
Celestia shimmered once more, fading out even more. “The magic is about to fail.” She regarded each of them, including Discord, who still stood off to the side where he’d been watching the whole affair. “This is goodbye.”
Her purple eyes fell upon Cadance. “Cadance, I know that you will become the leader that the ponies need right now.” Her gaze shifted towards the draconequus. “Discord, lend Cadance a hand. And try to not cause too much trouble.”
Surprisingly, he nodded. “Very well, Celestia. Just know that in a thousand years, I will unleash a torrent of pranks against you.”
“I look forward to it.”
Finally, her gaze rested upon Twilight and her friends. “Twilight, you have something very important to do now. But you will have your friends by your side. Rely on them, as they will help you in this task.”
“You can count on us, Celestia!” Pinkie said, giving a salute.
“I know I can.” Her image sputtered, almost disappearing. “This is goodbye, my little ponies. I wish you the best of luck.”
Twilight lurched forward, reaching to try and grasp onto Celestia. She wanted, she needed to feel her mentor one last time. She needed to feel those large wings wrap around her, draw her in close. It was safe in there, nothing could ever happen inside that cocoon.
Instead, her hooves passed through the image, like it wasn’t even there. “Wait, Celestia!”
Celestia was almost gone, she could barely be seen. “Goodbye, Twilight. I know that you’ll do me proud. You always have.”
As the last words echoed in the room, Celestia faded away entirely. The soul gem dropped into the now empty bowl, and the last bit of magic powering the symbol faded, leaving only the chalk lines remaining.
“Celestia...” Twilight’s hoof was still reaching out, trying to grasp something that wasn’t there anymore.
The truth threatened to crush her. Celestia was gone. She wasn’t coming back, not in Twilight’s lifetime. Never again would she be able to hug her mentor, or be hugged by her. Never would she be able to hear her voice, without performing some complicated ritual. And the reagents for that ritual were running out.
When the spell nearly exploded, she’d dropped the vial. It was laying on the ground. Fortunately, she’d placed the cap on, so the precious liquid was still inside. In the faint blue glow it gave off, she could see that there wasn’t much left. Maybe three, four drops of it, before there was none. When it ran out, the ritual would be unable to be performed.
As much as she desperately wanted to repeat the ritual, see Celestia again, she knew that she couldn’t. And that was what hurt the most. Celestia had always been but a letter or train ride away. If Twilight ever needed to talk, she was available. But now, that was no longer an option.
Twilight picked up the vial, gazing at it a moment before floating it over to Discord. “You knew,” she said. It wasn’t a question, but a statement.
He nodded. “I did. I’ve known about her soul gem for a long time now. She had one made, just in case.”
“That’s why you’ve been so quiet, why you didn’t want me to go through with this.” Again, he nodded. “Why?”
“Despite what you may think, I am not just a fun-loving, ever-pranking creature, though that is mostly who I am. I have a heart, small though it is. I knew who was in that gem, and I knew the pain it would cause you to find out.”
“So you cared about me.”
“I did, and do. In the beginning, I resented you all, even hated you. You were so quick to dangle the Elements over me, threaten me with imprisonment. You preached about the magic of friendship, and love and tolerance. It made me gag.”
He moved closer to her, laying his paw on her shoulder. “But I admit, your flower-hugging ways won me over, eventually.” He plucked the vial out of the air, holding it out to her.
“Keep it. Make sure it gets back to the vault. I’m afraid if I have it, the temptation to use it will be too much.”
Folding his claw around it, he nodded. “I understand.”
He backed off, but his presence was quickly replaced by others. Her friends all drew her together. “Twilight,” Pinkie said. Her hair had lost much of its usual bounciness, falling straight around her shoulders.
“I’m... I’ll be okay, girls. I just need some time.” She returned the hug, briefly, before squirming out of it. She walked over to the doors into the throne room. “Cadance, tell the servants not to worry about the throne room. I’ll clean it myself.”
Without waiting for an answer, she left the room. She needed to get out of the palace, even if it wasn’t very far. It was too depressing in here now, too many things hanging in the air.
She left the palace, nodding to the guards at the front doors. It was very late at night, or very early in the morning, depending on how one looked at it. The streets were empty, with only the occasional pony out on some business, or guards patrolling the streets. She wandered, no real destination in mind, lost in her thoughts.
Tonight had been less of a revelation, and more of a confirmation. Ever since she’d last seen Celestia, standing on the hill and smiling her coy little smile, she’d known. Ever since she’d ended up in some frozen wasteland, she’d known. Even when she saw the sun moving across the sky, she’d known. She’d known that Celestia was gone.
Hope. She’d let herself feel hope. Hope was dangerous, it could lead ponies to believe in something that wasn’t true. Hope could delude a pony, hide the truth beneath lies. And worse than lies told by a friend, these were lies told by oneself, to oneself. The hardest lies to ignore, because they were so insistent.
She had deluded herself, fooled herself into believing that which she knew in her heart to be untrue. And tonight, those lies came crashing down around her head, shattering at her hooves; the truth hurt.
Now, no matter what, she could never go back to believing those lies. The wool had been forever pulled from her eyes. Celestia was dead.
Time had little meaning for her as she wandered, picking streets at random to turn down. Eventually, she found herself in a residential section, with nice little houses all lined up. Most houses were dark, though the occasional one had a small light spilling out into their yard.
Everything looked so normal here. A casual observer wouldn’t be able to tell that a nation had been torn apart, its’ leaders dead. Nopony could tell that so many lives had been shattered, turned upside down. Here, on this street, everything was normal.
Twilight wished for normalcy right now. True, her version of normal was different from somepony elses, but she wanted it. She wanted to wrap her hooves around it and never let it go.
She glanced up, seeing the moon sliding lower in the sky. No matter how much she wanted to avoid it, she needed sleep. Her body was starting to give up. She was no stranger to late nights, but she’d been so long without a decent night’s sleep that she desperately needed one.
It was time to head back to the palace, which meant she first needed to figure out where she was. She could see the palace, standing tall over everything else. If she could make it to one of the main streets, she could follow it straight to the palace.
Turning around, she retraced her steps down the street she was on, following it to a crossroads. She was in luck, glancing towards the palace, it looked like this road went all the way there. Somehow, during her wandering, she’d managed not to stray too far from the main roads.
Taking the turn, she was able to reach the palace shortly. She was lucky to have stayed so close by the palace. By taking the random turns, she could’ve ended up anywhere.
Sharing another nod with the guards at the door, she went inside. As much as she didn’t want to, she needed to go back to the throne room. It had been quite a mess when she left, and she needed to clean it up. It wouldn’t be fair to the servants to make them do it.
The doors into the throne room were closed, but a short burst of magic took care of that problem. Inside, the long carpet had been replaced, and any sign that a nearly failed ritual had taken place here was gone.
She wondered who had cleaned up. A quick check under the carpet showed her even that was clean, her chalk symbol gone. The bowl and gem were also missing.
She was happy to see that it was done, as that was one less thing she needed to do, but she had wanted to do it herself. But it was already done and there wasn’t anything she could do.
Leaving the throne room, she made her way to her room, heading inside and closing the door behind her. The room was spotless, the bed made perfectly. Rarity’s necklace was gone, but in its place was a familiar gem.
Climbing into the bed, she saw that the gem was sitting on a note. She slid the note out from under the gem, bringing it up and reading it.
Twilight,
I was going to put this gem in the vault tokeep it safe, but I thought that perhaps you might want to hold onto it. If you ever need to talk, know that I’m always available to listen.
Cadance
Twilight set aside the letter. Cadance really was the best sister she could ever have.
Getting into the bed, she pulled the gem towards her, cradling it into her chest with her hooves. She could almost swear that she felt Celestia’s essence, her warmth, emanating from the gem.
Maybe it was foalish of her, but she wanted to feel close to Celestia again, just one more time. This gem was all she had left of her mentor, and it contained a piece of her soul.
Curling up, the gem tucked safely in her hooves, she closed her eyes. She thought about her mentor, about all the times she’d seen her. She fell asleep to the blissful images of a waving mane.
Twilight awoke to find the sun streaming in through a crack in the curtains. A targeted beam of light settled itself squarely on her eye, causing her to groan and roll over, trying to avoid the brightness. She settled into her pillow, eyes closing as she tried to fall back to sleep. It was too early to be awake.
“Oh good, you’re finally awake.” A voice broke through the peace of the room.
Twilight cracked open a single eye again. It took a few blinks, but the room focused. Sitting in an overstuffed armchair in her room was Spike. The dragon had his arms crossed over his chest, but the look on his face was one of care.
“Whaddya mean?” Twilight mumbled out. She could feel something poking her side underneath her. Letting out a groan, she managed to sit up enough to figure out what it was.
Sitting on the mattress was Celestia’s soul gem. Seeing it brought back a flood of memories from the previous night. “Princess...” she whispered, her hoof running down the length of the gem.
“Twilight,” Spike said, his voice sounding closer. She looked over to find that he’d left the chair and was now standing by the side of her bed. “Rainbow told me about last night. Is it true?”
She nodded. “Yes. Celestia’s... gone.” Even now, knowing the truth, she couldn’t bring herself to say ‘dead.’ She feared that saying it aloud would make it irrevocable. It was stupid, and she knew that, but it was also true.
Spike reached out a claw for the gem. “May I?” he asked.
She nodded, passing him the gem. He took it, holding it reverently. Twilight may have hatched him, but it was Celestia who raised him in those early years. She was just as much his mother as Twilight was his sister. The little dragon had lost so much. A tear rolled down his cheek as he stroked the gem.
“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said. She used her magic to pull him onto the bed, where she wrapped her hooves around him, pulling him into a hug. Together, the two of them mourned for their shared mother figure.
Several minutes passed as they held each other, the gem pressed between them. Finally, Spike pulled back, looking up at Twilight. “Thanks.”
She smiled at him, using a hoof to wipe his cheek. “You’re welcome.” Her stomach rumbled, bringing to her attention that she still needed to eat. “Come on, let’s try and find some breakfast.”
“Um, Twilight?” Spike sounded nervous.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Lunch was served an hour ago,” he said.
“What!?” She whipped her head around, glancing at the clock in her room. Sure enough, it was just after lunchtime, and already into the afternoon. Well, that certainly explained why she felt as hungry as she did, she’d missed two meals.
“I’m sure if you go to the dining room, you can get something to eat. Or we can have something brought up here,” Spike offered.
Twilight would be the first pony to admit that she wasn’t exactly a morning pony. But even for her, sleeping past lunch was unusual. Perhaps she’d underestimated how tired she was last night.
As tempting as it was to just stay in her room all day, she knew that she needed to get out. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped with her thoughts, a distraction would do nicely. Hopefully her friends would be around to provide just such a thing for her.
“No, I’ll head to the dining room.” She got off of the bed, setting Celestia’s gem down on the bedside table. “I just need to freshen up a bit.”
Spike got the hint and headed over to the door. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll be waiting outside.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.
As soon as he left, her smile faded and she slumped up against the door leading into the bathroom. She had to be strong, not only for Spike, but for her friends as well. She couldn’t let them see just how much she was hurting.
But it hurt so much. Celestia was gone, and now she had this impossible task before her. How was she supposed to unite the races of Equestria against the dragon? The only thing she knew about diplomacy was what she’d read in books, or seen Celestia do during meetings with ambassadors. The more she thought about it, the more this felt like a fool’s errand to her. Like Celestia was just giving her something to do to pass time until the dragon killed them all.
Twilight shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. There had to be a reason behind Celestia giving her this mission. She was just too blind to see it. No matter what happened, she needed to believe in Celestia.
Slowly she picked herself off the floor. Spike would start wondering where she was soon, and he couldn’t see her like this, nopony could.
A quick shower later and she had to admit that she felt marginally better. Though her stomach was still growling at her, reminding her that it was empty.
She left her room, finding Spike leaning against the wall. “You ready?” he asked her.
Putting a smile on her face, she nodded. “I’m starving. Let’s find some food.”
Together the two of them headed towards the dining room. Along the way, they passed by the throne room. Curiously, the doors were closed. Normally Cadance would be holding court at this point and the doors would be open, welcoming petitioners. Twilight feared for a moment that the alicorn had hidden herself away once more.
“Spike, have you seen Cadance today?”
He nodded. “She was at lunch, saying something about an important visitor coming this afternoon. I guess she’s off somewhere preparing for whoever it is.”
She made a small noise of assent, her mind working to try and figure out who the visitor was. As far as she knew there wasn’t anypony who was supposed to be here, unless one of the refugees was somepony important. Whoever it was, it would have to wait until after she ate.
They reached the dining room, seeing it empty. They took seats next to each other at the table. No sooner had they sat down than a servant seemed to materialize from nowhere.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked.
Twilight had no idea what she wanted to eat, so she ordered a cup of tea to buy herself some time to think. The servant nodded, vanishing just as quickly as she appeared. These Crystal Ponies were certainly effective in what they did.
“So Twilight, what exactly happened last night?” Spike asked. “Rainbow only told me that you summoned Celestia’s soul from that gem.” He paused a moment. “And that Celestia’s dead.”
She winced at that final word. Leave it to Rainbow to be so blunt. That pegasus wouldn’t know how to be subtle even if Twilight forced her to memorize the definition.
She briefly wondered just how much to tell him. If she was being honest, Celestia being gone was the worst of it all, so since he already knew that, there wasn’t much point in holding anything else back.
So over the course of their lunch, she told him of everything that had happened after he went to bed last night. From finding out what the gem was, to performing the ritual, and her conversation with Celestia. She did hold back a few things, like the sordid history of soul gems, but otherwise she didn’t leave out a single detail. Spike was of an age where he could be trusted with these things. Besides, if she was being honest with herself and was actually going to attempt Celestia’s mission, he would need to know anyway.
Twilight set down her spoon, letting it clatter in the empty soup bowl. “And so that’s what happened last night.”
Spike had already finished his bowl of jewels while she spoke. He’d stayed mostly silent all throughout lunch, interjecting only to ask a couple questions. When she finished, he sat there a moment, a claw held to his chin.
“So she’s gone, but she’ll be back in a thousand years?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes, she and Luna both.”
He didn’t say anything again for a long while. When he finally did speak, it was with a note of hope in his voice. “So, I may get to see her again?”
The question caught her off guard. At first she was going to say no, but then she thought about it. Dragons were a mysterious species. There wasn’t a whole lot known about them. One thing that was known was that there were certainly dragons that had lived for longer than a thousand years.
She wasn’t entirely certain what particular type of dragon Spike was. He wouldn’t begin to show identifying characteristics until he started to mature. Yet, there was certainly a chance that he could live for a thousand years, in which case he’d be around when Celestia and Luna came back.
She set a hoof on his back. “You just may, Spike.”
He smiled. “I’d like that,” he said softly.
She rubbed his back gently. “I know you would. I hope that you do get that chance.”
They sat for another few minutes, before Spike got up. “Well, there’s still a lot to do before you leave. I need to make sure that you have enough supplies for a journey like that. Plus maps, you’ll need maps in case you get lost.” He went on, listing off things that she’d need.
Twilight was about to stop him, to tell him that they didn’t need to worry about that just yet. Yet just as she opened her mouth, she stopped herself. Throwing himself into his work like this was simply his way of coping. She’d seen it before, when he was upset over something often times he’d grab a broom and start sweeping the library. For now, it was best to just let him be.
Instead, she wrapped her hooves around him once more, drawing him into a tight hug. She leaned down, placing a kiss on his forehead, drawing an indignant squawk from him. “You’re the best assistant I could ever have,” she said. “And a wonderful brother.”
He stopped protesting, wrapping his arms around her. “And you’re a great sister,” he replied.
She let him go, giving him a pat on the back, before stepping past him and out of the dining room. Honestly, she had no idea what she was going to do today, even if the day was already more than half over. Perhaps she could go down to the refugee camp, see how things were there? Cadance was surely doing her best to accommodate everypony, but the influx of so many ponies would be putting a strain on her resources. An appearance by the Element of Magic, and Princess Celestia’s personal student could help. Or at the very least, it couldn’t hurt.
As she passed by the throne room, she saw that the doors were open. She glanced inside, and then stopped, seeing a sight that threw her for a loop.
Cadance wasn’t sitting on her throne, but standing next to it. No, sitting upon the throne was a filly, a small crown perched on her head. On the other side of the throne was a guard dressed in full armor. Arrayed in front of the dais were several ponies in a line.
Twilight’s mouth dropped open. What in Celestia’s name was going on in there? Her curiosity got the better of her, and she entered the throne room.
As she got closer, she recognized the filly. “Berry? Is that you?”
Cadance stepped forward. “That’s Princess Berry,” she informed Twilight.
Twilight had no idea what to think of the current situation, until she caught the wink that Cadance sent her way. Then her mind brought forth memories of Cadance promising to spend some time with Berry Fields. She looked around, spotting Swift Bloom off to one side, looking like she was caught between pride and panic.
So this was what Cadance had meant by an ‘important visitor.’ Twilight was impressed. She’d figured that Cadance would simply hang out with the filly for a bit, not put on this whole show. The ponies arrayed in front of the dais had to be servants coerced into this little play.
Berry held a hoof to her chest, looking down at Twilight. She was so small compared to the throne that it was almost comical, not that she seemed to notice. The filly was waiting for something, and it took Twilight a moment to realize what it was.
Striding forward until she was even with the rest of the ponies, Twilight bowed before the ‘Princess.’ “Your highness,” she intoned.
“You can get up,” Berry said, trying to sound imperial.
Twilight got to her hooves, joining the rest of the ponies. She was curious as to just what was going to happen, or had already happened.
Cadance turned to look at Berry. “Princess, what have you decided?”
The filly put a hoof to her chin, rubbing it back and forth. “I have decided, that you,” she pointed to an earth pony stallion, “are a meanie-pants and must go to bed tonight, without dessert.”
The stallion held his head down, looking contrite. “As you wish,” he said.
“And!” Berry cried. Her hoof turned to point at a pegasus mare. “You shall get his dessert tonight.”
The mare looked excited. “Thank you, Princess.” She bowed low.
“A wise decision,” Cadance said. “Wouldn’t you say so Guard Storm?”
The guard on the other side of the throne, which Twilight could now recognize as Storm, the guard who’d watched over Berry the other night, spoke up. “Indeed it is,” she said.
Berry giggled to herself, nearly causing the crown to fall from her head. Where Cadance had gotten such a small crown, Twilight had no idea. A quick burst of magic from Cadance saved it from tumbling to the floor.
Swift Bloom, standing off to one side of the dais, looked like she was about to have a panic attack. But at the same time, a smile was on her face as she gazed proudly at her daughter.
Storm stepped forward. “Are there any more petitioners?” she called out.
Twilight looked around, seeing that none of the other ponies in the room looked like they had anything to say. Her gaze met Cadance’s, who gave her a subtle nod.
“I believe we have one more, Princess,” Cadance said, staring at Twilight.
Berry beckoned Twilight forward with a hoof. “Tell me what you want,” she said.
Twilight hesitantly stepped forward. She was being put on the spot by Cadance, who, judging by the look on her face, was enjoying it. She had no idea what to say or do. The other ponies in the room had likely all been given parts to play and stories to tell. Probably they were all very clear cut cases, something a little filly could understand and render a judgement on.
She bowed before the filly, who giggled again, clearly enjoying her role as Princess. “Um, Princess Berry,” she began. “I come before you today seeking...” she trailed off, her mind working furiously to try and think of something. “Your advice,” she finished.
“You see, I have a dinner planned tonight, and I don’t know what to serve for dessert. I have cake and ice cream, but which should I serve?” she asked. Twilight smiled, feeling proud of herself for coming up with that on the spot. Cadance was smiling at her, while Storm looked like she was trying very hard not to facehoof, though the hint of a smile could be seen on her muzzle.
Once more, Berry rubbed a hoof on her chin. “That is a problem,” she said. “You’ve done good bringing it to me.” She thought for another moment, before stamping her hoof on the throne. “You will serve both.”
“Both, Princess?” Twilight asked.
Berry nodded. “Yes, both.”
“That’s... That’s very smart,” Twilight said. “Thank you, Princess Berry.” She bowed again, before backing up to stand with the other ponies.
Storm stepped forward once more. “Are there any other petitioners?” She waited a moment, looking around. “There are no more ponies, Princess.”
Cadance leaned over, whispering something in Berry’s ear. The filly stood on the chair. “Then court is adj- adju- over!” She stamped her hoof on the throne.
Twilight had to stop herself from giggling at the adorable sight of the filly dismissing everypony. She bowed once more with everypony else, then turned to leave with them. Behind her, she could hear Berry talking rapidly.
“That was so cool!” the filly exclaimed.
“We’re not done yet,” Cadance said. Twilight heard a sharp intake of breath from Berry. “No, now we get to go relax after court. Come on, let’s go to your lounge. I think there’s some yummy treats there.” Berry let out a squeal of excitement and started chattering away excitedly as Twilight left the throne room.
As soon as they were out of the throne room, the other ponies turned and headed towards where Twilight knew the servants had rooms for getting ready and their own lounge. Twilight, on the other hoof, still had no idea what she was going to do today. She could probably tag along with Cadance and Berry, but that would be intruding on Berry’s special day. No, she’d have to think of something.
She’d hoped to see one of her friends, as that would make figuring out what to do a lot easier. Unfortunately none of them were hanging out in the entry hall, which made sense.
She sighed. Maybe it would be best to go with her original idea of heading out to the refugee camp. Applejack had said that it was by the train station.
With nothing else to do, and no ideas coming to her, she left the palace, heading down the stairs and into the street. As it was in the afternoon, the streets were only partially full. Most ponies were at work, or otherwise leading their normal lives.
A part of her envied those ponies. To be able to continue living their normal lives, despite what was going on, she longed for that. Despite Canterlot being in ruins, despite Celestia being gone, despite the dozens of others things going on, they woke up each morning and went to work. Their lives hadn’t changed. Their lives weren’t ruined.
Walking through the streets towards the train station, she watched the ponies around her. None of them looked overly concerned about what was going on. Their most distressing thought was what to have for dinner that night. They didn’t have some crazy mission hanging over their head.
Twilight stopped walking, causing a mare behind her to bump into her. The mare shot her an indignant look as she passed, but Twilight paid her no mind. Instead, she moved over to a nearby bench and sat down.
Her hooves were shaking and she could barely stand. Rather than sitting down, she nearly collapsed onto the bench. She held her head in her hooves, watching the ponies walk past her.
They all seemed so carefree. Their innocence may have been shaken, but it wasn’t shattered like hers. The Crystal Empire was unscathed by what had happened in Equestria, besides the refugees. All of these ponies knew what had happened, even if Cadance had yet to make an official announcement about anything. Yet it seemed like they didn’t care.
They just went about their lives like nothing happened. And that hurt more than anything else. Why couldn’t they feel what she was feeling? Couldn’t they at least pretend like everything wasn’t okay?
She could feel tears threatening to spill forth, and she wiped her eyes, trying to stem the tide. “Are you okay, miss?” she heard a voice from next to her.
She looked over, seeing a unicorn stallion wearing saddlebags with several scrolls poking out of them. He was looking at her with concern.
“I’m fine,” she lied. To prove her point, she smiled at him.
It wasn’t fooling him. The stallion sat on the bench next to her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Twilight looked at him, at this stranger who was asking about her, and the dam broke. Tears poured forth from her eyes. The stallion didn’t say anything, just leaned over and drew her into a hug. She buried her head in his soft shoulder, letting the tears flow.
She cried not for those who were lost, she’d already shed tears over them. Nor did she cry for Celestia, who’s presence she would never feel again. No, she cried because she needed to. She cried because she had no idea what to do. She needed to be strong around her friends, around Spike and Cadance, but not even she could keep things bottled up. Here, on this bench, in front of this complete stranger, she could let herself go.
She could feel the stallion’s hoof rubbing her back, as he whispered soothing things in her ear. It felt nice to be comforted by a complete stranger, someone who didn’t know her and was only doing so out of the goodness of his heart.
When the tears dried up, she sniffled, leaning back and wiping her eyes. The stallion’s shoulder was a matted mess of wet coat. “Sorry,” she said, trying to brush it down.
“Don’t worry about it. Are you okay?”
She smiled at him again, a genuine one this time. “Yes, I am. Thank you.”
He rubbed her back again. “It’s no problem.” He hesitated. “Do... Do you want to talk about it?”
Before Twilight could tell him no, her mouth was open and she was speaking. She told him of being from Ponyville, of escaping the dragon attack, of nearly dying out in the frozen wasteland. She told him of arriving in the city, of finding her friends. And finally, she told him that now she’d have to leave on a mission from the Princess (she left out which Princess it was) which she thought was impossible. All the while she spoke, her brain was screaming at her to be quiet, to stop talking, but it was like her mouth was uncontrollable.
The stallion said nothing throughout her monologue. He just kept slowly rubbing her back with a hoof. When she was finished, he was silent for a long while.
“It certainly sounds like you’ve had a rough time lately. I can’t imagine what it’s like, going through all that. But,” he paused a moment, “it sounds to me like you’ve held it together remarkably well.”
She looked at him with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Like I said, I can’t imagine what it’s like to go through that. But I can tell you that if that had happened to me, I’d probably be an absolute wreck, unable to even get out of bed. And look at you, you’re out and about!” He smiled and waved his hooves around, causing her to giggle at him.
“And even more than that,” he continued. “You’ve already survived so much. I’m sure that one little mission won’t be a challenge for you.”
“Thanks,” she said, looking up at him. “It’s just so frustrating, though, seeing all these ponies,” she gestured around her with a hoof, “going about their lives like nothing’s changed, when my whole world’s been turned upside down.”
“What makes you think we’re not feeling different too?” he asked.
“Pardon me?”
“Look around you. You see ponies going about their day like nothing’s changed. I see ponies who are clinging to their routines.”
“What do you mean?”
He sat back on the bench. “Well, if you had the chance to go back to your normal routine, would you?”
She nodded. “Yes, absolutely.”
“Why?”
She thought for a moment. “Because it’s what I know.”
“Because you take comfort in it,” he countered. She nodded. “It’s the same for the rest of us. When something bad happens we throw ourselves into our daily routines because it’s comfortable. Because we take solace in the familiarity.”
Twilight felt understanding hit her like a buck from Applejack. She’d been resenting the ponies for acting like nothing was wrong, when all along she was just jealous of them. She wanted to be like them, to just go back to her daily routine of studying and learning about magic. What hurt the most was knowing that no matter what happened, she never could.
The stallion was watching her. He cracked a smile. “There, I can see that you get it now.”
“Thanks,” she said.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Glad I could help such a pretty mare.”
Twilight felt her cheeks heat up as a blush appeared. The stallion laughed, standing up. “Unfortunately,” he said, “I need to be on my way.” He started to walk away.
“Wait!” Twilight said. The stallion stopped, looking at her. “What’s your name?”
“Open Scroll,” he said. “I’m a professor over at the university.” He indicated over his shoulder with a hoof.
Twilight stood up, moving to stand in front of him. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle,” she said, holding out a hoof.
She could see recognition in his eyes as they widened for a brief moment. He took her hoof, shaking it. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Sparkle.”
“Thanks again for listening, and for the advice.”
“You’re most welcome. Unfortunately, I really must be going. But perhaps someday you can stop by my classroom, give my students a lecture they’ll never forget.”
She giggled. “Maybe.”
He turned and trotted off, pausing only to wave at her as he turned a corner. She waved back, feeling much better than she had all day.
Twilight stood there for a moment longer, before turning herself and heading on towards the train station. She still wanted to go visit the refugees.
It took her another fifteen minutes of walking, but she spotted the refugee camp. A tent city had sprung up between the train station and the town proper. There had to be several hundred tents erected, with a multitude of ponies milling about between them. Smoke rose from a few fires that some ponies were using to heat water. She could see members of the city guard handing out cups filled with something, possibly tea. Other guardsponies were patrolling, helping out if they were needed.
Overall, from a first glance, it looked clean and well organized, a far cry from what it could be. She entered the camp with no real destination in mind. She decided to just wander around, take in the conditions and see if there was anything she could do.
As she wandered, she talked to ponies, both refugees and guards. The refugees were consistent, the conditions in the camp were good. They had plenty of food and water, as well as shelter. Everypony had a bed and somewhere to sleep. It wasn’t home, but it was better than they had expected. The guards said that there were occasional fights and arguments, but otherwise there weren’t any problems so far.
She bumped into ponies that she recognized from Ponyville. Each time she would stop and talk with them, making sure they were alright. They’d exchange stories about what had happened to them. It felt good to see some ponies she knew, knowing they were safe.
Yet not all was good. Through the Ponyville ponies, she heard about some who hadn’t made it. She learned the names of at least some ponies who’d died in the attack. Each new name was a blow, bringing back the pain and sadness. She comforted ponies who’d lost friends or family, all while mourning them herself. Some of the names she recognized, some she didn’t, yet each one was a loss.
She spent the entire afternoon wandering the camp, talking to ponies and making observations. She had to admit that Cadance was doing a great job providing for these ponies who had nothing.
As she left to go back to the palace, she could see several guards drawing carts of food to distribute. For now, everything was in good order, but how long until supplies ran out and they had to start cutting back? When the food ran out, what would they do? Would the refugees riot? Things could go from good to miserable very quickly.
Twilight headed back to the palace. It was nearing dinner time, and even though she wasn’t terribly hungry, she felt like at least joining the others.
She arrived back at the palace, giving the guards along the stairs nods as she passed. The guard at the top returned her nod as she entered. Inside, the doors to the throne room were closed once more, Cadance probably off with Berry somewhere.
Realizing she had no idea what time dinner was, she headed to the kitchen to figure out. She peeked her head inside, seeing several cooks busy preparing the meal. She stopped one of them and asked when dinner was. The cook informed her that they were to serve the first course in twenty minutes.
Twilight thanked the pony and left. That gave her just enough time to head up to her room for a moment. Taking the stairs up, she entered her room, closing the door behind her.
She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror, seeing her mane askew and the coat around her muzzle needed some fixing. A quick trip into the bathroom and she emerged looking as good as new. Even Rarity wouldn’t be able to find much to nitpick about.
A glance at the clock told her it was time to head back to the dining room. Mostly likely the others were already there and wondering where she was. She left her room, surprised to see Rainbow coming down the hall.
“Oh hey, Twilight,” she said.
“Hey, Rainbow. What’s going on?” She walked next to her friend, together the two of them leaving their rooms behind.
“Eh, not much. I spent the day outside, flying around.”
“You mean napping,” Twilight joked.
The pegasus smiled. “Well yeah, I did that too. So what’d you do?”
“I went to the refugee camp. I wanted to see things there for myself.”
“And how was it?”
Twilight sighed. “Conditions there are good, I just wonder how long it’ll last.”
“What do you mean?” Rainbow asked, looking confused.
“Well,” Twilight explained. “For now there’s food, water, and shelter for everypony. But the Crystal Empire’s stockpiles won’t last forever. Rationing will have to be enforced. If more ponies show up, will there be enough room to hold them?”
“Jeez, sounds harsh. So what you’re saying is that we need to kick this dragon’s tail before all that happens.” She took to the air, doing a backflip and punching the air a few times while she spoke.
Twilight laughed. “Yes, Rainbow, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
The pegasus landed, laughing along with Twilight as they walked. Together, they entered the dining room, and for the second time that day, Twilight saw an unusual sight.
Seated at the head of the table was Berry, with Swift to her left and, surprisingly, Storm on her right. Next were two older ponies that Twilight didn’t recognize, a pegasus mare and an earth pony stallion. Seated next to the stallion was Cadance, the seat next to the mare was empty. Twilight’s friends were all seated next, with the rest of their friends and family seated at the other end of the table.
There were two empty seats left. Rainbow was already climbing into the chair next to Rarity, leaving only the one in between the mare and Applejack for Twilight.
As soon as she sat down, the mare turned to Twilight. “You’re a pretty one,” she said bluntly.
“Um, thanks?” Twilight responded.
Swift Bloom spoke up. “Mom, please, at least introduce yourself first.” When the mare didn’t say anything, Swift took the initiative. “Twilight, meet my parents, Green Hoof,” she indicated the stallion next to her, “and Fleetwing,” said finished, pointing at the mare.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Twilight said. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle.”
Green held out a hoof. True to his name, his coat was a light green in color, his mane being black, but with streaks of grey in it. “Pleasure to meet you as well,” he said as Twilight shook his hoof.
Fleetwing, who had a magenta coat and blue mane, turned to regard her daughter. “You see what your competition is?” she said.
Swift groaned, placing a hoof on her forehead. “Mom, please.”
“I’m just saying, you’re not getting any younger. You need to think about getting yourself another stallion.”
“Mom, dinner hasn’t even started yet and you’re already embarrassing me.”
“Sweetie,” Green broke in. “Let’s just enjoy dinner in peace. The Princess was kind enough to invite us to dine at her table, let’s not insult her.”
Far to the contrary, Cadance looked like she was enjoying the little back and forth between Swift and her mother, a small smile gracing her features. “Oh no, please. This is Berry’s night, just pretend I’m not here.”
Before Swift could argue, a servant came in. “Dinner is served,” he announced. Several more servants came in carrying trays with plates on them. Each plate was covered with a silver dome. It was a rather elaborate affair that Twilight suspected was being put on for Berry, to treat her like a Princess.
The servants set the plates down in front of each pony, only pulling off the lids once everypony had a plate. Underneath the lid was a small, simple salad.
Twilight picked up her fork, spearing some of the salad and taking a bite. It was crisp and with just the right amount of dressing. All around her, the others were eating as well.
Conversations sprang up around the table. Berry regaled her grandparents with the story of how her day went, from holding court to getting pampered, to even standing out on the balcony and looking out over the city. She got to see a demonstration of her guard, and had some fun in ordering them around a bit.
Swift Bloom looked nervous during parts of it, but the filly’s infectious happiness started getting to her. She was soon smiling and laughing as the filly described, with waving hoof gestures, how she’d gotten the guards to march in various formations during drills.
At one point, Twilight leaned across the table, beckoning Cadance over as well. When the alicorn was close enough, Twilight whispered in her ear. “How did you get the guards and servants to go through with this?”
“I promised them all an extra day of paid vacation. Though most of them volunteered anyway.”
Dinner was a three course affair, with the salad, a main course of vegetables and rice, then, much to Berry’s delight, dessert was cake and ice cream. By the time the meal was over, everypony felt satisfied, with Twilight even leaning back in her chair, hooves over her stomach.
“That was excellent, Princess,” Swift stated.
“How many times do I have to ask you to call me Cadance?”
“Sorry, Cadance.”
Fleetwing looked between her daughter and the Princess. “Swift, I know you mentioned that you’d met the Princess, but to be on a first name basis with her, I can’t help but think that you left some parts out of your story.”
Swift ducked her head, a blush of red coming to her cheeks. “Erm, well, I may have omitted a few parts...”
Fleet’s eyes narrowed. “Like?” she prompted.
“Well, I may have saved the Elements of Harmony as well.” Swift’s gaze ran across Twilight and her friends, an action that the shrewd Fleet didn’t miss.
Instantly, Fleet’s glare was turned upon Twilight. “Really?”
“It’s true, ma’am. We were caught outside in a snowstorm and your daughter gave us shelter in her home. Then, she took us into the city. We certainly owe her.”
“Is that so?” Twilight followed Fleet’s sharp gaze as it traversed the table, finally coming to a stop on Big Mac, who was listening as Discord told some raucous tale. “What about him?” she asked.
Applejack spoke up. “You mean my brother?”
“Oh, he’s your brother? And you’re an Element of Harmony?” Twilight had a sneaking suspicion about where this line of questioning was heading towards. And based on Swift’s reaction of trying to make herself as small as possible in her chair, so did she.
“What’s his name?” Fleet asked, seeming genuinely interested in the answer.
“Uh, Big Macintosh, but we all just call him Big Mac,” Applejack answered.
“Hey Big Mac!” Fleet called down the table, drawing everypony’s attention. The stallion in question turned his head to see who’d called him. Fleet pointed to her daughter, who was trying to hide under the table. “My daughter saved your sister’s life, so be a gentlestallion and take her out.”
Big Mac’s mouth fell open as he was at a loss for words. Not that he’d have gotten a chance to say anything as Fleet continued on. “She’s pretty enough, though she already has a daughter. But I’m sure that won’t be an issue for you.” Fleet folded her hooves on the table. “So, tomorrow night you’ll stop by our place and pick her up.”
The only sound at the table was Cadance trying desperately to stifle her laughter, and failing miserably. Big Mac still had his mouth hanging open.
Fleet looked impatient, tapping a hoof on the table. “Well, don’t just sit there attracting flies, say yes.”
That snapped him out of it, as he shook his head, looking down the table at Swift, who had her muzzle firmly planted on the table, her ears folded down to her head. He’d been backed into a corner and he knew it. He couldn’t decline the offer now that he’d been called out in front of everypony, not without embarrassing Swift and angering her mom.
“Eeyup,” he said, casting a wary glance at his sister. Applejack had her face hidden behind her hat, though based on the way her body was subtly shaking, Twilight suspected she was laughing. Cadance had a hoof nearly stuffed in her mouth, giggles still forcing their way out around the obstruction. Everypony else around the table was in a similar state. Twilight herself was looking on with amusement.
“Good lad,” Fleet said. “I’ll tell you when and where to be after dinner.” She then picked up her fork, finishing off her dessert as if nothing had happened.
That did it, nearly everypony burst out laughing. Applejack let her hat drop, showing the she had indeed been laughing the entire time. Cadance gave up all pretense of hiding it. The only one’s not laughing were Big Mac, whose cheeks had somehow managed to turn an even darker shade of red, Fleet, who casually ate her dessert, and Swift, who was softly banging her head on the table.
The after dinner conversation was mostly spent ribbing Big Mac on his date tomorrow night. The poor stallion took it all in good humor, though he looked nervous. Applejack at one point walked over to him, slapping him between the shoulders and congratulating him. Green Hoof took him aside for a moment, and when they returned, Big Mac was in far better spirits.
Finally, though, it was time for Swift and her family to head home, despite Cadance saying that they were free to spend the night in the palace. Based on the glare Swift was giving her mom, Twilight felt sorry for their neighbors at the coming argument.
Goodbyes were said, hugs were exchanged, but eventually Swift and her family were walking down the steps of the palace, Berry curled up on her mom’s back, exhausted from the long day.
As they were leaving, a lone guard was racing up the steps. He skidded to a halt in front of Cadance, throwing a swift salute while panting for breath.
“At ease,” she said.
“Princess,” he said. “News... from... train station...” he managed to get out between pants.
“Take a moment, Private. Catch your breath.”
He shook his head. “Important... Scouts to Canterlot... Back.”
Cadance pulled her head back, surprise on her face. “The scouts are back?”
The guard confirmed with a nod. “Yes, ma’am.”
Cadance’s demeanor changed. She went from a mare enjoying her evening, to a Princess, an air of authority surrounding her. “Excellent work, Private. Head to the barracks and rest.” He saluted, turning around and heading down the steps. Cadance turned to Storm, who was still with them. “Storm, I know you’re off duty, but please wait here for the scouts. When they arrive, escort them to the war room.”
Storm saluted. “Yes ma’am.”
“The rest of you, follow me back inside.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned around, heading inside the palace. Storm took a position at the top of the stairs.
Twilight followed her sister, catching up to her. “Storm’s off duty?”
Cadance nodded. “She’s been off duty all day.”
“Then what about this afternoon in the throne room? And dinner?”
“When I told the guard about Berry’s visit, Storm was the first one to volunteer, even before I offered the incentive. As for dinner, that was at Berry’s insistence.”
Cadance led them to a door deep in the palace. She stopped in front of it, turning to address the others. “Twilight, you and your friends should join me. As for the rest of you, you’re free to make your own choices.”
Applebloom brightened up, about to say something, but a large hoof on her back stopped her. “Eenope,” said Big Mac.
“Aww,” she pouted.
In the end, Cadance, Twilight and the other Elements, as well as Discord entered the room. There was much pouting and whining from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but Big Mac and the Cakes managed to herd them away.
Inside the room was a circular table with a map of the Crystal Empire spread out on it. A shelf held other scrolls that Twilight suspected were more maps. There were no chairs, or any other furniture in the room. It was simply a room for planning and strategizing.
Cadance took a spot at the table where she could see the door, sitting on the floor and waiting. Twilight sat down next to her, the others gathering around the table as well, except Discord. He hung back, leaning against the wall.
They didn’t have to wait long, as shortly after they got situated, there was a knock on the door. “Enter,” Cadance called.
The door opened and Storm came in, followed by four pegasi wearing light armor. Storm saluted. “The scouts, as you requested, ma’am.”
“Thank you Storm, that will be all.”
Storm nodded, turning around to leave. As she left, another pony entered, though this one was markedly different. For starters, she was a thestral, not that many ponies were even aware that was the term for their race. Twilight only knew because Luna had told her. They liked to keep it a secret for some reason. Her bat-like wings were folded against her side as her yellow eyes with cat-like slits in them scanned the room. She had a dark coat, almost black and a deep purple mane. Her cutie mark was of a sword with a dark blue blade, almost blending into her coat.
Cadance stared at the new arrival. “I’m sorry, you are?” she asked.
The thestral, or as Twilight knew they were more commonly referred to, batpony, stopped, looking at Cadance. Then she stood at attention and saluted. “Midnight Blade, Captain of the Lunar Guard.”
“At ease, Captain,” Cadance said. “I’m glad to see that you survived. Please, make yourself comfortable. I’m sure there’s a reason why you’re with my scouts here, but we’ll get to that in time.” She turned to her scouts, who instantly saluted. “At ease. Sergeant, start from the beginning. What have you learned?”
The pony on the far left, a mare, stepped up to the table. “We rode the train as far as it could go, that being Ponyville, ma’am. After that, the train tracks just... vanish.”
“Based on what some of the Ponyville survivors have told me, I’m not surprised.”
The sergeant turned to one of the other pegasi. “Corporal, find a map of Equestria.”
Within short order, a map of Equestria had been unrolled and was laying on the table, the corners weighted down. The sergeant pointed a hoof towards Ponyville. “The train offloaded us, then loaded on some survivors and left. The town was mostly intact. There’s evidence of some fires, though.”
Cadance held up a hoof. “I’ve received firsthoof accounts of what happened in Ponyville, so I don’t need a damage report. What have you found out about Canterlot?”
The sergeant sighed. “Well, ma’am, it’s not pretty. From just outside of Ponyville, everything’s just gone. The entire landscape has been scorched clean, leaving only ash behind. Already the winds have picked up some of it, coating the skies above Ponyville in a thick layer of ash the blocks out the sun. It’s almost like eternal night there. Cities downwind will have to prepare for ash clouds coming their way.”
Midnight seemed to have taken the suggestion to make herself comfortable literally, her head laying on the table. Twilight could tell that she was still watching and listening to everything, her eyes moving around the table.
“As for Canterlot itself,” the sergeant continued, “it’s a mess. Most of the city has become detached from the mountain, ending up as a pile of rubble at the foothills. Only the Warehouse District is still clinging on, though it honestly looked like it could come crashing down at any moment.”
Twilight knew that the Market District had already come down, she’d seen it herself the night of the attack, but the other districts as well? So now both her childhood home, and the palace were gone. Rebuilding the city would be a massive undertaking.
Looking around the table at her friends, she could see them all absorbing the information. If she was being honest, what the sergeant was describing wasn’t new to any of them, simply a confirmation.
“To be honest, ma’am, I can’t see anypony having survived in Canterlot to mount a rescue operation. Not that you’d get close enough.”
“Explain,” Cadance commanded.
“It’s... Well it. The thing. We spotted it when we were surveying the ruins. It’s buried itself into the rubble and is simply laying there. Corporals Wing and Lift monitored it for a day, and the thing never even twitched.” She paused a moment. “It’s like the thing is... sleeping. Like how a regular dragon hibernates.”
Cadance nodded. “That fits with some intel I’ve already received.” She glanced at Midnight, who was still laying her head on the table. “And how did you come across the Captain?”
The sergeant shuffled her hooves. “Well, she came across us, our last night there. We’d fallen back to Ponyville to camp. She found us.”
“Didn’t anypony tell you that you really shouldn’t build a fire when you’re out on scouting missions?” Midnight spoke up.
“Well the area was deserted, and we needed the light,” the sergeant defended.
Midnight pulled her head off of the table. “Thinking the area was deserted was one of your mistakes. You made plenty of others. I’d been following you for a day at that point.” She used a hoof to scratch a foreleg. “You need to work on your stealth.”
“There was literally nopony around!”
The batpony smiled at the sergeant, showing her fanged teeth. “I was around. And if I were the enemy, you’d all be dead.”
“The enemy is asleep at the bottom of Canterlot Mountain.”
Midnight’s eyes narrowed, even though she was still smiling her alluring smile. “An enemy that we know nothing about. For all we know, it could’ve molted off some little wyrmlings or something.” Her smiled faded. “Lesson number one, never assume anything.”
The sergeant opened her mouth to respond, but Cadance cut her off. “Enough,” she said. “Captain, do you have anything else to add?”
Midnight shook her head. “Nope. The sergeant’s report was, surprisingly, accurate.”
The sergeant shot Midnight a glare, but didn’t say anything.
“Very well. Sergeant, do you have anything else to add?”
She nodded. “Yes ma’am. We observed several tower-like objects sticking out of the ground. They’re here, here, here, and here,” she pointed to a spot on the map each time.
Twilight saw one of them as the sword-tower that had crashed down near her, but the other three were new ones to her. She still had no idea what those things were, or what purpose they served.
“We didn’t get close to any of them, but we can say that they are active. They give off a blue glow, and sometimes they arc off some form of blue lightning.
“As for the terrain, well like I said, it’s nothing but devastation. The weather from the Everfree is already spilling out around the area, causing unpredictable patterns. I have no idea how far it’ll spread. Certainly not this far north, but other towns will most likely be affected.”
Cadance waited a moment, but the sergeant said nothing else. “Is that all?” she asked.
The sergeant nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
“Very well. Excellent job. You four are dismissed. Head to the barracks and get some food. Then I want you each to write a detailed report of what you saw, including sketches. I want those reports tomorrow morning. As soon as I have those reports, consider yourselves on leave for a few days. Go home, see your families and get some rest. Report back to the barracks in four days.”
The four pegasi saluted. “Yes ma’am,” they chorused. They turned around to leave, but Cadance’s voice stopped them.
“Oh, and what you saw, and what we spoke about, doesn’t leave this room.”
They saluted once more, then left the room, closing the door behind them. As soon as the door was closed, Midnight spoke up again. “You know they’re amateurs, right?”
“They are some of my best scouts,” Cadance replied.
Midnight laughed. “Your best? They’re about as stealthy as a minotaur in a china shop. If they were under my command, they’d definitely be taking a refresher course on stealth. No, scratch that, I’d never even let them in the Lunar Guard with a performance like that.”
Twilight could see Cadance losing her patience with Midnight. “Captain, as much as I appreciate your honesty, I have some questions for you.”
Midnight shrugged. “Sure.”
Twilight had heard of Midnight from her brother. The thestral had a disregard for her superiors that bordered on insubordination. She apparently loved to flirt with Shining and rile him up, a fact which had caused Twilight to endure several rants about the batpony when she visited her brother.
Yet, there was a reason Midnight was the Captain of the Lunar Guard: she was the best. Her skills were legendary. Her insubordination and antics were overlooked because when it came down to it, she got the job done. Even Shining had nothing but praise for her skills, albeit begrudgingly.
“What were you doing near Ponyville?” Cadance asked.
“The same thing those four were. I wanted to know what had happened, and get a look at things.”
“And where were you during the attack?”
“I was in Manehatten with a contingent of Lunar Guard. We’d been sent there to augment the city guard, as well as a demonstration to the people. You know, the whole ‘The Princesses are watching over you, you’re not alone’ sort of thing.”
Twilight spoke up. “I don’t recall seeing any of the Lunar Guard in the field that night.”
“That’s because we weren’t. The Princesses had sent us to the cities. As soon as I learned of what happened, I sent word to the Lunar Guard to get to Manehatten, then I headed towards Canterlot where I met your scouts.”
“So the Lunar Guard is all in Manehatten?”
Midnight nodded. “All who are still alive, yes.”
“Good, then you’ll send word to them, tell them to come here.”
“What?” Midnight looked incredulous.
“You heard me, Captain.” Twilight wasn’t used to seeing this side of Cadance. This wasn’t the fun-loving alicorn she’d grown up with. This was a serious Princess. The difference in demeanors was astounding.
Midnight placed her front hooves on the table. “The Lunar Guard is all that’s left of the Royal Forces. By sending us here, you’re abandoning Equestria.”
“No, Captain,” Cadance said, shaking her head. “I’m not abandoning Equestria. But even you must admit that based on how the dragon fared against the Royal Guard, the Lunar Guard won’t last any longer.”
It was clear that Midnight wasn’t going to say anything, but the look on her face was enough. She knew that Cadance spoke the truth.
“No, we need to consolidate our forces, rest and recuperate. As well, there’s some information that we’ve come across.”
“Tell me,” Midnight said, her eyes narrowing.
Cadance narrowed her eyes. “Captain,” she said. “I appreciate your knowledge and skills, but you are disturbingly close to insubordination. I am the Princess here, and you will show me the respect I deserve.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Midnight said. “Requesting to be informed of the current intel.”
Cadance kept her glare for another moment, before she launched into an explanation. She explained about soul gems, leaving out their history, just explaining what they were. As well, she explained about summoning Celestia, and about what Celestia had told them about the dragon. Finally, she explained about the mission that Celestia had given Twilight.
Midnight was silent throughout the tale. Her face betrayed nothing of what she was thinking. Only her eyes showed any movement, quivering as her thoughts raced.
“So as you can see,” Cadance finished up, “we’re not abandoning Equestria. We’re consolidating and buying time for Twilight to complete her task. As Celestia said, only as a unified force can we hope to defeat the dragon. Even you must see that.”
Midnight remained silent for several long moments. Then she sat back, a sigh escaping her lips. “Dammit,” she swore. “That’s... that’s a stupid, idiotic, insane plan.” She paused momentarily. “But I suppose it’s all we’ve got,” she admitted.
Twilight was surprised to hear the thestral say that. She figured that they’d have to argue some more. Her shock must’ve shown on her face, because Midnight addressed her.
“Even I know when something’s a lost cause. And gathering the Lunar Guard, plus the remains of the Royal Guard, add in the Crystal Guard and attacking the dragon, that’s a lost cause. Even if we included all the various city guards, not that I trust them with a pointy stick much less a sword, and we’d still lose.”
She sighed once more. “No, Celestia’s plan makes sense, as impossible as it is to actually accomplish. Especially given the intel we have from Celestia.”
“Then you’ll bring the Lunar Guard here?” Cadance asked.
“What about threats outside the dragon? The Gryphons could take this opportunity to expand their territory. Or the Changelings could insert themselves once more.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Cadance admitted. “Very well, what do you suggest we do?”
Midnight peered at the map of Equestria on the table. “Well, Right now all of our border posts are staffed with a skeleton crew, Celestia having pulled as many guards as she could from them.” She pointed to the border between Equestria and the Zebra nation of Zebrica. “We can actually pull back from these posts. The Zebra’s won’t do anything and we can use the troops to reinforce the border between us and the Gryphon Empire.”
Next she pointed to the border between Equestria and the Minotaur lands. “We can use these troops to reinforce the border posts on the Badlands. The Minotaurs have always been neutral, and the border posts are more of a formality than anything.”
Cadance eyed the map. “So you’re suggesting we abandon the posts between Equestria and Zebrica, as well as Equestria and the Minotaur lands entirely?”
Midnight nodded. “Yes. Like I said, neither of them will try anything, and this way we can safeguard against the races that might actually try something.”
Twilight butted in. “Wait a second here.” Every head in the room turned towards her. “Our entire plan hinges on getting these races as allies and here you two are, talking about protecting borders and military actions. We need to be doing the opposite.”
“What do you mean?” Cadance asked.
Twilight pointed to the map. “Reinforcing our borders is just telling the Gryphons and Changelings that we don’t trust them. If we want to gain them as allies, shouldn’t we be doing the opposite?”
Both Cadance and Midnight were silent for a moment, before Cadance spoke up. “She makes a good point.” She turned to face Midnight once more. “Captain, is there a way we can show some good faith?”
Midnight stared at the map for several minutes, her eyes darting about as she thought. “Maybe,” she said. “We’ve got the Gryphons to the East, and the Changelings to the South. For the Gryphons, if we pull back the posts to Fillydelphia, that would leave the borders empty, but still protect the closest major city. And a force stationed there could react quickly in the case of an emergency. As for the south, the closest town is Dodge Junction, so we can mirror the same move there.”
She continued to look at the map. “However, no matter how much faith we want to show, I don’t like leaving ourselves completely open like that. I can station some scouts at the borders to patrol and watch, just in case. We’ll be stretched thin, but it’s better than nothing.”
“And what about the Zebras and Minotaurs? We’re already abandoning those posts, so why not just do the same thing along all our borders?” Twilight suggested.
“Even with the entire Lunar Guard, and every scout in the Royal Guard, we’d never have enough ponies to safeguard our borders if we did that.”
“It’s called faith, Captain,” Twilight responded. “By pulling back from everywhere, we show that we’re trusting the others to not take advantage of Equestria. Something like that would go a long way to securing allies.”
Midnight looked like she was going to argue some more, but Cadance cut her off. “Twilight makes a good point. We want to gain allies, not alienate them. So consider her suggestion to be an order from me.”
“On one condition,” Midnight said. Cadance was taken aback at that, Midnight capitalizing on that to continue speaking unopposed. “When Twilight goes to visit the other countries, she gets an escort.”
“Well, duh,” Rainbow said. “We’re all going with her.” She indicated the rest of her friends.
“And how good are your fighting skills? Do you know the nerve cluster to incapacitate a gryphon’s wings? Or how about the best place to strike a minotaur? Can you hold your own in a fight against a skilled opponent?”
The brash pegasus sputtered for a moment. “I know how to fight,” she proclaimed, a hoof striking her chest.
“Really?” Midnight perked up. “You’ll have to show me. How about tonight in the field by the barracks.”
Rainbow was about to respond, when Twilight held her mouth closed with magic. The pegasus shot her an indignant look. “Rainbow,” Twilight said. “Midnight is a Captain in the Lunar Guard. I don’t care how well you think you can fight, she’ll still win. She’s just trying to rile you up.”
Midnight chuckled. “You ruined my fun.”
Twilight released her hold on Rainbow, who muttered something that sounded like ‘I can still take her...’ She sighed, used to the antics of her friend. “Midnight, why would we need an escort?”
“Because not every being you run into is going to welcome you with open arms. There may come a time when you’ll have to fight. If it comes to that, I’d feel much better knowing there was someone with you who knew how to fight. Properly,” she added on, looking at Rainbow, who just glared at the batpony.
“And,” she continued. “By leaving our borders open, having an escort doesn’t guarantee that you’ll make it deep enough into the other countries to talk to someone important, but it increases the odds.”
“Who do you have in mind?” Cadance asked.
“I can get word to the Lunar Guard tonight, and they can be here in two days. I was thinking of sending Lieutenant Iron Hoof with them. He’s my second in command, and the best fighter I’ve got.”
Cadance nodded. “Fine. But just the Lieutenant. I want to keep this a small group.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Midnight said.
Cadance turned to Twilight. “So that gives you two days to get ready to leave. On the morning of the third day, you should head out. Think you can get everything ready in that amount of time?”
Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “I think I can. I’ll have to spend all day tomorrow drawing up plans and figuring out what we’re going to do, as well as gather the supplies we’ll need.” She thought for a moment more. “I think that’ll work.”
“Good.” Her attention once more was turned upon Midnight. “Captain, I have need of some of your scouts.”
The batpony nodded. “What for?”
“Celestia says that the dragon will sleep for some time, though we know not for precisely how long. I need some ponies there to watch it, and alert us should it wake.”
“I can send a pair of scouts to Ponyville, and rotate them out each week.”
“Make it happen, Captain.”
Midnight nodded. “What about the rest of the Lunar Guard?”
“I want the rest of your guard stationed here. As the truth makes its way across Equestria, ponies will flock towards safe havens. It’s Celestia’s wish that the Crystal Empire be turned into a beacon of hope, so if we’re successful in that, then those ponies will be flocking here. I’ll need your guard to supplement my own.”
Midnight eyed the map. “We can do that.”
“Furthermore,” Cadance continued. “We’ll be needing supplies. The Empire has stockpiles of food and medicine, but those won’t last forever. I’ll need you to organize a way to get supplies from Equestria to here. Focus on things that won’t go bad like grains and rice. We may have to institute rationing, but I won’t see a single pony go hungry.”
At this, Midnight actually saluted. “Consider it done ma’am. Permission to liaise with your own guard, as well as recruit volunteers? I’ll also need to talk to the train conductors about borrowing a train or two.”
“Permission granted. I don’t know how long this will last, so try and gather as much as you can.”
Twilight felt something nagging at her. She decided to address her concerns. “Cadance, you said that ‘As the truth makes its way across Equestria.’ What do you mean?”
Cadance turned her head, looking at Twilight. “Twilight, we’re not going to be able to keep the truth about Luna and Celestia hidden. Eventually somepony’s going to realize that neither Princess has shown themselves. Rumors will spread, followed by panic. If nothing is done, ponies will riot.”
“She’s right,” Midnight said. “You need to say something, Cadance. Make an announcement to the Empire, and send word of that announcement to all the cities of Equestria.”
Cadance nodded. “Ponies will be scared, but hopefully not panic. Though I’ll have to be careful about what I say.” She thought for a moment. “I’ll draft something tonight and make an announcement at noon tomorrow. I’ll get my guard to spread the word.”
“Good idea,” Midnight said. “Ponies will already be wondering. Best to nip rumors in the bud before they have a chance to take hold.”
Twilight had to agree. Cadance may have expressed disbelief at Celestia asking her to step up, but she seemed to have things well in hoof. Twilight was proud that Cadance was giving Celestia the benefit of the doubt and trying her very best here. She seemed well on her way to accomplishing what the Princess wanted her to do.
At least that made one of them. Twilight had no idea how to even begin approaching her mission. She supposed that the first thing to do would be to visit the leader of each country and simply ask. Beyond that, she was out of ideas. Maybe Midnight would be able to help her plan something. The thestral seemed to have a shrewd mind.
“Is there anything else?” Cadance asked.
Midnight shook her head. “I can’t think of anything that can’t wait until tomorrow.”
“Very well. You’re dismissed Captain. If you go to the barracks, you’ll find a hot meal and a bed.”
Midnight threw a half-hearted salute and left the room, closing the door behind her. Twilight watched her go, trying to figure her out. Though if Shining was any judge, trying to do so would only give her a headache.
“It’s been a long day,” Cadance said. “I think it’s best if we all retire for the night.” Twilight nodded, even though she wasn’t all that tired. She could just curl up with a good book from the library and read until she fell asleep.
She joined her friends in filing out of the room, but a hoof on her shoulder stopped her. She looked back to see Cadance standing behind her. “A moment, if you would.”
Twilight nodded, taking a seat and seeing Cadance do the same. As soon as her friends were all gone, Cadance’s shoulders slumped and her head hung low. She let out a great breath, as if she’d been holding it this entire time.
“Cadance?” Twilight asked.
The alicorn took a moment. “Sorry, just nerves.”
“Nerves?”
Cadance nodded. “Yeah. I’m nervous and I have no idea what I’m doing. Running the Crystal Empire is one thing, and it’s fairly easy. Now I find myself making decisions that affect not just the Empire, but Equestria as well and possibly all of Equus. Oh, how does Auntie do this?”
Twilight drew her sister into a hug. “Cadance, you were amazing!”
“I was?” she looked up at Twilight, surprise on her face.
“Yes! I was shocked, you just looked like you knew precisely what you were doing, like you had everything under control.”
“Really?” Cadance looked incredulous.
“Really.”
“But, what about all those decisions? What if I messed something up?”
“Cadance, would it help you if I said that I agreed with your decisions?”
“Well, you are like the smartest pony I know.”
Twilight felt her cheeks blush at that comment. “Thanks. But it’s true, me agreeing that is.” She paused. “Cadance, you just need to believe in yourself. You sat there and you took control of things. You listened to your subordinates and you made decisions.”
Cadance looked like she was about to argue, but Twilight held up a hoof, stopping her. “Cadance, even if they’re bad decisions, which they aren’t, but even if they were, they’re the best decisions you can make with the information you have on hoof. And that’s all you can do.
“Now you need to believe in the decisions you made. Whether you like it or not, you’re the last remaining Princess. Ponies are going to be looking up to you and you’ll be forced to make decisions. Decisions have consequences that we must all live with. You do what you can with what you have, and live with it.”
Twilight sighed. “Your decisions, they may well result in ponies dying. Yet you can’t just give up, not when so many are counting on you. And even if you make a bad decision, who’s to say that the other choices were any better?”
Cadance looked in shock at Twilight. “When did you get so smart?”
Twilight playfully hit Cadance’s arm. “I hung around you as a filly, that’s how.” She giggled. “That and Princess Celestia did teach me a bit about being a Princess.”
Cadance smiled at Twilight. “Thanks, Twilight. I’m just so scared of messing up when so many ponies are counting on me to get it right.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine. I love and believe in you, as do a lot of other ponies. And as we move forward, so will many others.” Twilight regarded her former foalsitter. “You need to believe in yourself as much as we believe in you.”
Cadance nuzzled Twilight. “Thanks, Twilight. You’ll do fine as well. I know you think that you’ve been given some impossible mission, but you’ll find a way. You always have in the past.” Twilight looked at Cadance, her mouth slightly open. The alicorn giggled. “I know you, Twilight.”
Cadance kissed her on the cheek, then stood up. “I know you slept late, but try and get some sleep tonight.” She left the room, presumably heading towards her own chambers to figure out what she was going to say tomorrow.
Twilight was left alone in the war room. She shook her head. Cadance really did know her too well. Even if her words were true, was it really that simple? Sure she’d discovered the Elements and fought off Nightmare Moon, and successfully battled Discord, as well as an army of Changelings, but this was different. This was on a global scale, far larger than anything she’d ever done before.
The last thing she wanted to do right now was be alone with her thoughts. She left the war room, heading towards her room. Making a pit stop in the lounge there, she grabbed the book she’d started the other night, as well as two more off of the shelf in there.
She took the books into her room, closing the door. Before she could start reading, she needed to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. It didn’t take her long in the bathroom, and within short order she was laying in bed, her head buried in a book as the lamp gave off a soft light.
She lost herself in the characters and fantasy of the novel, as was her intent. Occasionally her horn would glow and the page would turn, but otherwise she was quiet, unmoving except her eyes that scanned each page.
Gradually she could feel her eyes grow heavy, but she wanted to see how the story ended. Her head bobbed as she struggled to keep it up. She fell asleep with her face nestled in the pages of the book.
Twilight awoke to a position that was both familiar, and uncomfortable; her face was pressed against the pages of a book. When she inhaled, the combination of paper and morning breath assaulted her senses.
Her neck twinged when she tried to move, proving that there was a massive crick in it. Slowly, she twisted her head, feeling her vertebrae pop. Each pop brought a small wave of pain, but relief followed soon after.
Books were great at many things. Being a pillow wasn’t one of them.
Carefully placing the book on her bedside table, she got out of bed, stretching her limbs. According to the clock on the wall, she’d missed breakfast, but not by much, so she hadn’t overslept. There was a lot to get done today.
After a shower and some basic hygiene, she left her room. The first thing she needed to do was figure out just where they were going. From there she could determine the supplies needed to reach their destination, as well as the logistics in getting there.
She needed maps, so her destination was the War Room from last night. Upon her arrival there, she saw that she wasn’t going to be alone. Midnight had appropriated the room as her office of sorts. A small table was in there, with the batpony sitting behind it, looking over papers.
When Twilight entered the room, Midnight looked up. “You’re not the servant I sent after those reports.”
“Erm, no, I’m not,” Twilight responded.
“Do you have need of me?”
Twilight regarded the captain. “I’m just here to use the maps.”
“Knock yourself out.” Midnight turned her attention back to the papers scattered around the table.
The thestral was certainly hard to get a read on. Based on what Twilight knew from her brother, Midnight was a very competent Captain who genuinely cared for those under her command. Yet at the same time, she seemed to enjoy riling others up. Apparently she was very good at finding other’s buttons and pressing them.
Twilight headed over to the shelf of maps, finding that it was helpfully labeled. She pulled out the map of Equus, unrolling it on the large table.
Equus was divided into countries, with all the countries being situated on a single, large landmass. Equestria was in the very center. To the East, was the Gryphon Empire, a forested mountain range. Southeast of Equestria, was the nation of Zebrica, the largest country, full of grasslands and plains broken up by the occasional jungle. To the South was the Badlands, a vast stretch of desert extending all the way to the Southern Ocean. Ostensibly, the Changelings were in there, though nopony knew precisely where they were. To the West was Minotaurica, a steppe land. To the Northwest was a large range of mountains and swamps, the Dragonlands.
Surrounding the landmass was endless ocean. At various times, beings had attempted to sail across the oceans, to see what lay beyond them. None had ever returned. Eventually, the idea of sailing out past the edge of the world lost its appeal; too many had died trying.
Twilight stared at the map. According to Celestia, they’d need to visit each country. The question was, in what order? In terms of fighting strength, the Gryphons or the Dragons were the strongest. But the Zebras had control over vast, arable flatlands, meaning they could provide many supplies. The Minotaurs were strong, but they were also neutral, never taking sides in anything, so convincing them would be difficult. Finding the Changelings would be the hardest part, the Badlands were huge with only small outposts scattered around at oases. Searching it could take years.
Every country had valid arguments as to why they should be visited first. Twilight desperately wished she knew how long the dragon would be asleep. If it woke up before her mission was complete, they may be forced to attack it with who had already agreed. If that was the case, she wanted the best fighting force possible.
She needed to make a list. “Captain,” she called. “Mind if I borrow a quill and scroll?”
Midnight remained focused on what was in front of her. Twilight wasn’t sure if she’d heard her, until with a flick of a wing, a scroll flew onto the map table. A second later, a quill followed.
“Thanks,” Twilight said. An inkwell was sitting off to the side. Dipping the quill into the ink, she started writing on the scroll. She needed to list the pros and cons of each country, which, hopefully, would help her figure things out.
Her mind worked furiously, digging up everything she knew about the other countries. Anything that could be relevant to not only gaining them as an ally, but what they’d bring to the table as well. As she thought, the quill scratched at the scroll.
Twilight spent several hours going over not only the map of Equus, but detailed maps of each territory as well, at least as detailed as they could get. Parts of Equus still remained unexplored, noticeably so in the Badlands, and the Dragonlands.
She was forced to summon a servant, who delivered a meal to her, after Midnight complained about the loud rumbling her stomach was making. She ate and wrote, eyes scanning the maps.
By the time she was done, she’d filled several scrolls with notes. Setting aside the maps, she looked them over carefully. Each potential ally still made valid arguments as to why they should be approached first, but a pattern was beginning to take shape.
With a final, fresh scroll, she wrote down her recommendations on the order. Beside each country was her reasoning.
The Gryphons should come first, as in terms of pure military strength, they were the strongest. After that, they’d need supplies, so the Zerbras came next. From there, the two that would take the most time, the Dragons and the Changelings. The Dragons were strong, but convincing them to help would be a challenge, and simply finding the Changelings was next to impossible. Finally, the Minotaurs, as having all the others on board would go a long way to getting the Minotaurs to break their neutrality.
Feeling satisfied, Twilight rolled up all the scrolls, setting them on the map table. She’d run what she’d come up with by Cadance and Midnight. She valued Cadance’s opinion, and Midnight was the Captain of the Lunar Guard, so she would certainly have something to add.
Speaking of Midnight, she wasn’t in the room anymore. Twilight had missed her leaving, though more than likely she’d simply left without saying anything.
A glance at the clock told her where the batpony was. It was nearly noon, Cadance would be making her speech soon. Twilight wanted to be there, not only to hear what Cadance would say, but to support the alicorn as well.
Leaving the map room, she noticed that the palace was empty. Usually there would be guards patrolling and servants running about, but it was eerily quiet. Walking through the halls, the place had an abandoned feel to it. Despite knowing better, Twilight shuddered, her dream about Ponyville coming to the forefront of her mind.
The doors into the throne room were closed, though the doors leading outside were open. Through them floated the sounds of numerous ponies gathering, indistinct conversations springing up as they all waited.
Twilight walked outside, seeing what had to be everypony in the Crystal Empire, as well as the refugees, standing at the base of the stairs. Halfway up the stairs was a hastily constructed platform, upon which Cadance was standing. She could see her friends off to one side, Midnight to the other.
Joining her friends, she waited for the speech to start. Cadance was going over some notes levitating in front of her.
“So, you been planning all morning, Twilight?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight nodded. “I have. I think I know where we’re going, I just want to run it by Cadance and the Captain. After that, I can figure out what supplies we need.”
“So we’re really leaving so soon?”
“I don’t want to do this anymore than you do, Rainbow. To know that I’m going to have to leave Spike behind, it hurts. But if we don’t, then all we’re doing is sitting around, waiting for the dragon to kill us. Celestia’s right, we don’t stand a chance alone.”
“But why us?” Fluttershy broke in.
“That... That I don’t know. Equestria has ambassadors to the Gryphons, Zebras, and Minotaurs who could handle them. It’s the Dragons and the Changelings that we need to seek out. Why us? I don’t know. But Celestia must have her reasons.
“I just wish I knew what they were,” she muttered under her breath. Surely the Princess wasn’t just arbitrarily assigning them this mission, there was a reasoning behind it. Neither Twilight nor her friends had dealings with any of the other races except the Changelings, and that was only because they’d fought the Changeling army that attacked Canterlot. If anything, that would make them less of a choice to approach the Changelings.
The anticipation in the air was palpable. The crowd wanted to know what Cadance was going to tell them. Rumors had already spread throughout the city, so now ponies would know the truth.
When Cadance set aside her notes and moved to stand in the center of the platform, a hush fell over the crowd. If somepony was only listening, they’d be hard pressed to tell that there was more than one pony there.
As the minute hand of the large clock struck noon, Cadance’s horn lit up, a subtle glow encasing her throat. “Thank you, everypony, for coming here.” Her voice was magically amplified, spreading out across the gathered crowd.
“As you know by now, there have been terrible happenings in Equestria which have affected, and will continue to affect, us. I apologize for not addressing this sooner, but I wished to wait until I had verified information. The last thing I wanted to do was give you false facts.
“I am aware of the rumors that are floating through the Empire, so I am here to tell you the truth. Just yesterday my scouts returned from Equestria, bringing with them the following information.”
Twilight looked over the crowd, seeing the frontlines being comprised of mostly newsponies, cameras flashing and quills scratching furiously on notepads. Beyond that were the citizens and refugees, blending together, united as one in their curious desire for answers.
“I’ll start,” Cadance continued, “with an account of what happened in Canterlot. It is true, the capital was attacked.” A gasp ran through the crowd. “However, the city was not attacked by any force native to Equus.”
Murmurs started up, as ponies discussed with those next to them just what Cadance meant by that statement. Had something come from across the Endless Oceans? Was it some new species that had remained undiscovered until now?
Cadance held up a hoof, and silence reigned once more. When the murmurs died down, she resumed speaking. “Many of you are aware of the light that appeared in our sky over a month ago, which settled itself over Canterlot. That light was carrying a creature in it the likes of which we’ve never seen. It looks like a dragon, but it exhibits powers unknown to us. That... creature... is what attacked Canterlot.”
The voices started up again, with renewed vigor. The newsponies pressed against the line of guards at the front, shouting questions at Cadance. The crowd looked fearful at the idea of a single being that could attack Canterlot and prevail.
It took several minutes before Cadance was able to regain control over the crowd and continue her speech. “The Royal Guard stood bravely against the creature, but it was too powerful. As it is, Canterlot has been destroyed.” Anticipating the response that statement would bring, she continued speaking, amplifying her voice over the crowd.
“The attack by the creature, and subsequent destruction of Canterlot is why our Empire finds itself with so many refugee ponies. I know that in light of this news, you are fearful, unsure of what to do.” When the crowd realized that Cadance wasn’t going to wait on them, they quieted down, though there was a lot of nervous shuffling.
“We as Crystal Ponies must step up. Refugees from Equestria are already here, and more will come. It is our duty to take care of them. Already you’re doing an admirable job, making them feel welcome. I’ve spoken with ponies living in the camp and they all say that they’re being well taken care of. I ask that you continue to do so, my ponies.
“Already this city is a shining beacon to the entire Empire. Now we must make that beacon shine brighter. Let the Equestrians know that they aren’t alone in this time of turmoil. Let all of Equus know that we stand strong in the face of adversity!”
Twilight could see the crowd getting into the speech. Cadance was using the Crystal Ponies’ pride to appeal to them. Since the Crystal Empire was still relatively new after having been gone for over a thousand years, they were still establishing themselves to the other countries. An opportunity to prove themselves would be sure to get the entire Empire onboard.
“The Elements of Harmony,” she indicated Twilight and her friends, “survived the battle and have joined us here. Together with Midnight Blade, Captain of the Lunar Guard, we’ve devised a plan to drive the creature back to the stars from whence it came.”
The crowd cheered at that. The thunder of applauding hooves resounded throughout the area. Excitement ran rampant. A chance for the Crystal Empire to lead the way for not only Equestria, but all of Equus.
“This plan will take time to come to fruition, but rest assured, the creature exhausted itself attacking Canterlot. Right now, it’s sleeping at the base of the mountain, and based on intelligence we received, it will continue to do so for some time. When that creature wakes, it will face a united Equus.” Her voice was rising in excitement, the crowd getting caught up in it. “And at the forefront of the forces, we Crystal Ponies will stand tall and proud!” She thrust a forehoof into the air.
The crowd cheered. Ponies were raising their forehooves as well. The somber mood at the destruction of Canterlot was gone, replaced with excitement at the prospect of the Crystal Ponies proving themselves to the rest of the world.
Cadance smiled, looking out over the crowd, though she remained silent, allowing the excitement to ripple through the throngs of ponies unchecked..
Twilight knew what she was doing. She wanted the crowd to be as excited as possible for the last part of the speech. Right now, she hadn’t mentioned Celestia or Luna. As that blow would be the hardest one, it was best to let their spirits get high, that way they could weather the blow all the more.
It took some time, but the crowd finally calmed down. They realized that Cadance wasn’t done. They were on edge, wondering what she could possibly say now.
The smile fell from Cadance’s face, her gaze turning serious. “I have one final truth for you, and this one will be difficult, not only for me to say, but for you to hear. As always, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia value their ponies’ lives over anything else, even their own lives.”
She paused, letting a few ponies in the audience read between the lines. “The Princesses were at the front of the battle for Canterlot. It is with great sadness that I tell you that both of them were lost that night.”
A great murmur spread over the crowd, ponies trying to figure out just what she’d said, others asking for clarification. Cadance raised a hoof to call for silence.
“Fear not, for the Princesses will be back once they’ve had a chance to recover. However, until then we will have to carry on without them. I’ve spoken to Celestia herself, who has entrusted me to lead in her stead.
“I know that you’re scared and confused, but I can’t do this alone. I need each and every one of you to help me make this Empire into what it can be, what Princess Celestia wants it to be.”
Twilight looked into the crowd, seeing looks of confusion on the faces of everypony present. Others were crying at the loss of the Princesses. Most of them were still listening to Cadance. She’d instilled hope in them, now it was up to her to prove that she could follow through on that.
“I’m sure that you have many questions. I will answer what I can, but please note that there’s still a lot that is unknown, or I cannot speak about.”
As soon as she stopped speaking, the newsponies tried to leap forward. Only a blockade by the guardsponies prevented them from mobbing Cadance. They were shouting questions, the voices overlapping each other so much that Twilight couldn’t tell what any of them were saying.
She waited for Cadance to pick one pony, but they just kept shouting. Twilight looked back at Cadance, to see what was going on. The alicorn wasn’t even looking at the newsponies, instead she was glancing into the crowd.
Twilight followed her gaze, seeing the crowd parting around something, she couldn’t tell what. Whatever it was, it was approaching the steps. As a final line of ponies made way, she finally got a glimpse of what it was, and her jaw dropped.
Marching forwards were half a dozen Royal Guards, clad in their golden armor. There were two Pegasi, two Earth Ponies, and two Unicorns. All were wielding swords, the steel glinting in the sunlight.
They marched, though Twilight noticed that their movements were jerky, like they were having trouble controlling their limbs. Even the newsponies had stopped talking, facing these new arrivals. The Royal Guards stopped just behind the newsponies.
Cadance addressed them. “Guardsponies, it is good to see you survived. If you’d like, you may retire to the barracks. Once this is over, there are questions I’d like to ask you.”
Rather than respond, they just stood there. None of them even twitched, like they were statues. It was slightly unnerving to Twilight.
“Guards?” Cadance said.
Finally, as one, they opened their mouths. “We have come to deliver a message,” they said in perfect unison. Their voices sounded flat, lifeless, like there was nothing inside them, just shells.
Cadance took a step back, surprised. “What do you mean?”
“We speak for the one,” they said. “You have a choice: Join us, or die. There is no other way.”
“What do you mean by ‘us?’ Who’s ‘the one?’”
“The one who comes from the stars. It has come to save your planet, to deliver you from your pitiful existence.”
Twilight stared at the Guards ponies. Somehow, the dragon, the creature had converted them. Maybe they were survivors from that night, but right now, they were not themselves. They way they moved, the way they spoke, she believed they were being controlled by a consciousness not their own.
She’d seen something like this before, when Chrysalis had used her magic to control Shining. He’d adopted the same flat tone, the same faraway look in his eyes that these ponies now had. But as far as she knew, Chrysalis could only control one pony at a time, and it wore off after some time passed. In the time it would’ve taken these ponies to walk to the Empire from Canterlot, and they must’ve walked since somepony would have noticed them on the train, the spell would have worn off.
As one, they continued speaking. “Join us or die, there is no other choice, no other path. Should you not join us, this is the fate that awaits you.”
Before anypony could react, the lead guard, an Earth Pony, clutched her sword in her mouth, and thrust forward. The point of the sword buried itself into the throat of a shocked newspony.
There was a moment as nopony reacted. Only the newspony, who reached up, grasping the sword lodged in his throat. With a savage yank, the sword was removed, and the newspony fell over in a spray of blood.
Three things happened at once. The crowd screamed and tried to get away, but found their progress hampered by those behind them who weren’t aware of what had just happened. The six Royal Guardsponies swung their swords indiscriminately into the crowd, multiple ponies falling victim to their crazed steel. The line of Crystal Guardsponies charged forward, trying to shove the newsponies behind them and draw their weapons.
The two forces clashed. The Crystal Guard had the advantage of numbers, but they also had to safeguard the civilians. Already several of them were busy dragging away those ponies who’d been wounded. The rest were engaging the Royal Guard.
The crowd had backed away, forming a circle around the melee. With everypony being packed into the square like they were, it was impossible for them all to escape, leaving them with no choice but to get as far away as they could.
Twilight stared at the body of the newspony. Already, she could see flashbacks to that night the creature attacked. The difference being that those guardsponies who were killed by the creature didn’t leave behind a body. It had been a truly violent night, but surprisingly bloodless.
But this... This wasn’t fighting with magic, or spells. It was a fight with swords and hooves. Ponies got cut, they bled. Already the cobblestone underneath the fighters was turning crimson. Out of the ten Crystal Guards who’d jumped into the fight, three were down, but they’d taken two Royal Guard with them.
A third Royal Guard went down as a dark blur fell from the sky. Twilight could recognize Midnight. The batpony dove from above, driving her hooves into the Guard’s neck, who collapsed instantly. She rode the corpse down, using it as a platform to launch herself at another Guard, meeting him in a tangle of limbs.
Twilight could only stand there and watch things unfold. She’d been in fights before, like the Changeling army in Canterlot, but nothing like this. The Changelings were trying to harvest the ponies, so they attacked to knock them unconscious, not kill. When Twilight and her friends fought back, they did the same. She’d never killed before, so in a fight where both sides were trying to kill the other, she found herself frozen, unsure of what to do.
Next to her, her friends were watching as well. None of them knew what to do, not that it mattered much, the fight would be over soon. The Royal Guard were down half their number, not that they seemed to notice or care when one of their own fell.
Despite their jerky movements when they walked, the Royal guard were fluid in their fighting. They still had a soulless look in their eyes, and flat, expressionless faces, but their movements were precise, controlled. Each one of them handled a sword like they’d been born with it. The Crystal Guard were having trouble attacking, and even Midnight, with her obvious combat prowess, was put on the defensive, dodging attacks and landing occasional blows with her hooves.
Midnight managed to get under the guard of her opponent. Wrapping her hooves around the Guard’s neck, she brutally twisted. Twilight swore she could hear the crack of the Guard’s neck even from where she was standing.
The remaining two Guards broke off their attack. With a flurry of blades, they pushed back their opponents, giving them room to maneuver. They ran at the crowd, who screamed and tried to get away.
One of them reached into the crowd, grabbing a pony and pulling her away. The Guard held the pony by the head, her sword pressed into the pony’s neck. The other stood nearby.
The Crystal Guard was forced to hold back in the face of a hostage. If they approached, they’d risk the hostage’s life. Even Midnight kept her distance, though based on the look on her face, she wouldn’t hesitate to act as soon as she spotted an opportunity.
Twilight could only watch helplessly as the hostage struggled. With a start, she recognized the hostage: it was Swift Bloom! In the crowd, a small figure struggled. Berry was being held back by a pony Twilight didn’t recognize.
“Mommy!” The little filly cried, audible over everything else.
Swift tried to turn her head, to look at her daughter, but the Guard holding her prevented that. “Berry, stay back!” she shouted.
With the fighting now at a standstill, a hush fell over everything. The only sounds were the moans of injured Crystal Guards.
The Guard not holding Swift spoke up. “Interesting. So you put the needs of the few over that of the many. If you attacked now, you could kill both of them, yet you hold back in favor of a single life.”
Twilight wondered why the Guard’s speech patterns changed. At first they were all speaking together and referring to themselves in the first pony. Now this one was speaking alone and in third pony.
Cadance stepped forward to the end of her platform. “The life of a single pony is to be treasured, not thrown away.”
“Pathetic. I had hoped that this planet would bring me a challenge.”
That statement brought home just who was speaking. Somehow, the creature was communicating through the Guard. Right now, they were speaking directly with the creature as it lay in Canterlot.
The Guard turned his head, regarding the crowd. Berry still struggled to get to her mom, who had ceased her struggles. The other Guard had her blade pressed tightly to Swift’s throat, a thin trickle of blood running through her coat, staining it red.
“This planet will fall, just like all the others before it. Your only hope is to join me. Or end up like her.” The Guard gestured to the one holding Swift.
With an agonizing slowness, the Guard holding Swift drew her blade across the mare’s throat. The Guard continued to hold Swift up, causing the slit to gape wide, blood jetting out. Swift had a stunned look on her face, like she couldn’t believe what had just happened. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth moving but no sounds came out.
“Mommy!” Berry cried again.
Swift’s eyes roamed around, searching for something. They landed on Berry, struggling even harder against the grip holding her back. The pegasus mare smiled, her lips once again moving but still nothing came out.
The Guard holding Swift dropped her, the mare collapsing to the ground stained red with her blood. As she fell, time seemed to slow down for Twilight. Swift’s body hit the ground, laying still. The Crystal Guards only stared at what had just happened. Midnight tensed herself, preparing to launch.
Before she knew what was going on, Twilight’s world vanished in a flash of purple. She felt the familiar sensation of teleportation. With another flash, she was standing just in front of the two Royal Guards. At her hooves was Swift, her eyes staring up at the sky. The mare wasn’t breathing, the blood flowing from her wound only a trickle.
Twilight hadn’t known Swift for very long, but she knew that the mare was kind and loving. She’d taken them in during the storm, housing them, feeding them, and leading them to the city. She was a single mother whose only goal was to provide for her daughter, a daughter that she loved dearly. When granted a boon by Cadance, she’d thought not of herself, but of her daughter. She’d turned down an opportunity to stay in the palace, instead preferring to stay with her family.
Swift’s only crime had been being in the wrong place. Nopony deserved to die like that, especially not Swift. Her final smile, directed at her daughter, was still upon her lips.
Twilight looked at the two Royal Guards. No, they weren’t Guards. They were slaves of some kind to the creature. It held some sort of control over them, even going so far as to allow it to speak through them. They were once Guards, but no longer.
For the second time in her life, Twilight felt rage power through her. These two, and their compatriots, had invaded the Crystal Empire. They’d disrupted Cadance’s speech, and attacked unprovoked. They’d killed innocent ponies.
She could feel pressure building inside her. She wasn’t a violent pony. Every time one of her adventures turned into a fight, she never wanted to hurt anything. She did everything she could to avoid hurting anything, unless they left her no choice. But these two, she wanted to rip them limb from limb, and her magic flared in response.
The Guard who’d spoken found himself being lifted up, encased in a field of magic. He didn’t struggle. Twilight gripped him tight, then increased the pressure of her magic exponentially. The guard was crushed, his bones breaking. Twilight saw his spine snap, rendering him dead or paralyzed. He was no longer an issue, so she tossed him aside, his body impacting the ground, skidding across it towards a Crystal Guard, who promptly drove her sword into it, in case it wasn’t dead yet.
That just left the mare who’d killed Swift. Twilight’s vision tunneled, until she could see only the mare. A more focused magical field wrapped itself around the mare’s neck, lifting her off her hooves.
The mare didn’t struggle or choke, simply floated there. Twilight ripped the sword out of her hooves, tossing it a short distance away. She dragged the now unarmed mare towards her, bringing them face to face.
“This planet will more than challenge you,” she said. “We will stop you, this I swear.” She didn’t know if the creature was listening, but she didn’t care.
She increased her hold on the mare’s neck, until it popped with a loud crack. The mare’s body went limp. Twilight tossed it to the side, where it impacted one of the walls of a Guard post on the stairs. A smear of red spread out from the impact, the body sliding down the wall to collapse in a heap on the ground.
As soon as the body came to a rest, Twilight’s world swam back into focus. All of a sudden, her vision and hearing reasserted itself. She could see the shocked looks of the crowd, staring at her, hear the dead silence as nopony spoke.
She looked down, seeing her hooves covered in blood. Whose blood it was, she didn’t know. Reality slammed into her, her actions catching up with her mind.
Killed. She’d just killed two beings. They may have no longer been ponies, but they were once alive. They once had dreams and loves. They had families and friends who loved them. She’d ended all that in the span of a few seconds, quickly and brutally.
Nopony moved for the longest time. It was Midnight who reacted first. “Sergeant,” she ordered. “Mobilize the guard. Escort these citizens to their homes, then put everypony on full alert. There may be more of them around, and we’re going to search this city.”
Berry finally broke free of whoever was holding her. The filly ran to her mother, wrapping her hooves around Swift’s midsection. “Mommy. Mommy, please, wake up. Mommy.” Tears were falling from Berry’s eyes as she shook her mother, who lay on the ground, eyes still staring up at the sky. The filly continued to try and wake up her mom.
Twilight watched the scene, knowing that she should feel sad. But all she could feel was nothing, she was numb. Her mind tried to comprehend what had just happened. From the moment the Guards appeared, to now, only a couple of minutes had passed.
As the Crystal Guard moved around her, ushering the ponies away from the scene, Cadance herself flew down, landing next to Berry. Gently, she pried the filly away from Swift.
“No! No, Mommy!” The filly reached out towards her mother.
“I’m sorry, Berry,” Cadance said, her own eyes leaking tears. “I’m so sorry.”
Berry struggled, fighting against Cadance to get back to her mother. Cadance’s strength proved too much, as she carried Berry away, towards the palace. The filly’s cries echoed out as she cried for her mother.
Twilight felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked back to see Applejack behind her, the rest of her friends there as well.
“Come on, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “The Guard can handle things from here. We should get inside and out of their way.”
Numbly, Twilight nodded. Applejack applied gentle pressure to her back, guiding her up the stairs. The rest of her friends surrounded them. Twilight could hear Midnight taking control, barking orders to the Crystal Guard, who accepted her command.
She had no idea where Applejack was leading her, and she didn’t care. All she could think about was what had just happened, and what she had just done. Two beings were dead, by her hooves.
They may not have been ponies any longer, being controlled somehow by the dragon, but they were still living beings. Surely the control was forceful, there’s no way they would have submitted voluntarily. Rather than kill them, she should have subdued them, found a way to reverse the control. There were dozens of options that didn’t involve killing them.
Those beings who had died at the hooves of the Crystal Guard and Midnight, that was self-defense. They were attacking the crowd and the guardsponies, aiming to kill. It wasn’t ideal, but at least for those four, she could see the reason why they had to die.
But the two she’d attacked... They may have just killed Swift, but after that they didn’t fight back. they’d just been standing there, not doing anything. It would have been simple for her to knock them unconscious, or cast a sleeping spell, or bind their hooves. Instead she’d slaughtered them. She’d lashed out with her magic, using it as a tool for destruction and death.
Abruptly, she stopped, surprising her friends. Reaching up, she ran a hoof along her horn. Never before had she considered magic as a force of death. Sure it could be used for that, there were war spells and attack spells, but she’d never bothered to learn any of them. Her magic was a tool to help others, and for learning. Now that she’d taken lives with it, it felt foreign to her, like it was tainted.
Her horn glowed as she gathered as much of her tainted magic as she could. Distantly, she could hear one of her friends shouting at her, but she paid it no attention. She had to rid herself of her magic.
Pulling deep within her, she summoned all of her magic. Focusing on a vase sitting in an alcove, she unleashed her magic in a single spell, pouring everything into it. As she did, a wordless cry ripped from her throat.
With a flash, the vase was teleported away. Twilight had no destination in mind for it, only sending it as far away as she could. It was quite possible that she’d sent it into the Endless Ocean, or somewhere into the upper atmosphere. The vase was simply gone.
As soon as the spell was completed, she felt light-headed, swaying on her hooves. She would have fallen over if not for a pair of hooves supporting her. As it was, she couldn’t focus, couldn’t summon the strength to even lift a hoof to walk.
Searching inside her, she couldn’t feel any traces of tainted magic. All that was left was the magic her body used to keep itself functioning. Never before had she used this much magic, always stopping before it got this far.
Gently, she was lifted up and placed on somepony’s back, most likely Applejack. Somepony else was speaking. She tried to focus on the words.
“...used all her magic,” somepony said. Twilight tried to conjure up a name. “The poor dear is suffering from magical exhaustion. She needs to rest and eat.”
“Is she going to be okay?” another voice asked.
“She’ll be fine,” the first voice responded. “When a unicorn pushes themselves too far, they use up too much magic and exhaust themselves. They become lightheaded, lethargic. Sometimes they can pass out. It will take time, but her magic will renew itself.”
She swayed side to side as the pony she was riding walked. The gentle motions lulled her into a trance. Her eyes closed as her world rocked. Behind her eyelids, the world wasn’t black, but red. A red that dripped across her vision.
The rocking seemed to go on forever, before it stopped. She was still for a moment, before she felt herself being lowered onto something warm and soft. It was soothing, comforting. She snuggled into it, letting it take away her pain. A presence was nearby, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
All she could see was red. She wanted it to go away, but she was unable to open her eyes. She tried to summon up an image of something else, but her mind refused to obey her.
The red began to coalesce, to form images. A face appeared, becoming defined. It was the stallion she’d killed first, his dead eyes staring into her soul. His mouth moved, but no words came out. To her, it looked like he was asking her why.
A second face joined the first, this one the mare who had killed Swift. The same as the stallion, her eyes pierced, her mouth moved in sync with the stallion. Twilight tried to get rid of the faces, but they resolutely stayed.
They haunted her, tortured for. How long they were there, she didn’t know. What she was certain of, is that she’d never forget those red faces. Perfectly in sync, they spoke without a voice, condemning her for killing them.
Finally, after an eternity, the two faces melted away. Twilight thought it was over, and tried to open her eyes. Still she couldn’t, her eyes staying shut.
As the red continued to ripple, another shape started taking focus. Desperately, Twilight tried to open her eyes again, but still they refused. She didn’t want to face whatever was coming.
Another face gained focus. With growing horror, Twilight recognized this one as well. It was Swift Bloom, her eyes open and staring at nothing. A gaping slit ran underneath her chin, like the mare was smiling at her.
Twilight tried to look away from the face, but she couldn’t. Swift’s eyes were empty, lacking the light that was present in life. Her eyes appeared to be staring not at Twilight, but at her soul.
They stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Seeing those two guards had been bad, but seeing Swift was worse. It was bringing up feelings that Twilight didn’t want to acknowledge.
First and foremost was regret. She regretted that Swift was now dead. Then there was sadness and anger. She wanted to say something to Swift, something that she sincerely meant.
“I’m sorry. I failed you. I failed you. I failed you...” Twilight repeated those three words. She wanted to cry, to hold her head in her hooves, but she couldn’t. Her body wasn’t responding to her commands.
“I failed you...” she repeated.
Slowly, Swift’s face melted away, the red receding with her. All that was left was infinite blackness. Twilight floated away in the black, those three words echoing after her.
Dimly, she became aware of the sensation of something cold and wet pressed against her forehead. The darkness started getting brighter, the words fading away. There was something soft underneath her.
Once more, she tried opening her eyes. This time, they obeyed. As soon as they were open, she regretted it. The world was bright and blurry. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut and blinking rapidly.
Slowly, the world came into focus. She was staring up at a ceiling. turning her head, she could see that she was in her bedroom. It took her several tries, but she was able to sit up, propping herself against the headboard of the bed.
When she sat up, a folded washcloth fell off her head, landing in her lap with a plop. That explained the cold and wet sensation she felt.
Her motions attracted the attention of the other occupant in the room. “Oh good, you’re awake.”
She looked over, seeing Fluttershy. The pegasus had been sitting in a chair, reading a book.
“What happened?” Twilight asked. Her throat was parched, the words coming out scratchy.
Fluttershy set down her book, coming over. On the bedside table sat a glass of water with a straw in it. She picked up the glass, holding it underneath Twilight.
Using the straw, Twilight drained the glass. The smooth, cool water flooded her throat, relieving the dry sensation. She coughed a few times. “Thanks,” she said, the word coming out a lot easier and sounding more like herself.
The pegasus nodded. “You’re welcome.” She set the glass down. “As for what happened, you passed out.”
“How long have I been out?”
“Only a few hours. Rarity explained magical exhaustion to me, and I’ve been monitoring you and taking care of you.”
“Thank you, Fluttershy.” Twilight felt lucky to have a friend like her. She’d used a lot of magic before, but never had she passed out. Reaching down inside her, she felt around, feeling for her magic. Already it was renewing itself. It would take her a day to bring her levels back to normal. “What did I miss?” she asked.
Fluttershy’s head fell, her eyes roaming the floor. “It’s not good, Twilight. I... I don’t know if I can tell you.”
Twilight reached out, setting a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Fluttershy, please. I need to know.”
The pegasus sighed. “Three Crystal Guards, and six citizens died in the square, including... Including Swift Bloom. Four more ponies have serious injuries and are in the hospital. Captain Midnight took control of the Crystal Guard, organizing them into escorting citizens back to their homes.”
She paused, collecting her thoughts. “Those six... things, they weren’t the only ones. There were more of them, disguised as regular ponies. They used the chaos and confusion to attack randomly. The Guard is sweeping the entire city, trying to find anymore of them.”
Fluttershy stopped, unable to go on as she started crying. Twilight wrapped her hooves around the mare, drawing her into a hug that was fiercely returned. To know that so many ponies were dead must be devastating. Fluttershy felt for every living being, and hated the idea of death. However much Twilight was suffering, she must be suffering more.
“I’m sorry for asking, Fluttershy,” Twilight said.
The pegasus wiped at her eyes. “It’s okay. You need to know. I just don’t think I can tell you any more.”
Summoning her strength, Twilight rolled out of bed. Her legs gave out, sending her to the floor and earning a gasp from her friend.
“What are you doing?”
Struggling, she managed to stand up. “Where are the others?” she asked.
“Oh no,” Fluttershy said. Her sadness was gone, replaced with an air of authority as she cared for her friend. “You get right back in that bed and rest.”
Ignoring Fluttershy, Twilight shuffled on unsteady legs towards the door. “If you don’t tell me where to find them, I’m going looking on my own.” She tried to open the door, but her horn fizzled and sputtered. She wasn’t steady enough on her hooves to risk reaching up to open it, so she closed her mouth around the doorknob, twisting it and pulling open the door.
A yellow wing draped over her back, steadying her. “They’re in the lounge.”
Twilight nodded, setting off down the hall with Fluttershy by her side, supporting her. They made it to the lounge, where the door was open.
As soon as she walked in, Twilight saw her friends all seated on the couches. Pinkie saw her enter first, letting out a gasp and zipping over.
“Are you okay, Twilight?” she asked.
“I’m fine. I just magically exhausted myself. I’ll be back to normal tomorrow.” She’d be back to normal in the magic sense, but she wondered if she’d ever be truly back to normal. A lot had happened in the last week. She knew that she and her friends, even the entire world, had been changed.
It took her two tries, but she managed to climb up on the couch, Fluttershy sitting next to her. Looking around at her friends, she could see that they all looked tired.
“Fluttershy told me some of what happened,” Twilight said. “What’s currently being done?”
It was Rarity who spoke up. “It’s a mess, Twilight.” She sighed. “You heard about the other...” She paused, searching for the right word. “I don’t really know what to call them. They certainly aren’t ponies anymore, though they may look like ones. But thanks to them, more ponies have been killed or injured.”
“They just pop up,” Rainbow put in. “A group of ponies will be walking along, then one of them will start attacking the others. They don’t care who they hurt, just whoever’s closest. The Guard is trying to find a way to root them out, but for now, all they can do is react when one shows up.”
Applejack took her turn. “Ponies are turning against each other, friends and neighbors. The city is under Martial Law until this crisis is over. Everypony is confined to their homes, the refugees to the camp.”
“Where’s Cadance?” Twilight asked. She hoped the alicorn hadn’t hidden herself away. Now more than ever, her ponies needed to see her leading. Whatever good had come from her speech, had been undone with this attack. If anything, the city was now worse off. Cadance had a tough job ahead, pulling the city out of this.
“She’s co-ordinating things with Midnight from the War Room.”
“And... What about Berry?” The filly’s desperate cries for her mother still distantly echoed in Twilight’s mind. She’d seemed so pitiful.
Everypony’s ears drooped. “The poor darling cried herself asleep,” Rarity said. “She’s currently sleeping in a room here in the palace until this crisis is over and her grandparents can be located.”
The mood in the room was somber. Now that Twilight was up to speed, nopony had anything to talk about. What had started out as a good day, had turned into a nightmare.
No matter how hard she tried, Twilight couldn’t stop thinking about the two ponies she’d killed. She went over and over those moments in her head, trying to figure out if there was anything she could’ve done differently.
When the combat had first started, she’d stayed back. At first it had been from surprise, but then it was from practicality. She wasn’t a guard, she had no experience in combat like that. All she would do is get in the way. She might have been able to erect a shield or something here and there, but she was afraid that by helping, she would only be a distraction to the guards.
When those two final ponies had taken Swift hostage, she hadn’t acted in case they hurt Swift. She should’ve known, should’ve seen the signs that those beings had no intention of letting Swift go alive. If she had acted, then Swift would still be with them.
“Twilight,” came Fluttershy’s quiet voice from beside her. Twilight looked over, seeing the pegasus staring at her. “It’s not your fault, Twilight. There was nothing you could’ve done.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide. “What?”
“You have that look on your face, like you’re blaming yourself.” She set a hoof on her shoulder. “There wasn’t anything you could’ve done. As soon as you tried something, they would’ve killed Swift. Holding back was the best thing you could’ve done.”
“So there was no way to save her?”
“Maybe there was,” Fluttershy said. “But dwelling on that won’t do you any good. You shouldn’t beat yourself up over it.”
Twilight didn’t say anything. Perhaps Fluttershy was right, but that didn’t stop her from continuing to wonder what she could have done differently.
Hours passed in silence. It was as the sun was slipping below the horizon, the moon taking its place, that Cadance walked into the lounge.
“What’s the news?” Twilight asked.
Cadance looked like tartarus. Her mane was askew and she had bags under her eyes like she hadn’t slept in days. She sat down in a chair.
“There’s some good news. By examining some of the turned ponies, we’ve discovered a way to find them.”
“How?”
“You know how everypony has a magical signature?” At Twilight’s nod, Cadance continued. “Those ponies who have turned, their signature is just gone. It’s like whatever happened to them erased all trace of who they used to be. They may look like a pony, but they’re only shells, filled with whatever’s controlling them. If it is magic, it’s not anything we can detect.
“Fortunately, we have spells to detect a pony’s magical signature. Typically they’re used on crimes of a magical nature, to figure out who cast the spell. So we can find the... shells by scanning everypony. If no magical signature is found, then it’s not a pony. Only a few unicorns know those spells, but I’ve got every capable unicorn in the Guard leaning them. Hopefully by morning we’ll have found all the intruders.”
“That is good news,” Rarity said.
“I just wish it was all good news...”
“What do you mean?”
Cadance sighed. “I’d hoped the speech today would rally the city. It did, until the imposters showed up. Now the city is poised to tear itself apart. The Crystal Ponies blame the refugees. Nopony trusts anypony else. If I can’t get control soon, I fear what will happen.”
“Cadance,” Twilight said. “Remember what I said last night?”
“No, I remember. I’ll try my best, I just can’t help but worry.” Her gaze bored into Twilight. “Especially about you.” Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but Cadance cut her off. “Twilight, I saw what you did. There was nothing you could’ve done to save Swift. Once those monsters got their hooves on her, it was too late. As for what happened next, You can’t blame yourself. They were going to die after what they did, I just wish it had been my guard to do it, not you.”
Cadance put a hoof around Twilight. “You were put in a situation where there wasn’t a good choice, only a series of bad ones. You made the best choice you could. Who’s to say that any of the other choices would’ve been better?”
The irony of Cadance using her own words from last night against her wasn’t lost on Twilight. But, the alicorn’s words broke through, making sense to her. Over the hours, as she’d replayed the events over and over, she’d been forced to confront the fact that it was a situation where in the end, nopony would win.
Cadance was right, once Swift was a hostage, it was too late. It took time for Twilight to gather magic and cast a spell. Most likely at the first sign of a glowing horn, Swift would have been killed. If Twilight hadn’t jumped in there, the creatures might have had time to grab another pony.
No, what unfolded was the best possible outcome. That didn’t mean she had to like it, though. In her opinion, she was still too brutal on the creatures. She lost it, gave into her rage. In it, she slaughtered those two creatures. Killing them was the best thing to do, but what scared her is how she reacted.
Feeling her magic, it didn’t feel tainted to her anymore. It may have just been her imagination, but getting rid of her magic felt right. After using it to take a life, she wanted to start fresh.
Cadance looked over the assembled group of ponies. “I’ve talked with Midnight, about how this situation and about how the dragon can apparently control other ponies, affects your mission. We don’t know how the ponies are controlled, and the lack of a magical signature makes all investigation impossible. So far, we’ve been unable to capture one alive. They always fight until the end, forcing us to kill them. Maybe if we could capture one, we could examine it.
“So, in light of this new enemy, we’ve decided to postpone you leaving. Neither of us feels comfortable sending you out, even with an escort. Midnight has proposed giving you all an intensive training course on how to fight. And I agree with her.”
Immediately, everypony except Twilight started arguing.
“I... I don’t want to fight, or hurt things.”
“I can’t possibly fight, I’ll ruin my hooves!”
“I already know how to fight, so tell Midnight she can shove...”
“Fighting makes ponies sad, and I don’t want to make ponies sad.”
“Are you sure we need to learn this?”
Their voices overlapped as they each argued. Twilight was silent as she thought about it. Today had proven that even though the dragon may be asleep, it had no intention of resting. Perhaps it just wanted to sow chaos, to break morale. If so, then it had accomplished that.
One thing was for sure: their mission had suddenly become that much harder. Now they would have an enemy dogging their heels.
Swift Bloom’s face floated in front of Twilight’s eyes, her accusing stare piercing Twilight’s soul. “I failed you...” Twilight muttered. If learning how to fight meant she would never fail anypony like she had failed Swift, then Twilight was determined to learn.
“I’ll do it,” she said, her voice cutting across her friends. They all stopped arguing, looking at her. “I’ll do it. I’ll learn to fight.”
“Twilight,” Fluttershy said.
“I failed today. Swift Bloom died. It may not have been my fault, but I still failed to protect her. If learning how to fight means that other ponies won’t die, then I’ll do it. Not just for me, but for Swift Bloom, and all the ponies who’ve died. Maybe next time, I’ll be able to save somepony.”
Cadance nodded. “Good. As for the rest of you, I’m afraid I have to insist. It’s too dangerous for you to go out unprepared.” She held up a hoof, cutting off the inevitable protest. “I know you don’t want to, but I much rather you know how to protect yourselves and never have to do so, then send you out there as you are and risk losing one of you. I pray to Celestia that you’ll never have to fight, though.”
The others didn’t look happy, but they didn’t say anything either. Rainbow had her forelegs crossed over her chest while Fluttershy looked like she was about to have a panic attack. The other three were simply thinking.
“Midnight herself will be overseeing your training, which starts tomorrow. She estimates that even a crash course will take some time, though she’s not certain how long. The sooner you start, the sooner you can leave on your mission.”
That made sense to Twilight. Fighting wasn’t something you just picked up in a day or two. Her worry was that they would be wasting time training, when the dragon was doing nopony knows what. For all they knew, it could be amassing an army of its own.
No, that was dumb. Midnight was posting scouts in Ponyville. They’d know if the dragon did something.
“Cadance?” Twilight asked. “Where’s Berry?”
“She’s most likely still sleeping. I set her up in a room close to mine. A maid is watching over her until we can find her grandparents. Big Mac was kind enough to give me their address, we simply haven’t been able to retrieve them yet. We won’t be able to until we scan everypony. It’s just too dangerous to have anypony not a Guard moving through the city right now. I’m afraid she’ll have to spend the night in the palace.”
“May I see her?”
Cadance nodded. “Be quiet when you go inside. If she’s still sleeping, don’t wake her up.”
Twilight left without saying anything else. As she walked the halls towards Cadance’s room, Twilight thought about what she was going to say to Berry if the filly was awake. She honestly didn’t know what to say, only that she wanted to apologize.
She found Cadance’s room, seeing several more doors in that hallway. One of them led to Berry, she just didn’t know which one.
The first door she tried led to an empty room. The second was locked. The third and final door opened, revealing a soft light. Sitting in a chair was a maid, a book open in her lap. When the door opened, she looked up, seeing Twilight standing in the door.
Wordlessly, she put a hoof to her lips, then pointed at the bed. Twilight nodded at her, entering the room.
Berry was laying on the bed, asleep. As Twilight approached, she could see the gentle rise and fall of the filly’s chest. Her eyes were moving around rapidly behind her eyelids, indicating that she was dreaming. Twilight wished Luna was still around. If anypony deserved pleasant dreams, it was this filly.
Twilight sat on the floor at the edge of the bed. For several minutes, she just watched Berry sleep, gathering her thoughts. Finally, she took in a breath and whispered.
“I’m so sorry, Berry. I not only failed your mom, but I failed you as well. I wasn’t strong enough to protect you two.”
The filly moaned, but remained asleep. Twilight wondered what she was dreaming about. What image was floating through her mind right now?
“I know you are upset right now. I only hope that someday you’ll forgive me.” She set her hooves on the edge of the bed. “I can’t bring your mom back, but I can do something. I swear to you that I’ll do my best to defeat the one behind all this. With the Elements or an army at my back, I’ll do what I can. Not for me, but for Celestia, Luna, Shining, Mom and Dad, Swift, and all the other ponies lost.”
She felt a tear slide down her cheek, landing on the bed. “I swear, I won’t fail again. I can’t, not when the cost is this high.” Several more tears joined the first one.
Being careful not to wake her, Twilight gave the filly a soft hug. She left the room, sharing another nod with the maid.
She headed back towards the lounge. Her friends would most likely still be there. They’d need to rethink their plans now that they weren’t leaving so soon.
Her words to Berry came back. She’d only gone there to apologize to the filly. The promise had come out unexpectedly.. Yet despite her not meaning to say it, she meant what she said. It was up to her to find a way to defeat the dragon and protect the ponies.
Despite the weight of the world on her shoulders, Twilight felt a conviction she hadn’t had previously. If it was up to her, if this mission was her destiny, then she’d approach it head-on.
Entering the lounge, she saw her friends and Cadance still there. There were several plates sitting on the table.
“Twilight,” Rarity said. “We got you some food.” She indicated a still full plate. “If you’re not hungry, then that’s okay.”
“Thanks, girls.” She sat down next to Fluttershy again, silently tucking in to her meal. Her magic still wasn’t back to where she could levitate the utensils securely, so she had to settle for holding them in her hooves.
She ate in silence. Her friends chatted about what was going to happen, and what Midnight could have in store for them. Twilight wondered if it would be anything like the Guard training that Shining had gone through. If so, that was already intensive. A crash course would be brutal on them. But if that’s what it took, then she would suffer through it and learn as much as she could.
“Cadance,” Twilight spoke up. “I think it would be a good idea if both Rarity and I learn those detection spells.”
“I think so too,” she agreed. “I’ll have one of my guardsponies teach the two of you.”
Cadance excused herself to go check on Midnight, make sure the Captain had everything she needed. At this point, it was just a matter of the search teams going out and scanning everypony. It was time-consuming, and some ponies would complain about being kept up all night, but it was the only way to make sure.
One by one, the rest of Twilight’s friends excused themselves. None of them wanted to sleep, but need won out over want. It had been a long, hard day.
Twilight headed to her room. Celestia’s gem was still sitting on the bedside table. Twilight picked it up, staring into its depths.
“That promise I made Berry, I make to you as well. I doubted you and the mission you gave me, but not anymore.” She set the gem back down.
Where once she’d felt apprehension, now she only had a burning desire to see this quest through. Already this dragon had claimed too many lives. A small part of her knew that it was inevitable that more would die before the dragon could be defeated, but she was determined to save as many as she could.
Laying down in the bed, she closed her eyes. For once, only the darkness stared back, no red, no faces. As she fell asleep, she wondered whether her newfound conviction would be enough to stave off the nightmares.
Twilight woke up earlier than she had been for the last few days. Having a restless night and barely any sleep helped that. By the time the sun peeked in through the curtains, she had been lying awake for over an hour.
She didn’t remember her dreams, only that they kept her up. When her eyes were closed, she saw only darkness. Despite everything that had happened yesterday, despite watching Swift Bloom die, her mind wasn’t haunting her with visions. Yet somehow, the darkness was worse. At least a vision she could confront head on. How could she fight against the darkness? Against nothing?
She glanced over to the window, seeing the sun coming up. There was no point in trying to sleep anymore. Instead, she’d best get prepared for whatever Midnight had in store for their training.
The first order of business, she decided, was to take a shower. She hadn’t had a chance to take one after the commotion yesterday, though somepony had been kind enough to wash the blood off her hooves at least.
Standing in the shower, she felt like she could still see the blood there. Her purple hooves were stained a dark red. It was a trick of her mind, and logically she knew that. However, she still found herself trying to scrub her hooves multiple times.
Feeling only slightly refreshed, she left the bathroom, only to see Midnight standing by the doorway. “You’re awake, good.” The thestral eyed her for a moment. “Training starts today. Get a bite to eat, nothing too filling, and meet in the training circle by the barracks in half an hour.”
Twilight took a good look at Midnight. Despite the fact that the thestral most likely stayed up all night, she looked no different. Her mane was brushed, her coat was clean, and her eyes showed no signs of tension. If she even felt anything for what happened yesterday, she was hiding it well.
“Fine,” Twilight said. “I’ll be there.”
Midnight nodded, turning around and leaving.
The last thing that Twilight wanted was to go through training. Yet, she had to. No, she needed to. Yesterday had taught her that she was woefully unprepared for what was out there. Equestria was a peaceful nation, where a pony could easily live their whole life and not ever get in more than a schoolyard scrap. Fighting just wasn’t something that happened. So when it came down to it, she really had no knowledge of fighting, or desire to learn.
The other nations weren’t so peaceful. The Gryphons had a society based on fighting and military life. The Minotaurs valued strength and fighting prowess. The Zebras had rituals that combined dancing and sparring. Outside Equestria, the world was a violent place. She, and her friends, needed to be prepared for that. They needed to know how to defend themselves.
But more than that, they needed to know how to protect others. Knowing how to fight allowed them to keep others safe. The entire reason the various Guard branches learned to fight was not so they could go out and be aggressors, but so they could defend the ponies of Equestria.
The thought of going out and purposefully hurting others was anathema to Twilight. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. But she knew that there would come a time when someone else would be in danger, and she would need to know what to do, how to react.
She left her room, heading for the dining hall. The castle was quieter than usual, an air of barely contained chaos pervading everything. The entire city was still on edge from what happened the day before. Servants were looking over their shoulders as they worked, eyeing each other with distrust.
Ponies were still suspicious of their neighbors, their coworkers. They were afraid that they would suddenly turn on them, try to kill them.The situation needed to be gotten under control, and soon. Cadance certainly had a lot of work to do in a very short amount of time.
Twenty minutes, and a bowl of oats later, she was sitting calmly in the dirt alongside the training circle. While her stomach protested at the lack of food, Twilight decided it was wise to heed Midnight’s caution about a light breakfast. None of her other friends were there yet, and Midnight was missing as well.
Looking around idly, she noticed that the Crystal Empire’s guard barracks were different in terms of layout from the ones in Canterlot. Here, the training grounds were open to public viewing, with only a small fence surrounding it. Anypony walking past could see the guardsponies on the field, practicing with training dummies, running the track, or fighting in the circle.
Most of the ponies walking past didn’t spare the field a glance. They hurried along towards their destinations. Not that Twilight blamed them, the entire guard was mobilized right now, so she was the only one on the field.
Finally, she caught sight of several approaching ponies. Applejack and Rarity were walking across the field.
“Morning, Twi,” Applejack said. Rarity just mumbled something, looking like she was still half asleep. But somehow her mane was as pristine as ever.
“Good morning, AJ, Rarity,” Twilight responded.
They sat next to her, waiting. “Twilight, darling,” Rarity said. “Surely Shining told you about the training he went through. Was it horrible? Will we be subjected to the same grueling experience?”
“Shiny told me some about the training once when he was home on a break. It’s difficult, but it’s designed to be. Being a guardspony isn’t for the weak, so the training eliminates those who aren’t cut out for it. As for what we’ll be going through, I have no idea. Guard training is a long process, taking months to years. We don’t have that kind of time.”
“But surely you have a theory.”
Twilight sighed. She did have several theories, none of them pretty. Rarity looked like she’d been panicking and dreading this morning all night. So, rather than say anything, Twilight opted to comfort her friend.
“Rarity, we’re short on time, so I don’t think there’s much to worry about.”
The fashionista didn’t look convinced, but nodded her head. “If you say so.”
The three lapsed into silence, waiting for the others to show up. Pinkie and Fluttershy arrived a minute later, with Midnight flying in just after. Her slitted eyes surveyed the gathered ponies.
“Anypony seen Rainbow?” she asked. Twilight and the others shook their heads. “Well then, I guess we’re starting without her.”
Midnight walked into the center of the circle and stood facing them. “Princess Cadance wants me to teach you all how to defend yourselves. We had a long discussion about it yesterday, and the decision was made. We still have no idea what the dragon is capable of, so we need to be prepared for anything.”
A sudden wind kicked up the dirt, sending everypony coughing. When it cleared, Rainbow could be seen sitting at the end of the line, slightly panting, but otherwise looking like she’d been there the entire time.
“You’re late,” Midnight said, fixing the pegasus with a glare.
“It’s one minute past time,” Rainbow protested.
“You are late,” Midnight repeated. Rainbow opened her mouth to say something, but a raised hoof cut her off. “I’m sure you have a long list of excuses,” she continued, “but I’m not interested in hearing them. Instead, know this. Being late will absolutely not be tolerated. Do it again, and you’ll find yourself running the track until I say stop. Do it again after that, and you’ll be running the track with weights on. Clear?”
Rainbow didn’t say anything, prompting Midnight to repeat herself. “I said, clear?”
The muttered response was enough to satisfy the thestral. “I’m sure none of you really want to be here right now. Only guard recruits come willingly to the grueling experiences here on the training grounds. Elements of Harmony or no, you’re still ponies who are probably not at all ready for such an intense regimen. Still, the six of you are the most important ponies in the world and that paints some rather large targets on your backs. This means you’re going to have to learn some basic combat skills in order to protect not only yourselves, but those around you.
“We’ve already seen the dragon can control others. How? We don’t know, entirely. What we do know is that the guardsponies who attacked the city yesterday, and all of the ponies who surfaced afterwards, were all present at the battle outside Canterlot. According to your own testimony, you are the only survivors of that battle. So something else is going on.”
Twilight gasped, her mind connecting the dots. She’d assumed that the guardsponies were stationed elsewhere and the dragon had gotten to them somehow. Yet if they were at Canterlot, then there was no way they survived. The guard there had been wiped out to a pony by the fireballs.
She remembered clearly that the fireballs had left nothing behind, no body, no lock of mane, nothing. If now those ponies were out and walking around under the control of the dragon, then there was more to the magic involved than just fire.
Midnight was correct in that they knew nothing about the dragon. Its magic couldn’t be detected the way unicorn magic could. It was an entirely new being. They desperately needed to understand it, to learn about it. The information about the guardsponies brought forth two theories in Twilight’s mind: The first being that the fireballs didn’t kill the ponies, instead the explosion of power transported them somewhere else, where the dragon simply overrode their magical signature with its own. The second, and more terrifying theory, was that the fireballs killed the ponies, and that the dragon injected its own magic to bring them back to life not as puppets, but as an extension of itself.
Her friends showed mixed looks of confusion and comprehension. Some of them, like Rarity, seemed to get it, while others, like Rainbow, didn’t.
“Before we begin training,” Midnight said. “I need to assess what each of you knows. I need to identify your strengths and weaknesses. To that end, you’re each going to take a test.”
Rainbow groaned, her hoof hitting her face. “A test, really?”
Midnight nodded. “A test. But don’t worry, it’s easy.” She gestured to the circle. “You’re each going to fight me, one at a time.”
Everypony spoke up, each voicing their displeasure at Midnight’s test. Even Twilight was unsure. How would fighting show Midnight anything? None of them were trained, except Rainbow who’d taken some lessons in hoof-to-hoof combat from an old ex-guardspony.
Midnight held up a hoof again, waiting until it got quiet. “Normally, I’d run ponies through a series of tests, but we don’t have that kind of time. So this is the expedited version.”
She walked up to the edge of the circle. “Normally during a spar like this, there’d be rules. However, this is a special situation. I want all of you to not hold back. Twilight, Rarity, you may use your magic. Fluttershy, Rainbow, you can use your wings. Pinkie, Applejack, don’t hold back your strength. If you don’t go all out, I can’t accurately gauge your skills. Don’t worry about hurting me. You fight me until you can’t, I call an end to the fight, or you take me out.”
She moved back into the circle, taking up a position halfway between the middle and the edge. “There’s no ringouts, there’s no forbidden areas to hit. There’s only you and me, fighting. Twilight,” Midnight called. “You’re up first.”
Hesitantly, Twilight stood up. She knew that guardsponies sparred all the time, it was a way to practice their skills against another live opponent, against somepony who could think and react. Somewhere in her mind, she knew that sooner or later they’d be sparring, but she had just thought they’d learn something first.
She entered the circle, taking up a position across from Midnight. The thestral had lowered her stance, wings primed and ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Twilight had recognized it as a stance designed to allow maximum potential, with as little openings as possible, from one of Shining’s books she snuck a look at once. She could go any direction, including up into the air, nearly instantly. As a seasoned guard, her reflexes would be superb.
All of Twilight’s knowledge of fighting came from books she’d read. Most of them didn’t go into much detail about stances and positioning. Instead, she simply stood, eyeing Midnight.
“Oh, and one more thing before we begin,” Midnight said. “I’m not just testing you on your offensive skills, but your defensive as well. To that end, I will be trying to hit you.” She paused a moment, allowing that to sink in.
Twilight felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Midnight was easily one of the best fighters in all of Equestria. It was she who had gone head to head against a large drake a couple of years ago when it had breached Equestria from the Dragonlands and attacked, and emerged victorious. Hopefully she’d be holding back, or else this fight would be over in seconds.
“Begin,” Midnight said.
For a second, neither of them even blinked. Midnight was waiting for Twilight to make the first move, while Twilight simply tried to figure out what to do. She had never learned any offensive magic, though some of her normal spells could be used to hinder the Captain. To make matters worse, she quickly concluded that she stood no chance against Midnight in hoof to hoof combat. It would be imperative that she keep the thestral at a distance, or she would lose instantly.
Twilight ignited her horn and attempted to grab on to Midnight. If she could get ahold of the thestral telekinetically, then it would be easy to keep her away. However, as soon as her horn lit up, Midnight darted away to the left.
Twilight tried to follow her, but she was too fast. The captain circled around, then dove at Twilight’s side. The telekinesis spell she was powering quickly found a different target. She gathered the magic, condensed it into a small point, and used that to grab onto her own tail, pulling her away from the dive.
Midnight shot past Twilight, who suddenly realized the thestral wasn’t messing around. If she’d hit at that speed it would have hurt, a lot. If Midnight was holding back, Twilight didn’t want to know what would happen if she went all out.
Distantly she heard her friends gasp, but she forced them out of her mind, willing herself to remain focused. Midnight was already banking back around. However, with the tight turn she bled a lot of speed and Twilight was now able to track her.
Gathering more magic, she pushed down on Midnight’s back, driving her towards the ground and keeping the thestral from completing her turn. It didn’t work as well as she’d hoped. The thestral still rode the push and landed on her hooves alongside Twilight. If she hadn’t pushed when she did, Midnight would have pile drived her.
Before Twilight could even think to step away, Midnight had already turned and launched at her. Hooves wrapped around Twilight’s neck, pulling down then tossing her to the side. She hit the ground, not hard enough to drive the air out of her lungs, but hard enough to cause her to gasp.
She scrambled up just in time to get a hoof in her side, and a second one colliding with her cheek. She collapsed onto the ground again under the force of the blows. Desperate to get Midnight away from her, she sent out a pulse of energy, blasting Midnight back.
Her side throbbed where she was hit, and her cheek was on fire. She didn’t taste blood, so she couldn’t be hitting that hard. But Twilight was pretty sure she’d be feeling it in the morning.
Still, she couldn’t let the pain distract her. Already the thestral had recovered and was closing in again.
Twilight performed a rapid teleport, appearing behind Midnight, who launched a hoof at somepony who was no longer there. Rather than lose her balance, the captain moved with the hit, rolling with her momentum and coming out still standing.
Summoning her magic again, Twilight waited for Midnight to make a move. She didn’t cast any spells, but simply kept it formless and ready for anything.
The batpony stared at her for a moment, before once again darting off. She circled right this time, diving again with a repeat of her first move.
This time, Twilight used a different tactic. She caused a small burst of light to appear in front of Midnight, temporarily blinding her and allowing the unicorn to avoid the hit.
Thus began a dance that lasted for several more minutes. Midnight would come in for an attack and Twilight would try to nudge her off course just enough to miss, or she would narrowly dodge the hit. They were at an impasse, Midnight not being able to hit Twilight, and Twilight knowing that she didn’t stand a chance against the Captain. But she was still determined to last as long as possible.
Finally, Midnight stopped, coming to rest on the ground. Twilight kept some magic in her horn, but the thestral made no move. “Attack me,” Midnight said. “Stop dodging and actually hit me.” Her stance lowered, getting ready. “We’re not here to dance. Unless you try to attack, things will get ugly.”
She launched herself straight forward, instead of to the side like usual. Even with the gathered magic, Twilight almost didn’t react in time. Acting purely on instinct, she erected a shield around her.
Midnight didn’t have any time to react, even with her reflexes. She hit the shield, bouncing off and spiraling away. For just a moment, her guard was down and she was vulnerable to attack as she regained control.
Twilight watched her trajectory. Midnight’s hooves skidded through the dirt, leaving small furrows before she launched once more.
This time, Midnight turned abruptly with the force from her takeoff instead of banking. She then came to a quick landing a few paces from Twilight. “Why won’t you fight?”
“I am fighting,” Twilight said.
“No, you’re defending. Right there you had the perfect moment to attack. I was completely open. Yet you just watched me. Why?”
“I...” Twilight trailed off. Why didn’t she attack? The entire fight, she’d only been making sure that Midnight stayed away from her. Her side and cheek still smarted from those two blows. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Midnight walked slowly up to Twilight. When she was standing in front of her, the Captain reached out, grabbed Twilight’s neck and threw her down. She straddled Twilight’s back, one hoof wrapped around her neck and applying pressure.
Twilight’s neck was at a very uncomfortable angle and it was difficult to breathe. “I’m taking it easy on you, you know,” Midnight said. “I have no qualms about injuring you.”
“Hey! You can’t do that!” Rainbow yelled. She and Applejack were up and coming over towards them.
Midnight looked over at them, her next words stopping them in their tracks. “That goes for all of you. If you won’t fight, then I’m going to show you just how ugly I can be, how ugly things will get when you’re fighting real enemies.” She shot them both a fierce glare. “Now sit back down, all of you.”
She leaned over Twilight, bringing her mouth right by her ear. The increased weight pressed her muzzle into the dirt. “Do I make myself clear?” Twilight was silent, still trying to get a decent breath, prompting Midnight to speak again. “Answer me!”
“I get it,” she managed to get out. The weight on Twilight’s back disappeared and she stood up, snorting dirt out of her nostrils.
Midnight had moved away several steps. “Fight me like you mean it. If you won’t fight me to save yourself, then you’d best imagine that I’m threatening your friends.” She stared at Twilight for a moment. “Whatever you have to do to convince yourself to fight, do it. Otherwise I will stop holding back, and this fight will end when you can no longer stand up.”
Twilight prepared herself, gathering magic in her horn. She didn’t want to fight Midnight, she didn’t want to hurt her. But, she didn’t want to fail, either.
Yesterday she’d failed, and Swift Bloom had died. Berry Fields was now left without a mother or father, an orphan because of her failure. If the price of that was watching other ponies suffer and die on her account, then she was not about to let it happen again.
She wanted to learn how to defend others, and the first step along that path, according to the captain, was fighting her. Twilight wasn’t sure how this would accomplish her goal, but she’d see it done, if Midnight said so.
They took their places on the field once again and faced each other. However, this time, she didn’t wait for Midnight to attack. Instead, she fired off a spell as soon as the match began. It was a simple bolt of kinetic energy, designed to apply force to an object without using telekinesis. Rather than wrapping an object in a magical field for motion, it simply applied a single, directional force. The bolt sped towards Midnight, who was in the middle of taking off. The captain, unable to dodge in time, turned her side towards the bolt. She took the impact on her midsection and moved with the force. Her hooves slid in the dirt slightly, but she remained on her hooves.
In rapid, succession, Twilight launched a dozen bolts. She thought back to the snowball fight outside Swift’s home, where she purposefully missed with some snowballs in order to direct her opponent where she wanted them to go. She applied the same theory here with the bolts, to restrict Midnight’s movements to where she wanted her to go.
Unlike the snowballs, Twilight didn’t bother restricting the number of bolts. Dozens of pieces of magic went flying at Midnight.
Midnight quickly flared her wings, kicking up a cloud of dust and obscuring Twilight’s vision of her. She squinted, trying to see through the cloud. Then a shape darted out, coming at her left side.
Three more bolts went at the shape, and Twilight performed a rapid teleportation to her right. Midnight missed her lunge, not that it inconvenienced her at all. She recovered almost instantly, her head whipping around as the flash of Twilight’s teleportation spell also revealed where she was. She spun in the air and continued the charge, already coming at Twilight before she even had her hooves steady from the teleport.
Twilight threw out several more bolts, each of which Midnight dodged. Once again, Twilight was forced to think fast and dive out of the way. She berated herself for not having another teleportation spell ready. The captain was too fast and able to dodge simple kinetic bolts. Twilight was going to have to think of something more potent to win the fight.
She got to her hooves just in time to get knocked right back off. Midnight had changed direction faster than she’d anticipated, again. The Captain’s hooves drove into her side, knocking the wind out of her.
They fell over, Midnight on top of Twilight, who was already struggling to breathe. A hoof jammed into her stomach and she nearly lost the oats she had for breakfast. In close quarters like this, Midnight was going to win. Twilight needed to get away.
She unleashed a wave of magical energy, blasting Midnight off her and away. Flaring her wings to land safely, the Captain graced the dirt for only an instant, flapping and traveling just over the ground at Twilight.
Twilight didn’t even bother trying to stand up, instead she put up another shield. This time, Midnight was ready and quickly maneouvered her hooves in front of her so she could drive them into the shield.
The shield held strong, keeping Twilight encased inside its protective bubble. Midnight slid down the outside. It would have been comical in a different situation. The Captain’s face betrayed nothing of what she must be thinking while Twilight bought time to think of something.
Midnight was fast and agile. She used her speed to quickly close the distance to her opponent and engage them in close quarters. That speed also carried over into her swings, as her strikes were relentless.
Twilight felt a twinge in her magic as Midnight struck the shield again. She couldn’t keep this shield up forever; eventually she’d exhaust herself while letting her opponent just sit there. Now was the time to act.
She gathered more magic, crafting a spell while still holding her shield. She had a plan for when she dropped the shield. If she did this right, she’d have a split second to release her spell before Midnight was on her. In that second, she was going to finish the fight, one way or another.
When the magic was ready, she released her hold on the shield. It flickered, and in that moment, Midnight dived for her while she let her spell loose. It took a split second for the spell to take effect, and in that time, the Captain’s hoof found its target.
A veil of darkness descended on the field, one that Twilight could see through but left everypony else blind. In the back of her mind, Twilight registered her friends shouting out in alarm, but her main focus was on Midnight.
The bat pony blocked her entire vision. With her focus just barely coming off her spell, she was unable to move in time before Midnight struck her. An intense pain erupted through her horn, blinding her to everything as she collapsed.
A unicorn’s horn was both a strength and a weakness. It was very sensitive to touch. Right now, Twilight’s horn felt like it was on fire. Going for her horn was a low blow for Midnight, but also a good tactical move. There was a reason most unicorns didn’t let anypony, outside of a select few, touch their horn.
As Midnight struck Twilight’s horn, it caused her to lose all concentration. While she had gotten her darkness spell off, it was of little use now as all she could think of was the pain.
Twilight staggered, unable to gather her bearings as her head swam. A sudden weight drove her to the ground, but instead of hitting just dirt, she was against something softer. However, a pressure appeared around her neck that was anything but soft. It cut off her air, causing her to panic and flail.
The hoof on her horn flew off roughly as she flailed. Her vision slowly swan back in. The darkness spell was still active, but fading. Midnight had a hoof around her neck, pressing down enough to where she was gasping for air. Her other hoof found its way the side of Twilight’s head. “You’re dead,” Midnight said.
The thestral loosened her grip just a bit. “From here I can break your neck if you twitch.” She let Twilight go, who breathed deep, trying to fill her lungs with air, and get rid of the lingering pain.
They stood up as the darkness lifted completely. Her friends had been unable to see what had happened, so they looked concerned. Applejack was asking aloud what was going on. However, Midnight ignored her.
“You fought well, Twilight,” Midnight said. She gestured over to her friends. “Go sit, recover,” she continued “Applejack! You’re up.”
Twilight shakily walked over to her friends, taking a seat as the farmer stood up and took her place. “What happened, Twilight? Did you win?” Rainbow asked.
“No, I didn’t,” she responded, wiping a few tears from her eyes. “I lost.” Her head hurt, her side hurt, and she was still having to take deep lungfuls of air. Midnight was a very skilled fighter, so she’d never expected to win, though once she found her dedication, she certainly tried. The level of violence she’d just participated in... It was nothing like she dreamed, and they were just getting started.
Fluttershy came over. “Let me take a look at you.”
“Thanks, Fluttershy, but I’m fine. She didn’t hit that hard.” Her tone was flat and she refused to meet her friend’s no doubt worried gaze.
The pegasus gazed at her in silence for a moment, but backed off. In truth, the worst physical pain was from her horn, but what hurt worse was that she’d lost. The rest of the blows were hard, they would most certainly bruise. Midnight was fighting at just the right level.
Twilight watched her friend face off against the Captain. This would be an intense fight. There was a strong chance that either Applejack, Midnight, or both of them would get hurt, as the fight would take place almost entirely at close quarters. Midnight had speed, but Applejack was powerful. All those years of apple bucking meant she could kick hard and with precision. Midnight would have to be on the defensive against those strikes.
“You sure about not holding back?” Applejack asked skeptically.
Midnight nodded. “I am,” she confirmed, lowering her stance. “Begin.”
They both sat there, waiting for the other to make the first move. After several moments, Midnight moved. She darted towards one side, just like she had with Twilight.
Applejack spun, lining up her hooves for a kick. Midnight ducked, sliding around the hooves and landing three rapid hits on Applejack, which the farmer didn’t even seem to feel. Instead, she struck out with her front hoof, which glanced off Midnight’s side.
Rather than move away and continue charging, Midnight stopped, staying close to Applejack. That was a smart move. Midnight had already figured out that Applejack relied on those powerful kicks to do the most damage.This way, staying in close and face to face, the captain reduced the chance she’d be facing the buck.
The two ponies traded blows, Applejack landing only one for every three that Midnight did. It was fierce, with neither of them backing down. Midnight’s blows were quick, but they lacked enough power for a pony as tough as Applejack to be phased by them. On the other hoof, Applejack’s hits were strong, but slow and predictable. Midnight was able to dodge them with ease.
It seemed Applejack was holding her own against the captain, which was impressive for somepony who didn’t know how to fight properly. However, it was quickly becoming all too clear that the blows Midnight continued to land were beginning to take their toll. Even Applejack had a limit to how much abuse her body could take.
Finally, after several minutes, of furious exchange, Midnight got the upper hoof. Applejack faltered, allowing the thestral to get a firm hold on the farmer, lifting her up and driving her hard into the dirt. She followed that up by twisting Applejack’s foreleg behind her back, pinning and putting strain on it.
Applejack struggled, until Midnight put more pressure on her leg, increasing the pain the farmer must be feeling. “You’re done,” Midnight said.
She let Applejack go, who got up cautiously. As soon as the leg that had been twisted came into contact with the ground, she winced, but stood on all four legs, albeit shakily. Panting gasps marked her breathing. It took her a moment to recover before she managed to walk off the field.
“Rarity,” Midnight called out. “You’re next.”
Twilight expected the fashionista to argue, to proclaim that she wasn’t a fighter, that fighting was dirty or maybe give some other excuse. Instead, to the unicorn’s surprise, she simply stood up, brushed herself off, and walked into the ring.
When she got into position, she eyed Midnight. She didn’t say anything, just stood there.
The thestral seemed to sense something and she cocked her head to the side. Twilight could see a slight smile on her muzzle. “Are you ready?”
Rarity planted her hooves and gave a small nod, still not saying anything. She had a look of determination in her eye that, to Twilight, was out of place. How was it that she was ready to fight?
Midnight lowered her stance. “Begin.”
Rarity’s horn lit up as she aimed a small cloud of dust at Midnight. It was a dirty tactic, trying to blind her opponent like that, but Twilight understood completely, having used a similar tactic with the darkness spell. One thing that Shining had taught her was that if you could gain an advantage in a fight, do so..
Midnight’s reaction time was still impeccable and she quickly raised a forehoof to protect her eyes. But, when her hoof lowered, Rarity was already moving. Another cloud of dust went flying at the Captain, who dodged it this time instead of blocking it.
Rarity continued to distract Midnight, aiming dust at the thestral’s eyes while she dug into her mane with her magic. Several small shapes, encased in Rarity’s blue aura, appeared out of the well-groomed coiffure. Twilight couldn’t see what they were, only that they glinted in the sunlight.
Taking only a moment to be sure of her aim, Rarity sent the half dozen objects at Midnight. They flew quickly, cutting through the air and flashing as they zipped towards their target. They looked like little mirrors, catching the sunlight and throwing it back.
Midnight managed to dodge half of them, but the remaining three struck her, where they embedded themselves in her flesh. She showed no sign of pain, instead taking advantage of the fact that Rarity was no longer shoving dirt at her to try and close the distance.
The objects that had missed Midnight came zooming back. They buried themselves in her flank while at the same time, another cloud of dust hastily made it’s way towards her. Midnight ignored the attack, continuing her charge at Rarity.
Rarity tried to move out of the way, but she was too slow and Midnight got her in a hold. They both fell over, Midnight landing on top and repeating what she did with Applejack: twisting the hoof above her head.
Instead of giving up, Rarity’s horn lit up again. Several more objects came out of her mane, which began to lose its shape. Midnight was forced to release Rarity and dodge as the pins darted at her face.
Rolling in the dirt, Rarity stood up. Even more objects, which Twilight now understood were mane pins, joined the few that had already been sent at Midnight, hovering in the air next to Rarity. Rarity’s mane was a mess, the usual mass of pins no longer holding it up.
Sending another cloud of dust at Midnight, Rarity also broke the pins into two groups, sending one at the Captain’s left, the other at her right side. Midnight, faced with an attack on three sides, finally took to the air.
The dust cloud passed under her, but the two groups of pins changed direction, still following her. Midnight soared away, a glowing cloud of small pins chasing after her.
The skill with which Rarity controlled the individual objects was amazing to watch. Most of the pins followed Midnight in a large group, but a few would break off, trying to cut off the thestral. Occasionally Midnight would have to spiral out of the way.
Rarity chased Midnight around, using the pins to make sure she couldn’t get closer. Each time she tried to fly in close, the pins would form a defensive screen that Midnight couldn’t risk plowing through.
As the fight went on, Twilight noticed that Rarity wasn’t moving much, no more than a step or two in any direction. Once the thestral had taken flight, the fashionista had stayed still. Twilight wasn’t sure this was a good idea, giving Midnight a stationary target, and time to plan something. Rarity should be moving around.
After several minutes, Midnight changed her tactic. She would slow down, and let the pins catch up. Then, once a couple had sunk themselves into her skin, she’d take off again.
Twilight wondered what she was doing. With a start, she saw that the number of pins was steadily declining. Midnight was forcing Rarity to use up her stock of pins, running her out so she could get in and attack. She hoped Rarity would notice soon.
It seemed to dawn on Rarity what Midnight was up to, as she withdrew the pins, keeping them close to her. Midnight circled her, darting in and out, testing the shield. Wherever she got close, Rarity would form up the pins. If Midnight darted inside, she risked taking a pin to her eye.
Their duel of precision lasted for a few seconds longer before Midnight darted straight into the pins. Instead of pulling back as they formed up, she raised a hoof in front of her eyes and plowed forward. She couldn’t see, but she was also safe from being blinded. Several pins dug themselves into her hoof, another into her cheek.
Colliding with Rarity, Midnight grabbed her horn. Twilight winced, having just gone through the same thing. She watched as the remaining pins dropped to the dirt as Rarity lost her concentration with a painful grimace.
One twist later, and Rarity was defeated. The entire duel had lasted no more than a couple minutes. It had been a short fight, but an intense one. Rarity lay in the dirt, still in too much lingering pain to stand up. Midnight got to her hooves without any issues.
While Rarity recovered, Midnight brought her head up to her side, biting down and removing a pin. A single drop of blood fell from the glinting metal and into the dirt. She showed no sign of pain, despite there being at least two dozen, if not more, pieces of metal sticking in her.
“Interesting tactic, using the pins,” Midnight said. In the space of a minute, Midnight repeated the procedure. Each time she grasped a pin with her teeth and pulled it out. There were several in her face, for these ones, she grasped them with a hoof, removing them. In this time, Rarity tried to stand once, but her shaking hooves prevented that.
When Rarity had recovered enough to stand up, she looked at the pins. Gingerly taking them in her magic, she didn’t put them back in or fix her mane. Instead, she walked back over to the others, covered in dirt and laying the pins next to her.
“Um, Rarity? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked. The pegasus moved hesitantly closer.
She sat down. “I’m... fine,” she said shakily. “I’m a mess. I’m in desperate need of a shower and a brush.” She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. “But, I’m fine.”
Twilight could tell that she was anything but fine. She was shaking and steadfastly refusing to look down at herself. Her resolve was winning out over her desire to be a proper mare, but for how long? Twilight could imagine, all too vividly, her breaking down at some point and making a break for the castle. That same determination she showed before the fight transforming into wanting to get cleaned up.
Midnight regarded Rarity, curiosity on her face. “You fight with conviction. I must admit, I didn’t expect that from you.”
The fashionista’s mouth moved. It looked like she was chewing. Several times she started to say something, then stopped. “I... I’m not doing this for you, if that’s what you want to know.” She wasn’t looking at Midnight, or anypony. Instead, she was looking at the ground. Her voice was quiet. “Not even for the Princess, or even for my friends. I’m doing this for Sweetie Belle.”
The thestral chuckled. “Excellent.” Her eyes roamed over all of them. “Take note of Rarity, she has the right mindset.
“Fighting to safeguard the world is impossible. You lose all sense of perspective. Instead, you should pick one pony, one pony that you absolutely cannot live without, and each time you fight, you are fighting to protect that pony. You understand that if you lose, then you have failed to protect that pony. So you fight, and you win, because you’re not fighting for yourself.”
She gazed at each one of them in turn as she continued speaking. “This will give you focus, it will keep you strong against all odds. It puts a face on the price of failure: if you lose, you’ve failed to protect that pony.
“You may not realize it yet, but when you fight there will be a drive to win. You want to win to keep this pony safe. When you fight for somepony else, somepony other than yourself, you can overcome anything.”
The thestral paused. “I had meant to go over this later, but Rarity’s brought it up. Just remember that there’s no greater motivator than to protect those that you hold dear.”
Twilight caught something in Midnight’s speech. Her tone changed at the end. It gained a slight somber edge to it. Her face betrayed nothing, but it seemed to the unicorn that the captain had some experience with what she was saying. She wondered who Midnight fought for.
Midnight looked straight at Rarity, who had a look of determination on her face. “You’ve already chosen your pony.”
“It wasn’t a choice,” Rarity said. She took in a deep breath, letting it out in a rush of air. “I couldn’t sleep last night, so I watched her instead. As she lay there, I... I just knew. I knew that she was counting on me to keep her safe. If I have to get dirty, to learn how to fight, to keep her safe, then I’ll do it.” Her words were at first hesitant, but by the end there was a conviction that everypony present could feel.
Twilight thought about that. She went into the fight not wanting to fail, certainly. That had been her motivation. Yet she’d lost track of things. Instead of motivating her to win, it confused her, caused her priorities to be misplaced.
To fight for a single pony... Who did she care about enough to fight for? Almost everypony she knew and loved was already gone, from her parents to Shining to Celestia. Cadance and Spike were still alive, as were her friends. But who was the one pony she couldn’t live without? She didn’t know, there wasn’t anypony more important than her friends now.
Midnight was sitting in the circle, seeming to take a moment to recover herself. She’d just fought three opponents in a row without a break in between, yet she was barely even breathing hard.
“Fluttershy, your turn.”
“Hey now, wait a minute,” Rainbow said. “There’s no way Fluttershy can beat you. No offense, ‘Shy.”
Midnight looked over at Rainbow. “None of your three friends have managed to beat me. Beating me isn’t the point, showing me what you can do, is.”
“Rainbow, it’ll be all right,” Fluttershy broke in. “Everypony else has fought, so it only makes sense for me to do it as well.”
“‘Shy?” Rainbow asked.
Fluttershy didn’t respond. Instead she stood up, walking into the circle. Twilight could tell that she had shaky legs, as she wobbled just a bit. But she never wavered from her path.
When she got to the spot she was supposed to start at, she stood, looking at Midnight. The thestral didn’t even bother asking if she was ready, instead she lowered her stance. “Begin.”
She sprinted straight at Fluttershy, who stood her ground. Twilight watched in horror as the captain swung her hoof full speed at her friend. Fluttershy let out a startled sound, dropping to the ground and covering her head with her hooves.
Midnight halted her charge, skidding in the dirt and nearly colliding with the pegasus. When she didn’t feel anything, Fluttershy peeked her head out. “You’re not going to fight, are you?” Midnight asked.
Fluttershy nodded. “I won’t fight.”
“Even if your friends’ lives depends on it? Even if all of Equestria is counting on you?”
“Yes.”
Midnight lowered her hoof, setting it on the ground. “Why?”
“Because fighting is wrong. I know why you do it, and why we need to learn it, but it’s still wrong. I won’t fight,” she repeated.
“Why won’t you fight? I want to know your reasons.”
Fluttershy pawed at the ground. “Fighting hurts others. Not just ponies, but other beings as well.”
“It also protects them.”
The pegasus nodded. “It does. But that doesn’t mean everypony needs to do it.”
Midnight regarded Fluttershy. “You’re here to learn how to fight.”
“No,” Fluttershy countered. “I’m here to learn how to help others. There’s a difference.”
“If you won’t fight, why should we take you along? You’ll only get in the way and be a burden.”
“Applejack,” Fluttershy said, her usually soft voice hard and determined. “Please, let me handle this.”
Twilight was surprised at Fluttershy. She knew that the pegasus wouldn’t want to fight, but since the rest of them were doing it, she’d go along with it. Apparently Rarity wasn’t the only one to do some thinking last night. She wondered how much sleep any of them got.
“I may not want to fight, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be a burden,” Fluttershy insisted. “I’m good at taking care of animals, and with some practice I can use that to help heal ponies. You talk about fighting, but what about when you get hurt? Somepony needs to help you. And that pony can be me.”
Midnight regarded Fluttershy. “So a medic. But even guard medics know how to defend themselves, it’s required. Are you willing to at least learn self-defense?”
The pegasus shook her head. “No. I won’t bring harm to another.”
“It’s not harming another, it’s self defense.”
“No. Even if I start with that, where do I draw the line? It’s all or nothing, and I choose nothing.”
“Is there nothing I, or anyone else, can do to convince you? What if Cadance gave you a direct order?”
“I. Will. Not. Hurt. Anypony.” The conviction in her tone was strange to hear.
“I had a feeling this is what would happen.” Midnight nodded her head slowly. “One final question. If I were to start fighting you, would you just stand there and take it?”
Twilight heard somepony next to her gasp. She didn’t think Midnight was being serious about beating up on Fluttershy, but she wasn’t sure, either.
Fluttershy’s stance became defensive, her legs tensing in preparation to bolt, but still, she nodded.
“Fine,” Midnight said. “Go sit down. Pinkie, you’re next.”
The pegasus was shaking so bad that she stumbled as she walked out of the circle. When she made it back to her spot, she collapsed rather than sat down. Twilight stood up, going over to her friend. “You okay, Fluttershy?”
She let out a whoosh of air. “I’m... I’m okay, I think.” She was shaking, but her voice sounded strong.
Pinkie, showing her usual enthusiasm, shot up and bounced into the circle. “So I get to fight you, huh? This should be fun, I haven’t fought anything since those meanie changelings came and tried to take over Canterlot Castle.” She put a hoof to her chin. “And even before then I’ve never really fought anything. I like to have fun which means I giggle at things. Usually if they’re nasty meanie things they tend to go away.” She removed her hoof from her chin. “But, sometimes they say things like, ‘What is wrong with you?’ Which is silly because there’s nothing wrong with me, ex—”
“Please, stop talking,” Midnight interrupted. “Are you ready?”
Pinkie nodded vigorously, her mane bobbing around. “Yessiree! I am!”
Closing her eyes, Midnight breathed deeply. As she exhaled, her eyes opened and she lowered her stance. “Begin.”
Once again, the thestral darted forward. She opened each fight with almost exactly the same move. Twilight, now that she was an observer, noticed that. Maybe Midnight was just comfortable in what she knew, and just used the same attack each time. Twilight filed away that information for later.
Pinkie, still smiling, stepped to the side, dodging. She didn’t try and get in a counter hit, instead letting Midnight go past her.
The Captain changed course quickly once more coming head on at Pinkie. The mare opened her arms, like she was trying to hug Midnight.
They collided, both of them rolling over in the dirt.. Somehow, Pinkie ended up on top of Midnight. “Silly filly,” she said. “That’s not how you hug a pony.”
Midnight kicked Pinkie’s back, sending her flipping up and over the Captain. Getting up, she drove a series of punches at Pinkie.
Ducking and dodging, Pinkie evaded each strike. Reaching out a hoof, she grabbed a strike, seeming to be attempting to shake Midnight’s hoof.
The Captain looked surprised for a moment, before she retaliated. Using her other forehoof, she grabbed Pinkie’s extended hoof, twisting her body and throwing the mare over her shoulder.
Pinkie landed in the dirt upside down. Midnight took advantage of that by delivering two rapid strikes to her head.
Rolling away, Pinkie bounded to her hooves. This time, she went on the offensive, tucking her body and rolling forward, under Midnight’s guard. She came out of the roll standing on her hind hooves, forelegs spread out in the air.
Midnight was thrown upwards by the action. Flaring her wings to correct her fall, she folded them once stabilized, dropping down towards Pinkie.
Still standing on her hind hooves, Pinkie was knocked over, Midnight riding her body down and wrapping her hooves around Pinkie’s neck. She applied pressure, attempting to choke Pinkie into submission.
Using her strength, Pinkie was able to stand up with Midnight on her back. She shook herself like a wet dog, attempting to dislodge the Captain.
However, Midnight was tenacious, keeping her hold for several seconds, until she was flung away. Turning a flip in the air, she landed on her hooves, skidding through the dirt to a stop. Her hooves barely touched the ground before she launched at her opponent once again.
Pinkie opened her arms, but Twilight didn’t think that Midnight would fall for the same trick twice. Sure enough, the Captain wrapped her hooves around Pinkie’s midsection and rather than tackle her, she lifted the pony up and into the air. She curved up and around, piledriving Pinkie into the ground.
Pinkie’s head lurched forward and she lost all her air. Twilight winced. That hit had to have hurt, even through an Earth Pony’s resilience.
Midnight straddled Pinkie, delivering three powerful strike to her midsection, ensuring that she wouldn’t be able to draw a breath. While Pinkie gasped for air, Midnight managed to get her in a headlock.
“I could kill you right here, with just a twist of the neck. You’re done,” Midnight said. She released Pinkie, who was still gasping. “Your tactics were rather unique, and interesting, for somepony who claims to not fight.”
After a moment, Pinkie was able to pull herself to her hooves. “I think ponies who fight are meanies. Except for the Guard, because they are fighting to protect other ponies. I don’t want to be a meanie. But if I’m learning to fight so I can protect others then that makes it okay.” She leaned over and pulled Midnight a bone crushing hug.
Midnight struggled and tried to free herself, but Twilight knew from experience that it was nearly impossible to escape from a Pinkie hug. The captain placed her hooves on Pinkie’s chest, pushing off. She flailed around, trying to smack Pinkie. Finally, she accepted the inevitable, a look of displeasure on her face.
When Pinkie finally released the Captain, she bounced back over to the others. Midnight scowled at her as she left. Finally, she shook her head and refocused on the prismatic pegasus bouncing eagerly on the sidelines. “Rainbow, you’re up.”
Rainbow shot up. “Aw yeah! Time to really show you all how to really fight.”
Twilight had to resist facehoofing. Even after watching Midnight beat four of her friends, Rainbow was still convinced she could take on the captain. Normally, Twilight wouldn’t advocate violence, but in this case, watching Rainbow lose to Midnight could possibly be a tad bit enjoyable.
With a flap of her wings, Rainbow darted into the circle. She hovered, punching and kicking the air. “You ready for this?”
Midnight had a small smirk on her face. “You know, I think I am. However, for you I’m adding a special rule: No leaving the confines of this field.” Her hoof tapped the ground for emphasis. “You can fly, you can even go as high as you want, but don’t leave this field. There is no sense in us chasing each other all across the city and scaring the citizens.”
“Heh, you just don’t want them to see how awesome I am.”
The Captain’s response was simply to lower her stance. Rainbow landed as well, mirroring Midnight’s pose.
“Begin.”
The two combatants flew at each other, meeting in a flurry of hooves. Both of them were quick, and both of them had fighting experience. Midnight was a member of the guard, while Rainbow had taken lessons from an ex-guardspony who lived in Ponyville. The difference between them was that Midnight had more experience than Rainbow, and her abilities had been tested in true combat. Twilight knew, having faced Midnight herself, that no amount of generic training could hope to match what Midnight could accomplish.
Twilight could barely follow as Midnight threw a lightning fast punch at Rainbow, who then dodged and countered with a kick. In a fluid motion, the thestral deflected the kick while delivering a strike to Rainbow’s jaw. Shrugging off the hit, the pegasus managed to score her own strike on Midnight before they disengaged.
An instant later, they were back at it, trading blows at breakneck speed for almost a full minute. It seemed like they were evenly matched, though Twilight suspected Midnight was holding back. There was no way the thestral, with a lifetime of practice, was only just keeping even with the brash, untried, pegasus.
Midnight’s hoof collided with Rainbow’s head just above her eye at the same time Rainbow landed a devastating blow right on the captain’s jaw. Both of them fell back, Rainbow closing her left eye as a thin trickle of blood ran over her eyebrow and down her cheek.
Reaching up a hoof, Midnight wiped her jaw. The dark coat on her hoof came back glossy wet, most likely with blood. She spat out a glob of red onto the dirt.
“So, whatcha think of me now?” Rainbow asked.
“Well, I think you are a better fighter than I gave you credit for.“ Rainbow smirked, but Midnight wasn’t done. “However, you still have a lot to learn.”
She launched at Rainbow, using her wings to turn herself upside down. With another flap, she angled her body so that her head was pointed at the ground and her hooves aimed straight at Rainbow.
Rainbow darted forward, but Midnight was able to use her position to rotate once more, so she was flying level with the ground and shoot right towards the pegasus. Not expecting this, Rainbow was taken by surprise as Midnight collided with her back, driving them forward.
From her position on top of Rainbow, Midnight drove her into the dirt, not stopping and scraping her along the ground. A long, shallow furrow was left in their wake until Midnight pulled up and tossed Rainbow away.
With flared wings, Rainbow came to a halt. She and Midnight launched at each other again, this time their battle taking place above the ground. They would circle one another, taking turns darting in, occasionally meeting and exchanging a few blows.
After Rainbow’s trip through the dirt, her cyan coat was now mottled with brown spots. Some of those spots were mixed with red, as blood flowed from several scrapes and cuts. She was getting angry.
“Looks like we’re evenly matched,” Rainbow said as they hovered for a moment.
“Is that so?”
“I’ve landed just as many hits on you as you have on me. So yeah, I’d say so.”
Midnight laughed. “Your attitude is going to get you in a lot of trouble, Dash.”
“Oh, puh-leeze,” Rainbow scoffed. “As if anypony could take me out,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Enough, Rainbow. I could have ended this fight multiple times already. You have some skill, certainly more than your peers, but in a real fight you’re going to have to do much better than this.”
Rainbow scoffed again and held out a hoof, gesturing at Midnight. “Bring it on, gimmie all you got.”
Midnight narrowed her eyes as Twilight groaned. This wasn’t going to be pretty. She had no doubt the thestral could wipe the floor with Rainbow, but the pegasus’ inflated ego just wouldn’t let her see..
“As you wish,” Midnight replied. She darted forward again, only this time it was faster than Twilight had seen so far. At the last second, she rotated her body, twisting through Rainbow’s attempt to block and driving her hooves into the pegasus’ gut.
Once more, Midnight twisted, driving Rainbow into the ground like she had to Pinkie. Utilizing only the power in her wings, she lifted up the pegasus and threw her into the ground again.
Her hoof lashed out, striking Rainbow’s forelegs one after the other. To Twilight’s shock, both legs went limp, as if they were broken or Rainbow has lost all control of them.
Flapping her wings, Rainbow tried to escape. Yet she could barely muster a quarter flap, as Midnight was using both of their body weights to keep her wings pinned to the ground. Midnight struck one wing, which stopped flapping and lay limp.
With a sharp rap to the head, Midnight sent Rainbow into a daze, from which she rolled the pegasus over onto her stomach. There she lifted Rainbow’s head and wrapped a hoof around her neck, squeezing tight until her entire body went limp.
Twilight, with Fluttershy right behind her, stood up and moved onto the field. “What are you doing? You’re going to kill her!” she exclaimed.
Midnight stood up, dropping Rainbow’s head into the dirt. The pegasus wasn’t moving, and Twilight feared that she’d actually been right. She rushed towards the pegasus, until the captain intercepted her.
“Get off the field, unless you want to fight again,” she said.
“But Rainbow—”
“If I wanted to kill her, Twilight, I would have.”
Twilight wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It sounded like Rainbow was alive still, but she wasn’t moving. She and Fluttershy stopped moving, afraid of challenging the thestral in case she wasn’t kidding about fighting them again.
It was a long moment, them staring at each other, until Rainbow let out a groan, blowing dust away from her muzzle.
Gripping Rainbow’s tail in her teeth, Midnight dragged her right past Twilight and over to the others, depositing her outside the circle. Fluttershy wasted no time in looking her over, while berating Midnight.
“You hurt her! What did you do? Why can’t she move her legs? How could you do that? You knew that Rainbow wasn’t as good as you and you still went all out.”
“She’s fine. The only thing that is permanently harmed is her ego,” Midnight said, talking to Fluttershy. “This is what happens when you let your pride get the better of your judgement. And until Rainbow gets her attitude straightened out, this is how it’s going to be.” The Captain knelt down, putting her face right in Rainbow’s. “And I wasn’t going all out even then. The point of this is to not permanently harm you. Imagine if I didn’t have that restriction.”
“A lesson?” Rarity said. “Don’t you think that’s a bit... excessive for a lesson?”
Glancing at Rarity, Midnight replied. “I just hit some pressure points on her legs and wings. All it did was numb her, she’ll regain feeling and control in a few minutes.” She turned back to Rainbow. “One thing you’re going to have to learn is that there is no place on a battlefield for an ego. All that will do is get the ponies around you hurt, and yourself as well.”
Rainbow laughed weakly, still trying to get a decent breath. “I still made you fight harder.”
Midnight scoffed. “You made me do nothing. However, if you still don’t believe me, then I’ll be more than happy to prove my point to you, time and painful time again, until it sinks in. Remember, you’re here to learn, which you can’t do if you’re stubborn and egotistical.”
She walked away, back into the circle, where she sat facing them. Despite having now fought all of them, and winning each time, she was barely even breathing hard. She’d been hit, punctured with needles, and had to be bleeding still, yet she showed no sign of discomfort.
Stamping her hoof into the ground, a puff of dirt pulsing up. “Now, I have a fairly good idea about each of your strengths and weaknesses. Usually in the Guard, this would be where we start general training, designed to counter your weaknesses so that everypony is on an even field.” She paused, mulling over her next words as Twilight heard her friends whisper among themselves. “However,” she continued, overriding their chatter. “That takes time. Time which we do not have.”
She looked up at the sun, which was approaching its zenith. “Take half an hour, go get something to eat and rest. After that, be back here where I’ll talk to each of you one on one about what happens next.” With that, she turned around, heading towards the barracks building.
Twilight looked at her friends. “Are any of you even hungry?” she asked.
Applejack nodded, as did Pinkie. Rarity shook her head, but stood up. “I am not. However, I could certainly do with a wash. And I’m afraid I’ll need to wash my mane pins as well.”
“I’ll stay here with Rainbow, make sure she recovers,” Fluttershy said. “You all go on inside.”
“You sure? I can always bring something out here,” Twilight said, glancing worriedly at Rainbow.
“I’m sure. Go on.”
“Okay.” Still unsure, Twilight followed Applejack inside. Rarity split off from them, heading up to the rooms. Twilight could tell that she was trying to keep her head held high, but the prospect of being so close to a shower was making it difficult for her to not run.
The three remaining ponies headed into the dining room, taking a seat at the table. A servant noticed their entrance and took their food orders before heading through a door.
They sat in silence, nopony willing to talk about the morning’s events. Twilight finally cleared her throat. “Well, that was an, ah... Interesting morning?” she remarked lamely.
“It sure was,” Pinkie agreed, as exuberant as ever. “Midnight was a nice meanie pants. Even though she fought all of us except for Fluttershy she managed to not hurt anypony except for Rainbow.”
“Well, Rainbow does have that ego of hers,” Applejack said with a frown. “I may not like her methods, but Midnight does have a good message.”
“That was a little extreme,” Twilight agreed. “I mean, I don’t think the captain would ever seriously hurt Rainbow, but she took it a little too far.” She pursed her lips together, shaking her head. “But, on the other hoof, Rainbow did bring it upon herself.”
They spent their half hour eating small salads and discussing the various fights. Twilight had to explain to her friends what had happened at the end of her fight, since they couldn’t see thanks to the darkness spell. She also spent quite a bit of time sharing her observations with the two earth ponies.
After she explained what she saw Midnight do when Pinkie hugged her, Applejack sat back, raising her eyebrows. “Shucks, Twi. I reckon you’ve got this learning thing down pat. You’ll be the best of all of us in no time.”
Twilight blushed, her cheeks heating up, but let the compliment slide as they quickly finished their food.
When they arrived back at the training field, Rainbow was sitting up, an icepack pressed to her head where Midnight had struck her. Fluttershy was watching over her.
“How’re you feeling, Rainbow?” Twilight asked.
“I have a headache, and I’m sure there’ll be bruising tomorrow.” She rolled her neck, producing several cracks. “She really did a number on me, but at least for a while there I was giving as good as I got.”
It seemed Midnight’s demonstration had dented Rainbow’s ego very little. Twilight felt bad for both of them. The captain would have her hooves full trying to teach Rainbow, and the brash pegasus would probably get a few more demonstrations like that before everything was over.
Rarity exited the castle soon after and joined them, her coat pristine and with her mane redone in its usual curls. “Well, I feel much better.”
“Rare,” Applejack said, speaking quietly. “About what you said about Sweetie Belle...”
“What about it?” Rarity tensed up slightly, not quite sure what to expect.
Applejack took in a deep breath, steeling herself. “I just want you to know that I did the same thing last night, and Applebloom is why I’m doing this. She was so little when our parents died. Granny Smith and Big Mac were busy taking over the farm, which left me to raise Applebloom. She’s more than a sister to me, if that means anything.” She trailed off, until Rarity came over next to her friend, setting a hoof on her shoulder. Applejack nodded before continuing. “If I have to learn how to fight to know that AB has a future, then... then I will.”
Rarity kept her hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “I know just what you mean. I didn’t raise Sweetie in the same fashion that you did Applebloom, but she’s why I’m doing this.”
The two friends embraced, sharing their bond. Twilight looked away, feeling like she was intruding on something special. It was dumb, but part of her felt jealous that they’d both found someone so quickly. There were so many ponies that she cared about, how could she choose just one? How could they? What was she missing that they’ve already figured out?
Less than a minute later, Midnight came out of the barracks. She flew over to them, taking a seat inside the training circle.
“Are you all rested?” Without waiting for a response, she continued. “Before I talk to each of you personally, I’d like to go over the general plan I had for your training.” She paused, frowning as she glanced at them in turn. “As much as I want to, we simply don’t have the time to work on both your strengths and your weaknesses. We’ll be lucky to turn what talents you have into something useful so that your shortcomings don’t hold everypony back in the field.” She stopped again and grimaced. “It’s hardly ideal, but it’s what we’ve got.
“To that end, you won’t be training as a group. That would be a waste of time if we’re focusing on your strengths. Thankfully, my guard will be arriving, well, they damn well better be, today. I know some ponies in their ranks that can help each and every one of you train without me standing there. I’ll try and source some guards from the Crystal Guard as well. Some days you’ll be with me, the rest of the time it’ll be with the ponies I designate. As much as I want to oversee everything, I can’t.
“Now, before you start whining about being split up, I understand that your potency for teamwork is strong. Therefore, I’ve decided to put you through fitness training together. I suspect this will be easy for some of you, but more difficult for others.” She didn’t look at anypony in particular as she said that, though Twilight felt like she knew who Midnight was referring to. “The point of this will be to attune each of you to your companion’s strengths which they are honing, but also to their weaknesses that you must be aware of.
“I’ll work up a more detailed schedule tonight, but as a basic idea, you’ll spend mornings doing your fitness training as a group. Then in the afternoons, you’ll split up individually, where you’ll work on your skills.”
She stood up. “Now, I’ll talk to each of you and let you know what I saw this morning, as well as where you’re going to go from here. All of you, come with me.”
Getting up, Twilight walked behind Midnight, and over to the barracks. The captain led them into the building. When they reached a door, she told the others to wait in the corridor, beckoning Twilight to come inside.. She wondered what the Captain had to say about her, what she’d learned from their fight this morning.
Midnight sat behind a desk, indicating Twilight to sit across from her. “I’m curious, Twilight. I’ve heard a lot about your from your brother, as well as the Princesses. You’re an accomplished mage, personal student to Celestia, and an Element of Harmony. So tell me, what do you think our fight showed me?”
Twilight was taken aback by the question. She’d expected Midnight to get straight to the point.
Thinking back to the fight, she reviewed it in her mind. “Well, you were obviously holding back, as you so aptly demonstrated on Rainbow.”
Midnight nodded. “I was, but that’s not the only thing.”
Twilight tried to come up with what Midnight was referring to. “You had to goad me into actually fighting.”
Midnight cocked her head to the side, pursing her lips. “Not exactly, but close enough. And we’ll talk about that.”
Twilight winced. Midnight didn’t sound disappointed, but the admission was like a slap in the face. She’d been so worried about not failing that she’d completely forgotten to succeed. The more she tried to think about what Midnight was getting at, the less she came up with.
“I’m afraid that I just don’t know enough about fighting to understand,” she admitted.
“Well, as you pointed out, I was taking it easy on you all. I made sure that my moves were easy to read, a term called telegraphing. I restricted myself to using only a few moves over and over. So tell me, how did I win?”
“Because you’re better than me.”
Midnight interrupted her. “Stop right there. That’s the quickest and easiest way to immediately psych yourself into losing a fight subconsciously, before the real fight’s even begun. It was nothing I did to make you lose, it was you and your moral restraints that kept you from prevailing.
“Twilight, I have one piece of advice for you. Always walk away from a loss thinking that they didn’t win that fight, but instead, I lost because of something I did or did not do. Then, you can learn how to get better without the psychological hindrance of thinking that somepony is better than you. Because they aren’t.”
The captain fixed her with a piercing gaze. “Don’t tell me you aren’t strong enough with your magic to pick me up and throw me across the training field.”
“But that would hurt you!” Twilight exclaimed.
“From what I’ve heard about you, you’re the single most powerful unicorn since Starswirl the Bearded. And probably smarter, as well.” Twilight felt her cheeks heat up at that. She never liked it when other ponies played up her strength like that. “With that kind of power, it should’ve been foal’s play for you to take me out in a second.
“There are plenty of ways you could’ve disabled me without hurting me. A pony as smart as you has to be familiar with anatomy. You could’ve applied magical pressure at just the right spot to take me out of commission. You could’ve encased me in a bubble and taken out all the air until I passed out. You could’ve knocked me out with a single magical hit. So there was no reason I should’ve won that fight.”
“I can’t do that to you! What if you got hurt?” Twilight protested. There was no way she could be like that in a friendly sparring match.
“Twilight, not wanting to hurt another pony is admirable. But what about in a battle situation? I think that you proved yesterday that you can easily defeat not just one, but two opponents.”
“That’s low,” Twilight said. “Good ponies died yesterday, including a friend.” She knew what she’d done yesterday. Using her magic, she’d killed two of those corrupted ponies. Just like Midnight had said, she’d done so swiftly and brutally. Yet even though those two had killed others, she still felt sick over having taken their lives.
“Yes, they did. But because of your actions, more ponies lived. If you hadn’t done what you did, then who’s to say those two wouldn’t have killed somepony else?”
Midnight glanced sympathetically at Twilight, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Killing another being isn’t easy,” she continued in a soft voice. “I’ve done it far more than you have, and let me tell you that it never gets any easier.”
“But you did it yesterday as well, I saw you. You did it just like that!” Twilight swiped her hoof through the air in front of them.
Midnight sighed. “The horrible truth is that you never get used to it, you just get inured to the effects of it. You can push them aside, always thinking of how this is for the better.”
“I... I don’t know if I ever want that to happen to me.”
“Well, Celestia-willing, you won’t ever have to.” She dropped her hoof to the ground. “My hope is that you never need to use this training. But I’d also rather you have it and not need it, than get into a fight and not know what to do.”
Midnight’s words made sense. Equus was a big world, with a lot of different types of beings, not all of them meant others well. If they were going to be traveling everywhere, then there was a good chance they’d need to defend themselves at some point.
“Now,” Midnight continued. “For you, your strength is fairly obvious. Your magical ability is ridiculously strong, so your training will focus on honing that, bringing it up to its full potential. I noticed that you used a lot of basic spells, but repurposed them to attack. That’s good, but there’s other spells you can learn as well. I know of a unicorn in my guard who can work with you.”
She got up, pacing a bit. “Now, you fought well, once you started fighting. You already have a good grasp of tactics. Your strategies were sound, for the most part. The Sergeant will teach you magic, and I will work with you and your friends on fitness.”
“How long do you think this training will take?”
“Normally, Guard basic training is a year. However, I don’t think we can take any longer than a month before you need to leave. I’d like to try getting it done in less time, but that would require a massive effort by all six of you.”
“May I ask, what about the others? What will they be training?”
Midnight stared at Twilight for a moment, her lips pursed together. “Even if I don’t tell you, I’m sure they will. Besides, it’s not exactly a secret.” She sat down again. “Let’s see... I’ll just start at the top, I suppose.
“Applejack has both strength and stamina. If we focus on that, then she will be a powerhouse. Anypony behind those legs of hers is in for a nasty surprise. Rarity’s magical ability is not as powerful as yours, but she has a very precise control based on the way she used those pins.” Midnight rubbed her flank. “Those were not pleasant.”
Twilight chuckled. “I’ve seen her handling scissors, fabric, a sewing machine, and pins all at the same time.”
Nodding, Midnight continued. “I think we can work with that. Even with weaker magic than you, she can be a very precise attacker. Even a single mane pin can become deadly if aimed properly.”
Midnight paused, seeming to think for a moment. “I’m not entirely sure what to do with Fluttershy. She’s adamant about not fighting, which I think is a mistake. Yet, I can’t, and won’t, force her to fight. So, for now, I’m going to have her learning from my best medic about field techniques and battlefield medicine. At the same time, she needs to learn how to defend herself. Maybe I’ll be able to have my medics teach her a thing or two, discreetly,” she mused.
“I don’t think you’re ever going to get her to fight. She’s a pacifist to the letter. I don’t think she’d even squash a bug if her life depended on it.”
“We’ll see... I just wouldn’t feel right, sending her out there unprepared. If something did happen, you all would have to protect her, then what do we do? Her inability to fight will also place a burden on your maneuverability as a group, which is not acceptable. Anyway, Pinkie. She was certainly a surprise.”
“Yeah, that she is.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anypony fight like her before. It was more like she was... I don’t know. Hugging, shaking my hoof, rolling and throwing?”
Twilight held up a hoof. “It’s for the best if you don’t try and understand her. You’ll just go mad if you do.”
Shaking her head, Midnight continued. “Well, she obviously has the strength of an Earth Pony, but more than that she’s agile. Not many ponies could roll around like she does. I’m not entirely sure how to use that, but I’ll think of something.”
She took in a deep breath, letting it out. “And then there’s Rainbow.” Midnight paused, letting the statement sink in. “That mare has one of the biggest egos I’ve ever seen. If she can’t get that under control, then it’s a weakness that no amount of training can compensate for.”
“She’s always had a bit of an ego problem. It got better after my friends and I taught her a lesson in humility, but before too long it was back.”
“Really? Well, she’s a decent fighter, I’ll give her that much. Overly cocky, but has a good basic grasp of things. And she’s fast, very fast. I can think of a few ways to focus on that speed.”
“So that’s it?”
Midnight nodded. “Yes. Anyway, you know what you’ll be doing, so go on and head back out. I’ll talk to the others and then address you all as a group one more time today. Tomorrow, your individual training starts.”
Twilight got up, heading back towards her friends, but Midnight’s voice stopped her. “Oh, and send Applejack in here, please.”
Nodding, Twilight headed back to her friends. She barely made it out of the office before she was already being interrogated.
“What’d she say?”
“So, what’s going on?”
“Girls, girls” Twilight said. “Relax. All she’s doing is explaining what each of us will be working on. You’ll find out for yourselves.” She sat down in the hallway. “Applejack, she wants to see you next.”
The farmer nodded, tipping her hat and striding towards the office, opening the door and heading inside.
“So Twilight, what did you talk about?” Rainbow asked.
“Rainbow, you’ll find out soon enough. There’s no reason for me to repeat everything.” The pegasus frowned, but didn’t say anything else.
Twilight thought about all that Midnight had told her. Focusing on everypony’s strength could be a good thing. If somepony was strong enough in one area, it could overshadow their weakness. Or, it could backfire and exaggerate their weakness. It was overall a risky strategy, but it made sense given the extremely limited timeframe. They would just have to hope they could work well enough as a team to cancel out any issues.
If they had more time, then perhaps they could bring out their strengths, and work on compensating for their weaknesses, but that just wasn’t possible. They didn’t know how long the dragon would be idle, so they couldn’t afford any more than this short amount of time to prepare.
The afternoon passed with them chatting amongst themselves, one by one heading inside to talk to Midnight. The biggest topic once each pony returned was what they would be working on, and theories on what their individual training would be like.
Finally, Rainbow came out of the office, Midnight right behind her. The thestral stood just outside of the door. She took a moment to compose herself before speaking. “Okay, you each know more or less what you’ll be doing, so here’s what’s going to happen from here on out.
“You’ll meet out in the field at eight o’clock each morning. As I said, tardiness will not be tolerated. From eight until half past eleven, you will do fitness training. Lots of running and physical exercise. Some of you are already in good shape, but you all need some work. I’ll have an exact schedule of activities, personalized for each of you, in the morning.
“11:30 until 12:30 will be lunch. Then from 12:30 until dinner, you will be in your individual training. You’ll meet who you’ll be working with tomorrow. This will happen every day until you’re ready.”
“Every day?” Twilight asked.
“Every day,” Midnight confirmed. “There’s no time for days off. You need to push yourselves and get through this.”
She paused for a moment and sighed. “I’ll level with you now. This will probably be the most grueling experience each of you has, or ever will, go through. I’m going to push you harder than any guards. We do not have room for failure. Equestria itself is on the line. Remind yourself of that any time you think you’re not able to continue. Because you are going to fail, and hurt, and hate me. But, if you stay the course, I promise you will come out the other side stronger and more confident than ever before.”
Midnight looked at each of them in turn. “Now, you may think that I’m asking the impossible, trying to push you harder than I push the guards I train. But I’ll tell you this now, I’m not. Pushing a pony is a dynamic process, limits are different for each individual... I will merely be pushing your limits to the breaking point far more often than usual, not expect you to perform the impossible.
“At this point, you are not only our best hope, but our only hope.” She gestures with a foreleg out towards the city. “They are all counting on you, but more than that, that one pony, the one that you’re fighting for, is counting on you.”
She let her leg drop back to the ground. “Fight for them. Fight and learn and suffer so that they don’t have to, so that they will live to see the sun rise, again and again. Fight so that at the end of the day, you can hold them in your arms again.”
Twilight expected Midnight’s voice to get louder and louder during her statement, but instead she got quiet. There was truth resonating in her words, but something else as well. Twilight couldn’t quite put her hoof on what it was.
Midnight’s eyes became hard. “This isn’t a walk in the park anymore. Go back to the palace. Eat and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, your training truly begins.” The thestral turned around after dismissing them, heading back to the barracks.
Watching her walk away, Twilight tried to figure out what she was talking about during her speech. She didn’t show any outward signs of anything, but there was something in the way she spoke. Midnight was hiding something.
Until today, the captain had been all business. Her exterior was relaxed and confident, but still getting things done. During the fight yesterday, and it’s aftermath, she had expertly taken control of the situation, proving that she was no slouch.
Today, she’d shown a softer side that Twilight didn’t know existed. She’d consoled her about yesterday, as well as seeming to care about them and what was going to happen over the coming weeks. There was far more to Midnight than what meets the eye.
Together, she and her friends left the training field, heading up the stairs and into the palace. It was still early for dinner, so Twilight decided to take a page from Rarity’s book and take a shower. Her coat was still dirty from her fight and being thrown to the ground. She hoped the warm water would help soothe her already aching muscles.
Upstairs, she found Spike in her room. He was sitting at the desk, a quill in his claw and writing in a small book. When she closed the door, he turned around. “Hi, Twilight.”
“Hey, Spike. What’re you doing?” She tried to peer over his shoulder, only for him to cover the writing.
“It’s... private. Sorry.”
Twilight suspected that he was writing in his journal. She knew he kept one as she’d found it one day hidden in the kitchen. He’d tucked it into a cabinet, behind the pots and pans. Considering he was the only one who ever cooked, it was actually a good hiding spot. Unfortunately for him, Applejack had come by asking to borrow some pots so she’d have enough to make jam for a town festival. When getting the pots, Twilight had found the journal.
As soon as she figured out what it was, she closed it and carefully set it back. Spike was more than allowed a place to write his private thoughts, and Twilight wouldn’t pry or snoop.
“Okay, Spike.” She stepped away from the dragon. “I’m just going to take a shower.”
He waved his free claw at her. “You look like you need one. What happened to you?”
“I’m fine, Spike,” she said. An idea occurred to her, she put on her best Rarity impression. “Oh no! My mane is ruined and there’s a speck of dust on my coat?” Putting a hoof to her forehead, she pretended to faint. “This is the worst! Possible! Thing!”
She lay there for a moment, until Spike started laughing. “That’s pretty good. But you forgot to drag over a couch to faint on.”
Standing up again, she smiled at him. “True.” She fanned a hoof across her face. “I guess I just don’t have a flair for the dramatic like she does.”
They shared a laugh over their friend’s antics. Twilight took in a deep breath. It felt good to be able to laugh after the past two days. Sometimes, it felt like all the happiness had been sucked out of the world. To know that she could share a stupid joke and still laugh was refreshing.
Spike may have a crush on Rarity, which no matter how hard he tried to hide it, everypony knew about. Yet even he could poke fun at the fashionista’s flair for theatrics. The little dragon was a good friend and assistant.
Still chuckling, she headed into the bathroom, turning on the shower. As steam filled the room, fogging up the mirror, she looked into it. Her reflection was distorted, but it was her. She wondered how she could feel so different, but look the same? With a sigh, she stepped under the water.
As the water pounded on her, streaming through her coat and down the drain, a thought struck her. Midnight had told them to find somepony that they cared about, somepony to fight for. Rarity and Applejack’s decisions had already been made. They were lucky, having family members so close. Her only close family members were already dead. Well, except for Spike.
She’d hatched him when she was just a little filly. She’d raised him all these years since. Sure she’d had help from Celestia in the beginning, but she’d done most of the work, and continued to raise him. She was really his prominent mother figure in his life..
In some way, she was like Applejack, taking care of Applebloom, or Rarity and Sweetie Belle when their parents were away for their jobs. He was her little brother, but she was also his caretaker.
They fought and argued like siblings, but at the end of the day, they still loved each other. More than once they’d argued and she’d gone off to study. Sometimes she fell asleep in her book, but when she awoke, there’d be a blanket around her and the lights would be out. Even though the last thing they’d done was argue, he still cared about her.
He could make a mess and she’d get mad, but five minutes later she’d find herself forgiving him. He worked hard around the library, making sure ponies knew where to find things while cleaning up, reshelving, and still helping her with her studies. Somedays she felt like she took him for granted.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized that her life simply wouldn’t be the same without Spike in it. They’d grown up together, lived together, worked together. Hay, if she thought about it, they probably knew each other better than they knew themselves. They helped each other out. They confided fears or concerns, and never gave up on each other.
She already knew what life was like without her parents, without Shining, without Celestia. She was living that life every day now. One thing she was certain about was that she didn’t want to know what her life would be like without Spike in it.
If she needed a certain pony to fight for, she didn’t have one...
Instead, she had a certain dragon.
She’d fight so that he could continue to be the amazing dragon that he was. She would fight, for him. Because he deserved everything she could give him, because she wanted the very best life he could possibly have. Yes, that was incentive enough to make her go to Tartarus and back, to go through with the training.
Turning off the shower, she stepped out. A quick spell later and her coat was completely dry. There was something she needed to do.
Exiting the bathroom, she saw that Spike was still sitting at the desk. The little book was gone, hidden away somewhere. In its place was a piece of parchment that he was folding into a shape. He must be working on his origami again.
Coming up behind him, she wrapped her forelegs around him and drew him close. His scales were cool to the touch, but underneath them a subtle warmth could be felt.
He yelped at the sudden contact, struggling for a second until he realized what was happening. “Uh, Twilight?” he asked.
“Yes Spike?”
“If you want a hug, just ask. You scared me there.”
She picked him up and out of the chair, setting him down on the floor. Without the chair in the way, she was better able to hug him. “Spike. I want a hug.”
He obliged, squirming around in her grip until they were facing each other. With his face pressed into her chest and her head resting on top of his, they embraced.
She squeezed him tightly, not wanting to let go. “Spike, I don’t know if I’ve ever said this, but thank you. For everything.”
He looked up at her, questioningly. “For what?”
Twilight gave him a warm smile. “For being you,” she said simply. “For being the best assistant and friend I could ever ask for. For being there for me when I need you. And for being a wonderful, amazing brother.”
She shook her head. “No. I just found something is all.”
“Well what did you find?”
With a smile, she kissed his forehead. “A reason.”
When she didn’t elaborate on that, he just shrugged. “Must be a pretty good reason.”
Finally pulling away from the hug, she responded. “It is. The best reason of all.”
“Ya know, sometimes I think I understand you. And then you go and do something like this.”
She laughed. “Just know that I love you, Spike.”
He pretended to be disgusted, but couldn’t keep up the charade for long. “I love you too, Twilight.”
As he climbed back up into the chair, she peered at the parchment he was folding. “Trying some more crafting?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I found a book on origami in the library here that had some interesting new designs I wanted to try.”
“You’ll have to show me when you’re done.”
“Sure.”
Glancing at the clock, she figured dinner would probably be in about an hour. That left her just enough time to head to the library. If she really was going to learn how to fight, she might as well start researching now.
“I’m going to the library, so if somepony comes looking for me, tell them I’m down there.”
“Okay. Do you need help with anything?”
“No, thanks. I’m okay.”
She left the room, heading down the stairs. The library was located on the main floor, next to the throne room. Like Canterlot Castle, the Crystal Palace’s throne room had windows set into it, allowing the light to flow into the room.
However, unlike Canterlot, this palace was built more straight up, so the windows were actually illusions. The throne room was in the center of the spire, so the windows would simply look into the rooms next door.
Trotting and humming a little tune, Twilight entered the library. Letting out a wistful sigh, she beheld the wonders of the library. Row after row of books stacked high met her vision. Shelves as tall as the ceiling, stretching out into what almost seemed like an endless depth. Tables piled with books, the wood sagging under their weight, accompanied the shelves. To Twilight, with the ends of the tables curled upwards, the middle sinking down, they looked like smiles, happy to support the knowledge. The odd smell of ink, paper, and old, overly polished wood assaulted her nose.
These things were familiar to her. She breathed deep and recalled how she spent hours and hours growing up in a library very much like this one. Her friends may laugh and call her an egghead, a bookworm, but there was just something so satisfying and simple about books. If there was knowledge to be had, a topic she sought, she knew that these well-worn tomes would never let her down.
Unlike a public library, this one had no front desk, nopony blockading the entrance and exit. There was nothing standing between her and infinite knowledge.
The Crystal Empire’s libraries had undergone massive revisions since its return. Many books on modern affairs had been imported, and the late librarian had received quite a bit of advice from Twilight herself on a more efficient filing system. Honing in on her target, she navigated the rows until she found what she wanted.
There, sitting on the shelves before her, were books on fighting and tactics. Ancient tomes from ages past mingled with new additions from Equestria proper.
She had an idea of where she wanted to start. As much as she would like to focus on more general tactics and strategy, there simply wasn’t time for it. Tomorrow, and the next few weeks, were going to test her mettle, and knowledge, of pony on pony fighting, not battle smarts.
Twilight sighed wistfully as she recalled the times when Shining would bring home books of his own for study. She, of course, would jump on them immediately. But then she would find out that they were texts on warfare, or journals from long past generals. These books had never interested her beyond the history within their pages, but Shining had always found a way to get her to at least give them a token read. His enthusiasm for the art of commanding had spurred her to learn enough about battle tactics just so she could spend more time talking to him about it.
Thinking about Shining brought forth feelings of regret. She missed him. They’d been living separate lives, but he’d never been more than a letter away. Now he was gone. Looking at all the books, she realized how much she had learned just because he had been interested in it. He really was a big part of her life.
The Crystal Empire, thanks to its banishment from reality, had old texts from such fighting luminaries as Commander Hurricane. Books on troops tactics, from squads to entire armies, descriptions for one on one battles, fighting manuals for a wide variety of styles, all were contained in these few shelves.
Twilight browsed the titles and authors. There had to be books that were relevant to her situation in here, she just had to find them.
Pulling a few likely tomes, she brought them over to a table. After a quick reading of the table of contents, she had the books organized into what was likely to be the most helpful, to least helpful.
Over the next hour, she immersed herself into the world of fighting and military tactics. While large-scale military tactics were low on her list of things to learn, much of the text was just that. Very little was on the detailed descriptions of fighting styles and moves that she deemed helpful to her situation. As much as she wanted to study battlefield layouts, these things were best left up to generals and captains, not ponies like her.
Though she wasn’t one to just dismiss them outright. She would set those books to the side for now. Maybe later, if she had time, she’d be able to give them more attention. Odds were she’d never get to use that information, but it would be nice to know it.
As she read, she absorbed the information. Magic may be her special talent, but it required knowledge to be good at, and knowledge required learning. Never had she needed to read a book more than once to recall it nearly perfectly, especially where magic was involved. Her mind automatically sorted things and filed them, allowing her to quickly retrieve the information.
Minutes turned into hours. Twilight lost herself in the texts. The diagrams of body positions, the descriptions of battles, and the artistic works of bygone armor sets were all observed and filed away in a growing section of Twilight’s mind. This was her calling, where she was most comfortable: learning, in a quiet niche, surrounded by knowledge.
The sound of a clearing throat behind her dragged her out of the haze she was in. Turning around, she beheld a stallion, dressed in the usual servant gear of the palace.
“Princess Cadance would like me to inform you that dinner is ready in the dining room.”
“Ah. Thank you for telling me.”
“Would the madam like an escort?”
“Um, no. Thank you. I know where it is.”
“Very well.” The stallion trotted off, disappearing between the rows.
Briefly, Twilight debated on what to do with her stack of books. If dinner was ready than she had no time to take them up to her room. In Canterlot, there was a special table off in the corner of the library that was hers, everypony knew to not touch it. Here, that wasn’t the case. However, hopefully nopony would reshelve the books if she just left them here.
Cautiously, she left the books where they were on the table. It wouldn’t take her too long to gather them again if somepony did put them back.
Heading back through the palace, she noticed that the servants were in better spirits than they were this morning. Rather than creeping through the hallways, looking over their shoulders, they had their heads held high, staring straight ahead. They were no longer avoiding each other, just focused on their tasks as they normally would.
The change was obvious. Something had happened today to at least inspire the servants. If there was a change in the Crystal ponies, then she’d been too busy to notice as they passed by the training field.
Entering the dining room, she saw the usual setup at the table. Seated at the head of the table was Cadance, followed by her friends. The seat to Cadance’s right was empty, while the one to her left was filled by Midnight. Twilight didn’t think she’d ever seen the Captain at the table before.
Cadance gestured to the seat on her right. As Twilight climbed into the chair, Cadance greeted her. “Hello, Twilight. How’d the training go today?”
Shooting a glance across the table at Midnight, Twilight shrugged. “Well enough, I guess. Midnight would know more about that than me.”
“I’m sure I’ll be hearing from the Captain soon. I want to hear from you, though.”
“She fought each of us one on one in a sparring match, to identify our strengths and weaknesses. From here, we’re supposed to start training tomorrow.”
Cadance set a hoof on Twilight’s. “We’re...” Her voice hitched, but she recovered quickly. “I’m proud of you, Twilight, for doing this. If there was any other way, I’d take it in a moment.”
“It’s okay,” Twilight said, gripping Cadance’s hoof. “This needs to be done. And besides,” She looked over at Midnight. “I found my reason.”
The Captain gave her a small smile and a nod. “Good.”
Twilight recounted her fight to Cadance while they waited on the food to arrive. Midnight remained quiet, although she was listening carefully to what was said.
When she was finished, she lapsed into silence. She just wasn’t sure of what to talk about next. Cadance was just looking at her. Feeling uncomfortable, Twilight changed the topic. “Say Cadance, did something happen today?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, things seem different than this morning. Everypony around here seems less on edge.”
The food showed up right then, interrupting Cadance’s reply. They waited until everypony was served, and Cadance took a bite of her food. “It took all night and part of the morning, but everypony in the city has been scanned. There’s no more of those... things here. Also, I’ve got checkpoints set up at all roads leading into the city. Ponies are still wary, but the idea of being secure again has raised their spirits.”
Twilight nodded thoughtfully. “That’s good.”
“It is. And when the Lunar Guard gets here from Manehatten, they can help.” Twilight remembered that the Lunar Guard had been stationed in cities around Equestria, and they hadn’t been at the battle for Canterlot.
Cadance regarded Midnight. “Speaking of which, when will they get here?”
The thestral put a hoof to her chin, tapping it a few times as she thought. “Tonight. I’d say several hours after the moon rises. I’ll coordinate with you and your Captain to plan out how to effectively use them, though some of my guard will be busy helping me with training. Also, I’d like to speak with you about using some of your guard to help with training as well.”
“We’re stretched thin as it is, what do you need?”
“I need your best unicorn spellcaster, fastest pegasus, and strongest earth pony.” She waved a hoof in the air. “Don’t send me your highest ranked, I don’t care about that. I want your best.”
Cadance used her fork to play with her food. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you. Don’t worry about having even more holes in the city defenses. As soon as my guard shows up, we’ll have more than enough ponies to go around.” The captain returned to her meal.
Twilight’s attention was diverted by a particularly loud exclamation from Pinkie. She was standing on her hind legs on the table, gesticulating wildly about something. Twilight was able to pick out something about the cutie mark crusaders amongst the rapid-fire babble. Looking around the table at her friends, she realized there was something, or more accurately somepony, missing. “Cadance, what happened with Berry? Did she go home with her grandparents?”
Setting her fork down, Cadance lowered her eyes until they were staring at the table. “No, she didn’t.”
Twilight gave Cadance a puzzled look. “Why not?” If everypony in the city had been scanned, then surely Berry’s grandparents had been located and informed of what had happened. Why wouldn’t they want to come and retrieve their granddaughter?
“Twilight, Fleetwing and Green Hoof are dead.”
Twilight’s heart sank in her chest. “No...”
“The best we can tell, they were with a group of ponies all heading back to their neighborhood, when one of them turned out to be one of those things. It killed them, and three others, before the Guard was able to stop it.”
“Does...” Twilight’s voice caught in her throat. “Does Berry know?”
Cadance nodded. “She does. I told her myself.”
Silence reigned at the table after Cadance’s comment. The good mood had been stolen away as the ponies were reminded of the consequences that lay before them. “So what’s going to happen to her now?”
“I don’t know. As far as we’re aware, she no longer has any living relatives. Swift had no siblings. We’re going through records to see if her husband has any family who’d be willing to take her in. If not, then she’s a ward of the state. However, I’ve decided that she may stay here at the palace until we know for sure about her family.”
“Where is she now?”
“She’s still in her room. I think she wanted to be left alone for a while. That was just before lunch.”
Twilight’s plan to return to the library was canceled as she resolved to see Berry when she finished eating. The filly needed to know that she wasn’t alone right now, that she had support from not only Cadance, but from Twilight as well.
The rest of dinner was spent in a somber mood. Twilight was surprised at how quickly she’d forgotten that more ponies than just the ones at the speech had died. Now it all came crashing back down on her.
It was for situations like this that they were going through training. Berry wasn’t the only one whose family had been torn apart yesterday. Other ponies had lost parents, siblings, foals. Twilight wanted to make sure that nopony went through something like that again. But more than that, she wanted to make sure that never happened to Spike.
Quickly finishing her meal, Twilight excused herself from the table. As she rounded the table, Cadance caught her eye and gave her a knowing nod. She returned the look with a grim smile and a nod.
Leaving the dining room, she made her way back up the stairs to the guest quarters. She had no idea what she was going to say, or how to even broach the subject, but she’d think of something. Before she knew it, she was standing outside the door to Berry’s room. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.
“Who is it?” a voice called from inside.
“Berry, it’s me, Twilight.”
For several long moments, there was no sound from behind the door. Twilight called out twice more, each time receiving no answer.
She was just about to open the door and enter, Berry needed to know that she wasn’t alone, when the door opened. Framed in the doorway was the small, cream filly. Her eyes were red and the coat around her muzzle was matted and crusty.
“May I come in?” Twilight asked.
Berry nodded, stepping aside and letting her in. Once inside, Twilight closed the door behind her. The filly trudged over to the bed, which was unmade, the sheets being scattered haphazardly around the mattress.
“Berry,” Twilight said, stepping over to the bed. “I’m so sorry for what happened.”
The filly sniffed. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
Not entirely sure what to do, Twilight opted for wrapping Berry in a hug. The filly didn’t struggle, but neither did she reciprocate.
“I’m here for you, if you need anything.”
Berry’s head turned upwards, her eyes looking straight into Twilight’s. “Why? Why did Mommy have to die? Why did Granny and Grampa have to die? Why did those mean ponies kill them? I thought the guard was supposed to take care of the mean ponies.”
There was so much pain in Berry’s voice. She’d most likely been crying all day. From her own experience, Twilight suspected the filly would be cried out by now. She was right, and now she was looking for answers, for justification. But Twilight had neither of those, all she could offer was a little solace.
“Berry, I wish I knew. Swift and your grandparents, they weren’t singled out or targeted specifically. They just...” She trailed off, unsure of how to explain this.
“They were just there.”
Twilight’s ears drooped. “Yeah, they were. I wish there was some reason, some higher purpose for why this happened, but if there is, I can’t see it. I’m sorry.”
A few tears leaked from Berry’s eyes. She pushed herself deeper into Twilight’s hug as several mumbled words spilled out. “...Hurts.”
Pulling the filly closer against her chest, Twilight softly stroked her head with a hoof. “I know, Berry. I know how much it hurts. I’m so sorry.”
Berry didn’t cry again, though Twilight felt a few more tears seep into her coat. Instead, she simply lay in Twilight’s arms, silent.
“...Hate them,” came the mumbled words from the filly.
“What?” Twilight asked.
She pulled away from Twilight. “I said that I hate them,” she repeated vehemently. “I hate those ponies who killed Mommy. I’m glad you killed them.”
“Berry, killing is never a good thing, no matter what.”
“But you did it. You killed those bad ponies.”
“I... I had no choice. But, I feel really bad about it.” Twilight sighed. “I can understand your hate, but there shouldn’t be a reason for you to be glad somepony is dead. Even if that pony did terrible things, you should never be happy that they’re dead.”
“I don’t care,” she retorted. “They killed Mommy, and now they’re dead.”
Twilight eyed the filly carefully. This was the last emotion Twilight wanted Berry feeling, but she already seemed very set in her conclusion. She stared, unseeing, into Berry’s eyes as she tried to think of a response that would dispel her negative emotions.
“I hate them, and I hate that dragon.” She looked up at Twilight angrily. “Twilight, are you going to kill the dragon?”
The question caught Twilight off guard. She wasn’t even aware that Berry knew the truth about what was going on. Then again, she’d been in the city for several days before the attack during the speech, so she most likely heard the truth on the street while out with Swift one day.
What were they going to do to the dragon? What could they do? The Elements had failed, and she wasn’t entirely sure how they could kill something larger than a city. Maybe they could kick it off the planet somehow?
“We’re going to defeat it, Berry. I don’t know how just yet, but we will win.” They didn’t really have much of a choice, as the only alternative was to be subjugated and exterminated. It really was a fight for their very survival.
“I hope you kill it,” she said. For someone so young, there was so much hate in her voice. Her entire world had been turned upside down and destroyed. Now she was looking for someone to blame. While it wasn’t an entirely unfounded reaction, especially from a child, her anger and sense of revenge was far too overblown.
“Don’t say that,” Twilight reprimanded with a frown. “You should never wish for death.”
“I do!” she yelled, startling Twilight. “Those ponies killed Mommy, but they were with the dragon. It’s his fault she’s gone and I want him dead. I want him dead. I want...” Her voice broke up. “I want Mommy back.”
She curled up on the bed, head tucked under a foreleg. Her only movement was a subtle shaking of her body, and the rise and fall of her chest.
“Berry?” Twilight asked.
“Go away,” she said.
Twilight reached out a hoof, setting it on the filly’s shoulder.
“I said go away.” The filly let out a small sniffle.
“Berry, no. I am not leaving you like this. Your emotions are all over the place and you’re saying things that are way out line.”
The filly sat up and turned angrily towards Twilight, but she cut her off before Berry could say a word. “No.” Twilight glared at the filly. “You don’t understand the implications of what you’re saying. Justice is one thing, revenge is another. Yes, the dragon deserves to die, there is no question about that.
“But I’ve lost my brother, my own parents, and—” Twilight’s voice caught in her throat, but she plowed on. She needed to say this. “And many ponies I hold dear. But you don’t see me acting angry and wishing for fantasies.” Twilight paused to take a breath, silencing Berry with another glare. “You need to control your attitude and feelings, they get in the way of you actually accomplishing the thing you want the most.”
Twilight let her hoof drop to the floor, standing tall. “If you want the dragon dead, then you need to get up and help as much as you can so that it happens. I know this sounds harsh, but this isn’t what your parents, or grandparents, would want to see from you. They would want you to be focusing on living your life, on making things better.
“The world is a hard place, Berry. It can be unfair and cruel. But hating it isn’t going to change anything, your actions will. And if you stay angry, then nothing good will come of it once you leave this room.”
Twilight wrapped Berry in a hug once more. “I’m sorry for being so harsh. If you need me, if you want to talk, then come find me.”
When Berry didn’t reply, Twilight ended the embrace before leaving. Gently closing the door, she decided to go back to the library. It would be a good idea to continue her research, and she could always think more clearly in a library.
Berry’s attitude worried her. The filly had so much hate in her. She’d lost so much in so little time and was now trying to deal with it. She was lashing out and blaming things. Admittedly, they were the right things, but that didn’t make it right.
It was still too early for her to listen to advice and think clearly, though Twilight hoped that something in her speech had made it through. Her emotions were blinding her. Twilight only hoped that Berry would listen when she had some time to come to terms with what had happened. Letting that hate foster inside would be dangerous. She’d seen before what strong negative emotions could do to a pony. Jealousy and a desire for revenge had twisted Trixie until she messed around with ancient artifacts.
Trixie had eventually overcome her emotions, and even sought penance for her actions. Twilight briefly wondered where Trixie was. The last she heard, the showmare was still out traveling and performing. She hoped that Trixie wasn’t in Canterlot that night.
As she descended the stairs and into the entry hall, Twilight noticed a commotion at the front doors. Curious, she headed over there, pushing her way through a group of servants.
Outside, arrayed in front of the steps, were about a hundred ponies. Twilight could see Cadance and Midnight standing in front of them.
Walking down the steps, Twilight looked across the gathered ponies. They were all wearing the purple armor of the Lunar Guard. Each of them showed the signs of being a thestral.
Contrary to what average ponies were lead to believe, not all thestrals had wings. There were earth ponies and unicorns as well. What made a thestral were a few, more unique, differences. All thestrals had vertical pupils, giving them low-light vision unsurpassed by any regular pony. They all had sharp canine teeth. Though whether they actually ate meat, Twilight wasn’t sure. She’d never seen one consume it, at least. The final mark of a thestral were the little tufts of fur on the tops of their ears, which were slightly more angular and gave them hearing above that of a pony’s.
Pegasi had the bat-like wings instead of the normal feathered versions. Unicorns and earth ponies were much the same as their pony counterparts, with similar builds.
The only thestrals were all in the Lunar Guard. Whether they were some sort of secret pony race that only served Luna, or they were created through ritualistic magic, Twilight didn’t know. The members of the Guard took the secret to their graves, and Luna herself never spoke about it. All the texts she’d read about them boiled down to conjecture and guesswork. Though maybe if she was going to be spending so much time with one while training, she’d ask him or her about it. Or maybe Midnight would be more open to talking about it.
Midnight was speaking to her Guard. “We’re here to help Princess Cadance and bolster the Crystal Empire. Tomorrow morning there will be an intel briefing, as I’m sure most of you are wondering why we aren’t still in Equestria. For tonight, head to the barracks. Eat, and get a good night’s sleep.”
She saluted her troops, who all saluted back in unison. The Lunar Guard moved off, Lieutenants hustling them along.
“It’s good to see them all here,” Cadance said.
“I still think we’d be better off staying in Equestria,” Midnight said. “I don’t trust the others to stay out. You know, Princess, the Gryphons will take any excuse to start stealing some of our land.”
“Be that as it may, Captain, you have your orders.” She sighed, then continued in a quiet voice. “It doesn’t matter anymore, Midnight. Unless this plan with Twilight and her friends pans out, there won’t be an Equestria to come back to.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Midnight said. Without saluting, or waiting for a dismissal, she set off after her troops.
“Twilight,” Cadance greeted. “How’s Berry doing?”
“She’s upset.”
They walked back up the steps and into the palace. “I’d imagine so,” Cadance replied. “She just lost her entire family in one afternoon. Having gone through similar, I’d imagine you know what she’s going through.”
“I...” Twilight took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I do, though, that’s not what worries me.” She sighed. “Berry’s angry, disturbingly so. She told me that she’s glad that I killed those two things yesterday. She expressed a wish to kill the dragon.”
“While that is not good, it’s hardly worrisome.”
“What do you mean?”
They’d reached the throne room, Cadance stopping at her throne to pick up some papers. “Twilight, she’s young. Tell me, when the same thing happened to you, did you feel angry?”
“Yeah, I did,” she admitted, scuffing a hoof on the ground.
“The difference between you and Berry is that you’re older than she is. You’ve had more experiences that she has. Berry’s too young to really know how to cope with something this traumatizing. She lacks the maturity that you and I have.”
They left the throne room, heading down a hallway. “Right now, being sad hurts too much for her, so she’s latching on to a less painful emotion: hate. By hating what happened, and those responsible for it, she can hide from her pain and sadness.”
Twilight shook her head. “Cadance, Berry is still in her room, where she’s been all day. I’m afraid she’s taking it too far. I remember being this mad as a filly, but by the time the day was over, I’d either forgotten about being mad, or things were too out of my control for me to keep caring. Aren’t you worried that she’s too deeply mired in her emotions?”
Cadance shook her head. “Only if she keeps it up. Though right now, it’s actually a good thing. If she were to try and process everything at once, I fear that she’d shut down, become almost catatonic. At least this way, she’s still here.”
Stopping in front of a door, Cadance gave Twilight a nuzzle. “Give her a few days. If she’s still like that, then you and I can talk to her. Hopefully by then we’ll have found some family and she’ll be around ponies she loves. Until then, just support her and be there for her. That’s all we can do right now.”
Cadance giggled. “Well, that’s rare, Twilight admitting that somepony else is right.”
“Hey!” Twilight said indignantly.
“I’m just kidding.” Cadance mussed up Twilight’s mane with a hoof. “Now go on, I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than sit in on a meeting about...” She glanced down at her papers. “Ah yes, food supplies and current projections.”
Twilight batted Cadance’s hoof away with a small chuckle. “Yes, as exciting as that sounds, I’m afraid the library requires my attention.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Cadance gave her a quick hug. “Go on.” She opened the door and went inside.
Twilight headed further down the hallway, arriving at the library. She mulled over Cadance’s words. She trusted the alicorn, but she still wasn’t entirely sure that leaving Berry alone was the best thing to do.
As soon as she opened the door to the library, all the familiarity washed over her. Making her way back through the shelves, she was glad to see that her little table was untouched, the books all still laying there. She took in a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh. Within moments of arriving, she was able to pick up exactly where she left off. This was what she loved, where she belonged, not on some battlefield or training ground. She wasn’t a fighter. But, Spike was counting on her to succeed. So, for him, she’d try her best to become one.
Several hours later, she was facedown in a book, groaning. There were pictures and diagrams in some of the books, showing her what fighting was supposed to look like, but none of it made sense to her. The stances and poses talked about so many different things. About styles and preferences, about how this felt or what your strength was. She was getting a sinking feeling that this wasn’t going to make much sense until she got out on the field and actually started going through the motions.
It almost piqued her inner student, almost made her eager enough for the next day. But, the recollection of how brutal her first fight was squashed her desires rather quickly. The pain from Midnight’s strikes had faded, but there would be bruises and soreness in the morning, and to more than just her body. She didn’t particularly want to experience that again.
Frustrated, she opted to at least leave the books on the table, in case she wanted them. Standing up, she felt her joints pop. As she was stretching, her eye caught something in the still open book on the table. Unable to stifle her curiosity, she sat back down to read the passage immediately.
Eventually, she looked up at a clock on the wall with a yawn. Dinner was some time ago, though she wasn’t hungry for a snack. Instead, she was actually feeling tired. It would probably be a good idea if she tried to sleep, since tomorrow would likely prove to be a long day.
Heading back up to her room, she found a surprise waiting for her. Spike had constructed a little nest out of pillows on the floor. He was curled up in it, covered by a blanket. He must’ve decided that he’d rather sleep in her room than the one Cadance had set aside for him. Just seeing him made her feel more at ease, like she was back home in the library.
Smiling at his sleeping figure, she quietly snuck into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed. When she was finished, she knelt down next to Spike.
“Love you too, Spike.” She brushed the top of his head lightly with her hoof, being careful to not wake him.
Climbing into bed, she lay amongst the covers, staring up at the ceiling. As was becoming a common occurrence lately, she had no idea what tomorrow would hold for her. Fitness training sounded like they’d just be running for three hours straight, not something she was looking forward to. As for the individual work... she wasn’t sure.
Scenario after scenario entered her mind. Each of them filled with painful thoughts of ways she’d hate the training. She was still thinking about them even as her eyelids closed and she fell asleep.
Twilight ran, her hooves thudding along the dirt track. Her lungs burned with a need for air as her breath came in deep gasps. The muscles in her legs ached. Sweat ran down her body, matting her coat and mane. She wanted with every fiber of her being to stop, or slow down. Yet there was a voice, shouting at her to keep moving, to go faster.
Through panting breaths, she looked around her. At various spots on the track were her friends. Midnight was darting between them, shouting either encouragement, or urging them to do better.
It was the third day of their training, and so far each day had started the same: they ran. Just after breakfast, they came outside to the track. The first day, Midnight had told them that they were to run. Since they were each starting at a different level, they set their own pace, so long as they ran and didn’t stop until she told them they could.
So Twilight had started running. Living the life of a scholar meant that she never did too much physical activity, unless she was out with her friends. Being friends with ponies like Rainbow Dash and Applejack had helped to keep her more in shape than most scholars, but she still wasn’t in tip-top condition like them. Thus, the running began to take it’s toll much sooner.
Midnight flew over to her, landing and running alongside her. Despite the captain being right there alongside each of them, she was barely even breathing hard. “You’re doing good, Twilight,” she said. Unable to say anything and still have the breath necessary to move, Twilight just nodded.
“You feeling tired?” Another nod. “You want to stop?” Another nod. “Well, we’re almost done. Just give me five more minutes. But you’d better be sprinting for those five minutes or you’ll be out here for another twenty.”
If she had the ability to do so, Twilight would have sighed. Everyday so far it had been the same. They would run and run, until the last bit, when Midnight would get them to stop running and start sprinting. She knew it was futile to argue with the thestral, so instead she lowered her head, focusing only on the few meters of track right in front of her. Summoning up her flagging strength, she increased her pace.
“Good,” Midnight said. “Keep this up, just another few minutes.” Twilight heard a rustle of wings, meaning the captain had moved on. Indeed, a moment later she could be heard shouting at Rarity to pick up the pace.
The thestral was certainly an odd pony when it came to encouragement. She would start out being nice, like she had just been with Twilight herself. But if you slacked or fell behind, that would be dropped instantly and she would turn into a drill sergeant, shouting and barking at you until you stepped up.
Twilight ran, not knowing just how much time was passing. All she knew was that she needed to keep moving, unless she wished to feel the lash of Midnight’s tongue. She’d heard the captain shouting at Rainbow several times now, and knew that she never wanted to be on the receiving end of that.
Finally, she heard Midnight call for them to stop. From her experience the first day, and some helpful hints from the thestral, she knew that just outright halting was a bad idea. She needed to gradually slow down, give her muscles time to adjust to not working so hard anymore. So bit by bit, she slowed her pace, until she was walking on shaky legs.
With uncertain steps, she turned off the track, heading towards the center where Midnight sat, waiting for them. As soon as she got there, she was given a canteen of water. Greedily, she gulped down the contents of the canteen, pausing only to take in more panted breaths.
When they were all there, Midnight addressed them. “Overall, you did a good job this morning. Some of you need to pick up the pace, push yourselves more. You’ll never improve if you don’t push yourselves.” She stood up. “Now come on, follow me.”
Twilight knew better than to argue for a rest. Rarity had done so on the first day and it had ended when Midnight had forced her to spend the rest of the morning running.
Midnight led them over to the training circle where only a few days prior, they had started this whole thing. Waiting for them were half a dozen mixed members of both the Crystal and Lunar Guards. Twilight had an inkling of just what they were about to do.
The previous two days, they’d done something different after running. The first day, it was stretching and working with weights. The second day they had done more physical exercises.
The thestral sat down just inside the circle, indicating that they should sit outside it. “I’ve invited some of the others from the guard to be here this morning. They’ll be helping you. Today, you learn about hoof-to-hoof combat.”
“We’re what?” Rarity asked, shocked.
“How to fight up close and personal. Each of you are getting a crash course in it. This is the third and final thing we’ll be rotating through in the mornings.” Midnight looked at Fluttershy. “What about you? Are you willing to learn how to defend yourself?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “No. I don’t want to fight.”
The thestral sighed. “Are you certain? You’ll only be making things harder for your friends like this.”
“I’m certain,” Fluttershy responded.
Twilight looked back and forth between them. Everyday, they had this same argument. Midnight was constantly trying to get Fluttershy to learn how to fight, and the pegasus was always saying no. Twilight could tell that it was getting on Midnight’s nerves.
“Very well,” Midnight said. “You and Private Aurora will sit on the sidelines. Private, you will at least talk to Fluttershy, explain things to her as you watch. Fluttershy, you will watch, but you will also be doing some exercises. You don’t get a free pass.”
One of the guard ponies moved off to the side, Fluttershy going to join her. Once they were gone, Midnight spoke up. “As for the rest of you, you’ll be paired off with a guard, and you will be learning and practicing how to fight.”
She motioned them into the circle. “However, just because you’re learning doesn’t mean that this’ll be easy. The guards have been instructed to take things slow, but they will be tossing you about. It’s how you learn.”
Twilight found herself standing across from Corporal Steel. He was an earth pony of the Crystal Guard. He smiled at her. “It’s a pleasure to work with you, ma’am.”
“Um, likewise?” Twilight wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that. This stallion knew that probably within moments he would be hurting her, yet he somehow seemed almost starstruck at working with her.
“Okay,” Midnight said. “Today we’ll begin by working on some basic holds. I’ll demonstrate which one I want you to work on, and then you’ll each get right into it.”
She selected Rainbow’s partner for the demonstration. Twilight tried to watch what happened, but to her it looked like one moment, they were facing each other, then the next there was a flurry of limbs and Midnight had the pony pinned to the ground, holding onto her foreleg and pulling on it painfully.
When Rainbow’s partner had gotten herself up and back into position, Midnight told them to begin.
“So, what was that?” Twilight asked.
“Here, let me show you,” Steel said. He moved forward, slowly. His head came up under hers and into her chest. “You want to start by gaining some leverage. From here, I can lift up and—” Twilight felt herself being lifted off her hooves. Steel twisted his body so that she landed in the dirt on her side. It didn’t hurt so much as it surprised her.
“From here,” Steel explained, “you want to grab their top forehoof with both of yours.” He did just that, holding onto her hoof. “Then you just let yourself fall over.” He fell onto his back. “From here, you twist the foreleg and pull on it.” Twilight felt a wrenching sensation as he did just that, though not painfully so.
He continued to hold onto her. “The point of this is to either cause pain in your adversary, or you can even take their shoulder out of its socket.” It was with a sense of relief that Twilight felt him release her.
They stood up, facing each other again. “Try it on me,” he said. “I’ll coach you through it.”
Twilight tried to mimic what Steel had done to her. He was much heavier than her, so her attempts to lift him were laughable, but he obliged and moved as he should, after correcting her a few times, telling her to use her shoulders, not her neck. It took her several tries, but she was finally able to execute a decent hold on him.
When they tried again, she kept getting better and faster at it. She still lacked the muscle mass required to lift him up and toss him like he had her, but she could at least knock him off-balance. Midnight observed them for a few minutes, breaking in and explaining things when she deemed it necessary.
Throughout the rest of the morning, they practiced several different holds and throws. When Twilight questioned Steel about why these seemed like annoyances, rather than a technique for taking out an opponent, he chuckled.
“Not all fighting is about killing,” he explained. “When both you and your opponent have lost their weapons and you’re down to scrapping with your hooves, it’s less about killing and more about disabling. The goal there is to render your opponent unable to move. A Guard’s job is to protect, meaning that sometimes it’s required for us to kill. But most of the time we simply need to disable somepony. So we learn both.”
Twilight nodded. That made sense to her. Taking an opponent out of a fight didn’t necessarily mean they had to die. She was glad the guard practiced restraint when forced to subdue unruly ponies.
Finally, as the sun reached it’s zenith in the sky, Midnight called a halt. “Take an hour for lunch,” she said. “Eat, rest, and then report to your trainers for the afternoon.”
Everypony nodded, Twilight thanking Steel for his help. Giving a longing look at the palace, Twilight joined her friends in heading for the barracks. The very first day of training, Midnight had banned them from the palace. They took their meals in the mess hall of the barracks, and had cots set up for them in there as well.
None of them had taken that revelation very well. Rarity had argued rather vehemently about not being able to access a proper bed and showers. Midnight had shrugged and informed them that it was either the cots and communal showers, or the dirt outside and no showers.
The fashionista had continued to argue, saying that she was ready to go through with the training, but she was not going to give up her bed. The thestral had countered by forcing Rarity to sleep outside, under the watchful eye of one of her Guard to ensure she didn’t slip away.
Needless to say, Twilight had learned that arguing with Midnight was usually a bad idea. The thestral was generally somewhat nice, encouraging and pushing them. However, slack off or argue, and she immediately became a brutal taskmaster, perfectly willing to make them suffer for it. Yet it never felt like she was being unduly harsh. The punishments were always in response to somepony doing something they shouldn’t.
Lunch was spent in the mess hall. The cooks working there offered up whatever they had cooked for the day, there was no choice. Though, it was usually bland and tasteless. Twilight wished for the food back in the palace.
They ate mostly in silence, each of them simply resting and recovering from the morning’s physical exhaustions. Other members of the Guard sat at tables around them, conversing amongst themselves.
After lunch, Twilight set her dishes in the window, where the pony on dish duty took them. With a nod to her friends, she left them behind. The afternoons were always spent on individual work. This is where they would focus and hone their strengths.
Twilight headed towards a room, opening the door and heading inside. As always, Sergeant Spellflare was waiting for her. Spellflare was a Lunar Guard unicorn, and according to Midnight, the best spellcaster she had.
“Afternoon, Twilight,” Spellflare said, his voice a deep rumble.
“Sergeant,” she replied.
The room was designed for allowing unicorns to practice their spells. The walls, floor, and ceiling were heavily warded in case of a magical mishap, and this prevented the citizens of the city from seeing the spells going off. Along one wall was a large stack of wooden targets for practicing. One such target already stood in the middle of the room.
Spellflare gestured to the target. “If you could, please demonstrate what we went over yesterday.”
She nodded, lighting up her horn as she gathered her magic, shaping it into the requested spell. Taking aim at the wooden dummy, she unleashed her attack. A thin wave of energy left her horn, flying at the dummy. When it struck, it seemed to pass right through it, continuing on. As it impacted the wall, the wards there flared briefly and the magic was absorbed, being used to power the wards.
The dummy sat there for a moment, before the top half succumbed to gravity, falling over. Spellflare smiled. “Good. That’s an attack that will usually cut them, but with your power you are able to turn it into something much more deadly. You might even be able to hit more than one pony, should they be standing in a line.”
Twilight wasn’t sure what to think once she started learning battle spells. With her innate magical power, she had quickly found that her spells always had their effects become more pronounced than when Spellflare demonstrated them. Thus, when he used that spell, it left a deep divot in the wood. When she used it, she severed the dummy.
It was unnerving. She knew she was strong, but there was a difference between levitating a few dozen books, and watching a piece of wood get cut in half. She could all too easily imagine that being a pony, the look of shock on their face as they realized that their body was no longer in one whole piece, as they fell over and bled, the—
She felt a hoof on her shoulder, seeing Spellflare looking at her. “Your strength is nothing to be ashamed or afraid of,” he said. “You have a gift, what better way to use that gift than for the welfare and safety of others?”
She nodded, banishing the images from her mind. “I know. It’s just that I never wanted to learn this.” Realizing what she said, she hastily corrected herself. “I mean, you’re a wonderful teacher, but...” She trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
“But you grew up around peace,” he said. “You never sought out this life like those of us in the Guard.”
“Yes,” she replied, nodding.
He sat down. “Guard life is tough. You have to be prepared to do the things that normal ponies wouldn’t. Where other ponies run, you stand. Where others would flee, you fight. And where others would live, you die. It’s not a life to be entered into easily. All of us are here because we chose to be.
“You are here because that choice was made for you. I’d be more surprised if you weren’t having doubts.” He smiled at her. “Let me tell you a little secret. Something that has gotten me through my fair share of skirmishes and battles.”
She sat next to him, listening as he continued. “To kill is a choice. Sometimes, it’s the only choice. Yet every time I’ve killed, I knew that I was trading that one life for many others. Each time I’ve been forced to kill something, it’s because there were other lives on the line. By making that choice to not kill, I was putting those lives in danger, and thus failing as a Guard.
“I respect you, Twilight. Even with your doubts, you’re doing everything I ask you. That shows a strength of character not many have. I know that you don’t necessarily want to be here, but still you show up and you push yourself and you work hard. Keep doing that, and know that one day, it will pay off.”
“Thanks, Spellflare,” Twilight said. It may not make her doubts go away, the pep talks, but it certainly made her feel better, knowing that there were others who were on her side. Her friends were all going through the same thing she was, so they can’t support her the same as those who have already been through it.
He stood up. “Now come on, I know how much you like to learn, so I’ve got something new for you today.”
Her curiosity piqued, she looked over at him. “What is it?”
His horn lit up, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see two objects moving away from the wall. It was only as they floated closer that she realized what they were: two swords, encased in their scabbards.
“Swords?”
“Indeed, swords. You’re going to learn how to use one.”
“But, why? Isn’t the whole point of being a spellcaster so that I don’t have to use a sword?”
He tossed one of the swords at her. She caught it in her magic, holding it in front of her. “Sometimes,” he said, “you won’t be able to use your magic beyond basic spells. Other times, using combat spells isn’t feasible. In that case, you’ll still want to be effective in combat. That means using a weapon.”
His sword slid out of the scabbard, the hollow piece of wood being set gently on the floor. Twilight examined the blade. It was shorter than what she usually saw guards carrying, with a thinner blade. This one was dulled, making it ideal for practice.
His magic took hold of the handle. Taking a step back, he swung the sword around him. It was moving so fast that she was only able to keep track of it through the glow on the handle leaving an afterimage as it moved. The dull blade cleaved the air, making a slight whistling sound as it passed.
When he stopped, he held the sword directly in front of him. “Being a spellcaster in the Guard isn’t all about flinging spells at the enemy from the back lines. There are times where you have to get into the thick of it. In those cases, you’ll want something more precise.”
Twilight pulled her own blade out of the scabbard. “So spellcasters use these as well?”
“Not all of them. The type of blade depends on the wielder; it’s a preference thing. I prefer a shorter, thinner blade because I can use it more swiftly and precisely. But all the best spellcasters have a sword or blade around.”
The sword floated to his side. “Now come on, let’s teach you the art of the sword.” With a burst of magic, he cleared away the remains of the wooden dummy, leaving an empty floor. “We’ll start with how to hold it.”
Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Twilight was instructed in how to use the sword, from how to hold it, to how to control its direction, to how to change direction at a moment’s notice. By the end of the afternoon, she was covered with sweat and had several new bruises where Spellflare had struck her during a duel. He was of the mind that one learned by doing, so once she knew how to hold and move it, they jumped right into dueling.
By the time she met her friends in the barracks for dinner, she was tired and all she wanted was to finish her meal and head to her cot. Sharing a room with not only her friends but several dozen members of the Guard was something she wasn’t used to, but at this point, if it meant having at least a decently comfortable spot to sleep, she didn’t care.
That was when Midnight decided to ruin the evening.
“You’re not heading back to your cots tonight,” she announced
“What do you mean?” Applejack asked.
“We don’t know what conditions will be like out there on the road, but it’s safe to say that cots will be in short supply. Beds even more so. To that end, we’re going to practice making camp outside. Report to the training circle in the yard after dinner.”
“No,” Rarity said.
“I’m sorry?” Midnight asked, turning to look at Rarity.
“You heard me,” she began irritably. “I may have submitted to your brutish accommodations here in the barracks,” At this point, the entire mess hall was listening in. “But I draw the line at spending another night out in that dirt infested yard! I am a mare of class!”
The entire room was silent, both at Rarity’s insulting the barracks and their training yard, and at wondering what Midnight was going to do. Even though she was new to the Crystal Empire, the Crystal Guard had learned to respect the thestral. The few Lunar Guard scattered about were smirking, knowing how their Captain wasn’t one to argue with.
Midnight had a small smile on her muzzle. “Is that so?” she asked calmly.
Rarity was still caught up in her tirade. “Yes. I can understand this training, I can understand the barracks and the meals. But I cannot understand the desire to ever sleep outside. It was horrible last time. It will be horrible again. I simply won’t do it.”
By now, Twilight could see both Pinkie and Fluttershy, who were sitting on either side of Rarity, trying to get her to stop. She thought that was a good idea, but didn’t want to say anything and draw Midnight’s attention on herself.
Midnight’s smile remained. “So you think that our facilities are brutish? You think that what we live in, what we do everyday, is barbaric?” She gestured around her with a foreleg.
Rarity looked around, only seeming to just now notice that the entire room was staring at her. Her anger faded, a more nervous look coming to her face.
“We sacrifice, a lot, sometimes everything, so that you can live your life of class,” Midnight continued. “Yes, our living conditions may be less than adequate to one such as you, but that’s okay. We accept this.”
“Erm,” Rarity said. “I may have been a bit hasty...”
The smile on Midnight’s face had faded, leaving her with a hard, cold look. “Is that so?” she asked again. “I’ll tell you what, you can sleep in here, on a cot. You can even go back to the palace and your soft bed there. However, if you do that, I personally guarantee that you’ll be running the track, with weights on, everyday, if I have to put a leash on you and run you around myself.”
She gave Rarity a look that was clearly asking for a challenge. The unicorn looked around her, seeing how most of the guard in the room were looking none too happy at how she had insulted them and their profession.
“I assure you, Rarity. There will be no shortage of volunteers to make sure you run.”
Rarity stammered over a few words, looking around her uneasily. “Um, no. I don’t think that will be necessary.” She hung her head and sighed. “I’ll sleep outside.”
“Then I’ll see you outside,” Midnight said. She then turned and walked away.
Twilight watched her walk away. Now that she thought about it, not once in the last three days had she seen the captain take a meal with them. She was always still up when they went to bed, and was up before them, waking them up each morning. She wasn’t sure Midnight was eating or sleeping, even though she had to be.
The rest of dinner was quiet. Nopony said anything to Rarity, though she did still get a few harsh looks. When they were all done and the dishes taken back to where they belonged, they left for the training circle.
Midnight was waiting for them in the center of the circle. Strung out on the ground were seven bedrolls. The light of the moon combined with the streetlights of the city to cast a pallor over everything.
“Glad to see you here,” Midnight said. She indicated the bedrolls. “As you can see, we won’t be entirely roughing it. These are standard issue for lengthy patrols, away actions, and the like.”
The thestral sighed. “Rarity, I know that you don’t want to be out here. You don’t even want to be in this training at all. None of you do. But all the same, I know that you’ve been going, and will be going through some tough things throughout this. I told you that I’d be pushing you; I didn’t just mean physically, but mentally as well.
“Yes, I want you to run faster around the track, lift more weights, practice your skills. But beyond that, I want you to grow mentally. I want you to overcome your own shortcomings, whatever they may be.”
She looked at them each in turn. “I apologize, Rarity. But you will be doing this a lot in the near future, a lot. Better to learn and get used to it now in a familiar environment..”
Rarity shook her head. “No. I apologize.”
For the first time since they got out there, Midnight smiled. “You are far from the first pony to snap and say things they didn’t mean during training. It’s happened before, it will happen again. Regular training is harsh, and it can make ponies do things they don’t mean to. I can only imagine this training will be no different. Maybe worse.”
She gestured to the bedrolls. “You all must be tired. I suggest we turn in.” She unfurled one of the bedrolls, laying down in it.
“Um, you’re staying out here with us?” Twilight asked.
“Of course,” she said like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Not wanting to say anything else, Twilight settled for grabbing a bedroll of her own, laying in it. Even with the streetlights, she could see the stars, twinkling above. The sheer amount of energy she had expended that day meant she fell asleep quickly.
* * *
Twilight collapsed on the ground, her muscles giving out. They were now a week into the training, and while she had been getting used to all the physical activity, Midnight kept finding ways to make them work harder. Today, after running, they had worked through physical exercises, harsh things that involved weights and movement.
Summoning her strength, she rolled over on her back. A few scattered clouds lazily moved overhead as the sun beat down on her sweat drenched body. Her breathing came in short, sharp gasps.
“You all did good,” she heard Midnight say from somewhere behind her head. “Go and get some lunch, then meet up back out here.”
“We’re not training this afternoon?” Rainbow asked. She sounded almost disappointed.
“Oh you are, just not individually.” A collective groan arose from Twilight and her friends. “I’ve got something else planned.” Twilight heard the sounds of somepony moving away.
It was quiet for a moment, before hoofsteps approached her. “You okay, Twi?” Applejack asked, her face entering Twilight’s field of view.
“Yup,” she said. “Just gotta. Catch. My breath.”
The farmer held out a hoof, one that Twilight took. With a sharp yank, she found herself standing on her hooves again. “Thanks,” she said.
Slowly, and with her muscles protesting the movement, she walked into the barracks. Maybe she could get one of the nice guards to bring her a tray of food. They had been accepted by the Guard after living with them for the past week and training hard the entire time. Twilight was even getting to know some of them at night in the barracks.
As it turned out, she was able to convince one of the guards to bring her some food. As much as she hated asking, her desire to just sit down was greater. She thanked him with a smile.
By the time their usual hour was up, she was feeling better. Her muscles were still aching slightly, but she could ignore that and move normally again. So after getting rid of her tray, she joined her friends in going back outside.
Twilight wondered what Midnight had planned for them. All week she’d been working with Spellflare after lunch, so this was different. She wasn’t sure what the thestral had planned, and so long as it wasn’t more running, she was willing to go along with it.
When they got outside, they saw Midnight once again sitting in the training circle. This time, she had a healthy supply of wooden dummies with her. Twilight could also see Spellflare there, along with several other ponies.
“Twilight,” Spellflare greeted her with a nod.
“Afternoon, Spellflare,” she returned. She could see her friends greeting the other ponies, so she assumed they were also their trainers. It was a motley crew of ponies. Rainbow was talking to a pegasus who didn’t look much older than her, while both Applejack and Fluttershy were talking to earth ponies. Rarity’s was another unicorn, older than Spellflare. Most curious was the pony Pinkie was talking to, an earth pony who looked old enough to be her grandfather.
When the greetings were over, Midnight gathered them up. “I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’ve gathered you out here. I told you before you began training that I know how much your friendship means to you. How well you all work together as a team. So today, you’ll be working together. Starting off with showing what you’ve been working on.” She smiled. “Consider this a show-and-tell.”
The thestral moved off to the side with the trainers. “Twilight, you’re up first,” she said.
Twilight looked over at both Midnight and Spellflare. “Uh, what do I do?”
Midnight gestured to the center of the circle. “You can start by explaining, briefly, what you’ve spent the past week learning. Then a demonstration. The goal here is to get your friends acquainted with what you’ve been doing. That way, you can practice together.”
“Okay...” Twilight got up, moving into the center of the circle. She then faced the line of her friends. “Well, I’ve been working with Sergeant Spellflare on learning a variety of combat-tuned spells.” Using her magic, she levitated one of the wooden dummies over, setting it in front of her.
“Spells like this one.” Her horn flared and a bolt of magic flew out, striking the dummy. Where it hit, wood and splinters flew, leaving a large divot in the wood. “Or this one.” Again she shot a spell at the dummy. This time, a neat line appeared in it, shearing it into two pieces.
“These spells are designed to basically mimic physical actions such as bucking, or cutting with a blade. Yet it seems with the power I am able to conjure they become even more dea... effective.”
Her friends were all looking on. “That’s amazing, Twilight,” Rarity said.
Using a few more dummies, Twilight showed off several more spells. Despite Spellflare telling her to not lessen her power, she had to in this case. There was no warded wall to absorb the excess magic, only a hundred meters, then the city itself.
“So that’s what I’ve been studying,” she concluded.
“Not quite,” Spellflare spoke up. He tossed something at her that she reflexively caught in her magic.
It was the sword she’d been using to practice. “Ah, right,” she said. Unsheathing the sword, she quickly ran through a few practice forms that Spellflare had taught her. Unlike her trainer, she preferred a slightly longer sword, more average sized. With her magic, she could control it just as deftly as him with the smaller sword.
When she was done, she sheathed the sword. “So that’s what I’ve been studying.”
“That. Was. Awesome!” Rainbow said.
“Indeed,” Rarity agreed. “You wield the blade almost as if it’s an art form!”
Twilight felt herself blushing. “I’m still learning. Those are just the basics.”
“You’re learning quickly,” Spellflare said.
“Yes. Well, I...Thank you.” Twilight cleared away the remains of her dummies and left the circle. She got pats on the back from her friends.
It felt nice, knowing that her friends were supporting her. Despite her own misgivings about what they were going through, she could rest easy, knowing her friends had her back.
“Rainbow,” Midnight said. “Feel like going next?”
“Aww yeah!” Rainbow exclaimed. She shot off the ground, pirouetting through the air and landing in the circle. “So I’ve been working on some awesome stuff. See, since I’m totally the fastest pegasus alive, we’ve been working on not only making me faster-” She shot up off the ground, speeding in a lap around the track before coming back, her arrival heralded by a dust cloud. “But also with some wicked awesome blades.”
There was a clatter as a pair of blades landed at Rainbow’s hooves. Within moments, the pegasus had them strapped on. Twilight recognized them as wingblades from one of the books she read, though these ones looked different. As soon as Rainbow flexed her wings, she realized why.
These wingblades were segmented, allowing for her to shift her wings around. It didn’t look like she could completely fold her wings, but she could certainly bend and flex them. Though why this was important, she didn’t know.
“So these babies,” Rainbow continued, “are wingblades. Here’s how I use them.” Once again, she took off. The pegasus trainer nodded to Spellflare, who floated out another dummy, setting it in the middle of the training circle.
Rainbow flew around a couple of times, until she zipped straight at the dummy. To Twilight’s eyes, it looked like she simply passed right by it. Until the thing creaked and the top third fell off; the blade on her wing had severed it cleanly.
The pegasus landed. “Plus, I’ve been learning this.” With the pointed edge of her blades, she swiped and stabbed at the bottom part of the dummy. It was almost like Twilight’s sword work, but more chaotic and wild. Cuts and stab marks appeared in the wood as Rainbow grunted and swung.
So that’s why the blades were segmented. They allowed her wings to bend slightly, for close combat. Normal wingblades were straight pieces of metal, so when a pegasus had them equipped, they couldn’t bend their wings.
She capped it off with a complete turn, both blades leaving identical slashes, one right above the other. “So,” she said, facing them again. “Is that awesome, or is it amazing?”
“It’s awesomely amazing!” Pinkie said.
Movement off to the side caught Twilight’s eye. She saw Rainbow’s trainer leap off the ground and fly at the pegasus. Sunlight glinted off the wingblades he was wearing.
Rainbow saw him as well. Her wings moved, blocking the attack, though he had enough momentum behind him to bend her wings backwards and keep moving. He banked around as Rainbow took off.
They met in the air, strikes being thrown at each other. It was odd, watching two pegasi fight in the air like that. They would fly at each other, halt in front of their opponent, then use their wings to fight. Yet since their wings also kept them aloft, they could only throw in a few strikes and blocks before they had to flap and keep flying. Then they would separate and the dance would begin again.
At one point, they landed on the ground. There, they could throw themselves into their strikes. It was interesting to watch them slash, jab, and spin with each attack.
Eventually, Rainbow’s trainer gained the advantage and the fight ended with him on top of Rainbow, bladed wing pressed against her throat. Rainbow stood down, getting a helping hoof from her trainer to stand up.
“So I’ve been learning that, too.” Deftly, she removed the wingblades. “These have also been enchanted, so that when I hit something at high speeds, it takes most of the impact, instead of my bones.”
Returning the blades to her trainer, she rejoined the rest of her friends. Twilight joined them in congratulating and encouraging the pegasus.
“Rarity?” Midnight called.
The fashionista stood up, brushing the dirt off herself calmly. With careful, precise steps, she entered the circle. Her horn glowed, and both the two pieces of Rainbow’s dummy, as well as another whole one, switched positions.
She cleared her throat. “Well. What I have been working on is perhaps not as flashy as Rainbow. It is a bit more simplistic. Weaver?” She turned to a dark blue unicorn, who nodded at her. A pouch floated its way over to her.
Hooking the simple cloth pouch over her shoulder so it hung at her side, Rarity opened the flap. From within the pouch came a small knife. Rarity stood it on its point in the air, revolving it slowly.
Unlike a regular knife, this one had no handle for gripping. It had no crossguard, so it wasn’t meant for battle. This knife had only one purpose that Rarity demonstrated. The knife suddenly bolted through the air, sinking deep into the wooden dummy. In rapid succession, three more knives came out of the pouch, each one hitting the dummy in different places.
Rarity’s eyes narrowed as she concentrated. Four knives came out of the pouch, spacing themselves equidistant from each other as they circled her body around her neck. For a moment, they danced around her, then one by one launched at the dummy.
When she was done, the knives were each sticking out of the dummy, somewhat close to each other with the exception of one; it bounced off the dummy and landed in the dirt.
“It is still a work in progress,” she said. Using her magic, she retrieved all eight knives, replacing them in the pouch, which she gave back to her trainer, Weaver. “I am afraid that I have nothing else to show off.”
“That was marvelous, Rarity,” Twilight said. Once again she was envious over Rarity’s control over her magic. The four knives, moving in tandem one moment, then separately the next. That was something that took either a lot of practice, or natural talent.
Rarity came over and sat down. Twilight gave her a pat on the back and some congratulatory words. It was interesting getting to see what her friends were working on. Opportunities in the last week to talk to her friends had been minimal. If they weren’t running, they were separated, or too tired to do much else than eat and sleep. She was curious what the other three had been doing.
As it turned out, Pinkie was the one to go next. Surprisingly, both she and her trainer entered the circle. Now that she was actually looking at the old pony, she could tell that he was, in fact, quite old.
“So this is Close Quarters and he’s been the super amazing pony who’s been training me. See, Nighty showed up on the first day with Closey here and then Closey’s been showing me this thing called Capomarea, which is this really cool dancing thing.”
“Why don’t we show them, Pinkie,” Close said.
“Okie-dokie-lokie!” she chirped. They moved until they were standing a few paces apart, facing each other. Mirroring each other, their forelegs bent, bowing slightly. After a moment, they both began to... move.
Twilight couldn’t think of a better word for it. Their bodies were twisting and waving around. She could tell that it was a repeating pattern, though why they were doing that, she didn’t know. She’d never even heard of Capomarea before.
They moved at each other. Their hooves were in constant motion, flowing across the dirt yet somehow never disturbing it. Twilight saw Close’s forehoof dart out at Pinkie, who dodged, neither of them breaking their rhythm.
Thus, they danced. Twilight wasn’t sure whether they were dancing with or against each other. They never stopped moving, somehow working their attacks and dodges into whatever rhythm they were feeling. It was entrancing to watch, mesmerizing.
Close was obviously a master at this. Despite his age, he never once got hit by Pinkie, and landed several hits on her. His rhythm never once waned, only sped up or slowed down as he needed it to.
Eventually, Pinkie ended up laying in the dirt, Close’s hoof on her neck. He wasn’t pressing down, just holding it there. A second later, he removed it. “You did well, Pinkie.”
Pinkie got up. “Aww, you win every time.” Despite her words, she was still smiling.
“Yes, but you’re getting better each day. Maybe someday, you’ll win.” They bowed to each other again.
Pinkie left the circle, rejoining her friends. This time, there wasn’t any congratulating, as they were all still trying to comprehend what they had just seen.
“That was... awesome?” Rainbow said awkwardly.
“Truly,” Rarity agreed. “I know many ponies who wished they could move like that. It was sublime and graceful.”
“It’s nothing,” Pinkie said. “It’s just like baking a cake, always gotta be moving.”
“Applejack?” Midnight called. “You’re up.”
The farmer nodded. Standing up, she perched her hat securely on her head. Trotting into the circle, she faced her friends.
“Well, I’ve been working on a couple of things.” She turned to the trainers. “Could I get a dummy, please?”
A moment later, and a dummy had been placed on the dirt by Applejack. She nodded her thanks. Facing the dummy, she backed up several steps. From there, she broke into a run, ending it with a leap where she planted her front hooves and pivoted around, her back hooves tucked up under her body. When her back hooves were lined up with the dummy, she lashed out. There was a powerful thud, the dummy launching across the field, grinding up the grass as it rolled about. It finally came to a halt a couple dozen meters away. Twilight could see that it had two large dents in it where her hooves had connected.
Applejack addressed them. “I know that y’all have seen me applebuck before. But applebucking is about shaking the tree, knocking loose the apples. I’ve been working on harnessing that and making it more powerful. But that’s not the only thing.”
Another nod to her trainer, and this time a different dummy was placed into the field. This one had smaller pieces of wood sticking out of holes drilled into the overall structure at various angles. Standing on her hind hooves, Applejack used her forelegs and did a series of movements with the “arms” of the dummy.
Twilight knew enough from the morning close combat training to know that Applejack was running through a drill. She was blocking and attacking the dummy, using the arms as incoming attacks. The movements were rough looking, but it was interesting to watch.
Most ponies could stand on their hind legs briefly. If they had something to rest their forehooves on, like a counter in the case of reaching into the cabinets, then they could do it for longer. Only ponies with strong hind leg and barrel muscles could stand unaided on their hind legs for any sort of extended period of time. Applejack was standing on her hind legs, and using her forelegs to spar.
After a solid minute, she returned to standing on all fours. It was impressive to have seen that. Twilight knew Applejack was strong, but that was a level of strength she didn’t expect.
“I’m afraid that I’ve got nothing fancy to show y’all,” she said, reaching up and adjusting her hat.
“That was impressive,” Twilight said.
The farmer lowered her hat, hiding her face. “Aww shucks, Twi.”
“I mean it,” she replied. “Just because it’s perhaps not as flashy doesn’t make it any less impressive.”
“Thanks, Twi.” Applejack returned to her friends, receiving similar words of encouragement. Twilight saw the dummy she had launched returning, encased in the green aura of Spellflare.
“Fluttershy,” Midnight said. “Would you like to demonstrate what you’ve been learning from Healing Touch?”
The pegasus in question shied away from getting up, only tucking herself lower to the ground. “I don’t know,” she said quietly. “I mean, it’s not like I have anything to show.”
“Nonsense,” One of the earth ponies spoke up. Twilight assumed it was Healing Touch. “Think about all the things we’ve been working on.” He reached behind him, pulling out a saddlebag and tossing it into the ring. “Go on, show us a few things.”
“But I—” Fluttershy started, before trying to hide herself behind her mane.
Rarity was next to Fluttershy. She placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Fluttershy. We want to see what you’ve been learning.” The others, Twilight included, voiced their assent and encouragement.
“Um, well, if you’re sure.” Fluttershy got up and made her way over to the saddlebag. Opening the bag, she peered inside it for a moment before setting it down.
“Well, Healing Touch has been teaching me about how to care for a pony who’s been injured. There are techniques that are used on a... bat- battlefield. Ponies have to be bandaged and stabilized until they can be transported to a field hospital.”
She looked at her friends. “Would one of you like to help me?” Rarity stood up and made her way to sit next to Fluttershy.
Digging into the saddlebag with a wing, Fluttershy pulled out a small roll of gauze, a bottle of some liquid, and a piece of cloth. “Um, just pretend Rarity has a cut on her hoof.” She opened the bottle, pouring some of the liquid inside onto the cloth. Using her now wet cloth, she wiped at one of Rarity’s hooves. “You have to disinfect the wound as much as possible,” she explained.
Tossing the cloth aside, she pulled another one, setting it over Rarity’s leg. “From there, you have to bandage it.” Holding the cloth in place with a hoof, she used her free hoof to grab the roll of gauze. With her muzzle, she peeled off the end of the roll, setting that over the cloth on the leg. Unrolling the gauze, she wrapped it around the cloth until she tore off the end of it and tucked it under one of the previous loops.
“From there, the pony can be taken to the field hospital.” She set all of her supplies back in the saddlebag. “I’ve been learning how to take care of different types of injuries.”
“That’s cool, Shy,” Rainbow said. “I know who I’m coming to the next time I stub my hoof.”
“You are an artist with a bandage,” Rarity agreed, looking at her hoof.
Fluttershy blushed, tucking her head back into her mane. “It- it’s nothing.”
“Nonsense. We’d be nothing without you, Fluttershy. You’re our friend.”
“Thanks, Rarity.” Fluttershy got up and rejoined the others.
Midnight stood up and moved into the training circle. “Well, now that you know what everypony else has been working on, it’s time to learn how to utilize those skills as a team. However, rather than me telling you what to do, instead, the six of you will be figuring that out. Myself and your trainers will work with you, but it will ultimately be up to you six.”
Twilight looked at her friends. They were the Elements of Harmony, so working together was what they were good at. Though, even knowing what her friends were working on, she couldn’t quite see how they would all work together. Their skills were vastly disparate from one another.
“Now you all know,” Midnight continued, “that I’m a big fan of learning by doing. So I’ll be presenting a situation to you all, a goal you have to attain. You six will work out how to accomplish that goal. Your trainers and I will judge you on how effective we think your solution is. There’s no right or wrong answer here, it’s about learning how to work together.”
At a gesture from Midnight, Spellflare stood up. Grabbing another wooden dummy, both he and it teleported away. Twilight couldn’t see where he reappeared. The other five trainers also stood up. Walking quickly, they left the training field, entering the barracks.
“Unfortunately,” Midnight said, “we don’t really have facilities to practice as in-depth as I’d like, so I’m improvising. Your task is to find Spellflare and the dummy. They are inside the barracks compound somewhere. The others will be acting as enemies, attempting to keep you from reaching your goal.”
“In what way?” Twilight asked.
“In whatever way they see fit. On a battlefield, conditions are always changing, so they will adapt their strategy to counter yours, as you should to theirs. They won’t do permanent harm to you, but it’s not going to be a walk in the park, either.”
Midnight gestured to the barracks. “Nopony is going to be armed. However, I will be following along, and should I determine that one of you has sustained too much damage, I will call you out. It starts from the moment you enter the barracks, and is only over when all six of you are out, or you reach Spellflare. You may use your skills, so feel free to cast spells, fly, whatever.”
Twilight and her friends headed for the door into the barracks. She still wasn’t sure what was going on, but suspected that was part of the idea. Midnight was testing them, seeing how they would react.
Applejack opened the door and stepped inside. Almost immediately, she was tackled by a pony. Both of them rolled out of sight past the door frame. Twilight was right behind Pinkie in coming inside.
Applejack was rolling around on the floor with one of the trainers. Twilight didn’t know his name, only that it was Rarity’s trainer. The unicorn was trying to grapple with Applejack, who was fighting back.
Twilight could only stand and watch. Her mind was trying to process what was happening. Midnight has said that the goal was to find Spellflare, and that the other trainers would be trying to stop them. Somehow, she should have expected something like this, but she just didn’t react.
Rarity’s trainer got the upper hoof over Applejack, pinning the farmer. “Enough, Weaver,” Midnight said.
The unicorn, Weaver, got off of Applejack. Giving a nod to Midnight, he disappeared through a door, deeper into the barracks. Applejack got to her hooves.
“You’re out, Applejack. Wait here by the door. The rest of you, continue on. We’ll recap once everything’s over.”
“But-” Rarity said.
“You still have a mission, Rarity,” Midnight said. “You lost Applejack and failed to take out Weaver, so she’s out and he’s still in the game.”
Twilight knew now that Midnight wasn’t playing around. She called it a game, but it wasn’t. This was a test to see how they reacted to things, and how well they worked together as a group. If she had used her magic to pull Weaver off of Applejack, then perhaps it would be the opposite, with Weaver out and Applejack still in.
Still, the odds were stacked against them. The trainers were all experienced at things like this, while Twilight’s knowledge of tactics came from whatever she had read. She wondered if Midnight had set them up to fail on purpose. No sooner had she thought that did she mentally shake her head. No, that wasn’t the thestral’s style. This was achievable, just very difficult.
The barracks compound was a large, one-story building. It had multiple bunk rooms, training rooms, closets, the mess hall, the showers, private rooms for officers, offices and storage rooms. Spellflare could be in any room, as could the trainers. Weaver had gone through one door, but that meant nothing when he could easily loop around and be waiting at the other door out of the entry room.
They needed to be careful. As was demonstrated by Applejack’s removal, this wasn’t going to be easy.
Twilight approached the door that Weaver had gone through. Using her magic, she opened it. Waiting a few seconds, nopony appeared. Rather than do what Applejack did, which was walk through, she flared up her horn and teleported into the hallway.
When she re-materialized, she looked back at the doorway. Nopony was waiting, the hallway was clear. “It’s clear,” she called.
One by one, her friends entered the hallway. Their looks ranged from determination on Rainbow, to fear on Fluttershy. Once again, they were being thrust into an unknown situation. Midnight came in last, her piercing eyes taking in everything. Twilight wondered if she knew where all the trainers were.
This hallway had multiple doors leading off of it. Twilight only knew where a few of them led, as she hadn’t really had the time or inclination to explore the entire building. She had no idea how to best go about this, so she settled for picking a door at random.
Opening it led to a small closet. Some cleaning supplies were in there, but no ponies, no Spellflare. Closing the door, Twilight picked another one.
This one led into the mess hall. This time, however, all the lights were out. The only light was spilling in from the hallway. This set Twilight on edge. The only reason the lights were out was because something was in there.
Cautiously, she took a step inside. With a hoof, she fumbled for a lightswitch. Upon finding one, she flicked it. Nothing happened. No lights came on.
Fortunately, she had other ways of seeing in the dark. Channeling magic into her horn, she cast a simple spell, causing her horn to glow and illuminate the surrounding area.
She saw the usual tables and chairs. Nothing looked out of place. Except for the lights being off, it was all normal as far as she could see.
Turning to face her friends who were still in the hallway, she spoke. “I don’t see anyt—” Suddenly, she felt hooves close around her neck and she was yanked to the side. Her friends gasped.
She struggled, but the hooves tightened around her, partially cutting off her airway. She already had magic in her horn, so she unleashed a wave of power, attempting to blast the assailant off her.
Instead, she felt herself being dragged across the floor. She had blasted back the pony attacking her, but since that pony was gripping her, she was dragged along. The force only served to fully cut off her breathing.
Since she used the magic in her horn, her illumination spell died as well, casting everything into darkness. Using her forehooves, she gripped the hooves around her neck, trying to pry them off. Her hind legs scrabbled across the floor, trying to find purchase on something.
After a moment, Rarity’s horn lit up the area, not that Twilight could see who was behind her. Rainbow flew past her, and the pressure on her loosened. She could hear Rainbow trying to get the pony off her.
“Enough,” Midnight said. At that word, Twilight felt the pony drop her. Taking in deep breaths, she looked behind her, seeing Weaver once more. Rainbow had her own foreleg around his throat.
“Both Twilight and Weaver are out.”
“But I rescued Twi,” Rainbow argued.
Midnight nodded. “You did, but only after Weaver had plenty of time to snap her neck. However, you have control over Weaver, thus he’s out as well. Twilight, Weaver, you two can go wait by the front door with Applejack. The rest of you, continue on.”
Reluctantly, Rainbow dropped Weaver, who got to his hooves. Reaching down, he offered a hoof to Twilight, who took it. The two of them left the mess hall, both Rarity and Fluttershy giving Twilight an apologetic look.
When they were in the hallway, Twilight looked at Weaver. “Where were you hiding? I didn’t see anypony when I looked around.”
He smiled. “You did better than Applejack, she just walked inside. You looked around, but you forgot to check behind the door.”
Twilight wanted to facehoof. Of course, behind the door. She remembered playing hide and seek with Shining, and how hiding behind the door was an option. She could hide back there, and when the seeker entered, she would dart around the door and out of the room before they noticed. It made sense that an enemy inside a building would do the same thing.
They entered the front hall, seeing Applejack sitting by the door. She looked up at their entry. “Y’all out?” she asked.
Twilight nodded. “Weaver took me out, but Rainbow got him.”
The three of them sat together. Twilight listened for any sound or sign of her friends. It was surprising to see the building empty. She had thought they’d be doing all of this around the guards who would normally be here, going about their business. It seemed Midnight had cleared everypony out of the barracks for this exercise. That, and somehow disabled the lights in the mess hall. She wondered what other surprises the thestral had in store for them.
It was a few minutes after they arrived that Pinkie showed up. Applejack’s trainer, Ironhoof, had gotten the jump on her in one of the bunk rooms.
Over the next twenty minutes, ponies kept coming into the room. After Pinkie, it was Ironhoof. Rainbow had managed to react in time to avoid him, and used her wings to get around him and take him out. However, Rainbow appeared next. Her own trainer, Fleetwing, had taken her out.
Rarity was the next to arrive. Pinkie’s trainer, Close, had somehow climbed up into the beams on the ceiling in one of the bunkrooms and had quite literally gotten the drop on her. That just left Fluttershy to complete the mission against Fleetwing, Close, Healing Touch, and Spellflare.
A minute later, Fluttershy came into the room, followed by Midnight and the trainers. The pegasus was shaking, but otherwise looked fine.
“Fluttershy, darling, are you alright?” Rarity asked.
“I’m okay,” she said. “It was just so scary. I... I opened the door and then Fleet was there and he just...” She couldn’t finish her sentence, instead going silent.
“I just tapped her on her back,” Fleetwing said. “I wasn’t aware that would produce this effect.”
“It’s okay, Fleet,” Rainbow said. “She’s just nervous.”
“Yeah, thanks for not going all combatty on her,” Pinkie said.
“I’m okay,” Fluttershy repeated.
Midnight opened the door leading outside. “Come on, let’s discuss what happened.” She walked through the door.
Twilight followed her outside. They sat by the wall of the building.
“So, who can tell me what went wrong?” Midnight said.
“Uh, that was totally not fair?” Rainbow said.
“How so?”
“Because we didn’t know what was gonna happen.”
“Neither did the trainers,” Midnight pointed out. “They were reacting just as much as you were.”
“Yes, but they are more experienced than us,” Rarity said.
“True, but if you notice, they only came at you one at a time. You all had the advantage in numbers. You successfully took out Weaver and Ironhoof using that advantage.”
Twilight worked over what Midnight was saying in her head. They took out two of the trainers because they had worked together. Everypony else was taken out because at that point, they had been alone.
“So you’re saying that we lost because we weren’t acting as a team,” Twilight said.
Midnight nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. When you did act as a team, you were able to take the trainers down. Even though you were moving as a group, you weren’t looking out for each other. You were a series of individuals moving together. You need to be a single unit, watching each others backs and jumping in to help. That’s what this is about.”
She nodded to the trainers, who all went back inside. “Now, they are going to reset. However, don’t expect things to be the same, they’ll change it up. In a couple of minutes, you’re going to run it again. And this time, try and work together as a team.”
Twilight looked at her friends. She was trying to think of what to say, when Applejack beat her to it.
“Okay, so this time we need to not only stick together, but help each other. If one of us gets caught, the others need to help her. Maybe Twi and Rare, you two use your magic. Rainbow, fly at ‘em. Pinkie and I’ll buck ‘em off ya. And Fluttershy? You’re the lookout, keeping an eye on everything. Alert us.”
“That makes sense,” Twilight said. She wondered where Applejack got this knowledge all of a sudden. It was along the lines of what Twilight herself was thinking, and she’d at least read books.
Everypony else nodded. “I’ll go through doors first,” Applejack said. “Twi, you be ready to pull anypony off me.”
“Okay,” Twilight said.
Midnight gestured to the door. “It’s time.”
Taking a deep breath, Twilight readied a spell in her mind. She didn’t gather the magic yet, as this spell she could unleash with but a thought. Ahead of her, Applejack opened the door and cautiously stepped inside, looking both left and right.
They spent the rest of the afternoon running through the same thing. By the time Midnight called an end to it, mostly because she needed to allow all the rest of the guards back into the building and turn the lights on in the rooms she’d disabled them in, they had run through it five times, and lost five times.
Each time, they got better and better. That second time, they had managed to take out four of the six trainers, until both Spellflare and Weaver had ganged up on them. Together, those two eliminated Pinkie, Applejack, and Twilight, the remaining three.
Twice they had found Spellflare and the dummy. Once he was in the magical training room, the other time he was in an office. Yet both times, they had only a couple ponies left and Spellflare took them out.
As they trained, their tactics evolved and they got used to what each other could do. They started working as a group, covering each other. As a result, the trainers stepped up their game, working in pairs, ambushing them. They would never try the same thing twice.
Finally, they were all seated around a table in the mess hall. Twilight and her friends were sporting some new bruises, but so were the trainers. The rest of the Guard was allowed into the building, so the mess hall was filling up with ponies eating dinner. The cooks had overrun the castle kitchens, so the food was being carted down from there.
Everypony, even Midnight, had a tray of food. “You all did well,” Midnight said.
“We never won,” Rainbow complained.
“That wasn’t the point. What you did do was get a feel for what your friends could do, and learn to work together. There’s room for improvement, but you also learned faster than I thought you would.” She paused, taking a bite of her food. “At least twice a week from now until the end of the training, we’ll be doing this again. So as you each individually improve in your training, you’ll have to adapt your tactics to match. However, your trainers will also be stepping it up. I might also have a few other surprises in store for you.”
They ate the rest of the meal discussing tactics. Midnight explained how a squad of ponies would typically work, then had them brainstorm ways they could modify that to work for them. By the time the meal was over, Twilight felt like she was finally getting a good idea of what being a Guard was like. Talking to her brother was one thing, experiencing it for herself was another.
* * *
Twilight ran. Her muscles surged in her legs, powering her forwards. Her breathing was deep, but even. The sweat rolled down her body, it felt good to her. Her eyes focused on the track in front of her as she took long, even strides.
It was now the end of the second week of their training. The physical exercise in the mornings was getting easier for her. She was able to stay steady on the runs, and the final sprint, while still challenging, didn’t reduce her to quivering muscles, barely able to stand. When it came to the weights, she could lift more, and do more repetitions.
She was learning more about close quarters combat. She’d been working with Steel each time. The corporal was slow with her, taking the time to make sure she knew what was going on. She was getting better when they sparred, learning to read her opponent before he moved. She’d even won a fight the other day.
Of course, Spellflare still had her working hard during the afternoons. They would always spend some time practicing and perfecting spells she already knew. Spellflare would call out a spell and she’d have to cast it. After that, he’d start teaching her a new spell. Though sometimes, he would teach her a new application for a spell she already knew.
“Alright, keep it up,” Midnight called. The thestral was currently hovering over the ground in the middle of the track. “We’re almost done.”
Instead of combat training, Midnight had them continue doing physical exercise. Push-ups, sit-ups, exercises, and now finishing it off with more running. While Twilight was tired, she wasn’t at the point where she was going to collapse.
She ran around the track several more times. If somepony had asked her once that she’d actually find running to be calming, she’d have laughed and gone back to her book. Yet the act of running, of her hooves moving and pounding along the track, it was surprisingly calm. Here she could just let her body move, allow her mind to focus on other things.
Finally, Midnight called a halt. Twilight and her friends joined the thestral in the middle of the field. They were all weary, some more so than others, but they weren’t exhausted and ready to give up. All of them were getting in much better shape through the constant physical demand placed on them.
“Okay, you all remember last week when we gathered together for group training?” Midnight asked.
Twilight nodded, remembering how they had taken on the trainers in five rounds of “Find the Dummy” and how they had lost five times, but still learned valuable things about each other and working as a team with their new skills. They had done group exercises twice more, but only outside, Midnight and the trainers running them through drills designed to force teamwork and cooperation.
“Well,” Midnight continued. “You’re going to be doing that again today. Only this time, the rules will be a little different. This time, there will be weapons involved.”
“What do you mean, weapons?” Applejack asked.
“You’ll see after lunch. Meet out here in forty-five minutes.” Midnight flew off towards the barracks.
“What does she mean?” Applejack asked the group.
Twilight shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
Since they didn’t have long, they headed into the mess hall for lunch. The meal was comprised of much the same ingredients as they’d been eating the last two weeks, fresh veggies and leafy greens that somehow had all of the flavor taken out of them. It was healthy, and kept up their calories, but very bland.
After lunch, they headed back outside, seeing the barracks already being a lot emptier than usual. Midnight must have asked, or ordered, everypony to leave again. Only a few stragglers remained.
Outside, Midnight and the trainers were not far from the door. A chest sat next to the thestral. Twilight wondered what it could contain, then remembered the thestral talking about weapons. She could only wonder just what weapons were in there.
Upon their arrival, Midnight addressed them. “I’m sure you’re wondering what I meant by weapons.” She opened the chest, pulling out a sword that she tossed to Twilight.
“These are enchanted training weapons,” she explained. “No matter how hard you swing them, they’ll only leave a bruise. It will still hurt if you get hit, but you can fight and not worry about killing your opponent.”
Midnight tossed weapons to everypony except Fluttershy. Twilight had her sword, Rainbow her wingblades. Rarity got a bandolier of knives, while both Pinkie and Applejack got horseshoes. Fluttershy got a pair of saddlebags, labeled with a large red cross on them.
“The goal is the same as last week,” Midnight said. “Find Spellflare and the dummy. However, this week the overall rules have changed, since you are armed.” She gestured to the trainers. “They will be armed as well, by the way.
“Instead of hoof-to-hoof combat, you’ll be fighting with the weapons in addition to your skills. You are allowed two hits to the body and limbs before I will call you out. That goes for everypony. One hit to the head constitutes an out.”
She pointed a hoof at Fluttershy. “If she is with you, she can bandage you up and essentially remove one hit, allowing you to take three hits before you are out. However, beware, as this will make her a target. You’ll have to protect your medic.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes. She knew what Midnight was up to. Fluttershy still refused to learn how to fight, so the captain was trying to teach the pegasus a lesson. She was trying to show her how much not knowing how to fight would cost them. Well, if Fluttershy didn’t want to learn how to fight, then she should be allowed to do that.
“Remember,” Midnight continued, “you’ll have to work as a team. Keep an eye on each other. Watch each other’s backs. The trainers will be working together as well, so it won’t just be you six against one anymore. The tactics the trainers use, I leave that up to them.”
Midnight stood up, that apparently being the signal for the trainers to head inside. They all collected their weapons from the chest and vanished through the door. Spellflare grabbed a wooden dummy and teleported away.
“Like last time, I’ll be following along. Take a couple minutes, and then head inside.” The thestral moved over to sit by the door.
Twilight looked at her friends. Already they were strapping on their weapons or saddlebags. Following their lead, she hooked the sword over her shoulder. The handle stuck out over her shoulder. If need be, she could grab it in her magic, or her muzzle, for a quick retrieval.
“So what do we do?” Rarity asked. She had her bandolier slung over her shoulder, the knives resting across her chest. Twilight wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to that sight of the demure unicorn wearing something meant for fighting and not fashion..
Looking around, everypony was wearing some sort of weapon, except for Fluttershy, who had her saddlebags. Their faces were less confused like last time and more determined. They’d now studied squad tactics and had an idea of what to do. The introduction of the weapons threw a curveball, but it didn’t eliminate their plans at all.
“Now that we have weapons, we need to be careful,” Twilight said. “I’ve learned a spell that can be useful for checking around corners and doorways, so I can go first. AJ, you guard me. If anypony comes at me, you intercept them. Rarity, hang back with Fluttershy, keep her safe. Rainbow, Pinkie, you two are fast, so be wherever you think you’re needed.”
Her friends all nodded. “Sounds like a good plan, Twi,” Applejack said.
Twilight looked at Midnight, who nodded, indicating that they could proceed. Moving over to the door, Twilight opened it safely with her magic, standing back. Concentrating, she cast her spell.
A small wave of magic raced out and through the doorway. If there was a pony in the first part of that room, she’d know about it, a tingle in her mind alerting her. When after a few seconds she felt nothing, she called out to her friends “It’s clear.”
Together, they headed into the room, Applejack leading the way. Twilight opted to keep her blade sheathed unless she needed it. Having to concentrate on holding it in a levitation field would only distract her.
Applejack’s head looked left and right, peering around the room. As soon as she was inside, Twilight did the same. Her spell was good, but it wasn’t foolproof. Somepony could still hide from it. Especially if Weaver was there; he could block her spell.
They were faced again with the choice of doors. This time they went right. Twilight had more time to familiarize herself with the layout of the barracks. Now she knew where most doors led. They’d still have to check every door, as Spellflare had proven that he was perfectly willing to hide in a tiny office.
This door led to a hallway, just like the other one in the room. Opening the door, Twilight cast her spell again. Again, she got nothing back.
She, Applejack, and Rainbow were moving as one group, while Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie were further back. This opened them up for them to be separated by crafty opponents, but it was better than tripping over each other. Each group had an Earth Pony, a Pegasus, and a Unicorn, so they were versatile.
Twilight and her two friends moved into the hallway. One by one, they began the process of checking all the doors. Her spell couldn’t go through solid objects, and had a limited range, so they had to take it one door at a time.
Three doors in, and they found their first snag. Twilight’s spell gave back not one, but two hits. Two ponies were waiting just inside the room, which was an armory for storing weapons and armor of off-duty Guards. Given that the only ponies inside the building beyond them would be the trainers, it stood to reason that two of them were in there. The spell couldn’t tell her just who it was, though.
Twilight held up a hoof, then mouthed the word “two” at her friends. Applejack and Rainbow nodded. Unfortunately, the spell didn’t tell her where the two were, only that they were in there. Of course, knowing they were there was a boon.
She whispered to her friends, so the trainers in the room couldn’t hear them. “I can teleport into the room and get their attention. Rainbow, AJ, you can come in right after, take them from behind.”
“Sounds good,” Rainbow said, flexing her wings. Training inside like this meant that she couldn’t really fly and had to stick with ground based attacks. Twilight could tell that her friend really wanted to fly.
“Ready?” Twilight asked. Receiving affirmatives from the others, she cast a quick teleport spell. Her destination was the top of a cabinet that held weapons. With a flash, she vanished and reappeared almost instantly on top of the cabinet.
Looking down from her perch, she could see both Ironhoof and Fleetwing. Ironhoof was close to the door, armored shoes ready to take the first pony to cross the threshold, while Fleetwing was actually in a similar position to her. The pegasus was standing on an armor rack.
The flash of her teleportation didn’t go unnoticed. Fleetwing took off at her, wingblades ready to strike. Twilight had only a moment before she would be hit. In that moment, she cast two spells.
The first spell grabbed Ironhoof in a kinetic field, pushing him away from the door and into a weapon rack, swords clattering as both he and it fell over. The second spell grabbed hold of her sword, only just managing to get it into position to block the strike from Fleetwing’s blade.
Unfortunately, the pegasus had two blades, one for each wing. So while she was busy blocking one, the other swung around her and cuffed her shoulder. Twilight realized she was in a bad position for her opponent. The idea behind getting on the cabinet was to put her out of reach of anypony. It just so happened her opponent was a pegasus who could fly.
She had already taken one hit. Another and she’d be eliminated. That just wouldn’t do, not so early in the game.
With a burst of magic, she pushed Fleetwing back. Since the pegasus had nothing to create friction against, she could control his movements until his wings overpowered the momentum. Taking advantage of this brief opening, Twilight lashed out with her sword, aiming at his head. His wings would need to concentrate on keeping him aloft, meaning his offensive and defensive options were limited while he was flying. She could get in a free hit, and if it hit his head, he’d be out.
Fleetwing didn’t react as she thought he would, though. Instead of trying to gain control, he moved with the push. Her sword swung through empty air. Quickly, she corrected the swing, bringing it back up to block the strike by Fleetwing.
She needed to get off the cabinet. Behind Fleetwing, she could see Applejack engaging Ironhoof, while Rainbow headed towards her. Yet it would take Rainbow several moments to cross the room. In that time, Fleetwing could easily defeat her if she wasn’t careful.
Locking blades with Fleetwing, she ducked his other blade, sending the pegasus off balance. From her horn, she shot a small piece of magic. When it impacted Fleetwing, his face took on a look of confusion, until he dropped from the air.
Twilight smirked. Spellflare had taught her that. It was a spell that temporarily disrupted a pony’s attachment to the base magic of Equus. When used against a unicorn, they’d be unable to cast a spell for a few seconds. An earth pony would find themselves lacking strength and their ability to grow things quickly. A pegasus would find it difficult to stay aloft.
All pony magic came from their attunement to the magic of Equus. Without that, they would be weakened. By cutting that connection, Twilight would be able to gain a temporary advantage, no more than a couple seconds, over a single opponent. She wasn’t sure how advantageous that spell would be over the ponies dominated by the dragon, since their connection to Equus seemed to be already terminated.
As soon as Fleetwing dropped, since she currently had no hits against him, Twilight teleported again. This time, she appeared on the floor, just behind Fleetwing. The pegasus wasn’t able to react in time, and Twilight scored a hit on his barrel. One more hit, and he was out.
She trusted Applejack to engage Ironhoof without him interfering with what she was doing. She needed to concentrate on Fleetwing right now. Already, the pegasus had recovered and turned to face her, blocking her return swipe with a blade.
“You’re learning,” he said. With one wing he jabbed at her with a blade, while the other wing swiped across her legs.
Taking a step back, she dodged the swipe while blocking the jab. “Maybe I am, Fleetwing.” She sent at him a series of jabs. It was a variation of a form she had been taught. It wasn’t supposed to hit, but to instead buy time before Rainbow got there.
Taken by surprise, Fleetwing had to take a step back. It was that or take another hit, thus rendering him out. In his moment of surprise, Rainbow attacked.
She came in quickly, jabbing with both wingblades. Between Twilight and Rainbow both, Fleetwing stood no chance. The pegasus blocked Twilight, but got hit by Rainbow. As soon as he registered the second hit, he stood still. He was out.
Twilight and Rainbow moved to help Applejack. Both she and Ironhoof were locked in combat. Applejack was stronger, but Ironhoof had more experience, so he could move around more.
Twilight sheathed her sword, allowing her free use of her magic. Rainbow dived at Ironhoof, who dodged the strike.
Instead, Twilight fired up her horn, gathering magic. Unleashing it, Ironhoof stumbled backwards. A low-powered kinetic bolt struck his side, knocking him off balance.
As he stumbled, he received several strikes to his head and midsection. Midnight, who had seen everything, called an end to the battle. “Both Fleetwing and Ironhoof are out. Twilight and Applejack have one hit.”
Fluttershy came up. “Here, let me bandage you.”
Twilight waved her off. “Take care of AJ. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” Fluttershy said. “You’re hurt.”
Twilight sat on the floor. “We need AJ more than me,” she said. “I’ll be fine, and we only have time to bandage one of us.”
The hit to her torso smarted, but it didn’t hurt. Those enchanted weapons were good. Fluttershy opened her saddlebag, pulled out a roll of bandages and wrapped them around Applejack quickly and efficiently.
So far, they had taken out two of the trainers and only gotten hit twice. While Ironhoof and Fleetwing were dangerous, they weren’t the most dangerous trainers in Twilight’s opinion. That would be Weaver and Close. Weaver had proven to be very tactically minded, and had a penchant for cloak-and-dagger work. Combine that with Close, and they would really have to watch their backs.
While Fluttershy worked, Twilight busied herself with cleaning up the fallen weapons and armor left by the scuffle. It only took her a few moments before everything was back to how it should be. No sense in leaving a mess for whatever poor Guardspony came in here when they were done.
As soon as Fluttershy was done, they left the armory. There were still two more doors in this hallway to check before they had to either cross the mess hall to the other side, or turn into a back hallway.
The first door led to an office, while the second was another armory. Both rooms were empty to both a magical and visual scan.
Ahead, the hallway ended. They could either go back into the front room and start down the other side, or they could go into the mess hall and check it there. A doorway in the kitchens led into a back hall, where the bunkrooms and showers were located.
“Where do we want to go, girls?” Twilight asked.
“We need to check the mess hall,” AJ said.
Rarity nodded in agreement. “Then we may try the other side hallway.”
The others were all in agreement as well, so Twilight headed back to the door that led into the mess hall. They’d already opened it, seeing that the lights were on this time. Even though she’d checked the first time, she cast her spell again. Nopony was waiting for them.
Applejack went into the room first, Rainbow darting in at almost the same time. The mess hall had a higher roof than the other rooms, allowing the pegasus to get airborne. This worked in their favor, as it allowed her to fight at her full capacity.
Twilight was the last one inside. Everything looked just as it did during mealtime, only the room was empty. None of the tables had been disturbed. Rainbow did a quick lap of the room just to be sure. Having learned that Close liked unusual hiding spots, such as the rafters, she was looking both down, and up.
When the pegasus reported back that it was clear, they crossed the room into the other side hallway. Twilight was starting to get apprehensive. They’d searched approximately one-third of the building, and found one-third of the trainers.
Going about their search logically, they moved back to the first door in the hallway just past the front room. Door by door, they searched, the process the same. Twilight would cast her spell, then they would head inside the room to check. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie would always hang back, watching their backs in case one of the trainers decided to sneak up on them.
By the time they reached the end of the hallway, they had found nothing and no one. That left only the bunk areas, a few offices, and the kitchens left to search.
They could get to the bunk areas without going through the kitchens, but that would leave an unexplored area at their backs. Twilight talked it over with her friends, and they opted to head back into the mess hall.
The large room was just as they had left it ten minutes ago. Twilight cast her spell again, just to be sure. When it came back negative, she headed inside, moving between the tables towards the kitchen.
They could see into the kitchen from the mess hall. A long opening allowed for the cooks back there to serve the ponies along the line. Twilight stood on her hind legs, her forehooves up against the counter. She stared into the kitchen for several long moments, scanning everything.
It was a mess of equipment in there. Stoves, refrigerators, ovens, counters, there was barely any room for a pony to walk between everything, and plenty of places for a pony to hide.
As she looked, her eyes caught onto something that didn’t belong there. Tucked away behind everything, along the back wall, was the very dummy they were looking for. She quickly pointed it out to her friends.
The dummy meant that at the very least, Spellflare was waiting in there for them. Twilight knew that with her friends working together as a team, they could take him. The problem arose in that three other trainers were unaccounted for. It was possible that they were elsewhere, a bunkroom perhaps, though she doubted that. With Ironhoof and Fleetwing working together, there had to be at least one more trainer with Spellflare.
The narrow confines and low ceiling of the kitchen would force them apart. She could teleport ahead, but that would only separate her from her friends. They needed to stick together as much as possible.
From the mess hall, there was only one way into the kitchen. They could split up, three of them heading into the back hallway and the back door into the kitchen, attack from two angles. Though that also put the team sent into the hallway at risk, as they had no idea what was waiting for them in there.
All in all, it wasn’t the best situation. There were too many variables, too many unknowns. As much as she didn’t want to say it, Twilight knew that they’d have to play it by ear, stay on their hooves and be able to react to anything.
She cast her detection spell, but got nothing back. However, with Spellflare, and most likely Weaver in there, that meant nothing. Spellflare taught her that spell, he would know how to block it.
“Okay,” she said. “I think what we should do is once we’re all in the doorway, split up. AJ, Rainbow, and I will take the left side, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, you take the right side.” That would put them on opposite sides of the room, covering everything, but still able to see and help each other.
Everypony nodded. Cautiously, Twilight headed through the door, her head looking all around. Everything seemed normal in there, which only heightened her apprehension.
Her friends followed her. As soon as they were all inside, they split off. The two sides of the kitchen mirrored each other, with a long row of equipment down the center, forcing them into two channels though they would still be able to see each other.
Applejack led the way for their side, Rainbow in the middle and Twilight bringing up the rear. She watched ahead of them, but also making sure to keep an eye on the others.
It was when they were halfway across the room that Twilight noticed something amiss. More accurately, she glanced over at her friends and saw Weaver right behind Fluttershy, who was in the rear on that side.
Before she could say anything, Weaver had already used his knife to slap Fluttershy’s neck. That was a headshot, so she was out. The pegasus let out a startled cry, alerting everypony to something going wrong.
Rarity, who was in the middle, looked behind her. Weaver shoved Fluttershy down, leaping over her. The fashionista managed to toss a knife over her back at him, but he twisted his body, dodging it. Rarity’s second knife blocked his as she turned to face him.
A tingle on the back of her neck started up. Without even thinking, she reacted, ducking her head. A sword passed through the space she had just occupied. She felt it brush through her mane.
Turning around and drawing her own sword, she saw Spellflare behind her. Where he’d come from, or where he’d been hiding, she had no idea. Only that he was now behind them.
His sword lashed out again, Twilight only barely managing to block it. He was at an advantage here, his blade being shorter. He could swing his weapon around more than she could in these cramped quarters. She needed to gain the upper hoof somehow.
Unfortunately, with Rainbow now right behind her, she couldn’t back up. Instead, she did the opposite. She charged Spellflare. Her blade blocked an overhead strike right before she collided with him.
Her mind thought back to the very first day of hoof-to-hoof combat training, where Steel had shown her how to throw an opponent by tossing her around. She got her shoulder into Spellflare’s chest, lifting him off his front hooves. With all the strength she had, she used her momentum to throw him backwards.
Spellflare was a lot less dense and heavy than Steel was, so her attack had more of an effect. Her opponent didn’t quite get knocked over, but he did stumble backwards, struggling to keep his balance. His sword lashed out at her in a wild attempt to strike her, but she blocked it with her own.
Before he could regain his balance, she fired several kinetic bolts to completely knock him over. To her dismay, he was able to conjure a shield, blocking them. As he regained his balance, he returned fire, spells flying at her.
They were out of range for their blades now, so it turned into a magic duel. With both of them being trapped in the narrow confines of the kitchen, there was no room for dodging and moving around. Instead, it was about hiding behind a shield and taking opportunities to cast an offensive spell.
Twilight cast her own shield, blocking his magic. As soon as the barrage stopped, she dropped the shield, throwing more kinetic bolts, several cutting spells, and even the spell designed to cut him off from Equus’ magic. The cutting spells were all cast at low power, enough to wound and distract him, but nothing severe or deadly.
He weathered the storm behind his own shield. Twilight could hear the sounds of fighting behind and beside her. She couldn’t afford to look, but she guessed that Weaver was still fighting Rarity, and that the other two trainers were in the fray as well. At least one of them was, she could hear Applejack grunting as she fought.
“Twilight!” Rainbow called.
“I got this,” she responded, still casting her spells. “Help AJ!” In truth, the pegasus would only get in the way in a magic duel like this. Because of the equipment all around, she couldn’t maneuver and use her agility. Lacking a shield, Twilight would be forced to not only protect herself, but her friend as well.
Eventually, she realized that she wasn’t going to be getting through Spellflare’s shield. She needed to try something new. Looking around her, she tried to figure something out. Her mind quickly worked through angles and calculations.
Hoping she got it right, she fired off several more spells, one of them missing Spellflare entirely. As she stopped casting and pulled up her own shield, she readied herself.
The errant bolt of magic zoomed past Spellflare, who ignored it. It impacted the wall and instead of dissipating, it rebounded at a slight angle, heading straight for her opponent. He never saw it coming.
When she had finished casting, he’d dropped his shield to cast at her. The spell she’d fired struck him right in the back. It was a kinetic bolt, high powered enough to cause him to fly right at her, where her sword was in position to meet him.
Unfortunately, she miscalculated slightly, and the head shot she was aiming for became a body shot, so Spellflare was still in the game when he crashed into her in a tangle of limbs.
They grappled, Twilight ending up on top of him. She aimed a punch at him, but he blocked it with a hoof. She needed to be careful of his sword. Right now, he wasn’t using it, as the surprise of her attack meant he’d lost control of it. However, if he saw it, he could get it back easily. Her own sword was useless up close and personal like this. She’d never be able to get it between the equipment to get a strike in on him.
Twilight kicked his side, trying to gain an advantage over him. He grabbed her forehoof, twisting it and tossing her to the side. She crashed against a stove before diving back onto him. She couldn’t allow him to get to his hooves.
He brought both his forelegs up, blocking her strikes before she felt both his back legs drive into her gut. He’d gotten them under her in that brief moment when she was off him.
She was forced backwards as he used his momentum to leap to his hooves. By the time she was steady, his sword was back in play. They were right back where they started, only this time his back was to her friends. If one of them noticed, they could take him by surprise.
She launched her depowering spell at him, only for him to vanish in a flash. He’d teleported away. Her spell passed through where he’d been a moment ago and kept going. She realized it was headed straight for Applejack, who was indeed fighting with Close. If that spell hit her friend, she’d lose that fight.
Quickly, she conjured a shield which blocked the spell. Her ears picked up the sound of a teleportation right behind her, but she didn’t have a choice. She was not going to be responsible for Applejack getting out.
She dived forward, hitting the ground. She hadn’t felt anything hit her, so she was still in. Rolling onto her back to face Spellflare, she saw too late that he had been anticipating that. His sword came up under her chin, the blade resting against her throat. Her own sword was in no position to defend, and at the first sign of a spell, she’d be taken out.
She raised her hooves in surrender. Fighting was still going on, but she was out. Spellflare wasted no time in leaping over her, heading straight for Applejack and Rainbow. Twilight couldn’t even warn them.
As Spellflare swung at Applejack, Rainbow swooped in, blocking his blade with one of her own. Twilight got to her hooves and moved off to the side, joining Fluttershy in watching. Rarity was over there as well as Healing Touch. That meant it was now three on three.
Rainbow was dueling with Spellflare, keeping him close and not letting him back away to use his magic. Applejack and Close were still fighting, the trainer using his agility to dodge her strikes while the farmer stayed mobile. She had pushed him back, allowing her to move out of the narrow channel between the equipment and into the more open area at the rear of the room, so she could move about, never staying still to let Close do anything.
On the far side, Pinkie was weaving around Weaver, who was struggling to cope with her movements. As the mare danced, she always seemed to just dodge his spells and knife.
Twilight watched the fray. Applejack scored a hit on Close with her weighted shoes and the trainer rolled backwards. When he stood up, he didn’t try and fight, moving off to the side. That must have been his second hit.
The farmer rounded on Spellflare, but because of the nature of the battlefield, she couldn’t get in there to help Rainbow. Instead, she was stuck watching.
Twilight watched her trainer take on her friend. Rainbow had two blades to his one, but she was finding it difficult to penetrate his defenses. Wherever she struck, he was there to block.
Spellflare kicked out with a hoof, which Rainbow leapt over. Flaring her wings, she flapped once, sending his sword sailing through the air instead of her body that he’d been aiming for.
The pegasus’ wings brushed the ceiling. Folding them, she dropped, bringing both of her weapons down. Spellflare lifted his blade, catching them both. The force caused his blade to lower, almost hitting himself.
The edge of his sword got caught in one of the gaps of Rainbow’s wingblade segments. With a vicious twist, the bindings holding the blade on her wing broke, the entire thing sliding free. Spellflare tossed it behind him, swinging at her now unprotected side.
Rainbow tried to turn her body, bring her other wing into play, but it was too late. Spellflare’s sword caught her upside her head, knocking her away.
Applejack wasted no time, filling the empty space Rainbow had just been and launching a buck right at Spellflare. His sword changed direction to intercept, but he was a fraction of a second behind. Applejack’s buck caught his chin, knocking him back and taking him out of the game.
The farmer didn’t stay to acknowledge her victory. Taking a running leap, she got up onto the tables, charged across them and jumped again, barely managing to clear the gap between the top of the equipment and the xeiling. With a clatter, she landed on a stovetop, then on a table, one final leap carrying her right into Weaver.
The trainer, preoccupied with Pinkie, never saw her coming. She collided with him, delivering several blows to his midsection and head, thus eliminating the final trainer.
Breathing heavily, Applejack and Pinkie looked around, seeing everyone who was out. Realizing they were the only ones still left in the game, they both headed towards the dummy, placing a hoof upon it.
“That’s it, Pinkie and Applejack win,” Midnight said. The thestral had seen everything, keeping tabs on who was out and who was still in, observing their fights.
Twilight let out a sigh of relief. This was their first win over the trainers. It had been a hard battle, but in the end, they’d persevered. It felt... Good.
Midnight led them all out of the kitchen and back into the front room. Ironhoof and Fleetwing were sitting there, waiting. Twilight caught a subtle shake of the head from Spellflare at them, though he was smiling as well.
Rather than head outside, they gathered in that room. “Well, you all managed to defeat your trainers,” Midnight said.
Twilight smiled, feeling a bit of pride. Winning felt good. They’d spent so much time losing to the trainers, that to triumph over them was exciting. Sure, she’d been eliminated, but they had won in the end.
The thestral help up a hoof, silencing the congratulations and celebration. “However, you lost two-thirds of your team. In the Guard, we call that unacceptable.”
“But we won!” Rainbow exclaimed. The pegasus hated losing, and having lost so many times before to the trainers, Twilight knew that to be told their one win was unacceptable was difficult.
“You did,” Midnight agreed. “But simply reaching the dummy wasn’t the only goal. You also needed to keep each other alive.” She pointed her hoof at Fluttershy. “You are dead.” Her hoof moved to Rarity. “And you.” She then pointed at Twilight and Rainbow. “As well as you two. So yes, you completed your mission, but at the cost of four of your friend’s lives.”
Twilight felt some of her pride deflate at Midnight’s words. She had gotten used to seeing this as a game, as training. She had forgotten that outside these walls, things were real. If this had been an actual combat situation, she would indeed be dead. Spellflare’s blade would have sliced her throat open, just like Swift Bloom’s.
Thinking of Swift brought a sinking feeling in Twilight’s chest. She was dead, for real, not just in some training exercise. A dominated pony, as Twilight had heard them being referred to but the guards, had slit her throat. She had bled out in front of a crowd, in front of her daughter.
Twilight had resolved to fight in the memory of Swift, of her parents, Shining, Celestia, and all the others who had already died since the dragon’s arrival. Somewhere during her training, she’d lost sight of that. Now Midnight was bringing it all back home in her usual blunt manner.
“You all fought well, don’t get me wrong about that,” Midnight continued. “But you all made mistakes, as well.”
“Hey!” Rainbow interjected. “We won and passed your little test.”
“Midnight’s right, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “We may have won, but we didn’t really win. We need to do better.”
Midnight pointed to Fluttershy. “Whenever you’re protecting somepony, like your medic, always put them in the middle. That way, they won’t be such an easy target should somepony sneak up behind you.” Twilight thought that was another jab at Fluttershy’s pacifism from Midnight, until the thestral spoke again. “Rest assured, a squad’s medic is a very tempting target for most enemies. They’ll try and take her out first to prevent her from patching you all up.”
Twilight still wasn’t sure if that was a jab or not. It could be, disguised as general information.
“Second off, whoever is in the back of the line, always be looking behind you. It’s called a rearguard. That way, if somepony is sneaking up on you, you’ll see them.” Midnight folded her hooves across her chest. “Now then, can any of you tell me something you did wrong?”
Everypony was silent for a moment, until Applejack spoke up. “Where we fought, that kitchen.”
Midnight nodded. “Indeed. That was a terrible spot to fight, too narrow. You need to control the battlefield. You knew they were in there somewhere. You could send in one pony to lure them out. Maybe Twilight. As soon as the trainers exposed themselves to stop her from getting to the objective, she could teleport back to you all. You could’ve even led them all out into the mess hall, given Rainbow a chance to stretch her wings.”
That made sense. Opting to just head into the kitchen and react to whatever was thrown at them had been a mistake. They should have planned better.
“Anything else?” Midnight asked. When nopony had anything to say, she continued on. “Overall, your tactics were good. Splitting up into two teams is a common tactic for a squad, especially in an urban environment where buildings are plentiful. Ideally you’d want each team to be as balanced as possible, which you again did. Each of you fought well.”
The thestral gestured to the trainers, who stood up, heading through one of the doors. “Take a moment, rest. Rainbow, I’ll get you another wingblade. In three minutes, you’re doing it again. Now that you’ve proven you can actually win, it’s time to prove you can improve. Your new goal is to not only find the dummy, but keep everypony alive.” With that said, she also headed through a door towards the armory.
Twilight looked over at her friends. Rainbow was slowly rubbing her jaw where Spellflare had struck her. It was a hard hit, sure to bruise later. Twilight knew that she’d be sporting a few bruises herself tomorrow. They all would.
They spent their three minutes discussing what they’d changed about the next time. Obviously, Spellflare will move the dummy, though they’d still have to worry about the kitchen. The more the talked, the more Twilight thought they should stick with the teams they already had. Their tactics up until the kitchen had been sound, they shouldn’t change what was working. Using those tactics, they had taken out Ironhoof and Fleetwing.
Midnight came back with another wingblade for Rainbow, replacing the one with the broken bindings. The pegasus slipped it on.
“Your time’s up,” Midnight said. “Begin.”
Four hours, and five more run throughs later, and Twilight and her friends had managed three more wins. However, they still hadn’t made it through unscathed yet. Each time they won, they’d always lost somepony. The least they’d lost was two, Rarity getting eliminated in an ambush by Fleetwing and Close, and Applejack going down to Weaver and his sneaky tactics. They were getting better, though, working together, watching their backs.
Finally, Midnight had to allow the other guards back inside. While the barracks came back to life, Twilight and her friends met with the captain outside.
“You’re all doing very well,” Midnight said. “You’re working together as a team and learning from your mistakes, forcing the trainers to stay on their hooves.” She smiled. “Keep it up, keep learning individually, and you’ll be able to face anything thrown at you.” She left them to go get dinner, vanishing off to wherever it was she went after training was over.
Twilight and her friends headed into the mess hall. They were weary, but in good spirits. They had won for the first time today. At a cost, yes, but it was still a win. That was a boost to their morale as a team. Midnight was right, they were learning and getting better over time. Hopefully next time they would get it perfect, a win with losing nopony.
* * *
Once again, Twilight ran around the track. Her hooves kept a staccato rhythm. Her pace was neither fast, nor slow, but just right. A slight breeze was blowing, her mane moving back and forth across her field of vision. The moonlight shining across the field gave her plenty of light to see by.
She’d woken up on her cot in the bunkroom and been unable to go back to sleep. There were too many thoughts racing through her head, she needed to do something to get her mind focused. Normally, she’d go downstairs in her library, read a book. Tonight, she felt like going for a run. She’d found that running helped clear her mind.
They were three weeks into the training at this point. Today they had undergone the team challenge again, Twilight and her friends versus the trainers in a rousing game of “Find the Dummy.” Out of six rounds, they’d won five.
The trainers were certainly doing their best to stop them. From ambushes to ganging up on them, to forcing them to split up, to Weaver and his sneaky, dirty tactics. Twilight had found out how he was always hiding from them; he had a cloaking spell. He would cast that on himself, and anypony else with him. It only worked if they remained still, as movement would break the effect, but he could hide in a corner until they all passed and then ambush them. He was very good at just taking out the last member in line silently, before anypony noticed him.
The crowning moment of the day had been on the fifth attempt. Twilight and her friends had not only won, but they had successfully eliminated all the trainers and not lost any of their own. Yes, five of them had been bandaged by Fluttershy, including the passive mare herself, but they had pulled through.
It had been three weeks of the one month time limit Midnight had put on the training. Twilight had learned more in these three weeks than she had in the last year of self-study in her library. Almost everything she’d learned had something to do with fighting, or least had a practical application in a combat situation.
It was interesting for sure, learning so much. Yet she couldn’t help but still wonder at some of what she’d learned. It served no purpose beyond hurting, or killing, others.
She still dreamed of that day at the speech, the day Swift Bloom had died. The day she had killed two beings. She didn’t like that feeling, killing others. She knew that what Cadance had told her was right, how she had no other choice. In a sea of bad decisions, she had made the best one she could.
And now she was learning things whose sole intention was to kill. She was going to be setting off on a mission where in all likelihood, she would be forced to kill again. If the dragon could dominate ponies, then surely he would dominate more. At some point, it was guaranteed she’d come across them and be thrust into a fight for her life.
If it came down to a choice between herself and her opponent, she’d fight to survive. She’d fight to keep her friends safe. She’d fight to make sure Spike would still have a world to wake up to each morning. That’s why she was doing this in the first place.
She just wished fighting didn’t often lead to killing.
Slowing down and coming to a stop, she stood in the dirt. Her breathing was deep and even. She wasn’t out here to exert herself, just get her hooves moving and her head clear.
There was a flutter of wings next to her. Looking over, she saw Midnight. The thestral had a canteen in her hoof, offering it to Twilight. “Thought you could use some water.”
Taking the canteen, Twilight unscrewed the cap, taking a deep draw from it. “Thanks,” she said. “What are you doing still up?”
“Heh,” Midnight smirked. “I should be asking you that. Isn’t it a little late for you to still be awake?”
“I couldn’t sleep, decided to come out and run instead of go read.” Twilight chuckled bitterly. “Me, of all ponies, giving up a chance to read a book in favor of physical activity.”
“You’d make a good Captain,” Midnight responded. When Twilight gave her an odd look, she clarified. “You’d certainly be able to handle all the paperwork.”
Taking another drink from the canteen, Twilight put the lid back on it. “Do you ever even sleep? Or eat for that matter, I think I’ve seen you eating in the mess hall twice.”
Midnight laughed. “Of course. I’m flesh and blood just as much as the next pony. I decided to come out for a quick flight before bed though.” The thestral sighed. “Paperwork, Twilight, waits for nopony. It’s what the Guard runs on and unfortunately I cannot kick this down to one of my lieutenants.”
“Yeah, I was just doing the same thing. Running, not flying,” she hastily amended. “Or paperwork.” She realized she was babbling and shut up.
Taking a seat on the ground, Midnight looked up at the sky. “Luna’s night really is beautiful. It’s hard to believe she’s gone and yet nothing’s changed. I look up at her sky each night and it still looks the same.”
Sitting down herself, Twilight responded. “I know. I keep seeing the days and nights pass, and part of me still thinks that the Princesses are alive. But my dreams won’t let me forget the truth.”
“Is that why you’re out here so late? A dream?” The thestral turned to look at Twilight.
She hesitated a moment before nodding. “About the speech. And what happened there.”
Midnight’s left ear twitched. “That was a hard day for us all. I don’t think anypony expected what happened. Are you still upset over what happened?”
Twilight nodded. “Swift’s death is still hard. I know I didn’t know her for very long, but she saved my life, and the lives of my friends. If it weren’t for her, we’d be frozen to death somewhere out in the Ice Wastes. Even beyond that, though, she was a wonderful pony. She didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Twilight felt a hoof on her shoulder. “Nopony deserves to die like that. It’s not right, nor is it fair. All we can do now is mourn her loss, and go kick the flank of those who caused it.”
“I just feel so bad for her daughter, Berry,” Twilight explained. “To be left an orphan like that...”
“She’s the filly that came down with Cadance to visit you the other day, yeah?”
Twilight nodded. “She is. It’s good to see her out and about. The day before we started this training, she was holed up in her room, angry and upset at everything.”
“She just lost her mom, her entire family. I’m a grown mare and I’d be angry and upset if that happened to me.”
She sighed. “I know. I couldn’t see it at the time, too focused on what she was saying over why she’d be feeling that way.”
“But that’s not really why you’re out here this late,” Midnight said, her hoof still on Twilight’s shoulder.
Twilight shook her head. “It’s not. I can’t get the faces of those two ponies I killed out of my head. I mean, I’ve come to terms with my actions. I know that killing them was for the best, but that doesn’t make the fact that I killed something sit any better with me.”
She lowered her voice, still looking up at the moon. “Part of me is also afraid of what will happen the first time I get into a combat situation. A real one, not just this practice stuff. I know that here, nopony’s gonna get anything more than a bruise or a slight cut.” Twilight pointed to the various bruises and cuts that adorned her body. She was a tableau of injury. Most of it she didn’t feel anymore.
“Will I be able to handle it?” she continued. “Will I act as I do now, with logic and tactics? Or will I freeze, unable to do what needs to be done?”
Midnight pawed the ground with her free forehoof, making little furrows in the dirt. “Do you know how long I’ve been an officer in the Lunar Guard?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, I don’t.”
“Since the first day of Luna’s return and the reinstatement of the Lunar Guard. I proved myself and became the Captain that very day. And since then, I’ve seen a lot of recruits come through. You know how many of them go through the same thing you do?” Midnight paused a moment. When Twilight didn’t say anything, she continued. “Almost every single one of them.
“Every guard recruit goes through the same thing you do. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it’s those guards who don’t have those reservations that I worry about. Those few are the ones who maybe enjoy killing, the one’s I have to keep an eye on.”
“I know I’m going to regret this, but what’s wrong with that few?”
Midnight sighed. “Those who enjoy killing, they are the ones who will kill a fugitive rather than apprehend him and bring him back to jail. They’ll be more willing to take direct, harmful action, rather than try and solve a problem peacefully. A guard’s duty is to protect the innocent, and the innocent are just that until proven guilty. Those who enjoy killing are more likely to just kill and not care why, or whether the pony in question is innocent or not.”
“So those who enjoy it, do it.”
Midnight nodded. “Yes. If a recruit doesn’t have reservations about killing, or at least second thoughts, then that means more work for me, and for those officers under my command. Paperwork over why the pony died. Interviews with the pony who killed him. Trying to understand why. Sometimes, it is a clear cut case of kill or be killed. Sometimes, it’s a case of a guard going too far. Deliberately.harming another. Those are the worst.”
Twilight nodded. “I’ve read of a few of those cases. It’s always the guard against the general public. In no cases does it end well for the Guard, regardless of the actual outcome of the jury. They are either guilty of corruption against the populace, or corruption with the populace. There is no win.”
“Indeed,” Midnight nodded. “Anytime a civilian is killed with a Guardsman as his killer, regardless of Lunar or Royal guard, it becomes a huge stir. And you know what? It doesn’t matter what the papers say. Most of the time, it’s because a guardsman used excessive force.”
“I thought those claims were all investigated,” Twilight said.
“They are,” Midnight agreed. “But most of the time, the crown doesn’t want word of what actually happened getting out. Corruption in the Guard is one of the worst possible things that can happen to us. If ponies lose faith in us, then what hope do they have? We are the first and last defense against threats both domestic and foreign. The city police are good against criminals, but against terrorists, armies, militias? We are the only hope.
“For ponies to know that sometimes Guards cause problems would be a blow to not only our morale, but the entire country as well. We cannot let that happen.”
“What does this have to do with me having reservations about killing somepony or not?” Twilight asked.
“What I’m trying to say is that you having reservations, conflicts about this, is a good thing.” She paused. “Wanna know a secret?”
Twilight nodded. “Sure. I learned a lot of things from Shining. I can keep a secret.”
Midnight chuckled. “I’m not surprised Shining talked to you. One of the things about Officers, and those in Special Ops, is that even though their official records are classified, they are allowed to share what they know, what they’ve been through, with one pony. We know that trying to go through that alone is a recipe for disaster. It has to be shared. So long as it’s only with one pony, it’s fine. I’m not surprised he shared things with you, considering how much he talked about you.”
She shook her head, as if to clear away certain thoughts. “Anyway. The secret is about me.” She paused a moment. “The first time I fought in an actual battle. The first time I had to make a choice between life or death for somepony other than me. I froze.”
Twilight felt her jaw descend a bit. “Really? But you’re... You.”
Midnight laughed, long and loud. “Thanks, Twilight. But when I was a rookie, a newbie Captain in a newly reinstated Guard, I didn’t know what to do. Then the Gryphons attacked, trying to take advantage of a confused Equestria in the wake of Luna’s return. We were sent to oppose them.
“I found myself fighting a Gryphon Captain. Technically my equal in rank. However, equal in rank doesn’t mean equal in skill. This gryphon was far and away my superior in terms of fighting strength.”
Twilight remained silent. Midnight had a faraway look in her eye, like she wasn’t even focusing on the present anymore. She knew that it was best to let the thestral experience whatever she was trying to relive. Twilight had seen this look on her brother’s face before, when he was stuck in the past.
“Shit,” Midnight swore, the word barely audible to Twilight. “The two of us fought at a stalemate what seemed like forever. Finally, I got the upper hoof. I cut his head off with one swipe of my sword.”
She looked down at the ground. “I will remember that moment for the rest of my life. His head just kind of fell to one side. It had a look of pure shock on it. Luna, the same look must have been on my face. I never expected to win, much less kill him.”
The thestral sighed. “Once their leader was dead, the rest of the Gryphons either surrendered or ran off. The Gryphon Emperor said that it was separatists, but he’s a lying bastard. He just didn’t want to face the judgement of Celestia and Luna. Especially for losing.”
“I’m sorry, Midnight,” Twilight said.
“Don’t be. If I hadn’t won, that battle would have claimed a lot of lives.” She shook her head. “My point is this: Even if you’re uncertain about your actions, always think about not what you’d do, but about what would happen if you didn’t do something. In my case, the pony I loved was taking part in that battle, If I did nothing, then he’d die. Killing that gryphon was the path to him living.
“When I talked about finding a special somepony to fight for, that wasn’t just hyperbole. I meant it.” Midnight looked away. Her next words came out in a harsh whisper. “I lost my special somepony in that battle. I wasn’t good enough, not quick enough, to kill the gryphon leader in time. He died while I was in battle.”
Twilight wrapped a hoof around Midnight’s shoulders, pulling her close. The thestral leaned into her for a brief moment. Then her assertive facade reestablished itself.
“So no matter what, fight like your loved one is on the line. Because they usually are, whether they’re directly involved in the battle or not.”
Twilight wondered just who this talk had benefitted more; herself, or Midnight. It seemed like the Captain needed to get something off her chest the same as she had. Having to always be strong, to be the foundation of an entire branch of the Guard, it had to be stressful and difficult.
Yet Midnight had experience and knowledge that Twilight could never hope to understand. She’d been through so much. It was amazing that she was not only still sane, but still a Captain.
Twilight held Midnight close for a moment, before letting her go. “Thank you, Midnight. You’ve helped me a lot tonight.”
“It’s nothing,” she replied. “I always have an open door for anypony in my guard, even a first day recruit. Anything you tell me, whatever you share with me, will be kept confidential. After all, what kind of Captain would I be if I couldn’t earn and keep the trust of the guards under me?”
Twilight laughed. “A lousy one.”
Midnight smiled, though it was a bit grim. “Indeed.” She patted Twilight’s back. “Now go on, get some sleep. It’s more of the same tomorrow, but still a big day.”
With that, the thestral flew off. Twilight watched her fly over the city, until her dot on the horizon vanished.
Shaking herself, Twilight stood up. Midnight was right, about a lot of things. She needed to keep in mind not just what she would do during a fight, but what would happen if she lost. This quest wasn’t about her, not by a long shot.
Heading inside, Twilight collapsed onto her cot, being careful not to wake anypony else. The entire room was an odd mixture of her friends, plus combined Lunar and Crystal Guard.
Twilight lay on her back, staring at the ceiling as she thought over everything Midnight said. Maybe she was being selfish, thinking only about herself. Her friends must be going through the same thing she was, yet they were sleeping soundly each night.
Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep. It wouldn’t be long until tomorrow. No matter what she personally thought, there were far more ponies counting on her.
Twilight dragged herself back into the barracks, heading for her cot there. It was difficult to lift a single hoof and place it in front of her. Midnight had worked them extra hard today. It seemed a fire had been lit under the thestral, one she was fanning over onto them..
Finally reaching her cot, she collapsed into it and the thing shuddered, letting out a groan. As much as she never thought this would happen, she’d gotten used to sleeping on the thing. It was far more comfortable than she’d anticipated. Either that, or it had grown on her. There was a sense of security, and belonging, the kind she got from sleeping in a room full of not only her friends, but other guards as well.
Midnight hadn’t been lying when she said that she was going to push each of them. Everyday it felt like she was going to break. Each night, she went to bed more tired than the day before, something she didn’t think was possible. Her muscles were sore, she was bruised from hoof to hoof combat training, weapons training, and more.
Yet she was enjoying herself. Sure the captain grated on her nerves every now and then, with all the constant pushing and yelling to do better, go faster, be stronger. But no matter how much she yelled, Midnight also demonstrated that she cared. She put them through hell and back, yet she was right there next to them the entire time. Twilight had grown used to the exercise, and even found the monotony relaxing.
Her friends were all in about the same shape she was: exhausted. After dinner, they had taken to simply retiring to wherever they were sleeping that night, and just laying down. Nopony had much energy to talk. Twilight only really knew how the others were doing because of their team-building exercises. Being cooped up in a room with Spellflare most afternoons, she rarely saw her friends. Even Rarity was training in a different room with a different teacher.
As much as she was actually enjoying things, it was still strenuous. She needed a break, just a day where she could rest and recuperate. Midnight had said that their training had a time limit of one month, which was quickly drawing closer. Twilight could last a few more days. She smiled as she imagined sleeping in on her first day off.
One by one, her friends came into the room as well. Their cots were tucked into a corner of the barracks room for mares. It had taken some getting used to; sleeping in a large room with other ponies, showering in a large room with other ponies, eating in a large room with other ponies. Twilight knew that while she was okay with it, she was still a scholar at heart. Just once, she wanted to be able to go somewhere and be alone, even if it was only for an hour.
Of course, the training had its upsides. She could feel herself getting in shape. Most of her body fat was gone, and her muscles were getting stronger. She could run farther and faster than ever before. She was truly in the best shape of her life. Even then, though, she still wasn’t in the same shape as a pony like Applejack, or Rainbow Dash, had been in before they started training.
Beyond that, she was learning so much. Not just spells, which were always interesting to her, but about combat in general. There wasn’t much focus on large scale tactics, instead they were learning about the language used by the guard, and how to work together as a squad with her friends.
As she lay in the bed, the sound of somepony entering the room reached her ears. Not all that unusual, so she paid it no mind. However, when said pony called out her name, she started paying attention.
She looked over and saw Midnight standing by the corner that their cots were setup in. The thestral got the attention of her friends as well. Sitting up on the cot, her joints and muscles protesting at the movement, she regarded the captain.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I wanted to let you all know that I’ve come to a decision. Starting tomorrow morning, your training is over.”
That brought a round of odd looks between them all. It had only been three and a half weeks, not the month that Midnight had originally said they’d take.
Midnight continued speaking. “I know it seems early, but you six have surpassed my expectations. You pushed yourselves harder than I thought possible. At this point, I don’t think there’s anything more you have to gain by staying here.”
Her gaze narrowed slightly. “However, don’t think that this means you can slack off. It’s now up to each of you to continue to practice and improve.” Her features softened after that.
“I also want you to know that I am proud of you all. I know it hasn’t been easy, or that any of you wanted to do this, but still you did it. Without too much complaining,” she chuckled.
“Take tomorrow, see your families again. Rest and recuperate. I suspect that you won’t get another chance to do so for awhile. You’ll be leaving the next day, possibly the day after, but no later than that.”
“So soon?” Rarity asked with a sigh of resignation. “We can’t rest any longer than that?”
Midnight shook her head. “Time is of the essence. You already have a plan in place, right?” She glanced over at Twilight.
The unicorn pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. She had made up a plan just before the training had started, though it hadn’t been approved by Cadance or anypony else. “Well, I might have something.”
“Then there you go. The servants can take care of gathering supplies, so there’s no need for you to worry about it.” Her eyes roamed over each of them. “I know you’d like to rest, to spend time with your families. But time is the thing we are shortest on. So say your goodbyes. When this is all over, you can spend as much time with them as you want. So the sooner you kick this dragon’s ass off this world, the sooner you get to hold them and never let go.”
She paused for a moment, a look of regret coming to her eyes. The more time Twilight spent around Midnight, the more she was convinced the captain had lost someone close to her and was blaming herself for it still. Several nights ago, she’d learned the truth, how the pony Midnight loved had been killed in a skirmish against the gryphons.
“Tonight, you sleep in the barracks, here. Tomorrow is for whatever you want to do. Rest easy.” She finished with a small nod and left the room.
Twilight and her friends, excited over the prospect of getting to spend a day with everypony else, chatted animatedly with each other. Already making plans for a day to spend together. Their families had visited them while they were training, but they’d either been too tired to talk for long, or too busy. It felt like forever since she’d really gotten to see Spike and Cadance, and Berry Fields.
Swift Bloom’s daughter was not only an orphan, but had no other family to take her in. Cadance’s search of family records had turned up nothing, and nopony, left alive. The filly was now a ward of the state. For now, she was still staying in the castle, until a family could be arranged to take care of her. Though with the current pensive atmosphere of the Empire, nopony was stepping forward, so Cadance continued to fulfill the role of caretaker.
Twilight had seen Berry once since the training began. The filly was returning to her normal life. Or, at least she was trying to. The death of her mother still weighed heavily on her, and she was still bitter. Though, she was no longer moping about in her room. That was something, at least. She’d not said anything about being angry when they met, but Twilight could tell that she still was.
However, it was soon to be out of her hooves. As was almost anything else having to do with the Crystal Empire. She had other things to worry about, like trying to convince the disparate races of Equus to work together.
Eventually the chatter died down and they fell asleep. Despite being so tired, Twilight’s mind was still working. Only having a day to spend with everypony before leaving... She wished it could be more, but Midnight was right. From what they could tell based on reports from the scouts watching Canterlot and the dragon, the creature was still asleep. However, dominated ponies were gathering there, so it was preparing for something. More surprising was the fact that species other than pony were there. Gryphons, Zebras, even some Minotaurs were seen mixing with the ponies. They really couldn’t afford to procrastinate; they needed to leave.
Finally, she was able to fall asleep. In her dreams, she was walking down a long road, one that had many branching paths. Yet no matter how far she walked, or different paths she took, everything looked the same and there was no end.
When she woke up the next morning, the dream quickly faded away. Instead, she was excited. Usually when she managed to roll herself off the cot, or stand up from the ground she slept on, her muscles ached and her joints were stiff. She’d go through a stretching routine, something Midnight had taught them all to cope with the stiffness. This morning, however, she felt great.
Rarity and Applejack were nowhere to be found, and the others were still asleep. She didn’t worry about waking them, and instead left the barracks, heading up to the castle. For once, she was going to eat breakfast there, and be able to eat whatever she wanted.
She nodded to the guards stationed by the large doors as she passed by.. One of the side effects of living in the barracks was that she had gotten to know, or at least recognize, a lot of the guards. The two Privates standing there nodded back, greeting her.
“Morning, Twilight,” the one called Flash Sentry said.
“Morning,” she responded.
“Not training today?”
She shook her head. “Not anymore, we’re done with that.”
Flash’s partner, a mare named Steadfast, chuckled. “Good. We were getting tired of you all showing us up, training that hard.”
Twilight smiled at the joke. “Well, now you’ll have a chance to catch up. But right now, I believe breakfast is waiting for me.”
Flash bowed. “Then by all means, show that breakfast what a trained mare can do.”
She giggled, walking past them and inside. Ever since the training started, she’d rarely been in here. The wondrous crystal columns, with their carvings, the curving staircase, it all looked the same. A couple servants were taking care of things, cleaning or just walking to wherever they were headed.
The dining room was her destination, her mouth already drooling at the prospect of some not-so-wholesome food. Barracks food wasn’t bad, consisting of good vegetables and breads. It just wasn’t meant to taste good so much as stick with you, load you up with calories. The castle food was much tastier, so what if it was a little more fatty? She could stand to indulge for one day.
Upon reaching the dining room, she found both Applejack and Rarity, as well as their families, and Cadance. The alicorn looked up at Twilight’s entry.
“Twilight!” she exclaimed. “Glad to see you up and about.” She gestured to the seat next to her.
Twilight hugged Cadance before taking the seat. “Thanks, Cadance. It feels good to not be running the track right now. Though... At the same time, it feels weird.”
Cadance ran her eyes over Twilight’s body. “It’s because you’re used to it now, having it enforced on you for almost a month. Though I must say, it certainly shows. You’ve got quite a figure now.”
The unicorn blushed. “Erm, thanks?”
“It was a compliment, Twilight. I bet that Shining is in the Summer Lands, wishing he could be here to beat off all the stallions that will be coming after you with a stick.”
The image of her brother standing between her and a horde of stallions made her giggle. “You’re right, I bet he is.”
Shining’s death was still a sore point for the both of them. Twilight still missed him, and would everyday that she lived, but rather than bringing up pain when she thought of him, she could look back on the memories fondly. It seemed that Cadance was at the same point.
A servant came over, asking what she’d like to eat. For whatever reason, she was in the mood for pancakes, so she ordered a large stack of them. The downside to expending so much energy each day lately was that she had needed to eat a lot to compensate. Now that she wouldn’t be quite as strenuously active, she’d need to watch what she ate. However, at least for today, she could splurge.
“So tell me, Twilight. How was the training? We didn’t get much of a chance to speak the last time we saw each other.”
“Exhausting,” she replied. “I learned a lot, though much of it was things that I never thought I would need to learn. Well, as a curiosity, perhaps, but never through need.”
The raucous laughter of Applejack and her family drew Twilight’s attention towards them. Granny Smith was telling some story, something funny, apparently.
Twilight continued speaking, leaning in close to Cadance and lowering her voice. “I’m still not sure if I can ever use this new knowledge. Shooting spells at a piece of wood is fine. But watching it be bisected, the two halves falling away from each other... I can all too easily imagine that being a pony. I don’t know if I can take a life. Not again.”
Cadance put a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s a hard burden that you bear, Twilight. The fate of the world rests on your shoulders. I cannot imagine what it’s like.” She shook her head. “I don’t envy you, but know that I will always be here to support you. As will your friends, and Spike, and everypony else.”
Her hoof rubbed Twilight’s shoulder gently. “I hope to Celestia and Luna both that you will never have to use what you learned against anyone, pony or not. But...” she trailed off a moment. “That day, during my speech. That day showed us that we’re not just dealing with the dragon, but its... army as well. You needed to be able to defend yourselves. And sometimes, the best defence is a good offense.”
Twilight sighed. “I know. Shiny talked enough about being a guard that some of it sank through to me. And somewhere, deep down, I knew that this quest would only ever end in violence. We’re gathering the races of Equus to fight the dragon. There’s no way this won’t end in violence. It’s just... For me to be taking an active part in it. Well, it’s surreal.”
She set her hooves on the table. “But, I know what needs to be done. While I wouldn’t want to kill somepony, I understand now that I might have to... If... If the path to success means I have to kill another being, then...” Twilight took in a deep breath and let it out quickly. “Then I don’t see where I have a choice. And that’s what scares me.”
“You always have a choice, Twilight. It may seem like you don’t, but it’s there. As for the fighting, my advice would be to not get worked up about it. We don’t even know if you’ll ever have to. Should the time come that you must, however, I know that you’ll do the right thing. Just promise me that when you have to make that choice, you’ll remember Equestria, and why you’re doing this. We’re counting on you.”
Twilight hugged her sister. “Thank you, Cadance. It feels good, knowing that you believe in me.”
“Anytime, Twilight. “
They spoke of less consequential topics while they ate. Twilight’s pancakes were truly divine in her mouth, and she wasted no time in gobbling them down. She listened as Cadance caught her up on what had been going on overall with the Crystal Empire, and got involved as Applejack told a story about their training involving a messed up spell. The results had been quite entertaining.
One by one, the others joined them. First Pinkie, then Fluttershy, and finally Rainbow wandered in for breakfast. The members of their families also showed up, and soon the entire table was filled with happy ponies. Even Twilight’s mood had improved when Spike came in.
The dragon let out a surprised yelp as he was lifted up and zoomed across the room, right into Twilight’s waiting arms. As she hugged him, he glared at her. “Really, Twilight?”
She nodded. “Really. I missed you.”
With a long-suffering sigh, he hugged her back. The smile on his face told her that he enjoyed it, though. As the seats next to her were filled, he had to go sit down by the Crusaders.
After breakfast, Cadance got Twilight’s attention. The alicorn led her into the throne room, where she sat atop her throne. “I have to start court in a few minutes, but before that, I wanted to tell you something.”
Twilight sat on her haunches at the base of the dais. “Okay.”
Cadance made herself comfortable before she began. “So much has changed in the last month. You and I both know that. However, there are things that will always stay the same, such as the love we have for each other. I wanted to give you this.”
A piece of paper, wrapped in Cadance’s magical aura floated out from behind the throne. Twilight took it, looking at it. It was a photo, showing Twilight and her friends. They were hugging and smiling. “Where did you get this?”
Cadance smiled. “Celestia sent it to me. I want to give it to you, now, as a reminder that no matter what, those five mares will be by your side. You share each other’s burdens, fears, and hopes. You six are the best, and closest, friends that I’ve ever seen. Rely on them to get you through the tough times, as they rely on you.”
“Thank you, Cadance. This means a lot to me.” She’d lost all of her possessions, all of her photos and books and mementos, when Ponyville had been abandoned. Yet, she’d never mourned their loss, having been too busy mourning the loss of loved ones. It felt nice, though, to have something again. Something she could feel in her hooves, not just intangible memories.
“One more thing,” Cadance said. She stomped a hoof on the floor. Within a moment, a servant mare came over.
“Yes, Princess?” the unicorn mare asked. She had a brown coat, with an orange and red mane, and a curious cutie mark of crossed cooking knives.
“Twilight, I understand that you still need to gather supplies before you leave tomorrow. Write down what you need and give that list to Dark here. She’ll take care of gathering everything.”
Twilight nodded. “I will. Thank you.” She turned to leave the throne room, the servant walking along next to her. “Dark? That’s an odd name,” she remarked.
The mare smiled. “Oh, that’s just a nickname.”
“Then, what’s your real name?”
“Hmm, that is a question, isn’t it?” The smile stayed plastered on her face. “Maybe I’ll tell you. Someday. Anyway, when you have that list, come find me in the kitchens.” She trotted off down the hall, humming to herself.
Twilight watched her go, wondering at her oddity. It was just after breakfast, and she still had the entire day to go. The sooner she got that list written, the sooner she could spend the day doing what she wanted to do.
Winding through the halls soon after, she entered the War Room. The familiar round table was still there, as was the shelf of maps, which was what she wanted. She looked around until she found a map of Equus, pulling it off of the shelf it rested on and unrolling it, keeping it flat with books placed on the corners.
Using the legend at the bottom of the map, she was able to calculate an approximate distance between the Crystal Empire, and the capital of the Gryphon Empire, which was simply labeled as ‘The Capital,’ due to its habit of changing names with each new Emperor naming it after himself. If memory served, and the Emperor hadn’t been killed and replaced in the last few months. The current Emperor was named Kader, so the capital was Kaderton.
She wasn’t entirely sure what the travel situation was between the two Empires, but she felt it best to assume they’d be on hoof for at least part of the time. It would take them almost two weeks to walk between them, so she hoped they’d be able to take a train, or even an airship, for at least part of the way.
However, for the supplies, she opted to assume they’d be just walking. That way they’d over pack and not risk running out of supplies before they reached their destination. Running some calculations in her head, she figured out how much to bring per pony and per day for both food and water, assuming an average amount of energy usage.
She wrote down what foods they would need, all non-perishables, as well as an amount of each. They would also need canteens. Those could be refilled along the path, but it was best to be prepared.
Looking at the scroll she was writing on, the amounts were quickly adding up. They would need a cart to haul all of this, as it was more than they could carry. Quickly, she added in a cart to the list of supplies. Surely the servants would know to put the food and water into the cart.
She considered her task done after she had checked over her figures twice more. Glancing at the clock, she realized with a start that she’d been in here for the better part of an hour. Her friends were surely wondering where she went off to. The next thing would be to deliver the scroll to Dark down in the kitchens.
Putting the map back on the shelf, she left the War Room. Fortunately, she remembered where the kitchens were from the first night they were here and had gone there after talking to Cadance.
When she entered the kitchens, there were several ponies working there, cooking, chopping, and stirring various ingredients for just as varied dishes. She spotted the mare she was looking for over at the stove, stirring something and dancing to a song that only she could hear.
“Excuse me,” Twilight said.
The mare turned to look at her. “Oh, got that list for me already?”
Twilight nodded. “Here.” She floated the scroll over.
Dark took it in her own magic, looking it over as she unrolled it. “We have all of this on hoof. When would you like it by?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow morning, though I’m not entirely sure when.”
“Well, I can get it ready tonight, that way it’ll be waiting for you. I’ll let the princess know where it is.”
“Thank you, Dark.”
She waved a hoof in the air. “No problem.” She set the scroll on a table, going back to her pot on the stove.
“You going to tell me about your name?” Twilight asked.
Without even turning around, Dark replied. “Now where would be the fun in that? It’s more fun for me to let you figure it out.”
Twilight could hear the smile on the mare’s face. She shook her head bemusedly as she left the kitchens, thoughts of what she would do for the rest of the day swirling in her mind. She could go back to the library and try and get some last minute studying done on fighting styles and tactics. Yet, as she looked down the hall, towards that vast repository of knowledge, she felt something for the first time ever in her life. She didn’t really want to go study.
She stood for a moment, conflicted. This was a new feeling, never had she needed to choose without outside stimuli or factors. Maybe she could learn yet even more things, perhaps help her friends in the future. Yet she’d not had any time to spend with them in the past month, and she wasn’t sure being on the road together with them would count.
Her thoughts then turned to Spike. The one being she would not hesitate to give her life for so that he could have a better future. She couldn’t bear to see him get hurt, so he would stay behind. Many times she had left him behind in the library while she and her friends took care of a problem. On more than one occasion, she knew that she’d been overreacting. This time, however, her fears were justified. Travelling around the world was no place for Spike..
This was the last day before she would leave. She’d gone away from her friends and family before on trips and quests before, yet none of those carried the same weight as the one she currently faced. None of the times she’d left before, had she ever felt like she might not be coming back.
There was an element of danger to the quests that she undertook as an Element of Harmony. Always there something at stake. Yet during none of them had lives been lost. Already, hundreds of ponies were dead, and their quest hadn’t even started. To Twilight, it didn’t bode well about the things to come.
More than studying, she wanted to spend her last day with her family. She wanted to see them one last time. Still looking towards the library, she shook her head and went the opposite direction, towards the main area of the castle, and where her friends would hopefully be.
Fortunately, finding her friends didn’t take very long. She caught sight of Pinkie hopping out the main doors. Wherever that mare was going, the others would most likely be.
Following her friend, she exited the castle and called out to her. Pinkie stopped bouncing and turned around. “Twilight, there you are! We were looking for you.”
“You were?”
Pinkie nodded her head vigorously. “Uh huh! See, we had this idea of wanting to spend today together with everypony else as one big super-huge group, but Cadance couldn’t come because she has Princess-y duties, and Midnight said that she needed to get some work done as well, but everypony else is in, so we tried to decide what we wanted to do and Rarity wanted to go to a spa while Rainbow wanted to be lazy and nopony could agree on anything until it was Spike who suggested we all just be together today and go outside, so then once that was agreed upon, we realized that you were missing so we tried to track you down, but Cadance said that you were probably busy, so I went to find you to make you un-busy so you could become busy again with us, but I couldn’t find you, and then my tail started twitching and my right ear flopped three times, so I knew that you were going to find me, which meant that I should head outside, and then as I was coming down the stairs, you did find me and called out to me, and now here we are!” She threw her forelegs wide open. If she had taken a breath, Twilight had missed it. More and more she was becoming convinced that Pinkie could somehow inhale and speak at the same time.
It took Twilight a minute to sort through all that information and extract the relevant bits. However, she came to the conclusion that she’d guessed right by looking for her friends. “Um, right. Well, lead on.”
She followed Pinkie down the stairs and into the city. The ponies they passed by no longer looked furtive. But there was still an undercurrent of tension in the city even though nearly a month had gone by with no more incidents. They weren’t quite back to normal, but they were at least exchanging pleasantries in the streets.
Pinkie led her to a park in the middle of the city. There, under a grove of trees were the rest of her friends along with their families. Several blankets had been spread out, and two baskets were sitting nearby.
The Crusaders and Spike were already running around the trees, laughing. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had their foals in the grass, playing with them. Rainbow Dash was lying on a tree branch, while Applejack and Rarity were sitting on one of the blankets. Fluttershy was up in the branches of another tree, seeming to be conversing with a bird. Big Mac and Granny Smith occupied another blanket, while Discord lay in a lounge chair, watching. Even Berry Fields was there, laying in the grass and watching the clouds float overhead.
Upon seeing them approaching, Applejack waved a hoof in the air. “Ya found her, Pinkie!”
“Yeppers!” the mare responded, bouncing over to the Cake’s foals and joining them in laughter.
Twilight sat down next to Applejack. Spike darted past, being chased by a trio of giggling fillies. Everything around her looked so normal, as if they had all decided to take a day off in Ponyville Park.
“Twilight, darling,” Rarity said. “I simply must inquire as to where you went after breakfast.”
“Oh, I had one last thing to do before we leave tomorrow. Just make a quick list of supplies and give it to one of the servants.”
“Tomorrow?” Applejack asked. She looked over at Granny Smith and Big Mac. “I was kinda hoping we’d have another day.”
“Cadance seems to want us to leave tomorrow, and while I haven’t spoken to her, I suspect so does Midnight,” Twilight said. Pinkie ran past, the foals on her back, holding on and shrieking with laughter. “And I agree.”
“Why?” Her friends around her went silent, looking at her. Fluttershy stopped talking to the bird and looked down at Twilight from above, while Pinkie put down the foals and came over.
Twilight indicated everypony around them with a hoof. “Because Midnight’s right. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can come back home to everypony who’s waiting for us. The sooner that you can see Applebloom and Sweetie Belle again.” She paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath. “The soon we get this done, the sooner all of our families will be safe. No reason to delay and endanger everypony even more.”
She thought back to that first day on the training field, when Midnight had told them to pick one pony and fight for him or her. Both Applejack and Rarity had picked their younger sisters, while Twilight had chosen her honorary younger brother, Spike. She wasn’t fighting to safeguard the world, though she felt that burden all the same. Instead, she was fighting to ensure that Spike had a world to wake up to tomorrow.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Applejack admitted. “Though that doesn’t make leaving any easier.”
“Indeed, it does not,” Rarity agreed. “I know that Sweetie Belle and I don’t always see eye to eye, but after all that’s happened, I don’t want to leave her.
“No, it doesn’t,” Twilight said. “But I think that we shouldn’t stick around here anyway. We just don’t know how much longer we have before the dragon wakes up. Nor do we know how long this is going to take.”
“But surely you have an idea,” Rarity asked.
Twilight shook her head. “None at all. I still don’t even know if this is possible at all, much less how long it’ll take. Just looking at travel time alone, we’re looking at months there. Plus however long it takes to convince the leaders of each country to join with Equestria.”
She’d thought a lot about this all month. Celestia was asking a lot of them. Of everything that the Elements of Harmony have ever done as a group, this was far and away their biggest and lengthiest task. Twilight had hope that some of the leaders would be able to listen to reason, like the Zebras. However, she knew that others, like the Changelings, would be far more reluctant, if they even listened in the first place.
Asking for something like cooperation between the races was akin to trying to walk up a greased-up Canterlot Mountain blindfolded and with only one leg. While Equestria was generally seen as good, and the word of Celestia and Luna carried a lot of weight, there was bad blood between other races. The Gryphons and Minotaurs were almost constantly trading aggression. The Zebras were more isolationist, eschewing the other countries. The dragons kept to themselves, mostly, and made it clear that they didn’t get involved in the affairs of the other races, to an almost xenophobic degree. As for the Changelings, no one trusted them and they knew it.
The more she’d thought about it, the more she thought that uniting everyone under one banner would be impossible. They would try, of course, but in the end, they may just have to make do with one or two allies. Yet even if they got those allies, would so few make a difference against something as powerful as the dragon? Would even a united Equus be able to make a difference?
She felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked over to see Applejack. “It’s okay, sugarcube. We’ll get it done.”
The farmer must have been able to see the worry on her face. “Thanks, Applejack.” Those hopeless thoughts would lead her nowhere. Besides that, today wasn’t a day to get mired in thoughts like that.
Applejack dug through one of the baskets, pulling out a frisbee. “Come on Twi, I bet you’ll drop it before I do.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “You’re on.”
“No magic,” she said, getting up and heading out into the open area.
Following her friend, Twilight looked over at the assembled ponies. The Crusaders had evidently talked Berry into joining them for something, though she wasn’t sure what. It was nice to see the filly getting outside. She needed some happiness and companionship in her life right now.
Much of the day passed in a state of bliss. They played and laughed and had fun together. Cadance even managed to join them for lunch, being dragged into a game of hide-and-seek by the fillies. It was amusing to see the bubblegum pink princess trying to hide amongst all the green of the park.
To Twilight, it felt like the weight on her shoulders had been lifted for a time. She was happy, she felt happy, for almost the first time since this whole thing had started. For just one day, she could forget about the troubles and sorrows. For one day, she could pretend that things were back to normal.
The good mood followed them back to the castle as they retired for dinner. Similar to the night when they had all been reunited, a feast had been prepared. Large platters of food sat in the middle of the table, and plates were swapped just as often as stories around the table.
Twilight was listening to Granny Smith tell a story about when she’d caught Applejack in a rather compromising situation in the barn. Laughter was a common occurrence as the elderly mare, with a glint in her eye, spared no detail. Applejack was red in the face and doing her best to hide in her chair with her hat pulled down low.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Midnight enter the dining room. At first, she thought the thestral was here to actually join them. However, that wasn’t the case, as she walked up to Cadance and whispered in her ear for a moment, before leaving again.
Twilight caught Cadance’s eye, raising an eyebrow. The alicorn just held up a hoof, indicating her to be patient. With a nod, Twilight went back to the conversation. Granny Smith had just gotten to the part where Applejack was dancing around in the dress, holding a rake.
It was only when dinner was over that Twilight learned what Midnight had wanted. Cadance stood up from her chair. “The Captain has requested that we meet her in the war room after dinner is over,” she announced.
With that one statement, the good mood at the table evaporated. Everypony was reminded of what was going to happen tomorrow morning. Suddenly, the weight that was free from their shoulders came crashing back down. Almost as one, the entire table hunched over, just a little bit.
Twilight stood up from her chair. Dinner was just as finished as the good mood. There was no reason to put things off. The others appeared to be of like mind, as her friends all stood up as well.
Trailing behind Cadance, they left the dining room and their families behind. It was a silent group that arrived at the war room.
Inside the room was Midnight, along with another pony. This one was an earth pony stallion. His coat was a light green in color, reminding Twilight of Lyra Heartstring’s coat. His mane and tail were both cropped short and a light blue in color. He was wearing a tattered looking shirt stained in several places by various things Twilight couldn’t identify.
When they were all inside, Midnight spoke up. “I know that you all want to be with your families right now, and shortly you will be. However, something important has come to my attention.” She looked at Cadance. “How were you proposing that the Elements get to and from their destinations?”
The alicorn seemed taken aback by the question. “Um, well. Equestria’s train system still works. They can take a train to the borders of each country. From there, it will have to be whatever transportation system is available. Though that varies between the countries.”
Twilight spoke up. “I’ve already requested a wagon and enough supplies to get us to the Gryphon Empire entirely by hoof. It’ll be waiting on us in the morning.”
Midnight indicated the stallion next to her. “This is Captain Swashbuckle. I believe he can help us.” The stallion nodded his head. “The captain here, has an airship.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide. Airships were still fairly new in Equestria. Hot air balloons had been around for awhile now, but it was only recently that somepony thought about taking one of those, making the balloon bigger, and sealing it up with a lighter-than-air gas. Since the balloon was bigger, so too was the area for passengers. A steam engine powered turbines on the back of it, allowing it to move, while a rudder steered it much like a ship.
Most airships were still experimental, though they were quickly gaining favor as a way to transport both ponies and supplies quickly. Since they could fly, they could simply head straight for a destination and not have to wind around things like a train or road did. To have an airship to ferry them about would be a major advantage.
“How big is this airship?” Cadance asked. “Can it ferry seven passengers?”
Swashbuckle nodded. “Aye, it can. She’s the best airship in Equestria,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice. “I can ferry about those seven, plus all the cargo ya want.” His accent was curious, Twilight didn’t think she’d ever heard it before. It was rough, putting emphasis on unusual words.
“And how did you come to be in the Empire?”
“Well, we were stationed in Canterlot, ferrying cargo for whoever hired us. It was only good fortune that we were in Baltimare the night Canterlot was destroyed. We were supposed to be back that day, but a leak in the boiler kept us grounded. When we heard what had happened, we stayed put. At least, until word reached us about you, Princess.
“Figuring we’d make ourselves useful instead of sitting around on our arses, we hopped on over here. For the last two weeks, we’ve been making runs back into Equestria, getting supplies.”
“I thought we could hire him and his crew to help us,” Midnight said. “However, that needs authorization from you, Princess.”
“The Gryphon’s Folly will get you wherever you need to go in a jiffy.”
Cadance looked across the table at Swashbuckle. “What are you asking for in return?”
He smiled at her. “Our usual fee. Plus free supplies for the trip.” He paused a moment, seeming to think. “Oh, and I’m thinking a nice bonus when this whole thing is over. If what this cutie is telling me about the voyage is true, then consider it a hazard pay bonus.”
Twilight could see Midnight’s left eye twitch when Swashbuckle called her ‘cutie,’ but she didn’t say anything.
“You do understand that we are in a state of crisis,” Cadance said, “and that I can’t just open my coffers to you. What is your usual fee, anyway?”
“A hundred and fifty bits, a day. However, seeing as to how I’m fairly certain nopony knows how long this will take, let’s just say five thousand bits up front. The rest can be figured out afterwards.”
Cadance sighed, looking down at the table. “Twilight? What do you think?”
“Me?” she replied, not expecting to be called out. “Well, an airship would certainly be the fastest way to get around. Having it would be helpful, certainly.”
“How can it be the fastest way?” Rainbow asked. “I’m certainly a faster flyer than it.”
“Aye, you may be,” Swashbuckle said. “But can ya fly for three days straight at a constant speed?” When the pegasus didn’t respond, he continued. “I didn’t think so.”
“I don’t want to put any pressure on you, Cadance,” Twilight said. “But, given that time is the one thing we’re shortest on, can we afford to not take this opportunity?”
The alicorn smiled. “No, I suppose we can’t.” She turned her attention back to Swashbuckle. “Very well. Talk to Midnight, she’ll help you get what supplies you need. As for your payment, you’ll get that tomorrow morning, which is when we leave.”
The stallion bowed. “Very well, Princess. We’ll be ready. Whenever ya want to leave, we’re sitting just outside the refugee camp. Trust me, ya can’t miss us.”
“Thank you, Captain. If you could please go wait outside, Midnight will be out shortly.”
He nodded, turning around and leaving the room. As soon as he was gone and the door was closed, Cadance turned to Midnight. “I assume this was your idea.”
“It was,” she confirmed. “I’d heard about the airship being around from some of the Crystal Guards, but hadn’t seen it myself. I approached Captain Swashbuckle about a job, something he was quite eager to take on after being without one for so long.”
“Well, hopefully this won’t turn out to be too expensive. Is that all, Captain?”
She shook her head. “No, there’s one more thing. You remember how we talked about Lieutenant Iron Hoof acting as an escort for the Element bearers?”
Cadance didn’t respond immediately, a hoof coming to her chin as she thought. “Vaguely, yes. I believe I agreed to a single pony escort.”
“Well, the Lieutenant will no longer be accompanying them.”
“Why not? Is he alright?”
Midnight nodded. “He’s fine, that’s not the issue.”
“Well then, what is?”
“The Lieutenant cannot accompany them, because I will be.” Midnight’s gaze was one of determination, her eyes narrowed as if she dared anypony to challenge her.
“I get the feeling that you would go even if I said no. However, I’d like to hear your reasons for this.”
The thestral’s eyes relaxed a fraction, and she started pacing a bit. Twilight recognized this from the training. She paced when she was explaining things.
“Right now, the Lunar Guard is simply on a guarding action, while the Elements of Harmony are about to embark upon a quest that will decide the fate of the world. Tell me, Princess, which of those sounds like it’s more important?”
“The quest, of course,” she replied.
Midnight nodded. “Exactly. Which is why I’m going to accompany them. Something so important should never be left to my subordinates, no matter how good they are. A guarding action like this, even my lowliest Private can run it in his sleep. So the Lieutenant will be left in charge here in my wake.”
“Yet you are a Captain of the Lunar Guard. You’re too important to risk, even on a mission like this.”
With a rustle, Midnight set a few pieces of parchment on the table. “Then here you will find my official letter of resignation, as well as my final orders, naming Iron Hoof as my successor.” She slid the papers across the table where they came to a halt in front of Cadance. “As a private citizen, you can’t stop me from accompanying the Element bearers.”
Cadance looked down at the papers on the table. Her magic enveloped them, lifting them up. Carefully, she read them over, the entire room silent as she did so.
“You planned everything out,” she said.
“I’m good at my job,” Midnight replied. After a moment, she continued. “You know I’m right. When everything’s on the line, we need the best. Right now, I’m the best.” Twilight couldn’t detect any trace of ego in her voice. She was simply stating a fact.
“And how would you help the Elements on their quest, Midnight?”
Twilight noted that Cadance didn’t use the thestral’s title, though she wasn’t sure what that meant. She and her friends were simply observers to this battle of wills.
“I may just be one pony, but I will do my best to protect them. Unlike the Lieutenant, I’ve trained with them over the last month, so I’ve learned how they work and how they function as a team.” She indicated Twilight and her friends with a hoof. “Those six, their strength is in their friendship and how they work together. I can work with them without getting in the way.”
Midnight walked up to the table, putting her forehooves on it. When her head was at the same level as Cadance’s, her eyes hardened. “We can’t afford to fail, so we need every advantage we can get.”
“You understand that, if I agree to this, you will not be in command? Twilight is in command of the mission.”
Twilight took a step back. “I am?” This was news to her.
Cadance nodded. “You are. Somepony needs to be in charge of things overall. I can think of no better pony than you, Twilight.”
“But... But I don’t know the first thing about something like this. How could I be expected to lead the mission?” Suddenly the weight on her shoulders tripled as panic started to set in. “What if I mess up? What if I do something wrong? The importance of this mission is too high, I can’t afford any mistakes. I can’t lead, it’s just not possible!”
Something touched her shoulder, drawing her back to reality. “Calm down, sugarcube,” Applejack said.
Everypony was staring at her. “But—”
“Twilight Sparkle,” Cadance remanded. “Do not doubt your own abilities. You are a brilliant pony. But beyond that, you are logical and organized. I have faith in you, and so do your friends.”
She could see her friends nodding. “We know you’ll do your best, Twi,” Rainbow said.
“Indeed, darling. You’ve led us before during times of crisis, and each time we emerged victorious. Why should this one be any different?” Rarity asked.
“And we’ll be there, um, so you can talk to us if you need to. If that’s okay with you, that is.”
“I’ll also be there to advise you,” Midnight said. The thestral turned back to regard Cadance. “I’ll submit to Twilight’s leadership.”
“It’s your mission, Twilight,” Cadance said. “I leave the decision up to you.”
She thought about it. Certainly, having Midnight aboard would be useful. That captain was knowledgable, an excellent fighter, and a strategist. The skills she possessed would be invaluable to them. Twilight had to concur that the Lunar Guard was simply defending a single spot right now, with no offensive action planned. Based on the guardsponies she had met, then they would do fine without the captain around.
“Cap-- Midnight, I accept your offer of joining the mission.” Twilight wasn’t sure whether to use the thestral’s title or not. That depended on what Cadance did with the papers on the table.
Midnight nodded. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Princess, you already have my resignation and final orders.”
A piece of paper, surrounded by Cadance’s arua, floated into the air. “You mean this resignation?” The paper caught fire, burning to ash in seconds. “I’m afraid I can’t accept it. The rest of these papers are satisfactory, except for one thing. Instead of becoming the new Captain, Lieutenant Iron Hoof should take on the position of Acting-Captain, until the current one comes back from her leave of absence.”
Midnight smiled. “That can be arranged. I’ll fill out the necessary paperwork tonight. However, there’s one more thing. This concerns the Elements.”
“What is it?” Cadance asked.
The thestral went over to a large bag that was sitting in the corner. Twilight hadn’t noticed it when she came in. Gripping the bag, Midnight dragged it over to the table. Whatever was inside produced a metallic clink.
“I have something for you all. Consider it a gift for completing training.” She opened the bag, pulling out a sword. “Here, this is for you, Twilight.”
Twilight took the sword out of Midnight’s outstretched hooves with her magic, gazing at it through her lavender aura. It was just like the swords she had been training with, not quite as long as a regular sword, so more suitable to rapid directional change while being held in her magic. It even had a strap so she could wear it across her back.
“Thank you,” she said. Truth be told, she wasn’t entirely sure about being given a weapon as a gift. To her, it seemed like another reminder that she might be fighting soon.
Midnight dug back into the sack, pulling out two cloth straps, each one holding five knives. This she gave to Rarity. “It’s basic, but I think you can figure out how to personalize it.”
The fashionista accepted the straps. Twilight could tell that they were meant to be worn crossed across the shoulders. “Thank you.” She smiled.
Midnight had something for everypony. Applejack got a set of horseshoes, the ones for the back legs being weighted for powerful strikes, while the front ones had blades on them for quick jabs. Pinkie also got shoes, though hers were armored to protect her hooves, rather than bladed, which would mess with her fighting style. Rainbow got a pair of wingblades all her own, same as the ones she had used to practice with.
Finally, Midnight pulled out a pair of saddlebags, giving them to Fluttershy. “Here. I know that you still won’t fight, so inside there’s everything a medic’s field kit would have.”
Fluttershy strapped on the bags. “Thank you, Midnight.”
“I know that I’ve already said this, but you six made me proud to train you. You worked hard and did everything I asked of you and more. If you approach the mission like you did the training, then that dragon is bucked.” Twilight heard a gasp at the captain’s language, though nopony said anything. “It will be an honor to fight alongside you.”
“We’re lucky to have you, Captain,” Twilight said.
The thestral smiled. “I’m afraid that within the hour, I’ll be a Captain no more. When on leave of absence, I won’t retain my rank. So just call me Midnight.”
“Okay, Midnight.”
“Now, I have some paperwork and final preparations to attend to.” Midnight headed over to the door. “I’ll see you all at the palace steps at precisely seven in the morning.” She left the room then. Twilight could hear her talking to Swashbuckle outside, their voices fading down the hallway.
Cadance faced them all. “I think we’re done here. Go spend this last night with your families.” The alicorn left the room as well.
Twilight strapped the sword on her back. It felt unfamiliar there, a weight added to her. Hopefully, she’d never have to use the thing and thus have no reason to carry it around. “Cadance is right,” she said. “Come on.”
Together, they left the room. By now, everypony would be out of the dining room. With nothing else to do, and with the sun having set, they’d head back up to the guest area of the palace. So that’s where they went.
“I’m just going to drop my... sword, in my room.” It felt odd, saying that. She’d never owned a weapon before. “I’ll meet you in the common room.”
Twilight opened the door to her room, heading inside and closing it behind her. Letting out a sigh, she leaned on the door.
“Twilight?” A voice startled her.
“What!?” she exclaimed, jumping. In the light of the moon coming through the window, she could see somepony sitting on her bed. Flicking on the lights, she saw that it was Berry.
“Berry? What are you doing here all alone? Is everything okay?”
“You gonna leave tomorrow?” the filly asked.
Forgetting about the sword for the moment, Twilight walked over to her bed. “We are, sweetie.”
“You gonna go fight the dragon?”
“Yes, we are. But first, we’re going to travel the world and get others to help us.” Twilight tried to think of a way to distract the filly. “We’ve even got this airship to travel in.”
“An airship?” Berry asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Twilight nodded. “Yeah, an airship. It’s like a ship that sails on the water, only this one sails through the air instead. They’re super cool. We got ourselves the only one in the entire Crystal Empire!”
“Can I see it?”
“Maybe in the morning. We’re leaving really early, but if you get up, you can accompany us to the airship. It’s sitting outside the city, by the train station.”
Berry hugged Twilight. “I don’t want you to go.” The filly’s eyes were shimmering. “I miss my mommy, I don’t wanna lose my friend, too.”
Twilight hugged the filly against her chest. “I know, sweetie. But I have to go. I promise you that I’ll come back to see you whenever I can.” It pained her to see the filly like this. Just when she was coming back into her own after losing her mom, now a pony that she looked up to and saw as her friend was leaving.
“I wanna go with you,” she said.
“Oh, Berry. I’m afraid that it’ll be dangerous where we’re going.”
“I don’t care. I can be...” She struggled to find the right word. “Can be useful.”
“I know you can. You’re a very brave filly. But we just can’t take you along. I’m sorry. You’ll have Cadance here, and the Crusaders.”
Berry sniffled. “I still don’t want you to leave.”
“Everything will be fine, Berry.” Twilight hugged her again. “We’ll defeat this dragon and come back.” She tried to think of some way to placate the filly. “Actually, there is something I need you to do for me while I’m gone.”
“What is it?” she asked, looking up at her with wide eyes.
“I need you to keep an eye on Cadance. She’s just as upset as you are about us leaving. I need you to make sure she’s happy. Can you do that for me? It’s very important.”
The filly gave her an odd look, one that she couldn’t quite place. “I can do that,” she said.
Twilight rubbed her head, mussing up her mane. “Good. I trust you to care for my sister while I’m gone.”
Berry nodded. “Okay.” She hopped off the bed, going over to the door. “Goodbye, Twilight.” She struggled with the door for a moment before managing to open it and leave the room.
Twilight watched her leave. There was something about that last look from the filly. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it made her feel nervous.
Sighing once more, she took the sword off her back, leaning it up against the wall. As much as she liked Berry, she needed to leave. Hopefully, the filly would understand.
She wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet, so she left her room, heading to the common room. When she got there, she found a large gathering of all her friends. Everypony was talking and laughing with each other. A card game was going on between Mr. Cake, Big Mac, Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack.
“Oh there you are, Twilight Sparkle,” Discord said, floating over. “I was wondering if you had decided to bury yourself in books. A nice reminder before you leave.”
“No, I simply had something to do real quick.” Looking around the room, she didn’t spy Berry anywhere. The filly must not feel like seeing them right now.
“Did you forget to triple check your checklist?”
“Ugh, no.” She pushed past him, going over to the couches. Rainbow and Fluttershy were there along with Mrs. Cake. The foals must have already been put to bed, and considering the apparent absence of Granny Smith, she had retired for the night as well.
Twilight sat on the couch and listened in as Mrs. Cake told a story about how Pumpkin, her filly, had gotten stuck to the ceiling with a burst of magic, and how nothing could get her down. It was an amusing, lighthearted tale, just the sort of thing that was needed right now. She found herself getting absorbed in the story, even as Applejack let out a loud protest, a smirking Rarity scooping up all the chips in the pile.
Just as they had all day in the park, they spent the night in each other’s company. Finally though, one by one, they left. As much as Twilight wanted to stay up and watch the conclusion to the card game, Rarity and Big Mac being the only ones left, and each with a substantial pile of chips, her eyes were having difficulty staying open. She stood, bid goodnight to her friends, and left the room.
Inside her own room, she saw Spike curled up in her bed, asleep. With a smile, she climbed into the bed next to him.
“Ugh, Twilight?” he said.
“It’s just me, Spike. Go back to sleep.” She got under the covers, making herself comfortable. After a moment, she felt Spike curl up next to her.
She draped a foreleg over him and kissed the top of his head. “Goodnight, Spike.”
“Night, Twilight,” he responded, already falling back to sleep.
Twilight hugged him close. She’d miss him while she was gone. Yet each day she got up and continued with the quest, it would be for him, to ensure that he stayed safe. What she was doing, she did for him.
She sighed as she snuggles deeper beneath the covers. Tomorrow, once again, everything would change. She only hoped that she was prepared for anything.
Twilight woke to the feeling of something poking her in the back. She groaned, attempting to roll over to get away from whatever it was. It felt like she’d just gotten to sleep. Judging by the lack of light getting through her eyelids, it was somewhere between really early, and ridiculously early.
Unfortunately, her attempt to roll over was hampered by something that was curled up against her chest. Whatever it was, was warm and scaly. She couldn’t roll away from the poking, which was getting more insistent.
“Wake up,” somepony said. Distantly, she recognized the voice, but her sleepy mind couldn’t put a name to it.
Assaulted on two fronts, Twilight forced open her eyes with a groan. Maybe she could tell her assailant to go away. At least give her another hour.
What greeted her sight first was Spike, curled up against her chest. She remembered that he had slept in her bed last night, the last night they’d have to see each other for some time. There was no way she was going to say anything to him.
That left whoever was poking her back. She lifted her head, turning to face the mystery poker.
Midnight stared back at her. The thestral had a small smile on her face. “Finally!” she chirped. “I was beginning to think I’d have to drag you out of bed.”
“Ugh,” Twilight groaned. “What time is it?”
“Half past five. Also known as time to get up. We’re meeting outside on the steps in an hour and a half. You do want to get breakfast before we leave, right?”
How was it possible the thestral was this chipper so early in the morning? Twilight didn’t think she’d ever even shown a sign of being tired the entire month of training. This being despite the fact that the thestral was up before them each day, worked alongside them, and was still awake when they went to sleep. Either Midnight was some sort of superpony, or she was just really good at hiding her fatigue.
Twilight mumbled something that not even she could fathom. However, the answer seemed to satisfy Midnight and she backed away. “I’ll see you downstairs.” With that said, she left the room.
Twilight let her head flop back down onto the pillow. She was not a morning pony, not in the least. At five-thirty in the morning, the only thing that should be moving was her drool.
Of course, if she continued to lay there, she had no doubt that Midnight would make good on her threat to drag her out of bed. So she really had two options: get up now and be sleepy, or sleep a little more and have everypony be mad at her.
It was a tough choice. It really was.
She lay down for another couple of minutes. Spike shifted against her, letting out a small sigh. She gently stroked the spines on his head. She was going to miss him while away.
Releasing her own sigh, she slipped out of the bed. Spike clutched at where she had been for a moment, before his claws found her pillow. The dragon drew it in close, holding it.
She stared longingly at her bed for another moment. It was practically singing her name. Instead, she turned and headed into the bathroom. Some airships were equipped like an actual hotel, with guest suites, bathrooms, all of it. Considering they were about to hitch a ride on a cargo hauler, she figured this would be her last chance to get an actual shower, so she was going to enjoy it.
It was almost half an hour later that she emerged from the bathroom, mane and coat still wet while steam billowed out the open door. Despite the still early hour, she felt awake. Though she was certain her shriek at stepping under bitingly cold water had woken up anypony still asleep on this floor.
Spike was awake as well, sitting on the edge of the bed. When she came into the room, he hopped up and went over to the desk. Opening a drawer, he took out a folded piece of paper.
“I want you to have this, Twilight,” he said.
She took the paper in her magic, unfolding it. It was a drawing Spike had done, of the two of them. She was running forward with him on her back. A sword floated in front of her while he had one clutched in his claws.
“It’s for luck,” he said in answer to her small smile. “Even if I can’t be there with you, I’ll be here, helping out Cadance.”
Twilight set the paper down on the bed, grabbing Spike in a hug. “Ack!” he protested. “You’re all wet!”
She ignored him. “Thank you, Spike. I’ll keep it safe.”
Giving in to the hug, he wrapped his arms around Twilight. They shared what both of them knew would be their last moment together for some time. If ever.
When she finally pulled back, Twilight dried them both off with a quick spell. Looking around the room, she chuckled. “Well, at least packing for this trip will be easy. We have no stuff left.”
Spike shared her laugh. “Yeah. Rarity must be panicking.” The dragon elbowed her in the ribs. “So, you gonna go raid the library?”
She gave him a conspiratorial smile. “Raid? A library?. Twilight gasped. “I’d never do such a thing. I’m merely liberating them from the oppression of dark shelves.” A pair of saddlebags floated out of the closet in her magic grip. When they were safely strapped on, she turned to the only other object in the room that was hers: the sword given to her by Midnight.
It still felt odd, owning a weapon. She had knives for her kitchen, but that was different than a blade whose sole purpose was to inflict harm upon another living being. Slowly, she strapped the sword in place across her back. It felt heavy, pressing down on her.
“I suppose we’d best get some breakfast. And I need to visit the library. I should at least get some texts on the Gryphon Empire, brush up on their society and customs.” She hesitated a moment. “But before that, I want to ask a favor of you, Spike.”
He looked up at her. “Of course, anything.”
“Keep an eye on Berry. The little filly has been through a lot. She’s going to need a friend.”
The dragon nodded. “She’s been getting along okay with the Crusaders lately. But I’ll keep an eye on her, sure.”
“Thank you, Spike.” She rubbed his head spines with a hoof. “I know you’ll do well.” She opened the door. “Now come on, I need to stop by the library before getting breakfast.”
The two of the left the room. The sword on her back jostled around slightly. It felt like it was rubbing the hairs on her coat off.
The hallways were deserted at this early hour. It was still too early for most of the servants to be here, and the few ponies on the night staff would be getting ready to head home and sleep. The only sounds were the clopping of her hooves, and the tick of Spike’s claws on the crystal floor.
In no time at all, they were inside the library. Twilight made a beeline for the reference section. She needed a few books on the Gryphons. While she felt confident enough to interact with a gryphon without breaking some sort of social taboo, it paid to be prepared. Besides, what else was she going to do on the airship?
Browsing the titles, she selected a few books. None of them were particularly thick, but combined they should be enough. She slipped them into her saddlebags. Nopony would notice them missing, and she was fairly confident that Cadance wouldn’t mind.
With the weight evenly distributed around her saddlebags, she was about to leave the library when a thought occurred to her. “Come on, Spike. I’ve got one last place to visit.”
Dutifully, the dragon followed her as she went deeper into the library. Before their training, she had found some books on fighting. She wanted to bring some of those with her as well. With luck, they’d still be sitting on the table where she left them.
She found the appropriate section, but the books had been reshelved by somepony. She grumbled in annoyance. Now she would have that many less minutes for breakfast. However, she remembered their titles so it was easy to find them again.
A book on troop tactics, a tome of warfare, a compendium of fighting styles, and finally a book on gruphon combat tactics, all went into her saddlebags. She squeezed the last one in, barely getting the top flap latched, so she had enough reading material to keep her occupied for quite some time.
“Okay, let’s go eat,” she said.
Spike nodded. “I hope they have more of those gemstone pancakes. They were so good.” The dragon’s mouth started watering.
Twilight chuckled. “I’m sure they can make you some.”
Together they left the library. It was a short trip down to the dining room, where Cadance, Midnight, and most of her friends and their families already were.Obviously, Rainbow was still absent. This didn't surprise Twilight though, the pegasus had probably opted for the 'make everyone angry' choice.
Twilight took a seat next to a sleepy looking Rarity. “Morning,” she greeted everypony.
A chorus of mornings and mumbles cascaded back at her. Some, like the entire Apple family, were wide awake. Others, like Rarity, were still mostly asleep.
“Is it morning?” Rarity groused. “The sun is not even up yet.”
“Oh the sun will come up soon enough, Rares,” Applejack responded. The farmpony gestured to the steaming mug in front of Rarity. “Just drink your coffee and you’ll wake up.”
“It should be a crime to be that chipper so early,” Rarity muttered as she sipped her drink.
“What was that?”
“Nothing, darling.”
Applejack smirked. “Uh huh.”
Breakfast passed quickly. Everypony was engaged in idle chatter with those around them, especially the ones that were being left behind. Rainbow showed up with ten minutes to spare and wolfed down whatever she could find on everypony’s plates.
All too soon, Midnight stood up. “It’s time we head out,” she said. “Captain Swashbuckle is waiting for us on the outskirts of town.”
It was a silent group that left the castle, following the thestral. For once, they didn’t have a legion of bags following them, courtesy of Rarity. Instead, their families were joining them. Even Cadance had joined the procession.
As they headed through the town, ponies caught sight of them. Twilight knew Cadance had told everypony she was going on a mission with her friends to stop the dragon, but their curious looks still unnerved the purple unicorn.
She caught sight of some ponies looking at her with near reverence. She’d seen that look on ponies before, but it was always aimed at Princess Celestia, never at her. Even when she and her friends had done something with the Elements of Harmony, their success was met with at most jubilation.
She slowed down slightly, letting Cadance catch up. “Cadance, why are ponies looking at us like that? We haven’t even done anything yet,” she whispered.
The alicorn glanced around her, taking in the faces of the ponies nearby. “It’s because of what you represent to them,” she answered.
“But we’re about to head out on some mission that they don’t know what it is, and we don’t even know if this will work.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Cadance said with a smile. “To them, you are hope. Do you remember what Auntie told me, that night we spoke to her?”
Twilight scrunched her face up as she concentrated. “She told you to lead the ponies in her stead.”
“Close. She told me to be the shining light in the darkness, to be a guiding light for ponies. I’ve been working hard to be that light. Ponies are still coming in from other towns, from Equestria. It’s thanks to the efforts of ponies like Captain Swashbuckle, who go to other towns and spread the word of what is going on here, how this is a safe haven, that everyday more ponies arrive here. Feeding them, housing them, making the change in their lives as comfortable as possible, that’s my job.”
She set a wing on Twilight’s shoulder. “You have another job. While I’m the beacon in the darkness, you are the burning flame. You carry with you the hope of all ponies. Of all of Equus.” She paused for a moment. “Think of it this way. A star is bright, but immobile. But a flame can be carried, it can be used to push back the darkness wherever it goes. You’re leaving the safety of the light to bring illumination to all.”
Cadance’s analogy made sense, somewhat. Twilight still didn’t believe that she was all that important. She didn’t want to believe it. She just wanted to be a normal pony.
Word of their imminent departure must have spread like wildfire, because by the time they left the town, a large crowd of ponies was following them, and even more were waiting. A channel formed in the crowd through which they walked. Just beyond the tents, Twilight caught a glimpse of the airship that would be ferrying them around.
When she finally moved past the last tent, she stopped and stared. “This is the airship?” she asked.
Midnight nodded. “It is.”
“That thing can actually fly, right?”
The airship was a mess. True to Swashbuckle’s words, it was certainly large. But it looked like somepony had taken two halves of an airship and crammed them together. The ship itself was tethered to a large crystal and floating just above the ground. The large rudder hanging below brushed the grass as it waved in the early morning breeze.
Airships were a relatively new technology, yet somehow this one looked like it had been flying around for a hundred years. The wood was worn and weather beaten, and as it shifted gently, Twilight could hear it creaking. There were cracks in some places. The large turbines at the rear looked like they could fall off if they started turning. If the thing weren’t floating already, Twilight would swear that it would never even get off the ground.
The ropes holding the large envelope that contained the gas looked like they could snap at any moment. The envelope itself seemed tattered, like a scrap of fabric that Rarity would have leftover from making a dress. There had to be holes in it, there just had to be.
Shaking her head, she continued forward. Her friends were all looking at the airship as well, looks of awe and suspicion mixed through their expressions. A long gangplank went from the top deck down to the ground. Waiting for them at the bottom of the gangplank was Swashbuckle and another pony, a pegasus mare.
“Welcome to The Gryphon’s Folly,” Swashbuckle said proudly. He pointed to the pegasus. “This is me first mate, Sky Fire.” The mare inclined her head. “As soon as you’re ready to leave, step aboard.” The two of them walked up the gangplank.
Twilight turned to face Cadance and Spike. “Well, this is it.” Butterflies flitted about in her stomach. The reality of what she was about to do, hit her like a brick.
Cadance drew her into a hug. “I know that you’ll do well, sister.”
Twilight hugged back. “Thank you.” She reached out and drew Spike into the hug as well. “I’ll miss you both.”
“We’ll miss you, too,” Spike said.
They held the embrace for several long moments, heedless of all the ponies watching. Right now, they didn’t exist to Twilight. Instead, it was just the three of them, in their own little world.
When they broke apart, each had a smile upon their features. Yet, as Twilight glanced at them, she couldn't help but feel the sadness and concern emanating from their faces. Cadance gave Twilight a nudge towards the ship. “Go on. Go and do what I know you can do.”
Giving the two of them, her family, one last look, she turned and headed up the gangplank. She could feel the eyes of the crowd watching her ascend. Nopony said anything, though.
When she reached the top deck, she looked around. Swashbuckle was at the rear of the ship, standing behind the large wheel that controlled their movement. The wheel was set on a raised portion of the deck, two doors set into the facade below the area where the wheel was. There was another, smaller, raised portion at the front of the deck, another door set there.
Sky Fire was next to him. Several more ponies trotted around the deck, securing lines, moving boxes, tightening ropes, and organizing passengers. The dichotomy between the ponies moving around on the ship, and those unmoving on the ground, was unusual.
Twilight stood at the rail, overlooking the crowd. Hundreds of ponies were gathered, even at this early hour, to see them off. Already, Fluttershy and Rainbow were on the deck. One by one, the rest of her friends finished their goodbyes and headed onto the ship.
Midnight was the last to arrive, landing with a flutter of her wings. She headed over to Swashbuckle, pulling a large bag out of one of her saddlebags and giving it to him. Twilight suspected that it was the bits he had been promised.
The earth pony nodded, giving the bag to Sky Fire. “Alright, everything’s in order. Status update!” he called out.
“All hooves stand’n by Cap’n!” called out a unicorn from the front of the ship.
“Boiler’s lit and ready. The turbines have been cleaned and greased,” a pegasus shouted.
Swashbuckle nodded. “Then we’re ready to go. Just say the word.”
Twilight looked to Midnight, who had joined them at the rail. The thestral nodded her head. “Go on,” she said. “This is your mission, so you give the order.”
The unicorn started. “What?”
“Go on, Twi,” Applejack said. She set a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
Her gaze returned to all of the ponies gathered below. They all seemed like they expected her to say something. The enormity of what was about to happen sank in. Twilight remembered how Cadance had mentioned that ponies saw her and her friends as their saviors.
Taking a deep breath, while frantically trying to figure out what to say, she opened her mouth and spoke. “We leave today to defeat the dragon. I know that you all are looking to us for your salvation, and we will not fail you. But each and every one of us must play a part in this, as well.”
Twilight gestured to the crowd with a hoof. “Look around you, at your fellow ponies. It is in times like this that you must rely not only on yourselves, but on those around you as well. Unless we work together, there is very little chance we’ll survive the year. You Crystal Ponies find yourselves the host to displaced Equestrians. Take care of them. To the Equestrians, help out your neighbors to the north. We’re all in this together, and together, we will overcome.”
Twilight looked over at Swashbuckle. “Let’s go,” she said.
The captain spoke into a tube. “Give me all power to engines, we’re leaving.”
A voice came out of the tube in response. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
There was a rumble and the ship shook as its systems awoke. Two earth ponies quickly untied the ropes keeping the ship secured, pulling them up and making two piles on the deck. A sort of thwhupping sound was heard as the propellers at the back started turning. The gangplank was hauled up as they rose into the air.
From below, a cheer started amongst the ponies. Quickly it gained momentum, until the entire crowd was cheering and stomping their hooves. Ponies waved their forehooves in the air.
Smiling sheepishly, Twilight waved back. She had imagined that their departure would be a quiet affair. Instead, hundreds of ponies were cheering and sending them off. The mood was infectiously exuberant. Everypony in the crowd was wearing a smile and cheering, even if that mood didn’t quote extend to the ship itself.
The airship rose higher and higher, slowly at first, but as the engines began to thrum with power their ascent speed increased. Twilight could still see Cadance and the rest of the ponies. The princess was waving right alongside everypony else.
With a lurch, they moved forwards once they were above the height of the surrounding crystals. This was it, they were now underway on the most important mission Twilight had ever undertaken.
As the crowd faded away, Twilight turned to her friends. “Here we go,” she said.
They all nodded. “Next stop, the Gryphon Empire,” Rainbow said with a hoofpump.
Twilight moved away from the railing as the ground below them continued to get farther and farther away. Curiously, she had expected there to be a strong wind as they moved, but it was calm on the deck.
Sky Fire came over to them. “I’ll show you to where you’ll be staying while on board. You can feel free to leave your things there. I’ll also give you a quick tour of the ship.”
“That would be most helpful, thank you,” Rarity said.
Sky Fire pointed over to where Swashbuckle was still at the wheel. “Underneath there, through the doors, is the Captain’s Cabin. That’s the only place on the ship that you must ask permission before entering.” She paused for a moment, glancing at Twilight. “Or be invited in, which will most likely happen,” she added with a roll of her eyes.
The mare turned towards the front of the ship and the door there. “Through here, if you’ll follow me, is the rest of the ship.” She trotted over to the doors.
“Ms. Fire?” Twilight said.
The mare’s brows furrowed. “Are you for real? Just Sky Fire’s fine.”
“Okay, Sky Fire. I have a question.”
The pegasus reached the door, stopping in front of it. “Sure.”
Twilight looked around her. “Why is it not windy here on the deck? At the rate we’re moving, we should be having trouble hearing each other.”
Sky Fire smiled smugly. “Ah yes. There’s an enchantment on the deck. Keeps the wind out, and no matter our altitude, it will always be just the right temperature.”
“Huh. That’s smart,” Twilight said.
The pegasus chuckled. “You’ll find that this ship has a lot of little surprises like that. There’s far more to her than meets the eye,” she said while slowly rubbing a hoof along the door frame.
“Come on, follow me inside.” She opened the door, revealing a steep set of stairs, almost a ladder. With sure steps, she descended. A light clinging to the ceiling provided illumination. Twilight followed just behind, taking a moment to be sure of each step.
The stairs deposited them into a room, though they were facing the wall, which was really the front end of the ship. Stepping around the stairs showed a large room, with several long tables and chairs. Against the far wall there was a kitchen setup. The whole room was as wide as the ship, stretching from one side of the ship to the other, the walls curving slightly. There was about fifty feet of room in width.
When they were all in the room, Sky Fire spoke again. “This is our kitchen and dining room. Meals are eaten here and the whole crew gathers together for dinner. You can also use this room as a lounge of sorts. Feel free to relax here.”
She set off again, heading down a hallway at the rear of the room. There were several doors leading off the hallway. “These will be your rooms while you are onboard.”
She opened one door, revealing a modest room with two beds. There was a hooflocker at the bottom of each bed. “There are four rooms, two on each side of the hallway. Each one has two beds, so you’ll have to double up.”
At the end of the hallways was another steep staircase. Cautiously, they descended this one as well. It opened up into another large room. This one had hammocks strung between large, vertical support beams. There were about two dozen hammocks in all, with enough hooflockers to go around.
“This is where the crew sleeps,” Sky Fire said. She headed across the room and down another hallway. This one had only two doors, one on either side. “The door to the left is the bathroom, the door on the right is the showers. Water is limited, so keep your showers short. If we run out, then either we have to land at a lake to get more, or we all suffer until we get to our stop.”
She pointed to another stair. “There are two more levels below this one, though there’s not much point in going down there. Both of them are storage, though at the stern of the ship on the bottom level, there’s the engine room.”
She fixed them all with a hard look. “I’m not gonna say you can’t go down there, but don’t touch anything in either the cargo rooms, or the engine room, unless directed to by a member of the crew. If you’re curious about the engine, feel free to head down there, ask questions. But again, don’t touch. We may be on a mission to save the world, but those crates and sacks are still private property, and they will remain as such.”
The hard look vanished, replaced with a smile. “That concludes the tour. You’re free to do what you wish. Meals are prepared by our cook. Our old cook left us back at the Crystal Empire, but we got a new one who arrived just this morning, before you did. So we’ll see how good she is.”
Sky Fire trotted passed them, leaving heading through the crew quarters and up the stairs. Twilight looked around at her friends. “So. What now?”
Rainbow shrugged. “Do we even know how long it’ll take us to get to the Gryphon Empire?”
“It’s a three day journey by train, so maybe two days?” Twilight said, unsure. She’d have to ask Swashbuckle or Sky Fire.
“Why don’t we go ahead and get situated in our rooms,” Midnight suggested. “Then we should meet on deck. I’ve got some things for you all to work on.”
“Things?” Rarity asked. “What things?”
The thestral smiled. The smile looked almost evil to Twilight. “I have a few ideas on what we can do to pass the time.” She eyed Twilight’s bulging saddlebags. “And no, it doesn’t involve books or a study session.”
“These are mostly for me to brush up on Gryphon customs. Wouldn’t do well to offend them,” Twilight said. “And I might have packed a few other books as well.”
“Somehow, none of us are surprised,” Applejack said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.
Twilight huffed, but she couldn’t keep the smile off her muzzle. Turning around, she headed back through the crew quarters, where a few ponies were taking a rest. She climbed the stairs, ending up in the hallway with their bedrooms. Somepony was in the kitchen, she could hear things being moved around, but couldn’t see the pony because the kitchen was back up against the wall of one of the bedrooms.
“So, who’s sleeping where?” she asked.
Rainbow pointed to the room on the right side of the hallway near the stairs. “Flutters, wanna take this room?” Fluttershy nodded, and the two of them opened the door, heading inside.
Pinkie grabbed Rarity, pulling the startled mare into the room across from Rainbow’s. “We’ll take this one. Come on, Rarity!”
“Wait, what?” Rarity’s cries were cut off by the door closing.
Twilight blinked, wondering what had just happened. “Okay then.” She turned to Applejack. “What about you, AJ? Wanna take one of the rooms?”
The farmer shrugged. “I dunno. I do get up a lot earlier than you. I don’t want to wake you up in the mornings.”
“Midnight?”
“I’m fine with whatever. One of us is going to have a room to herself.”
Twilight thought for a moment. “Well, how about Midnight and I share a room, and you can have one to yourself, AJ. That way, when you do get up early, you won’t disturb anypony.”
“Sounds fair to me,” Applejack said. She headed into the room on the right. That just left the room on the left, with the kitchen right behind it, for Twilight and the thestral.
“I suppose I should drop off my stuff,” Twilight said. “Do you have a preference on which bed you want?”
“Nope. You pick one, and I’ll take the other. Come on out onto the deck when you’re ready.” She headed out into the kitchen, giving a nod to whoever was working there.
Twilight opened the door into the room. Really, all she had to do was take off her saddlebags, and the sword. Arbitrarily taking the bed on the left, she opened the hooflocker, dumping her saddlebags inside.
The sword was too large to fit, so she laid that on the bed. Surely she wasn’t going to need it on deck. Twilight hesitated. Then again, she never knew what Midnight could be planning. With a sigh, Twilight picked the sword back up and strapped it on, she should probably get used to wearing it anyhow.
Lacking anything else to do, Twilight opted to head upstairs and outside. Hopefully she’d be able to speak to Swashbuckle or Sky Fire about their estimated travel time.
When she got to the kitchen, a surprise was waiting for her in the form of a familiar mare with a shock of red and orange hair. “You!”
The mare’s magic cut out, dropping the frying pan she was in the middle of sticking into a cabinet. It landed with a clang as she turned about. “Me!”
“Don’t you work at the castle? What are you doing here?”
Dark smiled. “I heard that this ship needed a cook. So I asked Candy if I could sign on and she said yes.”
“Candy?”
“Ya know, Cadance?”
Twilight frowned. “Since when does anypony call her Candy?”
Dark shrugged. “Since I started doing it. Candy’s guards get a kick out of it. It makes her embarrassed when I do it in public. So I keep doing it.”
“And she just let you quit and leave?”
“It’s not like she can keep me from leaving. I’m a private citizen who happens to work at the castle; I can quit anytime I want. I’ve always wanted to see the world, and this seemed like the once in a lifetime chance I’d have to accomplish that. So I pounced on it.” She turned back to the kitchen. It looked like she had emptied everything out of the cabinets.
“Whoever they had here last was a mess. Pots mixed with pans intermingling with a neighponese wok! How could anypony find anything in this mess? I have to reorganize this whole armament and still get lunch on the table.”
She whirled, jabbing a hoof at Twilight. “And don’t even get me started on the sorry state of the spices.” A large wooden box floated over, Dark caressing it with a hoof. “You all are lucky I decided to bring my personal stash with me, else all you’d be getting is flavorless swill.” The box moved away. “At least now you’ll be getting flavorful swill.” Her ever present smile turned into a frown. “I’m good, but I can only do so much with the ingredients provided to me. I swear, as soon as we land in the Gryphon Empire, I’m hitting the market and buying real ingredients.”
As the mare set about her work, continuing to rant about shoddy ingredients, Twilight left her to it. That was one strange pony.
She headed through the kitchen and up the stairs. When she opened the door leading out to the deck, the first things she saw were clouds. Just beyond the railing, white clouds drifted alongside the ship. Oddly, the deck wasn’t covered in the white mist she was used to when she floated through a cloud in her balloon. She guessed that the same enchantment which kept them warm and out of the wind, also blocked the clouds from getting on the deck.
Swashbuckle was still at the wheel, consulting several instruments around him. Applejack, Rainbow, and Midnight were already on deck as well. She trotted across the deck, nodding at her friends as she passed, amd up the stairs leading to the wheelhouse. A frown crossed her face as she realized she didn’t know what this area was called when it wasn’t enclosed. Was it still a wheelhouse? She’d have to ask Swashbuckle.
The earth pony was staring at a panel of instruments. Dials that Twilight wasn’t entirely sure what they meant. “Whatcha need, lass?” he said without looking up.
Twilight paused a moment. “Er, me?”
Swashbuckle looked up. “Maybe. Well, I don’t see any other cute mares up here, do you?”
She felt her cheeks heat up. Was he flirting with her? But he had called Midnight cute as well the other night in the war room, so maybe it was just some quirk of his.
“Ah, well. I was just curious as to how long it would take us to reach our destination.” She couldn’t help herself, she looked over at the instruments, trying to figure out what each of them were. She recognized one as a measure of how high they were above the ground, another as an indicator of their speed. A compass pointed out that they were travelling southeast. The rest of them she wasn’t familiar with.
Swashbuckle consulted with several dials, tapping one of them with a hoof until it moved. “We should reach the border by evening tomorrow. After that,” he shrugged. “I don’t know for certain, but rumors say the Gryphons have closed their borders. Some say they’re turning away ponies seeking asylum, others that they have allowed a camp of ponies at the border, but aren’t letting them across.”
He eyed her up and down. “Once we get to the border, I have no doubt we’ll be stopped by Gryphon patrols. Unless that tongue of yours is as sweet as that face, this’ll be a short trip.”
She nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.” She hated this. There was a distinct lack of information, only rumors and hearsay. Nothing solid or substantial that she could work with, plan with. She’d have to play everything by ear, and it was frustrating.
“I noticed you eyeing my instruments,” Swashbuckle said, a wide grin on his face. “If you want, I can show you how they work.” He paused, his smirk widening. “A private demonstration.”
His tone, coupled with the too wide smile made Twilight uncomfortable. She shuffled from hoof to hoof, unsure of how to get a demonstration without the privacy. She really did want to know how the airship worked, but couldn't help but feel that he was referring to something else with his suggestion.
“I’d like to know more about this airship, yes.” An awkward smile crossed her muzzle. Hopefully that was a good answer.
“Well then, lass. Why don’t you and I meet here after dinner. I’ll show you how everything works.” He turned back to the wheel, giving it a slight turn. Twilight felt the deck underneath her hooves tilt slightly. The compass moved a few degrees more south, before Swashbuckle straightened the wheel. He nodded, seemingly satisfied with things.
Twilight retreated away from the stallion. Something about him gave her the creeps. She went and joined her friends. While she had been talking to the captain, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie had arrived on the deck. She was the last of the group.
“Well, Swashbuckle says that we’ll arrive at the Gryphon border tomorrow evening.” She paused, disgruntled. “As for whether or not we can cross the border, that remains to be seen.”
Rarity glanced up from watching a deckhoof coil the anchor rope at Twilight's voice. As her eyes passed over the purple unicorn's features, her own grew concerned. "Is there something the matter, darling?" she asked. "You look... unsettled."
Twilight grimaced. “I think Swashbuckle was hitting on me.” At those words, all of her friends turned to regard her. “Well, he offered to show me how the airship worked, but there was something about the way he said it...”
“What did he say?”
Twilight recanted to the other unicorn just what the captain had said. When she finished, Rarity’s face had a half smile on it.
“Darling, he was most certainly hitting on you. All that talk about instruments, meeting up here at night, after dinner? I would hardly be surprised if he invited you back to his cabin.”
“I— Well, he...”Twilight sputtered. “It was creepy okay?”
Rainbow collapsed laughing as Twilight’s face reddened. Fluttershy hid behind her mane, her entire face already a brighter red than Twilight’s. Applejack and Pinkie both had wide smiles, the farmer trying not to laugh. Midnight retained her stoic face, only a slight smile cracking through the veneer.
“I wouldn’t-- How could he--” She was unable to finish a sentence. “It’s not funny!” Twilight finally got out, stamping a hoof indignantly.
Rarity set a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “If it makes you uncomfortable, then you certainly don’t have to go.”
Twilight took a deep breath. “Thank you, Rarity. But I think I can handle myself. I do want to know more about this ship, so I shall meet with him. However, if he tries anything, he’s in for a big surprise.
Midnight spoke up. “I’ve dealt with Swashbuckle on occasion. I can absolutely say that he is a flirt, but I don’t think he means anything by it .I don’t think he’d ever cross any lines. It just seems to be something he does.”
So, Twilight had been correct, she couldn’t help but smirk a little. Flirting was just some quirk that Swashbuckle had. Still, just so long as he only flirted,she could put up with a bit of awkwardness. It was a quirk like any other, no worse than Pinkie’s hyperactivity, or Rainbow’s bragging.
The thestral looked around her, stamping her hoof and drawing their attention. “So, I have a few things planned for us. Just because we’re on an airship doesn’t mean I’m going to let you all slack off on your exercising.”
Rarity let out a groan while Rainbow looked confused. “But... It’s not like this ship is big enough for us to run laps. I guess Fluttershy and I can fly laps around the ship, but what about the others?”
“Rainbow, there is far more to exercise than just running. You should have learned that during our training. There’s push-ups, sit-ups, all kinds of exercises that you can do in one place. I know you all brought the presents I gave you last night, so we will be working with those as well.”
She held up a hoof to forestall any arguments. “I don’t expect you to spend all day training, not like you did. That was about developing skills. This is about maintaining them, so no more than a few hours a day. What you do with the rest of that time is entirely up to you.”
The thestral looked over at Twilight. “If you don’t have any objections, that is.” At the mare’s confused look, she continued. “You are in charge of the mission, so if you object...”
Twilight barely repressed a sigh. Being in charge like this was going to take some getting used to. When it was just her and her friends, even when they were running around on a mission as the Elements, whoever had the best idea, or the most knowledge, took the lead. Now she was just in charge, and on something as monumental as their current task.
“You know more about this kind of thing than I do, Midnight. So I defer to you on this. Whatever you think is best.”
Midnight nodded. “Okay. So for now, you’re not going to need your weapons. Instead, I want all of you to start with a hundred each of push-ups, sit-ups, and lunges.” Twilight joined her friends in heading over to an open space, but an extended leathery wing blocked her path. “One moment.”
As the others had found their own space on the deck, Midnight dropped her wing. “I wanted to speak with you about tomorrow.”
“What about it?”
“The Gryphons. While relations between them and Equestria have generally been, at least, polite, it’s almost a certainty that we’ll be stopped at the border.” Midnight’s eyes searched Twilight’s as she continued. “Do you have any idea how we’re going to get an audience with the current Emperor?”
This time, Twilight did sigh. “Swashbuckle did say that there’s rumors the Gryphons have closed their borders entirely. That refugees are stuck camping on the Equestria side. If that’s the case, then we’ll just have to hope that we can talk to whoever is in charge there and get across the border.
“Or,” Twilight continued after a pause, “if traffic is still flowing, we can just join the queue, possibly jump to the front since we are in an airship, and head on to the capital.” She frowned. “I hope Swashbuckle has a map of the Empire, I didn’t think to bring one.”
“If he doesn’t, I’m sure a gryphon can point us in the correct direction. I’ve never been to the capital myself, but from what I hear, you can’t miss it. It is carved entirely out of a mountain, after all.”
Twilight nodded. “I’ve seen drawings of it, though they were from about two Emperors ago, or about twenty years, so it may have changed in minor ways.”
She shook her head. “I don’t like this,” she admitted. “I don’t have enough valid information to make an informed decision. I’m doing a lot of ‘winging it,’ as the pegasi say.”
Midnight gave a small smile. “That’s almost always what it’s like. Being a Captain, you have to make decisions or plans based on the information you do have, however little it may be. The key is to keep your plans simple and fluid, it’s best to allow room for adaptation as the situation changes.”
She took a seat on the deck. “You don’t have to worry about this, but the other key is trusting your subordinates, from lieutenants down to squad leaders. They might know more about a situation than you. So if your plans are fluid, then they can adapt on the fly and still get the results you want. Trust in them to make the correct decision.
“Which brings me to my final point.” She pointed at herself with a hoof. “You are correct.”
“About what?”
“About the fact that I most likely know more than you on the subject of physical fitness and how to maintain it. As a leader, you have to understand that you don’t know everything. There might be somepony under you who is more knowledgeable about a topic than you. Listen to them, glean from their knowledge. Use it to support your own. You did the right thing in deferring to me.”
Twilight maintained her confused look. “Why wouldn’t I defer to you? I’d be stupid not to.”
Midnight set her hoof back on the deck. She tapped it quietly as she spoke. "You are the leader of this mission. It is important that you show that leadership and that's why I deferred to you about the training. I am glad you saw fit to let me take the lead on it, many leaders lose sight of when others might have more knowledge about certain things.It’s a trap that some leaders can fall into. They think that they know everything, and everypony under them will suffer for it. Others think it may make them look weak, if they let another take over.”
Twilight nodded. “Of course! I don’t really know the first thing about leading in situations like this.”
The tapping hoof ceased, instead finding its way to Twilight’s shoulder. “I don’t think you’ll ever fall into the trap, but since you are the leader of this mission, I want to impart some of my wisdom that I’ve gained being a Guard Captain.” She smiled. “If you want, that is.You’re doing a fine job so far. Though, your speeches could use a little work.”
The unicorn blushed. “I... Well... I’ve never really had to give a speech like that before. I’ve listened to countless speeches given by Celestia, Cadance, Luna, you, Shining. You make it look easy, but when I was up there, the words just didn’t come.”
Midnight laughed. “Giving orders, leading troops, forming battle plans, that’s the easy part. Giving a rousing speech before a battle? Or an uplifting one if morale is sagging? That’s the hardest part of being a leader. The only reason we make it look easy, is practice, and conviction. When you’re put on the spot, when those ponies are depending on you... It’s not about saying something eloquent; it’s about speaking from the heart on a topic that you and all those ponies watching you believe in. Also practice. Lots of practice. And a lot of failed speeches.”
Twilight groaned. “I really hope I don’t have to give another one of those.”
The thestral shrugged. “Who can say.” She pushed Twilight forward with her wing.” Now go on, you’ve got some catching up to do with your exercises.”
With a nod, Twilight stood up, heading to a clear section of deck. She was proficient enough in the exercises assigned that she knew it wouldn’t be a challenge. While she was tired already from the early morning, she knew that with some focus she could easily make it through a mere three hundred exercises. Arrange them out in sets of twenty, rotate through the exercises, easy.
She laid herself on the deck, hooves in position to start with push-ups. Those were the hardest of the exercises, so she should start with them, allowing herself to rest in between by working on the others. The different exercises worked different muscle groups, so while she may feel tired overall, she could continue at a steady pace.
As she worked her muscles, feeling everything move, she tuned her senses in to her friends around her. Distantly she could hear both Applejack and Rainbow Dash.
“That is not a push up!” Applejack cried.
“It is too!” Rainbow countered. “And that makes two hundred. What are you at, lazy flank? A hundred and twenty?”
“You cheated! You can’t use both your wings and hooves. It’s one or the other.” The farmmare glared at the pegasus. “I don’t rightly care if you use your wings or your hooves, I’ll beat you either way.”
Applejack smirked at Rainbow. “In fact, since you’ve been using both, let’s cut your score in half. That makes it a hundred and twenty of my hoof-only push ups, to your one hundred push ups.” Applejack lay on the deck, rubbing her chest with a hoof. “I win.”
Rainbow sputtered. “No, that’s cheating! You can’t just cut my score in half!”
“I can, and I did. Whatcha gonna do about it?”
As the pegasus and earth pony argued, Rarity was over striding across the deck. With each step, she bent down into a near bow. “Honestly, doing these lunges is most unbecoming of a mare. It’s one thing to do them in an empty field with nopony watching. Another to perform them in front of an audience.” She glanced aside at the deckhooves watching her.
“Honestly, you’d think they’d never seen a mare working out before!”
Twilight ignored the complaining mare, instead focusing on Fluttershy. The pegasus was straining to lift herself off the deck with her wings. When she reached the apex, she grunted out a number. “One hundred eighty five!”
Slowly, she lowered herself back down to the deck, her belly not quite touching it. Giving another grunt, she pushed herself back up, adding one more to the count.
It was very odd, seeing the demure pegasus engaging in something like a physical workout. Caring for all of her animals was a very physically demanding task, and Fluttershy had reserves of strength that most ponies didn’t know about, but it was still unusual.
Twilight finished her first set of twenty. Her breathing and heartbeat hadn’t even increased yet. Energy expenditure was minimal. Flipping over onto her back, she placed her forehooves behind her head, sitting up and falling back to the deck.
Rotating through the different exercises, doing them in sets, was the most efficient way to do it. This kept her energy high, her breathing easy, and her heart rate low.
Twenty minutes later, and she was done, as were the others. Midnight, having kept a close eye on each of them, called them together when they were all finished. “Good. Now go get your weapons and run through a few drills that your trainers taught you.”
As the sun rose and the miles disappeared behind them, they practiced. Snow turned to tundra, tundra to hills, hills to forest. Equestria was a large country with wide swaths of untamed land between cities. Some said it was because of ponykind's ancient tendencies to roam. It took many miles before the ponies of bygone would feel satisfied with their travels and settle down.
While one could no longer find herds or tribes like in the old days, ponies finally all having converged to populated areas, one could not deny the truth of these equine instincts. Even now in the present day when cities were connected by iron rail, one could find more than one pony travelling by hoof. If asked, they could no better give you a reason for their choice of travel than you could for breathing. It's just what they do. It could be said that the natural beauty of Equestria still calls ponies to experience it at least once in their lifetime. But unless you were a pony, that drive, or need for movement, would be lost.
Whatever the case, Twilight felt a sense of peace as she observed the hills and trees below them growing into mountains. It wouldn't be long before Swashbuckle would have to order an increase in altitude.
She had already observed that he liked to maintain their height a few hundred hooves above the ground. Not as high as the clouds, but high enough to avoid any troublesome outcroppings jutting up.
Their practice drew more than a few curious looks from the airship crew. Pinkie and Applejack had decided to spar, the two of them designating an area and using every inch of it. The two of them moved around, taking shots at each other and using every bit of their arena to their advantage.
Rarity had, with some help from Skyfire, found a thick piece of canvas down in the cargo hold and had it strung up as a target, tossing knives at it without damaging the ship. She was alternating between concentrating on each shot, precisely aiming it, and unleashing all of her knives in a flurry. The crew were being sure to give her a wide berth.
Fluttershy had a medical textbook open in front of her, her hooves miming motions in the air as her lips moved, silently mouthing what was on the page. Rainbow, after having been informed that flying more than a few hooflengths from the ship was a bad idea as she’d be caught in the strong winds not blocked by the enchantment, was alternating between running through drills on the deck, or hovering just in the air.
For her part, Twilight had an small area to herself, her sword whistling as it sliced through the air. Jab, jab, parry, block, riposte, she fought an invisible opponent. She was not as good as Spellweaver, her sword still visible as it moved, but quick all the same.
Her breathing was deep and even. She took a step to the left, dodging an overhead strike. Her sword lanced out, cutting down the opponent. Another took its place. It opened up with a jab at her chest. She backed up, her sword deflecting the other one. A quick reversal and her own blade was aimed it its barrel. Her opponent blocked the strike.
The dance continued, Twilight so consumed with her practice that she stopped paying attention to the world around her. Mentally, she made sure that nopony was around her or within range, and that she stuck to her small little area of movement. So when her blade was blocked by another blade, a loud clang sounding out, she was startled.
Looking up, she saw Midnight crouched before her, a sword clutched in her mouth. “Figured you could use an actual opponent,” she said with a smirk.
“Where’d you get the sword from?” Twilight asked.
“It’s mine.”
Twilight blinked. “But you weren’t even wearing a saddlebag this morning.”
“I sent all of my stuff along last night. It was down in the cargo hold.” Midnight retook her fighting stance. “Now, let’s spar.”
“Should I enchant the blades to make them temporarily dull?”
“No,” Midnight replied with a grin..“First to draw blood wins, that’s usual guard rules. Also, unlike when I was testing you before the training began, I won’t be holding back here.” Midnight lowered her stance, Twilight recognized it as the same one from the training sessions.
The stance was a very good one. Midnight’s weight was perfectly balanced on all four hooves, allowing her to block a strike from any angle, as well as launch herself on the offensive.
Twilight gripped her own blade, bringing it up and into the ready position. “Fine,” she said. The rules made sense. They’d each be trying to hit the other, but no strikes at vital spots, and they would hold back on their hits, not aiming to cause maximum damage, but instead just graze the other.
“Go!” Pinkie shouted, throwing her hooves in the air. One of her weighted shoes flew off, striking the wall underneath the wheelhouse. “Oops.”
The loud thunk as the shoe hit the deck was the signal. Midnight feinted to the left before heading right. Twilight saw through the feint and was ready to block. She jumped to her right, her sword coming down and deflecting the thestral’s strike.
She countered, twisting the blade and aiming at Midnight’s shoulder. Midnight dropped her front legs, the strike passing through the air over her. Her own sword jabbed at Twilight’s legs.
The unicorn stepped backwards, dodging and sending her sword at Midnight’s back. The thestral was already rolling away, Twilight’s blade just hit the deck, carving a scratch in it. In the time it took her to recover, Midnight had already gotten back to her hooves.
They came together again, blades clashing. Midnight knew that Twilight could use her magic to apply more force to the blade than she could hope to match, so each time their blades met, it was brief, the thestral pulling back and swinging again. For her part, Twilight concentrated on being offensive. Midnight far outclassed her in terms of ability, so if she allowed the thestral to take control of the battle, she’d lose quickly. She had to keep her dodging and blocking.
Twilight took several steps forward, swinging her blade in a pattern taught to her by Spellweaver designed to force an opponent backwards. Midnight backed up, getting closer and closer to the railing of the deck. When her flank hit the wood and she was forced to stop, she flourished her sword, pushing Twilight back a step.
The thestral pulsed her wings, jumping over Twilight and aiming at her back. The unicorn dropped and rolled away, their blades meeting briefly. Now she had her back to the railing, something she corrected by turning and taking several steps to the side.
A crowd had started to gather, consisting of their friends and a number of the deckhooves. As the two of them moved around, the crowd had to move as well, staying out of their way. Any semblance of sticking to a small area was gone in the first few seconds. Their fighting was swift and all over the place, drawing lots off attention.
They fought for over ten minutes, blades clashing and stabbing. Neither gaining an advantage over the other. They circled and moved, trying to get advantage in positioning, but either Midnight would counter with a flap of her wings, or Twilight would do a short-range teleport.
Twilight utilized a series of rapid fire jabs to move Midnight back a step, before swinging the blade in an arc over her head right at the thestral’s barrel. As soon as she passed once, knocking the other’s blade aside, she quickly reversed the movement, cutting back across. She felt a slight resistance on the second strike and Midnight winced.
They both paused, seeing if Midnight had been hit. She looked down, waited a few seconds, then looked back up. “Grazing strike, no blood though. So we continue.”
The unicorn nodded, readying her sword. She thought she’d had it with that move, but she must have pulled back the strike just a little too much, the mark wasn’t deep enough to bleed.
She lunged at Midnight, batting her sword aside and tackling the thestral. Getting into prolonged close combat with her was not a good idea, but she was working under the theory that a surprise attack like this would be good. Foregoing the sword, she punched Midnight twice in the stomach before being thrown off.
As she was tossed off of the thestral, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her, yanking her back down to the deck. She slammed into the unyielding wood hard, a weight on her back, weighing her down.
Several brutal strikes into her back and one at the base of her horn disoriented her. A stinging pain along her left wither followed that. A second later, and the weight was removed from her.
With shaking legs, she got to her hooves, looking over and seeing a thin trail of blood staining her coat. She frowned. “I lost.”
“You did,” Midnight said. “Hoof to hoof combat is not your strong suit, choosing to enter into it was a mistake.”
They both sheathed their swords as there was a smattering of applause and several bags of bits changed hooves. Twilight blushed. She wasn’t used to having an audience outside of her friends and their trainers.
"Celestia above!" Swashbuckle exclaimed. "I would hate to be the poor fellow who actually does have to fight either of you. But by my unshaven stubble, if this is how you spar I'm going to have to claim royal insurance on my deck."
Twilight looked down, seeing gouges and scrapes in the wood where their swords had struck. “Oh, oops.” She lit up her horn, a red glow covering the deck for a moment before sinking into the wood and disappearing. “There we go, resistant to scratches and minor damage.”
Everypony was looking at her with open jaws and wide eyes. “What?” she asked.
“You know the enchantment just like that?” a deckhoof asked incredulously.
“Well it’s not like it’s that hard. I lived in a wooden treehouse with a dragon. I’ve been doing these enchantments for ages. I also know fire-resistance enchantments, in case of accidents.”
“Sounds like ya got your bases covered,” Swashbuckle said. “Now that my deck is protected, I feel a bit better about you practicing up here.”
“So what now?” Rainbow asked.
“Now, you are free to do what you want for the rest of the day,” Midnight said.
“We’re stuck on an airship, what all is there for us to do?”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something, darling.” Rarity was already heading towards the door leading belowdecks. “As for me, I quite desire a shower right now.”
Fluttershy was trying to fuss over the cut on Twilight, but the mare shooed her away gently. “That sounds like a good idea,” Twilight said. “I worked up quite the sweat.”
Rainbow stretched her wings, having just taken her wingblades off. “I’m gonna fly a few laps around the ship.”
Applejack opted to go explore the lower levels of the ship, while Fluttershy moved to the bow, sitting and watching the landscape pass underneath them. Twilight and Rarity headed down the steps.
Dark was hard at work in the kitchen, preparing lunch. “It’s not ready yet,” she called without turning around. “And no tasting.”
“We’re just heading for the showers,” Rarity said. “Though it does smell quite delectable.”
“It’ll be ready soon.” The cook looked over Rarity. “Probably around the time you’re done fixing your mane.”
Twilight wasn’t sure if that was some sort of thinly veiled insult or simply a comment. Either way, she pushed Rarity on before the fashionista could also make up her mind. They headed down the second ladder. There were a few crew members down there, relaxing or even sleeping. It made sense for at least some of the crew to be active during the night, so they would sleep during the day.
Rarity opened the door to the showers with her magic, then promptly shut it. “Unacceptable,” she said.
“What is?” Twilight asked.
“Those are not showers,” Rarity sniffed. “Showers are something refined. Those are just-- just barbaric!”
Rolling her eyes, Twilight used her magic to open the door, peeking inside. Immediately, she could see where Rarity’s objection came from. There were no shower stalls or anything. Instead, half a dozen nozzles stuck out of the wall into a large room with a drain in the center.
“There’s no privacy! How can a mare expect to shower in this?” Rarity demanded.
“The same way you always shower, by standing under the water,” came Sky Fire’s voice. Twilight turned around to see the pegasus standing there.
“But, privacy,” Rarity stated again.
“You’re on a cargo airship,” Sky Fire deadpanned. “We do occasionally take the odd pony or two from town to town, but mostly it’s just stuff. We of the crew are a family. We eat dinner together every night we’re sailing. We respect each other. For us, private shower stalls isn’t something we think about. The crew won’t stare at your mare bits while you shower, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
The mare walked passed them, heading into the crew area. “If you’re still bothered, then feel free to not shower until we hit port.”
Rarity sputtered for a moment before finding her words. “Well, that was rude.”
“She has a point, Rarity,” Twilight said.
“Surely you’re not comfortable with such a showering arrangement.”
“No, not really. But it’s only slightly worse than the showers back at the barracks. Those had no stalls either, just little bits of curtain separating things.”
Rarity fumed. “Yes well those were also segregated between mares and stallions. We didn’t have to worry about some greasy stallion barging in on us.”
“We aren’t greasy,” came a male voice. A few crew members had gathered at the mouth of the hallway, having been drawn by the fashionista’s ranting. “Unless you’re on the engine crew. Then you get engine grease all over ya.” Several other ponies rumbled their agreement.
“Ah, gentlestallions,” Rarity backpedaled.
“Save it,” the stallion, a large earth pony rivaling Big Mac in size, cut her off. “What the First Mate said is right. We’ll respect you, so long as you respect us. You’re entitled to your privacy. None of the mares on the crew complain about not having private showers. It is what it is here on the Folly. If you’re so worried we’re gonna stare at you, then obviously you don’t trust us, or respect us. So why should we reciprocate?”
They stood there, waiting for a response. “I...” Rarity started. “I... Fine. I apologize. That was rude of me.”
“Apology accepted,” the stallion said. Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. “After you shower,” he finished.
“What?”
He motioned towards the showers with a forehoof. “Show that you trust us. Go take a shower.”
Twilight stepped into the shower room, leaving Rarity to her decision. Honestly, this wasn’t bad at all. Yes she felt uncomfortable, but she also figured that she could deal with it if somepony got too close to her. Rarity just needed to learn that they couldn’t expect things to be like their old lives, not anymore. Adapting to new things was just going to have to be done.
To her, it was like taking off a bandage. Best to do it all at once and quickly. Yes it’ll hurt and take a chunk of coat with it, but it’ll also be over quickly. To that end, she set her sword against the wall and turned on one of the faucet heads.
The water that came out was powerful and cold. She felt like she’d just jumped into one of the lakes out in the Ice Wastes. If she’d been able to, she would have shrieked, but her instantly chattering teeth prevented that.
After a minute, the water didn’t even begin to get warmer. It was safe to assume that it would always be this cold and that she should finish as soon as possible.
Fortunately, there were basic soaps and shampoos along the walls. It made sense to keep some here, rather than take up valuable space in each crew’s hooflocker. Hopefully, she was using community supplies instead of somepony’s personal stash.
As she was in the middle of the fastest scrubbing she’d ever done, Rarity came into the room. She faltered for a moment at seeing Twilight, but then headed to her own nozzle and turned it on.
Twilight was in such a hurry to finish that she didn’t pay any attention to her friend. As soon as she was done, she quickly dried herself off with a spell, though the chattering teeth remained.
Grabbing her sword, she left the showers. Rarity was also probably taking her quickest shower ever. She wondered briefly if there was no hot water as a ploy by Swashbuckle to keep his crew from wasting water.
The crew had gone back to doing whatever it was they were doing before Rarity picked an argument with them. The large earth pony was reclining in a hammock. “Sorry about my friend,” she said.
He cracked open one eye, looking at her. “It’s fine. She’s not the first passenger to complain about life on this ship, and she won’t be the last.” The stallion sighed. “We don’t take it personally, just like to scare them a little. We find that it cuts down on complaints after that and we can have a peaceful trip.”
Twilight laughed. “Sounds like an interesting plan. What if they never complain?”
He smiled. “Then we have a peaceful trip.”
The unicorn held out a hoof. “I’m Twilight Sparkle.”
“Stout Hoof, lead deckhoof.” He shook her hoof, his grip surprisingly gentle. “And I know who you all are. The Cap’n briefed us all last night.”
“What did he say?” she asked, curious.
“That we’re about to play host to the Elements of Harmony, that we’re going on a mission around the world, there may be danger involved. So only a little different from the usual pre-flight speech.”
He closed his eye again, a clear sign that he was done talking. Twilight left him alone, heading up the stairs and stopping in her room. Midnight’s collection of weapons spread across half the room made her pause for a moment. It looked like she had brought the entire royal armory with her. She set her sword on her bed and grabbed her saddlebags, digging through them until she pulled out a couple of the books she had brought.
A minute later and she was sitting on the deck, one of the books floating in front of her as she read. If they were going to greet the gryphons in a day or so, she needed to brush up on their society and culture. If they needed access to the Empire, it was probably best to not offend the first gryphons they met.
She spent the rest of the day enjoying the sun on deck and reading, stopping only to go eat lunch. The cook might be crazy, but Twilight had to admit that she knew her stuff. The small plate of stuff Dark gave her before shooing her out of the galley didn’t look all that appetizing, but it at least tasted pretty good.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, she set aside one book and picked up another. This book was about Gryphon society and how to interact with one as an outsider. One of the deckhooves began lighting lanterns around the ship, allowing Twilight to remain on deck to read in the cool night air.
Twilight looked up as a bell rang out across the ship. She blinked as there was a sudden rush of activity even before the chimes died. Ponies were tying lines and battening down projects before filing towards the stair-ladder of the galley.
She glanced up at Sky Fire, who was currently steering, in confusion. As she watched, the pegasus lashed a section of rope from the rail to the wheel, effectively locking it in place. After a few more adjustments to the controls, the ship's first mate appeared satisfied and turned to Twilight.
“Come on,” she said. “It’s dinnertime. We eat together in the evenings.”
Twilight followed the mare down the stairs, several deckhooves behind them. Most of the crew, including Swashbuckle were already there. Several large platters sat in the middle of the table, each piled high with something different. Plates were being passed around and filled with food before finding their way back to their owners.
The unicorn took an empty seat next to Stout, the large deckhoof who had called out Rarity about the showers, who nodded a greeting. “We eat dinner as a family, every night. Just pass your plate around, you’ll get food.”
She gripped her plate in her magic, passing it to Stout, who put some stir-fried vegetables on it and passed it down the line. Another plate was passed to her, so she placed some bread from the platter in front of her onto it.
This continued for several minutes until everypony had a full plate in front of them. The rest of her friends had shown up while they were passing around pates. Applejack had come up the stairs from below, sporting some grease spots on her coat. She explained that she had been down in the engine room, learning how it worked and even helping out.
The meal was loud and boisterous, the crew laughed at bawdy jokes that made Fluttershy blush and hide behind her mane. Conversations popped up all across the table, the crew discussing various things they had experienced in the past few days. Twilight observed them. Even to somepony as socially awkward as her, she could tell that most of them were bonded deeply.
“Hey Stout?” she asked.
He turned to look at her. “Yes?”
“How long have most of you been on this crew? You all seem really friendly with each other.”
“Well, the Cap’n and First Mate have been here since the ship was first built. Most of us are part of the original crew, though we’ve lost some and gained some over the years. But for the most part, this ship has been active for just over five years now. So about that long.”
“Why do you stick around? Five years seems like a long time to be on a ship like this. Not that there’s anything wrong with the ship,” she hastily added.
Stout chuckled at her. “Just don’t insult the ship in front of the Cap’n and you’ll be fine. As for why we’re here, it’s all for different reasons. Some wanted to get out of their hometowns. Others wanted to travel and see new places. Some ponies just feel the call of the open sky. Some wanted to escape. We’re all here for our own reasons. As for why we stay? The adventure, the fun, the sense of family. Again, we all have different reasons.”
She continued to converse with Stout for awhile. The stallion was surprisingly knowledgeable and easy to get along with. He was happy to answer her questions about life on an airship. At one point, Swashbuckle sent a crew member down to the cargo hold to get a cask of rum, saying that tonight was a night for celebration. Although why he thought that was beyond anypony else. The world was about to end and they were approaching dangerous territory.
The crew member came back empty hooved. “Captain,” he said. “We’ve got something down in cargo.”
Swashbuckle looked over at the stallion. “Son, if it’s rats, just kill them and toss ‘em overboard.”
“It ain’t rats. Bigger than that. Stowaway I imagine.”
The captain sighed. “Ugh, some refugee looking for a free ride most likely. Stout, take your brother and Dazzle and go round him up. Be gentle. I wanna know who it is before tossing ‘em overboard. And take a weapon, in case it’s one of those dominated ponies.”
Stout nodded, standing up along with a pegasus stallion and a unicorn mare. They headed down the stairs.
“Isn’t that a little harsh, tossing the poor pony overboard?” Fluttershy asked.
“Only if he fights back. Nopony gets a free ride on my ship. You either pay, or you work. And don’t worry cutie, we’ll land first, then toss ‘em overboard. They can make their own way to the nearest town.”
Fluttershy blushed at the cutie remark and hid behind her mane. If she said anything else, nopony heard it.
The meal continued until several minutes later, when the sound of heavy hoofsteps came up the stairs. Twilight heard Stout call out from the hallway. “We got her, Cap’n.”
“It’s a mare is it? Bring her on in here,” Swashbuckle replied.
Stout entered the room. “It’s not a mare, Cap’n. It’s a filly.”
The pegasus, who had to be Stout’s brother came in first, the unicorn, Dazzle, last, holding a rather familiar cream coated pegasus filly in her magical grasp.
At the sight of the filly, Twilight and her friends all had the same reaction of gasping. “Berry!?” Twilight exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
The filly, mustering up her courage, turned to look at Twilight. “What you told me to do.”
At that, all heads turned to Twilight. “What?” she questioned, confused. “I never told you to sneak aboard this ship. In fact, I remember asking you to look after Cadance while I was gone.”
“You know this little filly?” Swashbuckle asked.
Twilight sighed. “Yes, I do.”
He stood up. “Sounds like we need to have a talk with you and the little one here. Dazzle, give the filly to Twilight. Twilight, you follow me to my cabin and you can explain what’s going on. Sky Fire, you’re with me.”
“I’m going as well,” Midnight said, also standing up. Swashbuckle eyed her for a moment, his gaze narrow. After a moment, he shrugged and turned around, walking away from the table.
“The rest of you may keep eating,” Sky Fire finished.
Twilight took Berry from Dazzle and placed the filly on her back. She then followed Swashbuckle and Sky Fire up the steps. They headed outside, across the deck, and into the Captain’s cabin.
Inside it was set up quite nicely, with a large bed, two nightstands, a dresser, armoire, seating area, as well as a large table playing host to a collection of maps. Swashbuckle cleared off the maps, indicating Twilight to place Berry on the table.
Once the filly was in place, Swashbuckle spoke up. “Now then, Berry is it? Why don’t you tell us why you’re here?” His voice was soft, but had an edge of command to it.
Berry pointed a hoof at Twilight. “She told me to do it.”
“I did not. Berry,” Twilight interjected indignantly. “When did I tell you to do this?”
“When Mommy died,” the filly said quietly. “When you talked to me. You told me to not be upset, and instead do something.”
Twilight widened her eyes. “I did say that, but I meant that you should stop staying in your room and scaring everypony who cares about you. Not that you should stowaway aboard an airship when you knew we were going on a dangerous mission.”
“I don’t care,” the filly said defiantly. “I can be useful.”
“Berry, we’re going into situations that we know nothing about. You’re not safe, even with us.”
“I don’t care!” the filly shouted, her eyes beginning to tear. “You told me to do something, so I’m doing something.” She sat on the table, forelegs crossed across her barrel, glaring at Twilight.
The unicorn sighed. “You’re also doing precisely what I told you not to do. I told you that we can’t take you along on this trip.”
“You’re not,” she huffed. “I came on my own.”
Midnight looked over at Swashbuckle. “Is there any way we can take her back to the Crystal Empire?”
He nodded. “Sure, but we’d lose two days of travel, maybe three, since we’ll be going into the wind heading north. Plus we’d have to resupply on fuel and water for the boiler. If you wanna lose that time, then sure, we can turn around.”
The thestral muttered something under her breath that Twilight suspected was a swear. “It’s up to you, Twilight,” she said. “We can turn around and lose the time, or just keep going. We can report in back at the Crystal Empire after we’re done with the gryphons and drop her off then.”
Twilight thought about that. Since they didn’t have any sort of timeframe for this mission, other than as quickly as possible, they needed every day they could get. Losing three days was a big deal. At the same time, she knew nothing about what the atmosphere was like in the Gryphon Empire. She wasn’t sure they would be safe, much less a filly.
“Listen to me, and listen closely, Berry Fields,” Twilight began. “Right now, I am very disappointed in you. You have knowingly put yourself in danger, and twisted my words around. Simply put, we don’t have the time to take you back home right now.”
The filly smiled, but Twilight wasn’t done. She held up a hoof. “However, you will not be getting a free ride. I will ensure that you have something to keep you busy each day. You will be working. Consider this your punishment for not only disobeying me, but for worrying everypony. I would bet you that right now, Cadance is very worried about you disappearing and we have no way of letting her know that you are okay.”
The smile on Berry’s face slowly fell as Twilight spoke. “So long as I’m being useful,” she said.
“You will also be sleeping in one of our rooms, so we can keep an eye on you. You lost my trust, Berry. Your mother would be ashamed, I am sure she did not teach you to circumvent authority. I am very disappointed.
At that, Berry hung her head low, ears drooping. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I- I know that you’re going after the dragon, and I just want to help.” A few tears dripped onto the table, staining the wood a darker color.
“As admirable as your intentions may be, it’s your methods that leave something to be desired.” A faint smile ghosted across Twilight’s features and she dropped her harsh tone as she continued softly. “However, I hope that you’ve learned your lesson, and won’t disappoint anypony, or me, again . For now, you must be hungry.”
A timely growl from the filly’s stomach permeated the room. “I’ve been hiding since last night,” she admitted.
Twilight picked up Berry, setting her on the deck. “Let’s go get some food. Captain, do you need anything else?”
Swashbuckle shook his head. “If you wanna be responsible for the filly, then be my guest.”
Twilight led the filly back across the deck and into the mess hall. Most of the crew was gone by that point, though Twilight’s friends were still there. When they saw Berry, their faces ranged from happy to disappointed.
“Girls, Berry here is going to accompany us to the Gryphon Empire. It will take too much time to go back and drop her off. However, she will be working as punishment for sneaking aboard.”
“Twilight, are you sure that’s the right decision?” Applejack asked, glancing at the filly. “I mean, we don’t know what we’re getting in to.”
“I know that, AJ. As I said, it’ll take us too long to go back. So she comes along. When we report back to Cadance after the gryphons, whether we’re successful or not, we’ll drop her off then. I’m sure Cadance will have a few choice words and punishments for her even then.”
Twilight let the filly take a seat. There were still a few ponies at the table, each of them casting looks towards Berry. Dark came over with another plate, which soon had a selection of foods on it. Berry ate everything within ten minutes, while Twilight and Midnight both finished their meals.
After dinner, they all headed to their rooms. Twilight pointed out to Berry who was sleeping where, as well as where the bathrooms were downstairs.
“Now off to bed with you, Berry,” Twilight said.
Perhaps knowing that arguing wasn’t going to get her anywhere right now, she just nodded and headed into the room shared by the unicorn and the thestral. When the door closed, Twilight looked over at Midnight.
“Did I make the right choice?” she asked with a sigh.
Midnight set a hoof on her shoulder. “I can’t answer that. You know the filly better than I do. And when it comes to the overall situation, you have just as much information as I do.”
“Which is to say not much at all.”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
The unicorn sighed. “I don’t like this, being in charge and making decisions that affect not just me, but other ponies as well..”
“Not quite true. Someponies like being in charge. Just look at Blueblood. That doesn’t make them a good leader.” Midnight sighed. “Often, it’s those ponies who don’t want to be in charge that make the best leaders.” She paused for a moment. “Twilight, I’m a Captain, in charge of an entire branch of the Equestrian military, and I don’t like being in charge. But you deal with what you have, and you do the best that you can with what you’re given.”
“I just need to know that I’m doing the right thing.”
Midnight gave her a grim smile. “The only one who can tell you that, is yourself, Twilight.” She set her hoof back on the deck. “Now, I’m gonna head out on deck for a bit. You should go keep an eye on Berry. You've already told her multiple times that you're disappointed in her, now you need to let her know you've not abandoned her.”
Twilight nodded, watching the thestral walk away. She could hear Dark still cleaning up in the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to her room, heading inside.
Berry was curled up on Twilight’s bed. Her ears perked up and she swiveled her head around as the unicorn entered. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” she said forlornly.
“I know you are, Berry. And I’m sorry if I seemed harsh with you.” Twilight walked over to the edge of the bed, her brow furrowing slightly. “But this isn’t some accident or mistake that can be swept aside with a reprimand and some timeout. This is serious, and I need you to understand that.”
She sat on the bed, hugging the filly. “You’re still my friend, and I care for you. It’s because I care that I got mad. I’m still upset, but I’m also here for you through thick and thin, as that’s what friends do.”
She lay down in the bed, letting Berry curl up next to her. It wasn’t like she could just give Berry to Swashbuckle and have him put her to work on the airship. There really wasn’t anything for a filly to do. Nor really was training the filly. Some light exercise was appropriate, but not working with weapons or anything like that.
As the filly fell asleep, Twilight magiced a book over, studying up on the gryphons and trying to figure out how she was going to follow through on her punishment of making Berry work.
With a sigh, she set aside the book. It was getting tiring to keep her eyes open anyway. Her magic reached out, flicking off the overhead light and plunging the room into darkness.
Unlike a seafaring ship, this one didn’t rock as it moved. There were no waves to do so. Instead, it occasionally shuddered as it hit some pocket of air or wind. Nothing violent, but still noticeable.
As she fell asleep, she heard the sound of Midnight coming back into the room. There was some shuffling as the thestral got into bed, then silence again. Only a slight drone permeated the air as the engines turned, continuing to power their way through the air and towards their destination. Tomorrow, they’d know what things were like in the Gryphon Empire, and whether or not their quest even had a chance at success.
Sleeping on a train or boat was nothing like being on an airship. There was no loud clack-clacking of the tracks, or sway of the ship.. Instead, occasional shudders from the air currents would ripple through the ship. At first, the unfamiliarity kept her awake, but eventually, the droning of the engine lulled her exhausted body into a deep sleep.
That morning came far too soon for her tastes. As she lay half awake, a downside to the room she had chosen was revealed when sounds of activity reverberated through the wall. Dark was cooking breakfast, the clashing and clattering sounds, as well as her vitriolic swearing, could be heard clearly.
Somehow, Berry was still curled up and asleep on the bed. Taking care to not disturb the filly, she slipped out from under her sheets and stood up. Midnight’s bed was empty, though there was evidence she had laid there. Twilight wasn’t sure Midnight ever slept, as she’d never actually seen the thestral asleep.
On the tips of her hooves, she crept out of the room. The door creaked open and she slipped out, gently closing it behind her. First thing’s first, she needed to talk to a certain cook.
The, now familiar, shock of orange and red hair was leaning over the stove. A storm of swearing was erupting from her mouth. “Excuse me,” Twilight interrupted.
“What?” The cook turned around abruptly, facing the unicorn.
“Think you could keep it down? There’s a filly trying to sleep just on the other side of that wall. Or, at the very least could you please stop swearing?”
Dark glared at her for a moment. “Ugh, fine.” She waved a spoon at Twilight, splattering her with... something. “But just so you know, as any good cook will tell you, swearing at your food makes it taste better. So when I start getting complaints about bland food, I’ll be directing each and every complaint to you.”
“Noted.”
The mare waved her spoon again, covering Twilight with another fine layer of whatever she was cooking. “Now shoo! I have food to cook and tastes to wrestle into submission.”
Twilight briefly considered asking what she had just been coated in, but thought better of it. Best to just walk away now. While she’d been meaning to go take a shower, she now had an excuse to do so immediately.
Wandering down to the lower deck, she headed for the showers. Several ponies were still milling about and getting into hammocks, most likely the skeleton crew that ran the ship overnight. She spotted Stout, giving him a nod, which he returned.
The showers were mostly empty, only one other pony was in there. She didn’t know his name, but did remember him as one of the ponies who had bet on the fight between her and Midnight.
When she saw him, she faltered for a moment. She’d showered with other ponies before, but it had always been mares, and she’d had an individual stall she could hide in. This was open, exposed.
Her mind wandered back to what Stout had said the other day, about the crew respecting them. One particular line made her snort in amusement. ”We’re not gonna stare at you if you don’t stare at us, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Steeling herself, she entered the room, taking position under one of the shower heads and turning on the water. What greeted her was the expected blast of ice-cold spray.
She was washing her mane when she heard a stallion’s voice. “Good morning, ma’am.”
Cracking open one eye, she looked over at the stallion. He wasn’t looking at her, but it was just her luck that he had to say something.
She wasn’t sure how to feel about speaking while showering. It was one thing to be in the same room, that she could at least accept. It was something else entirely to hold a conversation while trying to wash herself. She was so used to being alone during her morning routine that the idea of spending it speaking to another, especially a stallion, was foreign and slightly uncomfortable, to her.
However, it would be rude to not, at least, greet him back. “Good morning, sir.” She had no idea what his name was. Although, it was entirely possible that she had been introduced to him at some point yesterday, most likely during dinner, and she had just forgotten his name.
The stallion chuckled. “Name’s Stormy Skies.” He was a black pegasus with a light blue mane, a cutie mark of a cloud shaped into a column.
“Twilight Sparkle,” the mare grimaced, wondering how many times she would end up re-introducing herself out of politeness. “Though I’m sure you already know that.” She stepped under the spray, which had warmed up enough to be tolerable.
“Yes, ma’am.” He fell silent for a moment before speaking up again. “I have to say, that was some impressive swordwork yesterday. How long have you been learning that?”
“Would you believe a month? And just call me Twilight, no need for the ma’am.”
“A month? Wow, that’s really good for a month. I don’t think I could learn that much in a year.”
She pawed at the deck, her cheeks red with embarrassment. “You’d be surprised how much you can learn when you’re doing it for hours a day and you’ve got both a sergeant and a captain breathing down your neck and shouting at you.” Looking for something to do, she shook her head, getting rid of the last of the shampoo from her mane.
“Given Cap’n Swashbuckle and Sky Fire, we’re all used to being shouted at.” She looked over at him, seeing that he was in the process of scrubbing his sides. “That’s just how life is on an airship.”
Twilight shivered under the water as the spray went cold again. “Speaking of life on an airship, is the water always this cold?”
Stormy Skies laughed. “No, not always. Sometimes the boiler is working and we get hot water. But most of the time, it’s somewhere between icy mountain lake, and barely tolerable. Personally, I think the Cap’n sabotages the darn thing to make sure we keep our showers quick.”
Turning off the water, Twilight used a spell to dry herself off. “I don’t know Swashbuckle well enough to comment on that.”
“He’s a good pony. A great Cap’n, looks out for his crew. Just... You’ll have to put up with some flirting from him.”
“Oh I’m aware.” Twilight glared at the shower wall. “He was already flirting with me yesterday.”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
Twilight moved over to the door. “Well, it was nice speaking with you, Stormy Skies.” While he seemed like a nice enough stallion, and she wouldn’t mind continuing a conversation with him, the location was off-putting to her. She was about to step out, but his voice stopped her.
“Absolutely. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other. It’s not that big of a ship.”
She left him there, heading back up the stairs and to her room. Berry was still asleep on the bed. Twilight frowned, it was high time the filly got up. Based on the smell, breakfast would be served soon.
Going over to the bed, she nudged the filly. “Berry. It’s time to wake up.” Berry let out a low groan, rolling over.
“Five more minutes, mom,” she mumbled.
Twilight felt her heart drop. She froze, she didn’t want to wake the filly and shatter her confidence for the day with reality. In her half asleep state, Berry’s mind hadn’t remembered that she was now an orphan. Perhaps she had been dreaming of Swift Bloom, some fond memory of her mom.
Granted, the filly would wake eventually. But Twilight decided it would probably be best to just get it over with now and keep the filly’s mind occupied. She nudged Berry again, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Come on, Berry. Time to wake up.”
The filly yawned. “Ugh, alright, fine.” Blearily she opened her eyes. “What time is it?”
“Breakfast time.” She then sniffed. “And shower time for you.”
Berry sniffed herself as well, then cringed. “Oh.”
Twilight nodded. “Indeed. Come on, I’ll show you where the showers are and then we can get breakfast after,” she said briskly.
Slowly, Berry got up, stretching. “Twilight?” she asked.
“Yes?”
“Are you still mad at me?”
Twilight stopped moving towards the door into the room, going back to the bedside. “Berry, I was never mad at you in the first place. I was upset, yes, but what’s done is done and there’s no point in fretting over it anymore.” She patted the filly on the head.
“Okay,” the filly replied. “I’m sorry for upsetting you.”
“It’s okay, Berry. And thank you for apologizing.” Berry smiled. “However, you’re still going to have to deal with your punishment.”
Berry’s face fell. “Aww.”
“But we’ll get to that after breakfast. Come on, you still need a shower.” Twilight moved away from the bedside, going over to the door and opening it with her magic.
Jumping down from the bed, Berry followed her back to the showers. As they got there, Stormy Skies was leaving the room. “Back already?” he asked.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yes, I couldn’t get enough of the water temperature.”
He laughed. “Well, have fun.”
Opening the door, Twilight peeked inside. “Okay Berry, head on in there and shower. A word though, there really isn’t any warm water, so you’re just going to have to make it quick.” She thought back to something that her mom had done when she was a filly. “And be sure to wash everything, I’ll be checking.”
“Okay.”
“There’s soap and shampoo in there already. I’ll be waiting out here when you’re done.”
The filly went into the room, Twilight closing the door behind her. Hopefully nopony would want to shower right now. It was one thing for her to share a shower with somepony else, another thing entirely for a filly to do so.
She stared at the closed door. Somehow in the last day she had now found herself caring for a foal. While she wasn’t averse to having foals, or caring for them, she had expected it to be later in life and after she got married. Not during a time of worldwide crisis.
Her mind wandered back to what her parents had done when she was a filly. They showed both love and support, encouraging her in her studies, buying her books. They were there for her when she needed it, even after she had moved out to attend Celestia’s school.
She’d grown distant after leaving, but still visited them when she could. Her mom made sure to send her little gift baskets full of baked treats and teas to tide her over through her late night studying sessions. Her dad would pack encouraging letters into the baskets.
She really did get lucky with her parents. Hopefully she’d be able to provide even a fraction of that care to Berry while she was around. The filly seemed to have latched on to her as a new mother figure, rather like she had once done to Celestia. The thought of that terrified her, as she had no experience with that sort of thing. Her only hope was to channel her own parents.
She moved away from the door, heading into the crew room. It was mostly empty, a few ponies still getting ready or sleeping. There wasn’t anypony in there she recognized. Sitting down, she leaned back against one of the support columns, waiting for Berry to finish.
There was a muffled shriek from the shower room. Twilight tried to suppress a smirk, realizing the Berry must have turned on the water. She wondered briefly if the farmhouse out there had a good supply of hot water, and if so, how they managed it. It was a bit too far out for a magical system, as there’s no way a unicorn would be able to recharge it from time to time. Maybe it was a wood burning boiler system, but there were no trees out there, so where would the wood come from? Unless Swift would buy the wood in town.
The door to the shower room opened, Berry, her mane half wet, poked her head out. “Twilight! It’s too cold!”
Twilight went back over to the door. “I know, but you’re going to just have to deal with it. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
“But—”
“No buts. Now go on and get washed up or I’ll come in there and do it for you.” She shooed the grumbling filly back into the room with a hoof. When the water turned back on after a minute, she walked away again.
She waited for a good ten minutes before a shivering Berry came out of the room. “A-a-all D-d-d-one,” she said through chattering teeth.
Twilight quickly dried off the filly, casting an additional warming spell to quell her shivering. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
The now much warmer filly looked up at Twilight. “My mom used to do this for me.”
The unicorn stared at Berry, a mixture of emotions working through her. She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that comment. The filly looked like a mixture of sadness from thinking about her mom, but comfort in the reinstatement of a morning routine.
Twilight pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. She didn’t have the capacity to deal with them right now. Together, they headed up the stairs and into the mess hall. Several platters of food were sitting out, a stack of plates at one end of the table. Twilight picked up two plates, piling food on both of them before sitting down at the table.
There were several other ponies sitting and eating as well, a few members of the crew, including Stouthoof, as well as some of her friends. Rarity was there, as was Applejack and Fluttershy. Magicking the plates over to the table, Twilight sat next to Applejack, ushering Berry to join her.
“Morning,” Applejack greeted.
“Good morning, girls, Stout.” As she looked around at her friends, something seemed off about Rarity, though she couldn’t quite put a hoof on it.
Twilight dug into the food. Dark may have sworn by the effects of swearing at food, but Twilight resolved to inform the crazed cook that the food tasted just fine without the added vitriol flavor.
Berry looked down at the plate of food. Slowly she stuck a bite into her muzzle, chewing it, before a look of distaste appeared on her face. “This isn’t how mommy used to make pancakes.”
“I’m sorry, Berry,” Applejack said. “They’re nothing like that ones my granny makes either, but they’re still good.” She gestured to the plate. “Go on, give ‘em a try.”
The filly still looked at the food. “It’s not the same,” she said.
“Berry, you have to eat something,” Twilight said. “I know it’s not what you’re used to, but it’s all there is. A good breakfast is an important start to the day.” Her own mom had always used that line on her to get her to eat when she’d rather go straight into studying.
Grumbling again, the filly at least started eating her food.
Twilight still wasn’t sure what she was going to do about the filly. Her decision to keep Berry onboard the ship was too late to turn back on now. They would reach the border with the gryphons today. Yet, even assuming they got across the border with no problems, it would still take them another half a day to reach the capitol.
Once they made it to the capitol, Twilight had no doubt that she’d be too busy negotiating with the Emperor to watch over Berry. Hopefully one of her friends could stay behind and watch, but most likely the filly would have to be left in the hooves of the crew. So far the crew had all seemed trustworthy, but she wasn’t sure about the idea of leaving a little filly in their care.
She also had no idea how long the negotiations would take, if they happened at all. For a pony so used to planning ahead, she was having to play everything by ear and just react as things came up.
“So, I would assume we have to do our exercises this morning?” Rarity asked.
Applejack nodded. “Ya really think Midnight is going to give us a day off?” The farmer elbowed Rarity. “What, you still afraid of getting dirty?”
The fashionista humphed. “Afraid? No. However, just because I have become accustomed to such things does not mean I enjoy them.” She ran a hoof through her mane, which wasn’t done up in its usual curls. “I prefer to be presentable, but there’s no point in styling when it shall simply become undone within the hour.”
Twilight stared at Rarity. To see her mane not done up in her usual fashion, or even done up at all, was a shock. It looked like all she had done to it was run a brush through it. This was certainly something new. Even back during the training, she’d made an effort to style her mane each morning.
Applejack teased Rarity about being prissy throughout the meal, to which the fashionista responded with snipes of her own. Eventually they were joined by the rest of their friends. Conversation flowed smoothly between them, except for Rainbow, who had her head down on the table and would only give one word, mumbled answers.
Twilight finished up her meal, taking the plate over to the sink to be washed. “I’m going to go ahead and get the exercises done. Come on, Berry.”
Dutifully, without a trace of the defiance she had earlier, the filly got up and followed Twilight. She could see Applejack’s eyes following them. The farmer and the others all moved to put away their own plates and join her. Together, they went up the stairs and onto the deck.
Outside, there was a smattering of crew members working around the deck. A few were checking the ropes while a pegasus was flying around the rigging, making sure it was secure. A basket that she hadn’t noticed before was resting just below the envelope, a pony inside it scanning the horizon.
Two ponies were doing something to the deck near the wheelhouse, tools and planks of wood sitting near them. As she watched, another pegasus flew up the side railing, grabbed a plank of wood, and disappeared back down the side of the ship. It seemed that nearly everypony was doing something. The rest of the crew, she imagined, were inside the ship somewhere. While nopony looked like they were working particularly hard, they were all doing something.
Twilight looked around, seeing Midnight off towards the bow of the ship. Swashbuckle was nowhere to be seen, though Sky Fire was at the helm, one hoof on the wheel, her eyes scanning the horizon and the instruments in front of her.
"Might as well get started," she muttered. "Berry, for now, I want you to watch what I do and take note of it. You'll be doing these same things soon."
She turned around, seeing the filly standing at the doorway. She was doing everything possible to curl up into a ball. “What is it?”
Berry pointed a shaking hoof at the sky. “Clouds.”
“Well, yes. Those are clouds.” Twilight wasn’t sure what the filly was getting at. Was she afraid of clouds?
Applejack stepped around the filly, settling herself on the deck until she was eye level with Berry. “You afraid of heights?”
The filly nodded. Her chest was heaving as her breaths came in short, sharp gasps.
The farmer nodded. “I understand. I felt the same way yesterday when we first took off. But it’s not so scary.” She pointed to Rainbow, who was watching. “See her? She’s the fastest pegasus alive. With her around, you’ve got nothing to fear.”
Rainbow nodded. “Pfft, yeah. There’s no way anything will happen so long as I’m around.”
Berry partially uncurled herself. “You promise?”
“Of course.” She crossed a hoof across her chest and stuck it over her eye. “That’s a Pinkie Promise, and nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise.”
Pinkie hopped by, somehow missing both of the ponies laying down. “That’s right! And being up this high is fun! Think about all the pranks you can play on the ground down below.”
Fluttershy spoke up from behind the filly. “I don’t like heights either. It’s why I live on the ground.”
Rarity joined Applejack in lowering down to Berry’s level. “I am also not a fan of heights. Not since a particular few incidents of which I will not speak. And while I am nervous being up here, I am not scared. I know that my friends will be there to help me should something happen. They were there in the past, and they will be there in the future.”
The encouragement from all sides was getting to Berry. She had uncurled herself and was standing on her hooves. Her gaze was firmly being directed as far away from the surrounding sky as possible, but she nodded. “So it’s okay?”
Applejack nodded. “It’s okay. You’re gonna be just fine.”
The filly looked towards Twilight. “What about you?”
“I grew up in Canterlot, on the side of a mountain, so I’ve never really had an issue with heights. But I also promise to be there if something happens. You ready?”
At the filly’s nod, Twilight and her friends scattered to different areas of the deck. Berry sat on a small box towards the middle, trying hard to not look out passed the railing.
Over the next hour, Twilight ran through her exercises. She took the time to explain each one to Berry, despite the filly quickly losing interest. There wasn't much going on around the deck, so slowly her eyes achieved a glazed look until she was simply nodding when Twilight said anything.
“Berry?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Berry?”
The filly shook her head. “Huh, what?”
Twilight looked down at the filly. “You weren’t paying any attention.”
She scuffed a hoof on the ground. “Umm, well. Not really.”
Twilight sighed. This was not working out how she’d planned. “How about you go back to the room and get a book out of my saddlebag. Bring that up here and start reading it. I’ll expect a summary of what you’ve read by the time I finish.”
“Okay...” Berry got to her hooves, trudging across the deck and down the stairwell.
With that taken care of, Twilight could concentrate on getting done the things she needed to get done. She continued with her morning routine, keeping an eye on the stairwell. After a few minutes, Berry returned carrying the smallest book that Twilight had brought along. Dutifully, the filly sat on the deck, opening the book and reading it.
It took her another ten minutes, but Twilight finished with her physical exercises. Lighting up her horn, she concentrated and was rewarded a moment later when her sword popped into place just in front of her. One benefit to being so organized was that she could memorize an objects position in relation to everything else in the room. This allowed her to visualize where it was and teleport it to her. Of course, this was only with limited objects. Memorizing the location of every book in her library was beyond even her, so she was always stuck looking for reference books the old fashioned way.
Double checking to make sure her enchantment from the previous day was still in place, she unsheathed the sword, setting the sheath to the side. Her eye ran over the blade. It was still flawless, no chips or cracks from yesterday’s practice and duel.
Taking a wide stance, she swung the sword around, running through her routines. They may be basic, but it helped to get her mind in focus. To connect with the sword, so to speak. Spellflare told her that the more she did this, the easier it would be until she didn’t have to do it at all.
Twilight looked around, seeing the rest of her friends practicing as well. “Hey, Rainbow,” she called out.
The pegasus glanced up. “Yeah?”
“Want to spar?”
Her friend grinned. “Dunno. How badly do you want to lose?”
Twilight held her sword in a guard position. “You really think you can win?”
Not saying anything, Rainbow launched herself off the deck, flying at Twilight. She swung with one wingblade at her chest, before spinning around and attacking with the other at her back.
Twilight blocked the first strike, ducking her head and feeling the second pass through her mane. She kicked out at Rainbow, the pegasus dodging backwards and landing on the deck.
They both attacked the other, Rainbow’s dual blades allowing her to strike swiftly in a pattern. Twilight’s magic would flare up, creating little shields to block what her blade couldn’t intercept. Neither of them spoke beyond grunts of exertion. They both knew the rules: first one to bleed lost.
Twilight executed a short range teleport. Rainbow immediately turned around, expecting the unicorn to be behind her, striking at her flank. Instead, Twilight had teleported five feet above her opponent. Gravity took hold and she fell, sword aimed to hit along her friend’s side.
Quick reflexes saved Rainbow from getting hit with the sword, but even she was too slow to move away before her friend landed on her. They both went down in a tangle of limbs.
Foregoing her sword, Twilight wrapped her hooves around Rainbow’s midsection. The pegasus was stronger than her, but she weighed more, relying on that to keep her pinned. A hoof found its way over to her friend’s wing. She remembered what Midnight had done during their initial assessment, and she clumsily tried to do the same, striking at where she knew the nerve cluster to be.
This did not have the intended effect, though. Instead of the wing going limp, it stiffened. Rainbow managed to wriggle a hoof free from underneath her, using it to pummel Twilight’s side. The unicorn rolled over slightly, readjusting her grip and trying to grab ahold of Rainbow’s free hoof. If she could get her in a lock, she could get the pegasus to tap out.
Rainbow was too agile for that, though. As soon as Twilight relinquished some of the weight holding her down, she was able to buck the unicorn off. They both got to their hooves, Twilight once more holding her sword in a guard position. Taking a moment, they looked at each other briefly.
The pegasus took to the air, launching upwards until she nearly hit the gas balloon above them. Diving back down, she angled her wings to attack Twilight head on.
Twilight knew that Rainbow could put a lot of pressure behind her strikes, especially with speed. The pegasus was using gravity to speed her up even more in a very short distance.
Holding up her sword, she caught both wingblades. Even with her magic backing her up, she felt her knees buckle and nearly give out. The wood of the deck creaked, protesting all the pressure put on it, though her enchantment held, preventing any damage from occurring.
Seeing that her attack hadn’t worked, Rainbow spun around, forehooves reaching for Twilight’s neck as she tried to settle on the unicorn’s back. Twilight ducked her head, not allowing her friend to get a grip, before casting another short range teleport.
Rainbow flapped her wings, trying to move forward. Twilight, from her new spot right behind the pegasus, swiped with her sword. A few strands of rainbow colored hair fell to the deck, but otherwise Rainbow was unharmed.
The pegasus landed on the deck, spinning around and blocking a series of rapid strikes from Twilight. The unicorn went on the offensive, striking all around Rainbow and forcing her to step backwards. She didn’t even bother trying to block the clumsy counter attacks, simply dodging them, keeping up her assault.
Rainbow managed to push back long enough to take to the air again, though not before losing a few more tail hairs. She banked around, flying at Twilight. Their blades met again, Twilight having to bring up a small shield to block one wingblade.
The pegasus’ hoof managed to slip passed Twilight’s defense, catching her under the chin in an uppercut. She stumbled backwards, allowing Rainbow to swipe with her wingblades. Two shallow furrows opened in Twilight’s chest, turning her lavender coat red.
Twilight held her jaw with a hoof, working it around. “Nice hit,” she said.
Rainbow smirked. “Told you I’d win.”
“Yeah, yeah. I almost had you there for a little bit.”
Rainbow snorted. “Pfft! I had this in the bag the whole time.”
Twilight chose to not comment on that one. Midnight’s training had only dented Rainbow’s ego slightly. Engaging in a verbal battle like that would only end in frustration.
“Not a bad fight,” came the captain’s voice from off to the side. Twilight looked over, seeing the thestral sitting on the deck.
“Rainbow, you should be using your agility more. Dance around the opponent rather than face them head on. Keep them on the tips of their hooves and on the defensive, that way you can knock them off balance.
“Sooner or later you’re going to come across a pony who is much stronger than you. You’ll be playing right into their hooves, literally. Make sure you use your strengths to win fights every time, because you can only lose once in the real world before it’s over.”
The pegasus nodded. Even with her ego, she still had come to respect Midnight, even going so far as to acknowledge the captain as a better fighter. Though that had only come about after a sparring match that almost ended with Rainbow in the hospital. The pegasus had spent a painful night being healed by a unicorn medic.
“Twilight, you seem to have the bad habit of engaging in melee with opponents who are better than you at that. Why?”
Twilight thought back to the match where she’d fallen on Rainbow. “I’m trying to use the element of surprise. They expect me to stay back and fight that way.”
Midnight interrupted her. “And this is exactly what you need to do. There’s a reason they expect certain things. It’s because if you don’t do them, they will easily crush you, as Rainbow so aptly demonstrated. You can’t engage an earth pony with earth pony style unless you’re an earth pony. Unicorns cannot dish out or receive that kind of punishment.”
“By getting in close, I can catch them off guard,” Twilight argued.
Midnight maintained her neutral expression. “Catching them off guard is one thing, and a solid strategy. But even when your surprise attack has failed, you remain close.” She moved over to Rainbow, pretending to hit her twice, then backed off. “Move in, get in a hit or two, and if you haven’t won by then, back off again. Staying around in a situation like that, where you’re in melee with somepony better than you, won’t end well for you.”
She paused for a moment before continuing on. “Surprise tactics are fine, but remember, they’ll only work once. Don’t keep relying on them. Instead, use your strengths, or your enemies weaknesses, against them.”
The thestral got up, heading over to where Rarity was practicing. Twilight looked over at Rainbow, who just shrugged before flying away.
“When can I learn that!?” Berry’s voice came crashing across the deck.
Twilight glanced at the filly, seeing that her book had long ago been abandoned, laying facedown on the deck. “What?” came her eloquent response.
“That was cool! I wanna learn that!” Berry got to her hooves, mimicking what she had just seen. “You were like swishing and swinging and magic!”
Twilight shook her head. “I’m not going to teach you how to use a sword, Berry.”
It took a moment for her words to sink through the veneer of fascination that Berry had, but when they did, she stopped. “What? Why not?”
“Because it’s too dangerous. This is not something for little fillies to learn.”
The pout coming from the filly was amazing. When she turned her wide eyes on Twilight, pleading, she was giving it everything she had. “Please?”
“No.” Unfortunately for Berry, Twilight had lived around the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their weaponized cuteness and pleading for long enough that she had grown used to it.
She approached the filly, sheathing her sword along the way. “Now, why don’t you tell me what you’ve learned from this book?” Glancing at the title she saw that it was a book on Gryphon culture.
Berry had her forehooves crossed over her chest, still pouting. “It’s about gryphons.”
“And?”
“And it’s boring and stupid and I don’t wanna read it.”
“Berry, this isn’t a vacation or a pleasure cruise. You snuck aboard this ship. I’m sorry, but there has to be some punishment.” She gestured to the book. “So, what did you learn?”
“That it’s about gryphons,” she repeated. Twilight sighed, realizing she wasn’t getting through to the filly. There weren’t really a whole lot of ways she could punish her. For a transgression like this, something as simple as a timeout wouldn’t work, and from her own experience foals didn’t learn from that sort of thing.
“How would you like to learn how to fly an airship?” a voice broke in.
Twilight looked over, seeing Stouthoof standing there. He was looking down at Berry. The filly brightened up at his words. “Yes!” she cheered.
“What?” Twilight said.
Stout motioned for her to join him off to the side. “It’ll give her something to do.”
“That’s not really the point of all of this,” Twilight responded. “I’m trying to punish her.”
“I know. Don’t worry, Twilight. Piloting an airship isn’t all fun and games. I’ll put her to work, and she’ll learn something from it.”
“How is that different than what I’m trying to do?”
Stout waved his hoof around, gesturing towards the ship. “We’re on an airship, miss. Despite what it may look like, we all work really hard to keep this old boat flying. It’s not easy, and lots to know about it.”
“So, what? You have her learn some knots and maybe haul some rope around the deck?”
He laughed. “You’ve never shoveled coal into a boiler before, have you?” At her shaken head, he laughed again. “Even for a mare as strong as you, you wouldn’t last an hour in the heat and physical stress. A filly like her? She’d last maybe ten minutes. Trust me, I can put her to work and have her repenting before too long.”
Twilight pawed at the deck. “I don’t know. The idea is to punish her, not reduce her to an overworked, teary mess.”
“You think she’s the first pony her age to join our crew? We’ve taken on young orphans before. Usually runaways trying to get to a better place. We offer them a spot on the crew, provided they pull their weight. You’d be surprised how many stick around.”
“Then what was with Captain Swashbuckle last night? He seemed mad that she was here, threatening to toss her overboard.”
“The Cap’n?” Stouthoof scoffed. “He’s harmless. Just a bit of posturing, something to set himself as the head of the ship. No, he’d never toss anypony overboard.”
Twilight slumped. “So, what do you propose?”
“Let me handle her. I’ll both put her to work, and make sure she learns something. Which, if I’m not mistaken, are your two goals.”
Twilight thought about it. With Berry taken off her hooves, that would be one less thing she would have to worry about. She could concentrate on her mission. On the other hoof, could she really trust Stout to take care of Berry? So far, he’d been trustworthy, but this was a little filly, not a grown mare like her who could take care of herself. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “I am. I’ve been with this crew since the beginning, and taken more than one runaway under my wing.” He glanced at his wingless sides. “So to speak.”
“I...” She hesitated for a moment. “Fine. Put her to work.” She held up a hoof. “But, go gentle. She’s been through a lot lately, we want to guide her spirit, not break it.”
He smiled at her. “If you’re worried, go ask Stormy Skies about how he came to join our crew sometime. That’ll get you a feel for how we handle these situations.”
“Stormy Skies?”
“Yeah. Black pegasus, blue mane. Got a cloud column for a cutie mark. He was a runaway we took on.”
Twilight thought back to the brief conversation she had shared with Stormy Skies in the shower. He was around her age; at least, he looked to be. It was possible he’d been on the ship for awhile, but that would mean he had joined when he was a little colt. Perhaps it would be worth it to seek out the pegasus and question him . But only after she got an update from Swashbuckle or Sky Fire on when they’d reach the Gryphon border, she didn’t want to be caught unprepared if she could help it.
“Alright.” She walked back over to Berry, Stout beside her. “Berry, go with Stouthoof here. He’ll teach about this airship, as well as put you to work.”
The filly leapt up. “Okay!” She exclaimed, scampering towards the stallion.
Stout chuckled. “Come on. First thing we’re gonna learn is how to maintain the rigging.” The stallion and filly walked away, Stout already explaining how things worked.
Twilight watched the two of them leave. Why does something like taking care of a filly have to be so difficult? She didn’t want to be in charge of somepony like that, to constantly be second guessing herself. Briefly, she wondered if it had been the same for her own parents. Surely not though. They had always seemed so confident. “Good job, Twi,” a voice sounded next to her.
She jumped up, spinning around to see Applejack by her side. “Why does everypony have to sneak up on me like that?”
The farmer chuckled. “Sorry. Wasn’t aware you didn’t hear me. But you just did something good.”
“What do you mean?”
Applejack watched Berry as Stout started showing her some of the ropes holding the gas envelope to the ship. “That filly would have gone along with what you said, but she’d have never liked it. Reading? Exercising?” Applejack shook her head and chuckled. “Only you would assign those sorts of things as punishment, Twi.”
Twilight looked indignant. “Those are acceptable punishments. And what else am I supposed to do? If I don’t punish her, then she’d think that sneaking aboard this ship was a good thing.”
Applejack laughed. “I’m not saying she shouldn’t be punished, she certainly did something wrong. But by going about it how you did, she’d never respect you. She may even come to resent you for it. Even I can tell the filly has no interest in learning an exercise routine or about gryphon culture.”
“It’s not like there’s a lot of options available to me,” Twilight muttered.
“But now she’s being punished, but it’s disguised as something fun for her.” Applejack smirked. “I was down in the engine room yesterday. Trust me, she’ll be sick and tired of shoveling coal very quickly. I have no doubt Stout will have her down there after lunch.”
Twilight sat down on the deck. “I’m trying here, AJ.”
Applejack sat next to the unicorn, putting a hoof around her. “I know you are, Twi. Berry just showing up like this... Well, part of me wasn’t really surprised. That filly has a hot streak in her. Kinda reminds me of Dash in a way. She acts before she thinks.”
Twilight giggled. “Dash does do that from time to time.” At Applejack’s raised eyebrow, Twilight amended herself. “Okay, a lot.”
“Darn tootin’. Trust me, let Berry sweat it out under Stout for a few days, or however long it takes us to get back to the Crystal Empire. Then she’ll never want to sneak onto an airship again.”
“I hope you’re right, AJ.”
Applejack patted her on the shoulder. “You and me both, Twi. Now come on, surely you’ve got some reading or studying to do.”
“Yeah. But before that, I need to talk to Sky Fire.” Twilight looked up at the wheel, the pegasus mare still standing there.
“Ya sure you don’t wanna talk to Swashbuckle? I’m sure he’d love to see you. Maybe invite you to his cabin.” Applejack waggled her eyebrows, a smirk on her face.
Twilight hoofed her friend in the shoulder, though she couldn’t help but laugh. “Eugh. I’m sure he’s a great stallion, but no. I wouldn’t mind learning more about this ship, but not like that. If all he does is flirt, I can handle that. But... ew.” She shuddered. “I have no interest in him of that variety.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that. He might turn his attention on another one of us. We’d all rather it be you, than any of us.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Way to throw me under the carriage,” she quipped.
Applejack laughed. “Hey, what are friends for?” She trotted away, looking over her shoulder. “Have fun, Twi!”
Twilight watched her friend trot off. “Eww...” she said once more. It wasn’t that she had anything against stallions, but she’d only just met Swashbuckle. She was definitely not the type of mare to just jump into bed with a pony she only just met. She’d read books where mares had done that. She did not want to be compared to those ponies.
She headed across the deck, up towards the wheelhouse. Sky Fire didn’t glance over at her approach. “What do you need?” the mare asked.
“Any update on when we’ll arrive at the border to the Empire?”
Sky Fire consulted her instruments for a moment. “Late afternoon, before dinner, if the weather holds. We’ll be passing over some less well maintained areas of Equestria around lunchtime though, so we may run into a rogue storm. If we do, then we’ll hit the border after dinner. Probably after sunset. As it is, we’ve got a good tailwind, so we might even be there by mid afternoon.”
“Thanks, ma’am.”
“Call me Sky.”
Twilight paused, glancing at the pegasus. “What, no title like Captain Swashbuckle?”
The pegasus chuckled. “No. My ego’s not that big.”
Twilight smiled. “Thank you, Sky. I’ll leave you to your business.”
She snorted. “This thing doesn’t take much, just a hoof here to keep it steady and keep an eye on the instruments. Swashbuckle insists somepony be here just in case of emergencies.”
Twilight turned to leave, but Sky Fire’s voice stopped her. “That filly. Berry? She’s working with Stout now.”
Twilight nodded. “Yes. He came over and offered to take her off my hooves.”
Sky grunted. “That sounds like Stout. Just make sure that she knows she’s not part of this crew. When we get back to the Crystal Empire, she will be leaving.”
The edge in the mare’s voice left no room for interpretation. “Of course,” Twilight agreed. “This mission is too dangerous for her.” The pegasus seemed like she didn’t have a fondness for foals aboard the ship.
She left the pegasus to her task, If they’d arrive at the border by mid afternoon to late afternoon, that didn’t leave her too much time. First thing’s first, she needed to find Stormy Skies. While he seemed trustworthy, she just wanted to allay her fears, to be sure.
A quick scan told her that he wasn’t on the deck. Heading below, she saw that Dark had already cleaned up breakfast and was lounging in a hammock that had been strung up in the mess hall. She had a book in front of her, Twilight noticing that it was a cookbook.
Ignoring the mare, she headed deeper into the ship. The pegasus wasn’t in the crew room, though a deckhoof who was down there was able to point her in the correct direction.
For the first time, she headed even deeper. The first level of the cargo hold was full of boxes of various sizes. Most of them were lashed to the walls, though a few were freestanding. She supposed that the lashing prevented the boxes from moving around during strong winds or storms, spilling their contents everywhere.
The boxes were up against the sides, leaving a single aisle free in the center. She walked down that aisle. The stairs on the ship were staggered at each end. The top level was at the bow, the second level at the stern, and so on.
Her quarry was located on the bottom level. The stair deposited her just outside the engine room. The door was open and she could hear ponies shouting, as well as feel the oppressive heat. Even from ten hooves away, she could feel sweat breaking out on her skin. To her, it felt like being near Celestia when she was angry. The heat roiling off that mare was akin to being outside on a very hot day in the middle of summer: there was no relief.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she turned around, heading into the cargo hold’s second level. From here, her only escape was the stairs back up.
Towards the bow of the ship, she found her quarry. She was as deep into the ship as it was possible to go. There, she found a little table setup, constructed as one larger box, with several smaller boxes as seats around it. Stormy Skies was sitting with his back to her, hooves messing with something on the table. The room was lit solely by several lights on the ceiling, casting deep shadows around the walls.
Not wanting to startle the stallion, she cleared her throat as she approached. “Excuse me.”
He turned around. “Oh, hey! What are you doing all the way down here?”
“Looking for you, actually.”
His face broke into a smile as he waggled his eyebrows. “Oh? Couldn’t get enough of me in the shower?” If he was trying to sound smooth, he failed obnoxiously.
She gave him a flat look as she sat on one of the boxes. She didn’t say anything, just stared at him until he dropped the act. “Jeez, if it hadn’t been so cold in that shower I probably would have noticed the ice queen persona sooner.” He poked the white and fluffy mess in front of him. “So, whatcha need me for?”
“I wanted to ask you about something that Stout said.” She took a closer look at what he was poking at, seeing that it was cloudstuff.
“Whatever he’s told you about, I’m innocent, I swear. That incident with the mare and her sister in Fillydelphia is all exaggerated.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “That is not what he was talking about, and please don’t tell me. No, this is more about your past.”
His hooves paused a moment, before returning to shaping the cloudstuff. “What about it?”
“Allow me to explain, first.” She told him about Berry, how she had lost her mom and snuck aboard the airship, and how Stout was now working with her. She explained that Stout had suggested she seek him out in order to ask about other foals having worked on the ship before.
While she was talking, his hooves continued their work, a shape taking form in the cloudstuff. He would build up part of it, shape and define it, erase parts of it, and continue working. When she finished, he was silent for a long moment before responding.
“Stout’s not wrong.”
“About what?”
“About foals having been on this ship before. Though he does exaggerate about their place in things. We’ve had stowaways before, sure. Ask any airship crew and they’ll tell you about ponies hiding out on their ship, seeking a free ride somewhere.”
He continued messing with the cloudstuff. It was beginning to take on a defined shape, Twilight could recognize a building of some kind, though what it was, she didn’t know.
“Stowaways... The Cap’n puts ‘em to work. He makes sure they work hard, harder than the crew. When we get to our destination, he kicks them off.”
“When we found Berry, he mentioned landing and dropping stowaways in the wilderness.”
Stormy Skies chuckled. “Nah, he wouldn’t do that. Just a bit of posturing to seem tough in front of new ponies. He’s mostly bark, no bite. Just don’t insult his ship or his crew, and you’ll be fine.
“We’ve had some foals before. Those are always harder. Some are running away because their mommy didn’t get them some present for Hearth’s Warming, or something equally stupid. Those we turn over to the guard when we land. The guard will ensure they get back to their parents.”
He sighed, looking down at his work. “Some have a good reason for running away. Abusive homes, orphans. Those are harder. Nopony wants to send a foal back to an abusive home, but we can’t just keep them with us, either. We usually turn them over to the guard as well, start an official investigation. Hope for the best. With orphans, we’ll give them to a orphanage that we know and trust. It’s often out of our way, but we’ll travel to Vanhoover just to get the orphans to Gentle Soul and her orphanage. We know she’ll take care of things.”
So where do you fit into all of this?” Twilight asked.
“Me? I’m one of the few foals who snuck aboard this ship, but the only one who never left.”
“Do you mind telling me your story?” she prompted. “If it’s too painful, I understand.”
He smiled, shaking his head. “Nah. It’s okay. I got over it years ago.” He continued shaping the building. It had a defined outline now. As his hooves worked, details were being added.
“I didn’t grow up in an abusive home. For the early part of my life, things were great. I had two wonderful parents, even if Mom was weak. She got sick easily, spent more time in bed than out of it. But even so, she always made an effort, would do things like make breakfast, or play games with me. Then... One night, she fell asleep, and never woke up.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Twilight said. She knew somewhat what he had gone through, suddenly losing family like that.
“It hit my dad hard. He shut down for awhile. Then he started drinking, blamed me for mom’s death. Harsh words turned to harsh blows. The guard came and took me away for a time, after my teacher told them about the bruises. But he won me back, promising to turn over a new leaf. Instead, he became more creative about his beatings, making sure to hide the injuries.
“Eventually, one day, I came home from school to find the house empty. The furniture, all the stuff, gone. He’d cleaned out and left. Just left me behind, like trash.”
“I... I don’t know what to say,” Twilight said. A simple sorry seemed like not enough.
Stormy Skies waved a hoof. “It’s fine. Like I said, I got over it year’s ago. Anyway, I wasn’t really sure what to do. I knew that I didn’t want to go to the guards, as all they’d do is find my dad and I’d be right back with him. I couldn’t go to my friends, as their parents would do the same thing. So I ran away.”
The structure was coming together now. Twilight thought she could recognize it, but she wasn’t quite sure. “I spent three months on the streets, begging for and stealing money and food. Eventually, I ran afoul of a gang, said I’d been working on their turf without permission and demanded I work for them to pay off my debt. Instead, I ran to the docks and snuck on the first airship I could find. Lucky me it just happened to be this one.”
He laughed. “I was caught within hours of takeoff. Stout caught me rummaging for food. Swashbuckle took me to his cabin, along with Glimmer, who was the First Mate back then. I told them my story, then they put me to work.
“It was weird. I’d been trying to avoid hard work and an honest life. I was afraid that those adults who didn’t beat me would just turn me in and I’d end up right back with my dad. But when the crew made me work, forced me to shovel coal into the boiler, I came to realize something. While at first I resented them, they weren’t treating me any different. So long as I did my work, they respected me. It lead me to realize that not all ponies were bad, regardless of how hard the work was.
“When we hit port, I was given a bag of bits and sent on my way. Swashbuckle thought I was old enough to find a job and make my own way in life.” Stormy smiled. “I had already decided that the airship was where I wanted to be. That night, I snuck back aboard this ship. Again, I was discovered, and again I worked to earn my passage. Half a dozen times, I snuck aboard this ship and worked. Finally, Swashbuckle just sighed and offered me a place on the crew.”
He gestured around him. “This ship is my home, the crew my family. They took care of me when I first joined, made me feel like I belonged somewhere. It was the first time I’d felt like that since mom died.”
He slowly turned the cloudstuff. Twilight could now recognize it as the Cloudsideum in Cloudsdale, home of the Wonderbolts. His eye ran over everything, inspecting every detail.
Twilight processed what he had told her, his story. “I’m sorry for everything that you went through.”
Stormy Sky turned to look her in the eye. “I’m not. It led me here, to this ship and this crew. I wouldn’t trade this life for anything. Well, except maybe having my mom back. But everypony knows that coming back from the dead is impossible.” He leaned back, looking down at the sculpture. It was a near perfect recreation of the actual building.
“My point is. That filly of yours? She’s in good hooves here. We’ll treat her right until we get back to the Empire.”
“I didn’t think you all would mistreat her. I’m really not even sure why I came down here and spoke to you. Curiosity, I suppose.”
“Satisfied?”
“I’m not even sure what I feel right now,” she admitted.
He smiled. “Yeah, I tend to have that effect on mares.”
She rolled her eyes. “Do you just flirt with every mare?”
“Hey, I grew up with the Cap’n. I learned from the best.”
Twilight sighed. “This is going to be a long trip.”
His smile never faded. “I’m sure you and I can find some way to make it go by quicker.”
“Every line out of your muzzle is worse than the last one.”
“Oh come on, at least I’m trying here. You’re not putting forth any effort.”
“I’m sorry, Stormy Skies, I’m sure you’re a nice stallion, but right now I just don’t have any interest in that sort of thing.”
“So there’s hope in the future, then.”
She sighed, but couldn’t help but smile. “Optimist.”
“Always.” He picked up the model building, holding it out to her. “Would you mind casting a preservation spell over this?”
She nodded, quickly casting the spell. “There. What for?”
He continued to hold out the model. “So you could actually pick it up, of course.”
“Me? Why?”
“Because it’s a gift for you, duh.”
She looked down at the model. “For me? Why?”
“Call it something to remember me by. So when you look at this, you think of me.”
“You just want me to set this somewhere that I stare at it and think of you, in the vain hope that it’ll mean that over time I’ll come to like you.”
The pegasus pouted. “Am I really that transparent?”
“Like glass.” She took the model anyway, holding it in her magic. “But thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He reached into a bag sitting next to him, pulling out some more cloudstuff. “I always knew that having a special talent as an artist would help me pick up mares.”
Twilight stood up. “Thank you for your time, Stormy Skies.”
“Aww, leaving already?”
She nodded. “Yes. Sky Fire says we might reach the Gryphon border by mid-afternoon. There’s still a few things I need to prepare before we get there.”
“Well go on then. Go and save the world.”
She blushed. “It’s not quite like that. But again, thank you.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome.”
Carrying the model alongside her, she left the cargo hold. Passing the engine room, she could see Applejack in there, a shovel in her mouth as she deposited coal into the boiler. The farmer had been in there yesterday as well. Apparently she liked it. Twilight suspected it was more that she missed working hard, needed to be doing something.
She stopped by her room long enough to set the model on her hooflocker. Snatching her saddlebag full of books, she headed back up to the deck. Lunch was already sitting on the table, so she grabbed a sandwich on the way.
Chewing on the daisy and cucumber sandwich, she picked out a spot right at the bow of the ship. With her back leaning against the railing, the entire ship spread out before her, she opened one of the books. Yesterday she had brushed up on gryphon culture, now she wanted to know more about their history.
The hours passed by quickly enough without having to resort to what Stormy Skies was insinuating. The sun was closer to the horizon than it was to its zenith when when a cry rang out on the deck.
“Pluckers! Two o’clock high!”
Twilight looked up from her book, seeing the crew scrambling into activity. Where once everypony had been relaxing, now weapons were being produced and positions were being taken at the railing.
With a quick teleport, Twilight was at Swashbuckle’s side by the wheelhouse. The earth pony had a large hammer resting at his forehooves. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Pluckers have been spotted.”
“Pluckers?”
“Gryphons.”
“So, what’s with the activity and arming?”
Swashbuckle looked over at her. “Until we know whether it’s gryphon military, or bandits, we err on the side of caution. This area is safer than most, but it still has bandit trouble, gryphons looking to knock over a ship and steal the cargo.” He smirked. “Well, they won’t find us easy prey.”
He reached under the instrument panel, pulling out a spyglass. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the horizon before placing the spyglass to one eye. “They’re wearing gryphon military uniforms. Keep your weapons down, but ready, boys!” he called out. “No need to worry the natives.”
A few moments later and Twilight caught sight of the gryphons. There was a formation of six of them, rapidly heading towards the ship. Within half a minute, four of them peeled off, two circling the ship in each direction while the remaining two flew across the deck once before landing on it.
“Who’s the Captain of this vessel?” the larger gryphon, who had a red stripe running down his helmet, asked.
“That would be me,” Swashbuckle responded, descending the stairs from the wheelhouse.
“The borders into the Empire are closed to anyone not on a mission from the Emperor himself. You need to turn around, now. Proceed any further and we will shoot you down.”
Twilight stepped forward. “Please, Lieutenant. It is imperative that we speak to Emperor Kader.”
The gryphon looked momentarily shocked. “How did you...?” Silently, Twilight thanked reading up on the Gryphon military. The gryphon shook his head and refocused on the unicorn. “The borders are closed. If you would like to inform me why you must speak to Emperor Kader, then I shall take your message to him myself.”
“I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but I can’t give you details. Know that we’re here to seek an alliance with the gryphons. Please believe me when I say that we must speak to him.”
The gryphon clicked his beak, staring down at her. “And who are you, to demand to speak to the Emperor?”
“My name is Twilight Sparkle. I come here on a mission from Princess Celestia herself.”
He laughed. “The pony princess? She hasn’t shown her face since Canterlot was destroyed. Now I ask you again. Who are you, and why do you attempt to enter the Empire?”
Twilight straightened indignantly. “I am Twilight Sparkle, bearer of the Element of Magic, personal student to Princess Celestia. I assure you, I am here on a mission from the Princess herself. She was injured when Canterlot fell, but she is still very much around.” Twilight pointed to the sun. “Why else would the sun still be moving?”
“Perhaps because she never controlled it in the first place.” He slammed the haft of his spear into the deck. “I’ll only say this once more. The borders are closed. There is a refugee camp twenty leagues south of here. You are more than welcome to land there. You’ll find plenty of your kind lingering there.”
He pointed the tip of his spear at Twilight. While she made no move, several of the crew members tightened their grips on their weapons. “However, if you keep going, I’m sure our ballistae teams will be grateful for the target practice.”
Retracting the spear, he stood tall. “Turn around, or head to the camp, it doesn’t matter to me what you do. If you truly seek an alliance, take it up with the gryphon running the camp. Maybe he will care.”
With that said, he and the other gryphon lifted off the deck. With a shrill cry, the four other gryphons joined him and they flew off into the distance.
Swashbuckle turned to Twilight. “Well?”
She sighed. “That could have gone a lot better.”
The captain snorted. “Damn pluckers have never been too friendly with us anyway. Though I’d advise against continuing on. They really will shoot us down.”
“Head south, let’s go to the camp he mentioned. Hopefully we can get some more information there.”
Swashbuckle nodded, heading back towards the wheelhouse. Twilight watched him go, while the rest of the crew relaxed a bit. “Now what?” she asked aloud.
“You’ve already got a good idea,” Midnight’s voice came from behind her. Twilight turned around to see the thestral standing a few paces away. “We need more information.”
“If their borders really are closed, then how do we get in to see the Emperor?”
“That’s what we need the information for. We should talk to the ponies he mentioned at the camp, see what they have to say. As well, there should be some gryphons at the camp as well, overseeing, guarding, or helping the ponies. We can talk to them. Maybe one of them would be willing to help us get into the Empire.”
Twilight nodded. “Okay. So we at least have a plan.” The deck beneath her hooves tilted a little as the ship changed direction. The horizon swung around until they were facing south. “It won’t take us more than half an hour to go twenty leagues. I’d best find the others, let them know what’s going on.”
“I’ll go with you,” the thestral said.
Together, they managed to round up all of her friends. They met out on the deck. “Okay, here’s what happened,” Twilight said.
She related that brief conversation between herself and the gryphon. “So what do you all think?”
Pinkie raised her hoof high in the air, wriggling it around. “Yes, Pinkie?”
“That gryphon was a meanie mcmeanerson pants.”
Twilight sighed. “Any other thoughts?”
The rest of her friends shrugged. “It seems like you have a solid enough plan,” Rainbow said.
“Indeed, darling,” Rarity said. “There’s not much we can do at the moment, until we have more information.”
Twilight hung her head. “Why do I feel like this is setting a dangerous precedent?” she muttered.
“It could be worse, Twi,” Applejack said. “They coulda blown us outta the sky without bothering to tell us.”
“You’re right, AJ.” She looked passed the bow, seeing a collection of lights ahead. “I suppose we’ll find out soon what’s going on. That must be the camp.”
Within a few minutes, they were approaching the camp. Swashbuckle was calling out orders as the ship got lower and lower to the ground. The crew exploded into activity, preparing ropes and sighting potential landing spots.
Swashbuckle shouted down to them. “Hold on, ladies.” Twilight, who had made her way over to the railing, gripped the wooden slats.
The entire ship shuddered as the the rudder scraped the ground briefly, before Swashbuckle pulled it back up. With a creak of protesting wood, it came to a stop just outside the camp, ponies staring at the ship.
“Cut the engines and lower the gangplank,” Swashbuckle ordered. With a whine, the sound of the propellers slowly faded.
Twilight looked over the railing at the camp. Calling it a camp was being generous. It was a contingent of tents and scattered fireplaces. There was no logical order to things, no rows or columns. It was as if each tent was pitched with little to no regard to the ones around it. A few larger tents could be seen.
Ponies either wandered between the tents, or stood and stared at the ship that had just landed in front of them. Scattered amongst the ponies were a few gryphons. Most of them ignored the ship, continuing with their business.
Swashbuckle came down from the wheelhouse. “Alright stallions. We’re not here on leave, but only until these fine mares can figure out what we do next. To that end, don’t wander too far from the ship. We need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. If any of you are late when we need to leave, I’ll see to it that you’re shoveling coal from now until Celestia marries me.” He grinned at them. “Now go on.”
The crew nodded, scattering. Some went below decks, while others headed down the gangplank. Twilight looked to her friends. “Come on. Let’s go see if we can find some answers.”
“What do you have planned, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked quietly. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
“I have no idea. Just wander around and talk to ponies. Maybe see if we can get some gryphons to talk to us.”
“Maybe it’d be better if we split up,” Applejack suggested. “We each head out and start talking.”
Twilight looked around her at her friends. “Does anyone object to speaking to ponies or gryphons alone?” She received head shakes all around, except for Fluttershy, who timidly raised a hoof. Twilight nodded, unsurprised. “Rainbow, you and Fluttershy work together. Our first priority is trying to figure out if we have a way into the Empire. Beyond that, I want you each to look at the overall situation in this camp. Make sure the ponies here are being treated fairly. The gryphons may have closed their borders, but it’s still their duty to ensure that the ponies seeking asylum are being taken care of. At least, it should be,” she muttered darkly.
She looked over towards the gangplank. “Come on, girls. Let’s go.”
Leading her friends, she headed down the gangplank. None of the ponies from the camp had approached the ship, which she wasn’t sure was a good sign or bad. As soon as they hit the ground, they split off, each of them going a different direction.
Twilight found herself walking in the same direction as Midnight. All around her were ponies. Most were gathered around campfires, burning despite the waning light of day. Most fires held pots over them, various things being cooked.
“So what now?” Twilight asked.
Midnight gestured around them. “Now we do what we set out to do. Integrate yourself into a group of ponies, or find a gryphon. Walk up to them and start a conversation.”
Putting action to words, Midnight broke off from Twilight. She approached a group of ponies huddled around a campfire. Twilight couldn’t hear her words, but she continued onwards.
Figuring that most of her friends would stop at the closest target they could find, Twilight opted to head as deep into the camp as she could. Her destination were the larger tents she saw from the deck of the ship.
Most of the ponies she passed gave her curious looks, as if recognizing her as an intruder. With something like the arrival of an airship the size of Swashbuckle’s, it was impossible to hide. She walked through the camp with a sense of purpose to her stride, making her stand out amongst the ponies just waiting.
Despite the haphazard nature of the camp, it didn’t take her long to reach the selection of larger tents in the center of it. The sides of the tents, except for one, were all rolled up. She could see gryphons here, some wandering about, others behind tables or desks.
Picking one at random, she walked up to a gryphon who was sitting behind a table, a quill clutched in his talon and writing on a piece of parchment. “Excuse me,” she said.
He looked up. His eyes were a deep amber, the white plumage on his head tinged with red at the tips of the feathers. “New arrival?”
“Sort of, I’m actu—”
He set a blank piece of parchment in front of her, along with a quill. “Please write down your name and town of origin, as well as the names and towns of origin of anyone else traveling with you. Then we’ll see about getting you tents and a meal.”
“Actually, that’s not necessary.”
His eyes narrowed for a moment, his beak pulling tight. “So that’s your airship that just landed nearby?”
She nodded. “Yes. We were trying to get into the Empire to speak with the Emperor, but were turned back at the border.”
“Yes, the borders are closed to all non-sanctioned traffic.”
“I was wondering if you had any information on why the borders are closed, and possibly somehow we could get in. It’s urgent that we speak with the Emperor.”
The gryphon folded his arms in front of him, looking down his beak at her. “Asking for information without even telling me your name first? That’s a little rude.”
“Oh! I’m so sorry,” Twilight said. “My name is Twilight Sparkle.” She held out her hoof.
He grasped it with a talon, beak curling upwards in a smile. “Claudius.” Gently, he released her hoof. “Now, as for the information you seek. Emperor Kader closed the borders shortly after the incident at Canterlot. As for why he did so, I’m not privy to that information. But he did authorize groups to aid the refugees that gathered at our borders. There are three camps like this one along the Equestria-Empire border.”
He swept a talon around him, indicating the camp. “We make sure the refugees have a place to stay and food, until such time as the borders reopen or they feel they can return to their homes. My job is to log all ponies in the camp, as well as where they’re from. We’re trying to keep an accurate record, something we can turn into Equestria once it gets back into shape, help them locate everyone so hopefully there’s no one simply missing from the records.
“Now as to how to get into the Empire, I’m not sure I can be of much help. As a citizen, I can cross the border freely, but the military is strictly controlling who else can come in.”
Twilight glanced around. “Would you be willing to point me in the right direction? Surely somepony here can help.”
“I might be able to, but first I’d like to know just why it is want to speak with the Emperor. No offense to you, but if I’m going to put my feathers on the table, I’d like to know why.”
Twilight bit her lower lip. While the details of their mission weren’t exactly secret, she still wasn’t sure about revealing precisely why they were here. Word could too easily get back to the Emperor ahead of them, giving him time to prepare. For a ruler whose stance with Equestria had been neutral at best, bordering on antagonistic, the less time they gave him to prepare a rebuttal, the better.
“We’ve been sent by Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire to speak with the Emperor. I... I’m sorry, but I can’t say exactly what we need to meet with him about, only that it concerns the dragon.”
Claudius was silent for a moment. “Well, who better to send than the bearer of the Element of Magic.” He chuckled at her astonished look. “Oh yes, I know who you are. Every gryphon knows of the Elements, after all they are one of the most powerful artifacts on Equus. Very few gryphons would actually know your name or the names of your friends, though. Fewer still would know what you look like. But, based on your usage of we, I can assume your friends are around as well.”
She nodded. “Yes. You’re correct on all accounts.”
“I may be a simple clerk, but I do have an interest in other things. History and artifacts being two of them. So, I’ve read about you and your friends, Ms. Sparkle.”
Twilight felt a blush come to her cheeks. She knew that the exploits of her and her friends had been well documented, but she still felt embarrassed when she was confronted by someone who knew that. “Yes, well. Do you think you can help us?”
He thought for a moment, tapping his beak with a claw. “Maybe. It’s out of my power to do anything, but there is someone who could be able to help you. It would be up to you to convince him to do so, though.” He pointed towards another nearby tent, this one mostly filled with boxes and crates. “Talk to the camp’s quartermaster and leader, Captain Agrippa. Perhaps if you offer up your ship, he might be willing to let you cross the border in exchange for making a supply run.”
Twilight nodded. “Thank you for your help, Claudius.”
“Not a problem, Ms. Sparkle. And good luck.” He then went back to whatever it was he had been doing before she arrived.
Standing up, she headed towards the tent he had indicated. The stacked crates proved an impenetrable barrier on this side, so she walked around it. On the way, she caught sight of the front of the one tent with the sides rolled down. A large red cross hung over the entrance. It made sense that the medical tent would be shielded for privacy.
Rounding the corner, she found an entrance into the tent. Two large gryphons, wearing military armor, guarded the aisle between the crates. At her approach, one of them held up a talon. “Hold it. This area is off limits to ponies.”
“I was sent here to find Captain Agrippa. Is he inside?”
“Who sent you?”
Twilight pointed back towards the other tent. “Claudius sent me.”
The two guards shared a look, seeming to communicate without words. After a moment, the one who had stopped her spoke up again. “Wait right here, I’ll go get him.”
The gryphon turned around, heading inside the tent and vanishing around a corner. She couldn’t hear anything being said, but a minute later he came back, leading a smaller gryphon who had feathers tinged orange. He was wearing the outfit of a captain in the gryphonian military.
“I’ve been told that you seek me, little pony,” he said. “Step into my office and we’ll speak.” He turned around, heading into the tent again.
Twilight followed him, rounding two corners to suddenly find herself in a small clearing in the middle of the crates. A lamp sat on a table, providing light. The gryphon gestured her to one side of the table.
“Forgive the cosiness. I find that being separated from the goings on outside helps me get my work done.” He took a seat in a chair. “Now, why would Claudius send you to me? He knows I can’t give out extra supplies.”
“I don’t need extra supplies. Instead, I was told that you might be able to help me get across the border and into the Empire.”
“Across the border? Why?”
Giving a small sigh, Twilight told her reasoning for the third time that day. Agrippa listened intently, but not interrupting her. She decided to go with a longer explanation, hopefully skipping any questions he might have.
When she finished, he leaned back in his chair. “It sounds like you have a valid reason for wanting to cross the border. First one I’ve heard since I got to this camp. And for once there were no tears, no shoving little foals in my face, just calm, rational explanation. I like that.”
“So you’ll help us?” Twilight could scarcely believe her luck. She’d been expecting to have to spend at least a few days here before a solution could be found.
“No.”
Her smile fell. “What?”
“It’s true, I could get you across the border, requisition your airship into the service of the Empire. As a Captain and the leader of this camp, I have the power to do that. But you’re forgetting something very important.”
“And what is that.”
He leaned farther back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head, beak curled into a smirk. “What’s in it for me? It seems like I’m doing all of the work and not getting anything in return. So, Sparkle. Make me an offer for my services.”
Twilight shook her head, trying to comprehend what Agrippa was saying. “Are you asking me to bribe you?”
“You make it sound so dirty, putting it like that. No, I’m simply expecting to be fairly compensated for the job I’m doing.”
She thought about what she could possibly offer the gryphon. There wasn’t much aboard the airship that she could use to trade with. Perhaps she could get Swashbuckle to part with the bag of bits he’d received as payment, on the promise of replacing it as soon as they got back to the Empire.
“Well, I could offer you some bits. Would five thousand be enough?”
Agrippa scoffed. “And where would I spend those bits? It’s not like they’re accepted in the Empire, and the conversion rate is not very favorable to me. Try again, pony.”
“I can promise you an artifact. I’m sure Princess Cadance would be willing to part with something from the Crystal Empire vaults. You can sell it and make a lot of money.”
“Tempting, pony, tempting. Do you happen to have any of those artifacts with you?”
Twilight opened her mouth to say no, but quickly closed it. If she said no, then he would surely turn her down. He’d be unwilling to take her on faith. A hasty, risky plan was forming in her mind. She’d need some help and would have to convince the others without really telling them what was going on.
“We do have one such artifact on board, yes. Originally it was supposed to be used for something else, but in this case, we could part with it.”
Agrippa leaned forward. “Now we’re talking. However, before I agree to anything, I want to see this artifact, and hear its history.”
“I can take you to my ship.”
He gestured with a talon. “Lead on, pony.”
Twilight nodded. Without saying anything else, she turned around, heading out of the tent. Agrippa stopped only long enough to tell the guards that he would be back shortly.
The entire walk back through the camp, neither of them said anything. Twilight was scanning the crowd, searching for any sign of her friends. Unfortunately, she wasn’t successful, arriving at the gangplank to the ship before anypony else could be found.
With hesitance in her mind but a sureness in her steps, she ascended up onto the ship. The deck was mostly clear, only a scattered few deckhooves still milling about. Several had set up a card game, all of them stopping and staring at the gryphon behind her.
Twilight saw Sky Fire over at the wheelhouse. The pegasus gave her an odd look. Twilight inclined her head, motioning her over.
When Sky Fire arrived, Twilight cleared her throat. “Sky Fire, is Captain Midnight back yet?” She tried to make her voice sound authoritative.
“Not yet,” Sky Fire responded.
“I need you to go find her and bring her back here.”
The pegasus looked at Twilight for a moment, as if trying a gauge what was going on. The unicorn put as much pleading into her eyes as she possibly could without showing anything to the gryphon. Silently, she willed Sky Fire to play along and go.
Finally, with a nod, Sky Fire took off, flying above the camp. Twilight held in her sigh of relief. When she turned to face the gryphon again, her face had a small smile on it. “Apologies,” she said. “But Midnight is the one in charge of the artifact.”
“No worries, pony.” He looked around him. “This is quite the ship.” A talon poked at the railing, several chips of wood falling away. “Rather... worn.”
“It’s a good, sturdy ship. It has served us well so far.”
“Hmm,” was all he said in reply. He wandered off, randomly inspecting parts of the ship. Twilight could see some of the deckhooves watching him, subtly shifting so that if he tried to enter belowdecks, they could stop him.
Sky Fire came back a couple of minutes later, a familiar batpony in tow. “I found her,” she said. The look the pegasus was giving Twilight clearly said that an explanation would be forthcoming as soon as possible.
Twilight nodded. “Thank you.” She turned to Midnight while Agrippa was sauntering over. “Play along,” was all she whispered. Switching back to her normal voice, she spoke again. “Captain, this gryphon would like to see Typhoon’s sword. As its guardian, I need your permission to bring it up.”
If Midnight was feeling any confusion, her face didn’t betray it at all. “Then we should go get it.”
Twilight turned to Agrippa. “Please, excuse us for a moment, Captain” She figured that using his rank as much as possible would help.
He waved a talon at them. “I’m sure this pegasus won’t mind giving me a tour of this ship.”
Together, she and Midnight headed down belowdecks. The batpony didn’t say anything until they were in their shared room with the door closed. “Okay, what’s going on?”
“I have a way for us to get across the border. That gryphon can do it, but he wants payment. He won’t accept bits, so I’m offering up an artifact.”
“What artifact?”
“I need one of your swords, Midnight.”
“But none of my swords are—” She stopped herself, before her eyes narrowed. “This is a dangerous game you’re playing, Twilight. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
She shook her head. “I have no idea what I’m doing. But if this will get us into the Empire, then what else can I do?”
Midnight walked over to her side of the room, returning with a sword and sheath. “I’m going to trust you on this one. But if this backfires, we may never get into the Empire at all.”
“We don’t have the time to be sitting around searching for something else that may not exist. I’m taking this chance.” Twilight said firmly.
The thestral nodded. “Okay. Do what you have to do.”
“Thank you, Midnight.” Twilight took the sword in her magic, unsheathing it. The blade was nearly pristine, though it was pitted enough that it had seen some action. Concentrating, she cast a spell on the sword. Little runes started appearing on the blade, the crossguard changed shape slightly, and it took on a more aged look.
Running an eye over the changes, Twilight nodded before sheathing it. “Okay, let’s go.” Together, they walked back up onto the deck.
Outside, Agrippa and Sky Fire were over by the wheelhouse. Swashbuckle had appeared and was standing close to the gryphon. The look on his face was one of distrust.
“I have it, Captain” Twilight said as she approached them. She held out the sword to Agrippa. The gryphon took it, pulling the blade out. His eye ran over the weapon.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You know the story about the founding of Equestria?” At his nod, she continued. “The leader of the pegasi, Commander Hurricane, had three foals. One of them was a great warrior in her own right named Typhoon. This is her sword.”
Agrippa looked at the sword from all different angles. “And what are the runes?”
“It’s an ancient language. Supposedly it was only known to members of the pegasi military, a way to keep the other tribes from learning their secrets. After the unification, it fell out of use until it became a lost language. No known translation exists, but the closest scholars have been able to figure things out, it’s either a record of her life, or a list of her victories and deeds in battle.”
He whistled. “That’s quite the list.” Carefully, he put the sword back in its sheath. “Well, this is certainly quite the artifact. I suppose this’ll do.”
“So you’ll get us across the border?”
“Of course. I’ll go make the necessary preparations. It won’t take long.” He looked around the ship. “You do have room for a squad of gryphons, yes? They’ll need to come along with us. As well, you’ll need to drape some Imperial flags on the sides of this ship, to prevent us from being shot down. I’ll have the necessary supplies when I get back.” He stretched his wings. “It’ll feel good to leave this dingy camp behind. My Lieutenant can run things while I’m away.”
Still holding onto the sword, he left the deck, heading down the gangplank. As soon as he was gone, Swashbuckle turned towards her. “My cabin. Now.” Twilight recoiled a bit under the anger she felt coming from those three simple words.
Now that Agrippa was gone, her carefully constructed façade fell. Her confidence was replaced with uncertainty. Meekly, she followed Swashbuckle into his cabin, Sky Fire and Midnight behind her.
As soon as Sky Fire had shut the door, Swashbuckle turned on her. “What the buck was that?”
“I, umm, just got us passage across the border.” The earth pony looked mad, his voice barely controlled. Twilight wanted nothing more than to back away slowly.
“By what? Forcing me to host a bunch of damned pluckers on my ship? Deface it with plucker flags?” He neither moved nor paced, simply stood there, staring at her with cold fury in his eyes.
“It’ll get us where we need to go,” she argued.
“Maybe it will, but that’s not the issue. The issue is where you come off thinking you can speak for me and my ship.”
“What do you mean?”
He pointed a hoof at her. “I mean that not once did you consult me, the captain of this ship, on matters that concern me, my crew, and this ship.”
“I didn’t have time to. I saw a way to get us what we needed, and I took it.” Twilight tried to defend her actions, even though she still wanted to run away.
“I don’t care,” he said. “You still made decisions affecting all of us. The last thing I want is some damned smug plucker on this ship. I’d rather burn those flags than see them draped over the side. But now, I have to do just that.”
Midnight stepped into the conversation. “What do you have against gryphons?” she asked.
“What do I have against gryphons?” he repeated, his nostrils flaring. “They’re barbarians, every single one of them. If it weren’t for Celestia, they’d have run us over ages ago. They love nothing more than capturing and killing ponies.” His voice, which had gone quiet, picke dup in volume. “They tortured and killed my brother for nothing more than sadistic sport! And now I have to smile and host them on my ship?” He threw a hoof towards the stern of the ship. “If you haven’t noticed, my hatred for pluckers is written on my Celestia-damned ship!”
His shouting caused Twilight’s ears to stick flat to her skull. As the words rang out, she looked at Swashbuckle. He was standing there, panting, eyes wild with rage. She had no idea that he could so vehemently hate an entire race. She wanted to get to the bottom of this. It was only now that she remembered this ship was named The Gryphon’s Folly.
As she opened her mouth to ask what had happened, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw Sky Fire standing there. The pegasus slowly shook her head. “Let it go for now,” she whispered.
Taking another look at Swashbuckle, Twilight had to agree with Sky. If she did bring up his brother, he was likely to fly into an even deeper rage. She’d have to figure things out later.
Swashbuckle took in a deep breath, seeming to calm himself. “Let me put this in no uncertain terms. The next time you make a decision like that without consulting myself, or Sky, first, then I and my ship are gone.”
“Hang on, you made an agreement,” Midnight said.
“I agreed to ferry you around because I wanted to help out, and because I thought it would be a good way to see exotic places I’ve never seen before. But rest assured, no contracts were signed, there is nothing binding me to this journey other than some good bits to be made. As soon as I feel those bits aren’t worth it, I’m gone, and you will be stuck wherever we currently are. Are we clear?”
Twilight nodded. “Clear.” She could see Midnight doing the same. Both of them recognized that until Swashbuckle got better control of his emotions, there wasn’t much they could do. They could try and talk to him again later.
“Also,” the stallion steamed. “Why would you ever give up an artifact like that to a- a plucker?”
At that, Twilight rubbed the back of her head. “Uh, it’s not really Typhoon’s sword. It’s just a glamour spell I cast on one of Midnight’s swords. The real Typhoon’s sword, if it’s still in one piece, is laying somewhere in the rubble at the base of Canterlot Mountain. It was in a museum there.”
“A... You tricked him with a fake sword?” Swashbuckle blinked a few times, before he burst out laughing. “Oh Celestia above... You have got to have the biggest balls I’ve ever seen on a pony. A fake sword!” He tried to say something else but was unable to.
Twilight blushed at the rather crude description of what she had done. “It... It was all I could think of. He was demanding a bribe to cross the border, and he wouldn’t take bits. So I quickly came up with that plan.”
Swashbuckle continued laughing. “Oh, serves that dirty plucker right.”
Twilight giggled as well, unsure of what was going on. His mood seemed to have taken a complete turn around. Was it possible that he had forgiven her?
As if he could read her mind, he calmed down enough to speak again. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m still mad at you, but you’ve redeemed yourself slightly with that move. You buck over a few more pluckers before we’re done, and I might even be inclined to forgive you.”
He turned to Sky Fire. “Give the order. Round up the stragglers and bring them back here. Make sure the pluckers are tucked away when they get here, and don’t let them touch anything. I want them under constant supervision. Let me know when we’re ready to lift off.”
She nodded, turning around and leaving the cabin. When she was gone, Swashbuckle looked back over at Twilight. “I really hope you know what you’re doing.” With that, he turned to his table, pulling out a map and consulting it.
The dismissal was clear. Twilight followed Midnight out of the cabin. On the deck, there was already a sense of activity as ponies prepared the ship for more travel. Twilight kept walking until she reached the very bow of the ship. There she reared up, placing her forehooves on the railing and looking out over the camp.
The sound of hoofsteps behind her told her that Midnight was still with her. “Did I do the right thing?” she asked.
“I can’t answer that,” came the reply. “For now things are working out in our favor, but there’s still plenty of ways for this to backfire. Only time will be able to tell us if this is a good plan or not.”
She hung her head slightly. “I feel bad for angering Swashbuckle. Who knows if he trusts me now or not.”
“None of us could have known that his hatred for gryphons ran that deeply. That’s an unforeseen consequence. Though if he didn’t still trust you, then he would have followed through on his threat to leave us. No, he’s mad, but he’s still with us. Give him some time to calm down, and he’ll be alright.” Midnight appeared in her vision, leaning against the railing. “No, I think you need to be more concerned about your friends.”
Twilight looked over at her. “What do you mean? They’re my friends, so I know they’ll stick by me.”
The thestral shook her head. “It’s not that. Twilight, you are essentially lying and deceiving others to get what you want right now. Do you think your friends are going to like that?”
“I... I didn’t think of it like that. I just saw an opportunity and I took it.” She turned back, looking out over the camp. Ponies weren’t moving about so much anymore. Most were huddled around the various fires, small columns of smoke reaching up into the sky.
Midnight set a hoof on her shoulder. “We’ve all done it before, get so focused on a goal that you lose sight of the big picture. As a leader, you have to understand that it’s not just you who’s affected by the decisions you make. You saw a solution to a problem, and jumped on it before thinking about any potential implications.
“What you did worked, yes, but is it the best solution? There are other ways to go about getting us access and what we need. At the end of the day, it’s not about finding the quickest solution, but one that you’re able to live with. The question you have to ask yourself is if you are morally okay with your choices.”
She retracted her hoof, setting in back on the deck. “Sometimes the quickest solution isn’t always the best.”
Twilight kept looking out over the camp. “What do you think? Have I made a mistake in doing this?”
“The only one who can answer that is you. Are you okay with lying to get what you want? The answer doesn’t matter to me, you’re my leader. Where you go, I’ll follow. But it should matter to you, and it will matter to your friends.”
Twilight didn’t respond to that, too busy thinking things over in her head. She hadn’t really thought about what she was doing while she was doing it. But now that Midnight had pointed it out, she really did see that she’d been completely dishonest.
She was lying to get what she wanted. In essence, she had done the very thing that she and her friends had fought against. Trixie, the Flim Flam brothers, she and her friends had stood up to them for their dishonest ways. And now here she was, doing the same thing.
She cringed, wondering what her friends would think. She already knew that Applejack was going to be upset. The very idea of lying went against everything the farmer stood for.
Speaking of her friends, she could see some of them already heading back towards the ship. Rainbow and Fluttershy were flying alongside each other, while Pinkie was bouncing through the crowd. She couldn’t see Rarity or Applejack, but they would be along soon.
The two pegasi got back first, alighting on the deck near Twilight. “Hey Twi. I hear you found us a way across the border,” Rainbow said.
“Yeah, I did.”
Fluttershy picked up immediately on the uncertainty in Twilight’s voice. “Oh my. What’s wrong?”
Twilight’s ears wilted. “I’ll let you know when the others arrive.”
Pinkie hopped up into the group. “We’re going to the Empire! Whoo! This calls for a party! I wonder if Darkie will let me make cupcakes for everypony...”
Rarity wasn’t too far behind, though the baker was still talking about finding party supplies on the ship. The fashionista simply sat on the deck, content to wait and not say anything. She gave a concerned glance towards Twilight, but at the unicorn’s forlorn look she remained where she was.
A few minutes later, as Pinkie and Rainbow were arguing over which was the best flavor of cupcake, Applejack showed up. “So I hear we got in. That’s good.” She turned to Twilight. “How’d you manage to do it?”
Twilight sighed. Holding up a hoof, she waited for her friends to stop arguing before she spoke. “I convinced a gryphon here to let us cross.” She told them what she’d done, holding nothing back. From her conversations with Claudius and Agrippa, to deceiving the gryphon into helping them.
When she was done, her friends were quiet. Applejack was the first to speak up. “Twilight, I’m ashamed of you.”
The unicorn winced. Those words hurt more than an entire day’s training under Midnight. “I’m sorry, AJ. I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing, only about what it was getting us.”
Applejack shook her head. “You know how I feel about lying.”
“I know. And believe me, once Midnight told me what I’d done, I felt bad. I just... lost sight of things.” She looked forlornly over at her friend. “Please, can you forgive me?”
Applejack looked at her for a moment before pulling her into a hug. “Of course I forgive you, this time.” She paused before continuing. “But lying just ain’t right. Don’t do it again. You made a mistake, but there is always a better way to get something than lying for it.”
Twilight nodded into the farm pony. “I agree. I won’t lose sight of the bigger picture again.” She leaned into the hug with her friend, happy that, while the farmer was upset, she wasn’t going to go off like Swashbuckle did.
“I agree with Applejack,” Rarity said, breaking the silence. “And I think speak for the rest of us when I say that we’re all a little disappointed in you. But we can also tell that you feel bad.” The rest of her friends nodded their heads.
“I am sorry, girls. I won’t let it happen again.”
They spent the next half hour running over what they thought would happen when the gryphons came back, as well as what to expect when getting to the capitol. Twilight gave the girls a brief rundown on gryphon etiquette, so they wouldn’t accidentally offend someone.
Soon there was a commotion, as up the gangplank walked Agrippa with half a dozen other gryphons behind him. Two of the gryphons were carrying large swaths of red cloth. Sky Fire intercepted them before they made it two steps across the deck.
“Welcome aboard,” she said.
Agrippa nodded. “I brought some flags. Have some of your crew hang them from the railing. This’ll let ground based crews know we fly with permission.” The two gryphons dropped their cloths on the deck.
The pegasus shouted an order to her crew, and within moments, several ponies were attaching the flags. “Is there anything else before we start off?”
“This squad here will need somewhere to stay, as will I. It’ll take us a day to get to the capitol, and I don’t feel like sleeping on the deck.”
“Your squad can stay in the bunkroom with the crew. As for you, we have one spare bed left. Though you’ll be rooming with a pony.”
He waved a talon. “That’s fine. We can get settled once we’re underway.”
Sky Fire nodded, turning away from the gryphons. “Chief!” she called out.
“Yes, ma’am?” Twilight heard Stout call back. She looked over, seeing him and Berry standing by the wheelhouse. The filly was looking at the gryphons with a mixture of fear and awe. It was likely the first time she’d ever seen one.
“What’s the status on the crew?”
“All crew present and accounted for, ma’am.”
Sky Fire went over to the captain’s cabin, knocking on the door. A moment later, Swashbuckle came out. Twilight couldn’t hear what words passed between him and his first mate. As they were talking, Twilight couldn’t help but feel nervous. Knowing now how much Swashbuckle hated gryphons, she really hoped he didn’t blow things for them.
They stopped talking, Sky Fire heading up to the wheelhouse while Swashbuckle started walking around the ship. His eyes ran over everything, inspecting it. He exchanged words with several crew members, including Stout. After a couple of minutes, he climbed up to the wheelhouse and took the wheel.
“Everypony, prepare for takeoff.” The crew moved about, casting off lines and pulling up the gangplank. Voices shouted out, signalling readiness. It took several minutes before the engines started up again. Once the engines were started, it took another minute before they were even lifting off the ground. They slowly gained altitude, lifting up until they were over the tops of the trees nearby and at a safe enough height to move forward.
The commotion had caused most of the camp to look over at them. Curious heads turned to watch the newly arrived airship leave. Twilight could even spot most of the gryphons watching as well. Several adventurous pegasi took to the air to get a better view.
Slowly they gained altitude, rising up and turning east. The sun was nearly set at their backs as they started towards the capitol. Twilight looked passed the bow, at what lay ahead. Silently, she whispered a prayer that things would be smooth sailing from here on out.
It was another peaceful day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and there was not a care in the world. Even the normally timid Fluttershy couldn’t find anything to be afraid of. Instead, she was humming to herself as she went around feeding all of her animals.
With a flick of her wing, she tossed various nuts and berries into a bowl. Harry the bear growled his thanks before delicately picking up a raspberry and eating it. “You’re welcome Harry,” she said, giving the lovable bear a pat on the side. “Eat up.”
Resuming her song, she moved over to the various squirrels, birds, and other assorted seed eaters. Here she delivered a large helping of various seeds she gathered from along the forest’s edge. A cacophony of chitters, whistles, and squeaks assaulted her ears, but she just smiled at them all.
Finally, all that was left were here chickens over in the coop. Grabbing the bag of chicken feed, Fluttershy fretted. “Oh, I do hope Elizabeak and the others aren’t upset that I left them for last. They’re just kept so much farther away from the others.”
However, even that little worry wasn’t enough to dampen her good mood. With the bag slung over her back and balanced between her wings, she went around the house and towards the coop. There, she saw something that she’d honestly never seen before.
In front of her coop, and staring at her chickens, was... something. She couldn’t identify it. It stood on four legs, each leg seemingly ending in claws not unlike Spike’s. It also had wings, and two curved horns jutted out from its head. Its mouth was elongated, and numerous sharp teeth could be seen as it hissed at her chickens. Following the hiss, it flared its wings and roared at them.
Fluttershy wasn’t quite sure what to make of the roar. It sounded like what she imagined Mr. Squeakers, her mouse, would sound like if he tried to roar. The voice was high pitched and if the thing was trying to be intimidating, it had the opposite effect on the pegasus. Indeed, even the chickens seemed to pay it no mind.
However, despite it having no effect, Fluttershy wouldn’t let this thing try and intimidate her animals. Approaching the thing, which hadn’t noticed her, she called out to it. “Excuse me, mister!”
The thing, the closest Fluttershy could peg it would be a dragon of some kind, though none that she was familiar with, stopped roaring and turned to look at her. Its slitted eyes stared her down. Or tried to. It was hard when the thing was half her size and had to look up at her. Even Elizabeak was slightly taller than it.
“Please don’t try and scare the chickens. They really are delicate creatures and don’t appreciate that.” Fluttershy matched its stare. Despite its similarities to a dragon, she didn’t feel the usual incapacitating fear filling her. There was something different about this dragon.
The thing roared at her again, but she paid it no mind. At least, until the thing spoke. “Why should they not fear me?” it asked. Its voice was the same as its roar: high pitched and almost squeaky in nature. “For I am a mighty conqueror, here to dominate and enslave you all!” It capped this off with another roar, long neck stretched up as if trying to drown out the heavens with its voice.
Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to say, or do. She had originally assumed the thing to be an animal not unlike one of the many others around her. The fact that it spoke Equestrian was different. Yes she could communicate with her animals, but it wasn’t the words said more than it was the unspoken language they shared. This thing was a bit more intelligent than most of her animals.
The dragon continued its tirade. “You are all beneath me. You will bow and scrape and slave away for your pathetic, pitiful lives. And when you look up at me and beg me to spare you, I shall turn away and say ‘no.’”
The pegasus frowned, looking at the dragon. “Now that was very mean. You shouldn’t say things like that about your fellow creatures.”
The thing let out an odd squeaking sound that took Fluttershy a moment to realize was laughter. “Fellow creatures? I have travelled the vast distances between stars, conquering world after world. And now I am here. Tremble and fear me.” It stomped one of its feet on the ground, a small puff of dust the only response, and even that lazily floated back to the ground after a moment.
Fluttershy came to the only conclusion that made sense: this was some sort of hybrid dragon that had hit its head and was suffering from some sort of delusion. Without even looking, she used her wings to tilt the feed bag, pouring out some food for her chickens, who proceeded to eat, ignoring what was going on outside the coop.
“You poor dear,” she said, setting the bag down. Her caretakers instincts took over, overriding anything else. “You must have suffered greatly, wandering the forest. Here, let me take care of you.” She reached out, picking up the dragon.
“What!?” it cried. “What are you doing? Put me down this instant! I did not command you to carry me anywhere!”
She ignored it, using a hoof to gently pat its head, being mindful of the wildly snapping jaws. Its teeth wouldn’t hurt very much, but it would be annoying, and she wasn’t sure if it didn’t have anything like a natural poison as a defense mechanism. Spreading her wings, she flapped over to the front door of her cottage, which had been left open. The dragon was protesting the entire way, and even managed to hit her with its tail a few times, none of which bothered her.
Once inside, she set the thing on her kitchen table. With how wildly it was protesting, she didn’t want to leave it alone to go get her medkit. “Angel, would you be a dear and go get me my medkit?” she asked the bunny, who had just finished eating his special salad. The rabbit stared at her, patting his belly. “Please? I’ll make you carrot cake tonight,” she promised.
Angel seemed to think it over for a moment, before nodding. Slowly he got to his paws and hopped away. With that taken care of, Fluttershy turned back to the dragon. It was currently trying to claw at her table in protest, its tiny claws leaving small marks in the wooden surface.
“I will start my conquest with you,” it said to her. “You shall be my first slave and suffer the most.”
The pegasus pursed her lips, her tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth. Whatever had affected this dragon had really hit it hard. It could be poison joke, perhaps? That would explain its tiny size. Or maybe it had some sort of disease affecting its brain, which would explain the delusions of being from another planet.
She watched the dragon until Angel came back, dragging the red box with the white cross on it. Thanking the bunny, she set the box on the table. Instantly the dragon stopped ranting and stared at it.
“What is this?” it asked. “Some weapon with which to challenge me? You are a fool. I will defeat any weapon you have!”
Popping the latches, Fluttershy opened the box, pulling out her tools. “Oh no, these aren’t weapons,” she explained. “They will allow me to examine you and see what’s wrong.”
“Wrong? There is nothing wrong here, other than that you are not my slave and this place is not a burning ruin. Something I will correct shortly.” The dragon stopping thrashing about and looked as it it was concentrating.
To the pegasus’ surprise, between the dragon’s horns a small, crackling ball appeared. It looked to be made of fire. She dropped the tool she was holding, a wing coming up to cover her muzzle as she gasped. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised, dragons have a magic all their own, just like ponies. It was just surprising to see it here.
The ball grew in size until it was the diameter of the thing’s horns. Once there, smaller balls fizzled into existence around it. It was only at the last moment that Fluttershy realized what was about to happen.
Taking a step back, she pulsed her wings, sending a blast of air at the dragon on her table. She would be the first to admit that her wingpower was weak, but even what she conjured was enough to knock the fireballs aside. They impacted around the kitchen, each one vanishing in a puff of smoke and leaving a scorch mark. Fortunately, nothing caught fire.
Stepping back up the the table, Fluttershy fixed the dragon with her fiercest glare. “That was not very nice,” she admonished. “Somepony could have been hurt.”
“You were supposed to be incinerated,” the thing cried. “I am the strongest. This is merely a setback” It concentrated again, the ball between its horns growing brighter and more intense.
The pegasus took drastic measures. With a wing, she slapped the dragon across the cheek. It pained her to do something like that, but she had learned that some animals responded better to those measures. Harry had been downright rude until she had beaten him in a wrestling contest. Now that bear was a staunch friend.
The ball vanished with a pop as the dragon raised a claw to hold its cheek where she’d struck it. It had a look of disbelief on its face, eyes wide.
“I’m sorry to do that,” Fluttershy said. “But I will not tolerate violence in my house. Now, are you going to let me examine you, or do I have to get forceful?”
When the thing didn’t answer her, still seemingly in shock, she decided to take advantage of this opportunity. Picking up a tool, she proceeded to give the dragon a check up.
Halfway through her check up, the dragon snapped out of whatever stupor it had been put in. Turning its head, the look of shock changed to one of pure anger. “You dare to strike me? Your master? I was going to play with you then grant you a swift death, but now I shall leave you alive and in perpetual agony until you beg me to kill you.”
It tried to struggle, but Fluttershy held it down. Using her hooves, she pinned down its legs, and her wings to secure its head. That only left its tail to thrash about, which it took advantage of, trying to beat her like it was a club. It didn’t feel any different than when Angel was throwing a tantrum, so she ignored the tail, using her mouth to manipulate the tools.
The dragon continued to rant and yell at her, all kinds of epithets about what it would do to her. Fluttershy couldn’t help but be worried about how graphic some of them were. While she didn’t fear the dragon, its words still upset her. Whatever this thing was suffering from, it had affected it deeply.
As the examination continued, the frown on her muzzle only grew deeper. By the time it was over, she had come to her conclusion. There was nothing wrong that she could tell with this dragon. While her knowledge of dragon physiology was limited, she couldn’t find a single thing to explain what was going on with it.
This was beyond the scope of her knowledge. It was time to involve another pony, the only pony who would be able to help in this situation. It was time to pay Twilight Sparkle a visit.
Of course, that left the issue of how to get the dragon there. She could just restrain it and carry it there much like how she’d gotten it from her chicken coop to her cottage. Though the idea of doing that didn’t sit well with her. As the dragon continued to rant and rave, an idea came to her mind.
“Excuse me, mister dragon,” she said. The thing didn’t stop in detailing just how it was going to wear her skin and roast her alive. “Excuse me,” she said with more force. Still the thing continued. She didn’t want to let it go just yet, afraid it would attack her, but she needed to get its attention.
With one wing, she moved it down to its exposed belly and lightly trailed her feather across the scales there. This was a trick that worked on most of her animals.
Sure enough, the dragon stopped ranting and instead sealed its mouth shut. Its cheeks puffed out and its eyes bulged as it tried to not laugh at the tickling sensation on its stomach. Satisfied she had its attention, Fluttershy ceased her assault and spoke again.
“Would you really like to conquer us all?” she asked it.
The dragon nodded. “It is my right, my destiny to stand atop a mountain made of your corpses while your world burns around me!”
The graphic imagery made the pegasus’ stomach churn, but she kept the smile on her face. “In that case, would you like to go meet our leader?”
Finally, the dragon stopped even its thrashing about. “You would take me to your leader so I may kill him?”
“Her,” Fluttershy corrected. “And yes, I would take you to see our leader, Princess Twilight.” Sensing that she was getting somewhere, she removed herself from the dragon, giving it control over its limbs again.
The dragon rubbed its two front claws together. “Excellent. Perhaps you are worthy of being my slave after all. If you deliver me to your leader, I shall make you first amongst the slaves.”
“Oh, of course. I would love that,” she agreed. This dragon was mostly harmless, and if playing into its delusions helped get it to Twilight where it could be cured, then she’d play along.
“Very well. You shall take me to your leader,” the dragon declared.
Fluttershy got down from the table, standing on the floor again. Giving a slight bow, she asked the dragon. “Would you like me to carry you, master?”
Tapping a claw on its chin, the dragon thought for a moment. “Yes. You will be a good slave and ferry me.” It stood up, hopping onto her back from the table. Its claws dug slightly into her back, but she ignored it.
“Let us go to meet Princess Twilight,” she said.
The dragon made itself comfortable. “Excellent. Maybe I won’t pluck off your wings and make you fan me with them now.”
Ignoring that comment, Fluttershy left her cottage, the delusional dragon riding on her back.
* * *
Twilight Sparkle was engrossed in one of her many books. The library was quiet today, which suited her just fine. Spike was off helping Rarity collect more gems, and the two of them would be gone all day.
The unicorn smiled as she flipped to the next page. It was just getting to the good part, where the stallion in distress was about to be saved by the dashing heroine.
Unfortunately, her bliss wasn’t to last long. There was a knock on her door. “It’s open,” she called.
The door opened, admitting Fluttershy. Twilight opened her mouth to greet her friend, when she spotted the thing riding on her back. It looked like some kind of dragon, though not one that she was familiar with.
The dragon was staring at her. “This is your leader?” it asked.
If Twilight was a lesser mare, she would have cracked up laughing at the thing’s voice. As it was, a snort left her muzzle, one she quickly covered up with a cough, using a hoof to smack herself in the chest.
Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, this is Princess Twilight.”
The unicorn tilted her head at the princess part. “Fluttershy?” she questioned.
Her friend turned to look at the dragon. “If it would please you, would you wait here a moment so that I may properly introduce you to the Princess?”
The little creature nodded. “Very well, slave. Prepare your Princess for her doom. It matters not.” It hopped off of her back, looking around the library. Using a claw, it poked at a book that Twilight had left sitting on the floor.
Fluttershy made her way over to Twilight, who was looking at her friend with a thoroughly confused look. “What’s going on?’ she asked.
The pegasus started whispering to her. “I found this dragon by my cottage. It seems to be suffering from some sort of delusion and thinks it’s from another world and wants to conquer us all. I examined it and could find nothing physically wrong, so I brought it to you to see if you know something.”
That made sense, but something else needed explaining. “What about the whole Princess thing? You know I’m not a princess,” Twilight said. “Why would I want to be a princess? I’m happy just being me.”
“I told it that I was taking it to see our leader. I thought that would get it to behave long enough to get here.”
Twilight glanced over at the dragon, who was now shredding the book apart gleefully. She winced at the destruction of knowledge. “I guess I can take a look at it,” she said. “If it’ll keep it from destroying any more books.”
Fluttershy hugged her. “Oh, thank you. I just can’t stand the poor dear suffering under whatever ails him.” Releasing her friend, the pegasus headed into the kitchen. “I’ll go make some tea.”
Now alone with a tiny dragon that seemingly wanted to destroy her library a book at a time, Twilight sighed. And it had been such a peaceful day, too. Closing the book on her desk, she headed over to the dragon.
Clearing her throat, she got its attention. Little scraps of paper fluttered down around it. “You wished to see me?” she asked. If playing along got it to come here with Fluttershy, then perhaps she could humor it until such time as she could properly scan it. Already she was casting several spells across it, trying to determine just what it was.
“Yes. I am here to conquer your world and enslave all of you. I’ll start by killing you and parading your headless corpse around this town.”
Well, at least it was blunt in its desires. “I’m sure that won’t be necessary. Perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement?”
The dragon blinked. “You wish to voluntarily surrender?”
“Why... Yes...?” Twilight wasn’t really sure what to do in this situation. She had thought her tutelage under Princess Celestia had prepared her for anything. Though she could forgive her mentor for not thinking that a genocidal dragon no larger than a foal would wander into her library one day. “I mean, from what your, erm, slave has told me, you are mighty and powerful.”
The dragon smiled, showing off its fangs. “Yes. Yes I am. It is good that slave recognizes its true place under my claws. And if you wish to turn over your entire world to me, then I will allow this.”
Twilight glanced over towards the kitchen. “Right. But in order to make it official, we must bind this in a ceremony.”
“What ceremony is this?” the dragon asked.
“Uh, teatime?” Twilight tried her best to smile at the dragon, though she wasn’t sure how convincing it was.
“Very well. I will participate in this... teatime. Then after that, you will call your citizens to bow before me. I will then take ten percent of them hostage, kill ten percent of them, and put the remaining eighty percent to work. I require another means of leaving this planet behind.”
The dragon laughed, a very odd sound that took all of Twilight’s willpower to not laugh at. It rubbed its claws together, looking gleeful. “Yes, soon another world shall fall before me,” it crowed.
A whistling sound from the kitchen drew both of their attention. “That would be the tea for teatime,” Twilight said. She moved over to the door into the kitchen, bowing low like she’d seen guards do in the presence of Princess Celestia. “In here.”
The dragon walked past her, Twilight rolling her eyes. Fluttershy may be able to put up with something like this, but Twilight wasn’t going to last much longer in this game. Already she was over halfway through her spells, her horn constantly alight. And so far, she’d not found anything wrong with the little dragon.
Entering the kitchen, she could see Fluttershy setting the teapot on the table, three teacups and saucers set in front of the three chairs. The dragon approached a chair, looking up at it. “Slave.”
Fluttershy seemed to know what it wanted, as she lifted it up, placing it in the chair, before taking one herself. Twilight sat in the final chair, across from the dragon.
“How does this ceremony go?” it asked.
Twilight looked to Fluttershy. She was too busy casting spells on the dragon to pour the tea. Within a moment, they each had a steaming cup in front of them. Using her hooves for once, Twilight took a sip of the brew, hoping it would calm her frustration.
The dragon watched the two of them, before taking a sip from its own cup. Immediately, it spit the liquid out. “What? What is this slave? What do you dare serve me? I will pluck out your feathers one by one and use them to stuff the pillow I’ll sleep on tonight!”
Twilight was a little shocked at the graphic quality of the threat. But before she could say anything, Fluttershy beat her to the punch. “I’m sorry,” the pegasus stated. “It’s just jasmine tea.”
“It is vile and foul. Your screams for this insult shall serve to sow terror in the hearts of all those who hear them. I will make your suffering long and slow. You will—” The dragon was cut off as Twilight held its mouth shut with her magic.
“Okay, I can’t do this anymore.” She ignored the dragon, who was thrashing and clawing at the magenta band around its mouth. “Fluttershy, so far, I can’t find anything wrong with this dragon either. The only things I have left to scan for are so rare, and the symptoms wouldn’t be anything like this.”
Seeming to realize that its struggles were futile, the dragon had taken to glaring at her. Curiously, a ball of magic had formed between its horns, several smaller balls appearing around it. The balls launched at her, but she just put up a shield, blocking them. She was used to things like this. When Spike was little, every sneeze called for a shield as he spit flames.
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said. “Are you sure?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, what do you suggest?”
Twilight took another sip of her tea, calmly blocking more fireballs. “I could write to Princess Celestia, but I’m not sure what she’d do other than what I just did. Probably send the thing back to the Dragonlands and let them take care of it.”
“Um, Twilight?” The pegasus was pawing at the table.
“Yes?”
The blue eyes of her friend met her own. “Do you think you could let it go? It seems to not like what you’re doing.”
Twilight looked over, seeing that the dragon was giving her a glare most fierce. If looks could kill, then this dragon would get its wish of killing her right now. Letting out a sigh, she released the magic on its mouth.
The first thing it did was flare its wings and roar at her. “You dare silence me? I will rip off your head and feast on your brains! The streets of this town shall flow with blood as I reduce it to ash! Your world will—”
Once more, Twilight silenced it. She fixed the dragon with her own glare. “Listen here. I will not tolerate that kind of talk in my library. If you cannot behave yourself, then I will keep your mouth sealed. Understand?”
Its response was to try and leap across the table at her. However, she used her magic to keep it in the chair. “And no attacking me, either. Or Fluttershy. You are going to sit there, and we are going to talk in a civil manner.”
The glare she got in response would have been frightening, if the thing giving it wasn’t currently under her total control. “Nod if you understand,” she said.
It continued to glare at her, until finally it gave a nod. Satisfied, she released her hold on it. Surprisingly, it didn’t try to attack her, or spout epithets. Instead, it sat there shaking with what she suspected was barely contained rage.
Twilight took another sip of her tea, refilling the cup. “Now then,” she said. “What are we to do with you?”
The dragon opened its mouth, then promptly shut it. A second later, it opened it again. “You will fear me. You will bow before me and become my slave.”
“That’s nice. Anything else?”
“I am the rightful ruler of this and all worlds. There is no world I’ve failed to conquer yet, and I will not let this one stop me. I will kill you and all you hold dear.”
“Mmhmm,” she said, taking another sip of her tea, before turning her attention to Fluttershy. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything we can do. We should just get the Princess to take it to the Dragonlands. Its fellow dragons would know what to do.”
The pegasus looked distraught. “You can’t do that, Twilight!”
“What? Why not?”
“Because dragons are mean and scary,” she whispered. “Look at it, its so small and helpless. The other dragons will just bully it and make fun of it.”
Twilight sighed. “But what else are we going to do?”
“Submit to my will!” the dragon roared. “Release yourselves and submit to an eternity of servitude.”
“Besides that,” the unicorn said.
Fluttershy tapped her hooves together. “Um, well, it could, um, come stay at my place and I’ll take care of it?”
“What?” Twilight asked, her voice deadpan. Even the dragon was looking at the pegasus, a look of confusion on its face.
“I can’t help it, Twilight. It’s so tiny and defenseless.” Twilight resisted the urge to point out that it had sharp teeth, sharp claws, and offensive, if weak, magic. “I could take care of it and even help it to get over these delusions.”
“Delusions?” the dragon spat out. “These are no delusions but a portent of your future! A future in which you are all corpses upon which I will rest. A future in which the ash from your civilization will choke the very air.”
Twilight pointed a hoof at the dragon. “See?”
“Oh, but Twilight. It doesn’t mean that.” The unicorn was actually very certain it did mean those threats. It just lacked the power to carry them out in an almost laughable manner. “I promise that I’ll take good care of it and that it won’t bother anypony. Just think of all the good that socializing with others will do for it.” The pegasus capped this off with her best smile.
Twilight sighed again, drawing a hoof down her muzzle. There was a headache forming that had nothing to do with all of the scanning spells she had cast. “Are you sure?” she asked.
Fluttershy nodded. “Oh yes. I’m certain that I can get him adjusted to living in Equestria in no time. Why, just look at Discord. He’s a regular model citizen now.”
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Twilight didn’t respond to that. No sense in upsetting her friend. “Alright, fine. It’s your problem now.”
With a squee, Fluttershy sprang out of her seat, diving over the table and hugging Twilight. “Oh, thank you! I promise that it won’t cause any trouble.”
“I’m still going to write to the Princess about this, but I don’t think she’ll do anything.”
The pegasus then launched herself at the unsuspecting dragon, wrapping it up in a hug. “Oh I’m going to take such good care of you. You’re going to live with me now, and it’ll be so much fun.”
Twilight would never admit it, but the look of horror on the dragon’s face cheered her up immensely. The thing glanced around frantically, as if seeking escape. Upon finding none from the grip of its new pegasus caretaker, it did the next best thing.
The scream of horror that echoed out from the library could be heard all across Ponyville. Ponies stopped what they were doing and looked over at the tree. After a moment, they shrugged and went about their business. Whatever it was, nothing was exploding so it didn’t concern them.
... And thus was the greatest foe to ever threaten Equestria defeated by the power of love and tolerance.
